Online: SWM Seeks an Edge

We’re not sure when online dating went from creepy to cutthroat, but those snarky ads posted by single hipsters are suddenly ubiquitous. How to compete?

Easy: a growing cottage industry wants to help you score. “I can’t tell you how many profiles I see saying, ‘I am just as comfortable in a little black dress as I am in jeans’,” says Dave Evans, CEO of profiledoctor.com . For $35, he’ll edit your ad. Be specific, he advises: “Are you an Escalade-driving Bushie or a Jetta-driving ‘give ‘em hell, Howard’ kind of guy?” For $100, Evan Marc Katz of e-cyrano.com will write your profile for you (after he interviews you). “It’s more competitive than ever out there,” he says. Still, sounding clever is moot if your online photo says “mutt.” Need a touch-up? SoulmatePics.com does photo sessions in 15 cities from $129.

Beware: a great profile may lead to first-date overload. “I wasn’t getting enough hits,” says Susan Levine, 49, of life before a $125 photo session with SingleShots.com. “Now I’m always dating. That’s the problem.”

—Brian Braiker