I really would enjoy doing this as a job, and I think I would be very good at it. I think that I'd be able to genuinely craft good erotica writing. I have done it before, and I truly think that I have a talent with it. I think that being bisexual (although I don't really label it as anything) is also a tremendous asset to this possible career that I am considering, because it would truly enable me to be able to understand the lust and excitement in the minds of all of the characters not just the male ones. So, I feel that would be a tremendous advantage I would have over most other people who are authors with this type of writing. I also think that I genuinely have a talent with it. I used to just do it for fun sometimes, but now I posted some of my writing on a site for writing erotica and people seem to like it. Do you think this is a practical idea for a career?
This is your answer, I think. :icon_bigg Maybe you could try Kindle publishing at first? I have no idea what Amazon's conditions are but they seem to give a chance to unknown authors who are just starting out.
Perhaps you could try your pen on Wattpad or Literotica? You won´t make money from these sites, but you can get feedback from readers and also create a small fan club to buy and recommend/advertise your books later on. I´ve read quite a few nice stories over there. Some of them were so good that when finished, they were edited and are now available for sale.
To answer your question about it being practical -- turning it into a full time job and a real career would be a lot of work and might not happen even if you have talent and made the effort. I know a lot of writers who do this on the side, not make a living with it. That doesn't mean it's not possible. It would make sense to start out small and see how you do. Other people in this thread made good suggestions regarding Amazon and getting a fan base (plus other marketing). I've published a few short erotic stories, with publisher, not on my own. I don't make much money with my writing and don't expect to (for a few reasons) but I've spent time learning about the business. One thing -- people will pay more for erotica than similar-length stories of other types, and if you're good at satisfying your particular audiences, you can go far. Readers tend to have very specific interests, so being able to write a variety of types will be helpful. If it's something you can say here, at which site did you post and get good feedback? Also, I realize you can't identify yourself here, but I'd be very interested in reading something written by a bi male.
If you're interested in self-publishing, you could check out Smashwords.com. They publish ebooks across a variety of platforms, and make their money by taking a percentage of the money made from each ebook sold. They also publish across a variety of genres, including erotica. Note that the site defaults to blocking erotica content, but you can click a button near the top right of the screen to show it in the list of literature types. You can also see a list of the erotica sub-types that they publish. Setting up a book for 'publication' is mildly tedious, but quite doable, or you can pay someone to do it for you (they maintain a 'marketplace' listing people who will do it for a fee. Mainly, you need to have a basic knowledge of MS Word combined with the 'how to set up a book for publication' manual which you can get from them for free. Hope this helps, Todd
I love it when there's actually a compelling story to go along with the sex scenes -- some stories have very little in terms of character development. When it's done right though I think it's phenomenal.
It could work, depending on how good you are. This was a secret dream of mine, not so long ago... Hey, if you need readers, count me in!
I have to think that it would be nice to have a real story, not just 200 pages of creaking bedsprings. But then I'm over the hill... Although it's all in the eyes of the beholder. I remember reading something written by Lawrence Block (mostly known as mystery/suspense novelist). In his early days, he wrote "soft core pornography." And he commented something to the effect that his readers probably viewed the books as having two basic parts: hot spots (presumably sex), and dull stretches (presumably everything else).
Hi there! It's probably something you don't want to hear but my advice would be: don't quit your day job. Have it as a job, absolutely; however and in the grand scheme of things, not a lot of authors make it to the big stage, and earn enough money for a living. One thing you could start doing, to get noticed, is to have a blog or a website where you publish short pieces on a regular basis. This will help you to start building a following that you can tap into when you being out a novel or a longer piece. If you wanted to approach a publisher or an agent at some point, you want to be able to show them that you have a following who are willing to buy your novel.
Oh yes! I love watching porn but having my porn in writing is very hot as well. I love it when they get to the dirtiest parts!!! :eusa_danc
