YNOT – Anyone who’s been in the adult entertainment industry for any length of time has heard the name Darren Roberts. The former chief executive officer of the AVN Media Network enjoyed a 16-year career at the helm of a powerful media operation. He knows everyone in adult, which means he probably also knows where quite a few bodies are buried.
After Roberts and AVN founder Paul Fishbein sold their interests in the privately held company last year, Roberts took a break.
And then he wrote a book. Billed as a “tell-all,” The Unsexpected Story is expected to hit shelves in October.
Should industry insiders worry their most embarrassing peccadilloes will be laid bare in print? Not really, Roberts told YNOT.com. He’s more interested in exposing the technologies, business processes and financial models that underlie what has become an enormous economic engine.
Yeah, we were hoping for juicy gossip, too.
YNOT: You were at AVN for 16 years. What did you do before then?
Darren Roberts: Prior to AVN, I owned a boutique printing, publishing and design firm located in La Cañada, Calif. After I sold my printing business, I worked briefly with Alchemy Communications in Chatsworth [Calif.], which eventually led me to a partnership with Paul Fishbein and AVN in 1996.
Why did you want to write this book?
The adult entertainment industry is a fascinating and complex business. I have always been driven to figure out a creative way to bridge the gap between public perception and reality. I felt the best way to do this was to blend history with the stories and people who have been such an inspiration to me over the years. By doing this, I was able to create what I feel is an interesting and engaging story.
Who composes the book’s target market?
Anyone who is interested in business or the adult entertainment industry.
Who did you interview?
I spoke to so many people that I actually lost count. In the end, I chose to feature the individuals that I felt had inspired me in some way with their story. You will just have to read the book to see who those people are.
Are there any big surprises? Did you air any dirty laundry?
That wasn’t my intent in writing this book.
Natalie Shau served as art director for your book cover. Do we get a pre-publication peek?
Natalie is an amazing and very talented artist, and my goal is for the cover to be as unpredictable as the title and subject matter. My job was to find the best artist for the job, and then I let her do her thing.
What predictions do you have for the porn industry over the next few years?
Most of my time is spent focusing on the future of the adult business, and I am actually preparing for a speaking tour next year about this very subject. In short, I feel that we have a few uneventful years still ahead. However, as history has proved, the development of new technology results in advancements in the adult entertainment business. I am both enthusiastic and excited about what is coming our way in the next decade. The progression will revolutionize our industry in the same way videocassettes and the internet did, only more so.
You are very familiar with the economic issues in the industry, like tube sites and content piracy. In order for the adult industry to turn around and become the booming industry it once was, what will need to change?
Both tube sites and pirating are a result of advancements in technology and, like it or not, they are factors that all content production companies must deal with in the way they think is best. Most businesses and industries face similar challenges of their own; that’s just a part of operating a business. I have no doubt the adult industry will experience many waves of successes and failures in the future. The key is to find and ride that next wave.
What do you miss most about AVN?
The team of people with whom I had the opportunity to work.
What are your plans for the future?
It seems I spend so much of my time looking at the future, but in truth I’m just happy to wake up every morning.
How can people find you if they want to reach you?
My website has my contact information: DarrenRoberts.com.
