IamAn author of erotica with over 200 titles in several languages, self-published for a year now. AMA!

Does writing erotica have an effect on your emotional or sexual relationship with your partner?

Is that effect good or bad?

Hehe. It's great! It's like... Well, I write about my own fantasies, most of the time, and since she gets to read it all, it's become a very... intimate thing between us. I'm not sure how many partners are very open about their sexual fantasies, but for us, it created this... baseline? Like a thing that we can go to together, without really having to talk about it much, because we both know what we're referencing.

Also, of course, she gets hot reading them, and I get hot writing them. So there's that.

I recently (~7 months ago) got into a new relationship where my SO and me switch often. I write short stories about it on FetLife and so does she. Even with the short stories we write, I recognize what you say here.

We've also found that most people who can openly discuss their kinks / fantasies with their SO are often natural switches.

How is this for your relationship?

Curious enough, I'm usually the dominant party, but we both like it that way.

That works too of course :-) But at least you understand both sides of the medal I assume, seeing that you write erotica.

Keep it up! :)

That works too of course :-) But at least you understand both sides of the medal I assume, seeing that you write erotica.

Keep it up! :)

Yeah, sure. I like writing things from the submissive's perspective, but I tend to imagine myself as the dominant party. It sounds weird when I write it down like that, but it's what I do.

That... sounds pretty hot. Have you written any erotica about a couple that gets off on writing and reading eroitica?

That... sounds pretty hot. Have you written any erotica about a couple that gets off on writing and reading eroitica?

Yeah, actually. I've got a short story collection about something like that, and recently finished a novelette about an erotic author and her assistant (set in Weimar Germany, but the similarities aren't coincidental).

meta af

meta af

Where I'm from, they call me Metathrin.

So basically, any fantasies you may have, put it down on paper, and they come true? You make me sick!

So basically, any fantasies you may have, put it down on paper, and they come true? You make me sick!

Sick is my middle name.

How does your work compare to masterpieces such as Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt?

How does your work compare to masterpieces such as Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt?

Chuck Tingle is an absolute genius. I wish I could write like that.

How has the Amazon pricing for authors affected you?

Edit: Example.

Not sure what you're talking about? Do you mean Amazon's rates? Or the Kindle Unlimited program?

The pay per page structure.

Ah, okay. I don't participate in that any more. I've done it initially, for about 3 months when I started publishing, but then phased my books out one by one. Personally, I think the payout is much too low, but on top of it, you'll enter an exclusivity contract with Amazon that would prevent me from publishing my books anywhere else.

Now, it's a personal preference, but I don't want to solely rely on Amazon for my income, so I like to spread out my books, but I also do better financially, because this way I get more income from other vendors than I did from Kindle Unlimited, when I was still enrolled in the past.

I didn't realize you could still publish on Amazon without that contract. Why would any author go that route, then, I wonder.

I've heard from many other authors that they're doing quite well in that program. It really depends on how long your books are. Someone who writes a romance novel of 300 pages might do better than someone whose books are all short stories. (Also, of course, there have been scammers who profited from this, but there always are.)

But yeah, you can still publish without taking part in it. It's voluntary, even though Amazon really pushes you to take part in it. (For example, I can't do free-book-promotions without my book being in Kindle Unlimited.)

In total, it's another venue for authors to make money, with a different kind of readership. It's just not my kind of venue.

Thank you, that helps greatly to put into perspective.

You're welcome.

It as if she didn't read the article. Who woulda guessed.

It as if she didn't read the article. Who woulda guessed.

It might have something to do with the fact that he posted it after I answered.

I currently write books as a hobby but don't know how to start the process of publishing or self publishing. How do I go about starting?

Hm. Complicated question, because I don't know your genre. Basically speaking, I'd start with doing some research into the market you're writing for: What are the covers like there? How long are books, typically? What are they priced at? Is there a typical story structure? What do the blurbs sound like? What would be a good title?

Then try to imitate that, create some similar covers (or have them made for you), make sure your books are proofread and edited, and when you're happy with the result, create a KDP account with Amazon and start publishing them. (The technical process is really quite simple, all it takes is the text and a cover.)

You make it sound like imitiation is more important than creativity. Is that the right impression?

I think the point is that each genre has norms, and conforming to those norms will help you get readers in that genre. Not hard rules, but of you try selling a 20 page book with illustrations on every page and a couple sentences (ie, a kids book) On the Sci Fi shelves, you may not do well. Then again.... It may be a hit. Who knows.

This.

Is there one of your book which was a success (in terms of sales or reviews) in German but not in English? And inversely?
If yes, what do you think could be the reasons? Is there any differences between your 2 main audiences?

Is there one of your book which was a success (in terms of sales or reviews) in German but not in English? And inversely?

If yes, what do you think could be the reasons? Is there any differences between your 2 main audiences?

Yeah. Well, generally speaking, ALL my books sell better in German. However, all my fantasy & sci-fi stuff sells much better in German. Maybe the market's not as saturated there as in English? Or maybe Germans like a bit of the fantastic with their smut? I don't know.

In the movie Planes Trains and Automobiles, John Candy's character is holding a book The Canadian Mounted. Turns out it was a fake prop. I've always wanted to ask a erotic novelist to make it a real book. Would you do it for me, please?

In the movie Planes Trains and Automobiles, John Candy's character is holding a book The Canadian Mounted. Turns out it was a fake prop. I've always wanted to ask a erotic novelist to make it a real book. Would you do it for me, please?

Well, what do you think it's about?

Beavers of all kinds

Beavers of all kinds

The only right answer.

1- Is this your dream job? What made you choose this career?

2- Where do you take inspiration and creativity to write so many books in a short period of time?

3- Did you experience a burnout, how did it turn out? If not, are you afraid of having one, how do you imagine handling it?

1- Is this your dream job? What made you choose this career?

Definitely, absolutely yes. I've been writing erotic stories for much longer than I've been publishing them, and in general, I've been writing stuff all my life. This way, I get to do what I love and even get paid for it! How awesome is that???

2- Where do you take inspiration and creativity to write so many books in a short period of time?

Full disclosure: Erotica are typically short stories of about 5000 words or less. It sounds like a lot, but it really amounts to just a few novels a year. (I did a calculation once and I think I've written the amount of Neil Gaiman's American Gods in the past year, minus his awesomeness.) As for inspiration, see here.

3- Did you experience a burnout, how did it turn out? If not, are you afraid of having one, how do you imagine handling it?

Yeah, I've had a period of burnout during the first three months. In August last year, I've been working day and night, making covers, uploading books, writing blurbs, etc. (I've had about 80 already written by that time, all of which had to be put into Amazon manually.) After that, I was done. I didn't write or publish anything until about November/December, during which time my sales kept declining slowly. But finally, it came back, as it always does, and I've started writing again.

I'm going from periods of manic typing to some periods of utter laziness, but I try to stretch my books out, so they can carry over the times when I don't write much. Right now, I've got a backlog of stories that can last me into October, and I may need them, because I haven't written anything in the past week already, so there may be a downtime coming on again.

But really, I'm not afraid of them. I see it as a cyclic thing that comes and goes, and experience shows that I'll always get back to writing, eventually.

Question on your response to #1: Did you publish any works on sites like Literotica?

Question on your response to #1: Did you publish any works on sites like Literotica?

Yes, that's where I started out (amont many others). I eventually gave up on that and went for ebooks, for several reasons (not the least of which has to do with the troll problem on free sites like that) but I've still got a Lit profile with a few stories there.

Erotica are typically short stories of about 5000 words or less.

Is that your own personal preference for your writing style, or just what the market dictates?

Also, do you publish each story separately, or do you publish collections, or both?

Is that your own personal preference for your writing style, or just what the market dictates?

It's the way it is, for reasons unknown. Typically, erotica are short stories which eventually get put out in a larger bundle.

How difficult is it to constantly come up with terms referring to one's junk?

Do you have any favorites?

How difficult is it to constantly come up with terms referring to one's junk?

Hm. This might be a misconception I hear quite often. My job is not to come up with new terms for cocks and pussies. I keep alternating them, just to not be repetitive and keep the flow going, but that's really all that's needed. It's just like everything else in writing: There's only so many ways you can say "she said", "she replied", "she interjected", "she remarked", "she answered" until you repeat yourself. Juggle the few ways you know, and you'll be fine.

Literary cock juggling!

There's a clown erotica waiting to be written right there.

Have you read "The Lusty Argonian Maiden"?

Have you read "The Lusty Argonian Maiden"?

Sorry, never heard of that either.

It's fairly popular in Cyrodiil

It's fairly popular in Cyrodiil

There is possibly a Game of Thrones reference in there that I'm not getting.

How do friends/family react when you tell them?

How do friends/family react when you tell them?

They don't, because I don't. I don't really want to talk about it with people I know, because... well, imagine if anyone could learn about your deepest, darkest, most depraved fantasies and desires, at the price of three bux and a mouseclick. I can count on one hand what would happen next, or what would happen after that. I don't want things to be awkward - or more awkward - with my loved ones, so... I'll keep that to myself, for now.

It's a little tough, because then I also have nobody to brag about my SHINY NEW BOOK, for example, but that's the price I pay. In essence, there are very few people who both know me IRL and know what I'm writing about. Most of them are just people I work with professionally (like my tax accountant, or illustrators, or something like that). So really, the only one I get to share everything with is my girlfriend.

Aye, this is relateable as an adult illustrator. Been drawing my whole life and family and friends know I freelance, but I can only show them a fraction of my work due to most of my workload being erotic. I share it with my partner as well and aside from a couple of friends I have made through repeat clientele, they are the only people that know IRL.

Its a really odd feeling.

Aye, this is relateable as an adult illustrator. Been drawing my whole life and family and friends know I freelance, but I can only show them a fraction of my work due to most of my workload being erotic. I share it with my partner as well and aside from a couple of friends I have made through repeat clientele, they are the only people that know IRL.

Its a really odd feeling.

Yeah. Right now, I want to be like "hey, look at this cool AMA I'm doing" and the only one who has to hear it all is my girlfriend.

how much money have you made from your books in this last year?

Mh. Enough to pay my mortgages, but not enough to quit my day job.

How many mortgages you got, girl?

How many mortgages you got, girl?

Just the one on my house.

Whoops, you said the loud bit quiet and the quiet bit loud

Whoops, you said the loud bit quiet and the quiet bit loud

You're right, I fixed it.

Just to give this answer from another perspective, I started self-publishing a year and a half ago. I don't write literary, just normal romance stuff. I've made more money in that time frame than the past 5 years before that.

I'm not sure how to phrase this without seeming rude to Ms. Pissinger, but the vast majority of erotica writers no longer make a living from their works (After Amazon's Kindle Unlimited changes).

Many others who write thrillers/mystery/suspsense/romance/sci-fi do make their living self-publishing however, and a very comfortable one at that.

(I'm saying this to give those reading more info, not to detract from Ms. Pissinger)

I'm not sure how to phrase this without seeming rude to Ms. Pissinger, but the vast majority of erotica writers no longer make a living from their works (After Amazon's Kindle Unlimited changes).

You're right, and it's not rude to me. But I'm not writing romance, and so I can only answer from an erotic author's perspective. So far, I'm happy with the income I have vs. the work involved. YMMV.

200 individual titles, that you've published in a single year. How long are these? How do you pump them out so fast?

They're short stories, between 2000 and 5000 words long. I write about 5000 to 10000 words a week, on average. It's really not a lot. If everything is going well, I can put out 1000 words or more per hour, so there are plenty of other authors who are much more productive than I am.

Thanks for answering. So is your process, basically, write a short story, edit it, put together a cover and publish? I'm guessing marketing is at least half the battle.

Yeah. Well, I spend about half the time on actual writing, and then the other half on making the cover, editing it, uploading, writing the blurb, etc.

Marketing isn't really all that hard, because the best marketing is still to keep publishing new stories. It helps to be on social media to create some buzz, but most of my readers found me just through amazon (or whatever book store they were purchasing in).

How did you get the initial following, since from your other answers I guess you weren't going to your friends and family and saying, "hey look at this! Buy it and tell your friends!"

How did you get the initial following, since from your other answers I guess you weren't going to your friends and family and saying, "hey look at this! Buy it and tell your friends!"

Initially I published my stuff for free on several websites dedicated to that kind of stuff. (Literotica, XNXX, etc.) That following didn't really carry over to Amazon, because it's a completely different audience there, and the people reading free stories aren't the same ones who also pay for them. So with Amazon, I had to start from scratch. The initial following came purely from publishing my stories and people finding them by chance.

Do you publish the short stories individually or do you combine them into little volumes and publish those?

People pay $3 for 2000-5000 words? That's like 20 pages. :/

Do you publish the short stories individually or do you combine them into little volumes and publish those?

Both.

People pay $3 for 2000-5000 words? That's like 20 pages. :/

Some think it's 20 pages worth their three bux.

1000 words per hour? Holy shit, that's insane. The most I have achieved is 1000 in 3 and a half hours.

1000 words per hour? Holy shit, that's insane. The most I have achieved is 1000 in 3 and a half hours.

There's different techniques to boost your output. Basically, good typing skills are a must. I've had typing classes in school, and they paid off big time. Also, typing without your inner critic is the best typing. If you have trouble turning that off, try MDWA - it forces you to keep writing without going back over your stuff over and over.

MDWA

Fuck yes. My reddit life was leading up that one link. I'm sorted now. Cheers mate. Cheers reddit. So long.

Fuck yes. My reddit life was leading up that one link. I'm sorted now. Cheers mate. Cheers reddit. So long.

There he goes, never to be seen again.

How fast do you type? Ive not met anyone who types faster than me because, apparently, there are people out there who average ~130.

How fast do you type?

I don't know, I've never counted. Words per hour are much more important to me than keystrokes per minute.

who wins in a fight between Catwoman and the Joker and how? no weapons allowed

Slowly, Selena reached around and began to unzip her suit, right in front of his eyes, her silky, pale skin a sharp contrast to the shiny black leather, becoming more visible with every inch she pulled, like milk, spilling out of a gap in the darkness. The Joker couldn't keep his eyes off her, and for one second, he let his guard down, mesmerized by the movements, the shape, the seductive sway of the woman. One second, and that was all it took.

Quietly and effortlessly, she jumped, spun and toppled him, all in one fluid motion, kicking him to the ground and landing on his chest, pinning him to the floor, where her breasts hovered conveniently above his face. If this was the end, he thought, then at least it's a very appealing one.

Purring, Selena began to lick along his cheek, covering the way from his earlobe to the scar at the side of his mouth, and up to his eye. "Now let's see what happens to you if I do this," she whispered, giggling quietly as her sharp fingernails buried themselves into the soft flesh of his neck.

If this is a sample of your what your writing style is like, you might just have a new (albeit broke) fan.

(subject matter notwithstanding)

If this is a sample of your what your writing style is like, you might just have a new (albeit broke) fan.

Glad you liked it. For my broke fans, there's always my newsletter.

My boner is confused.

Jokes aside, very well written!

Thanks. Still not sure who "won".

...so, who won?

...so, who won?

The jury's still out on that one.

What would you say are the most common S/M trends your readers love most? Do you think you have contributed toward creating uplifting erotica for lesbian readers? How many of your readers do you believe are hetero men?

What would you say are the most common S/M trends your readers love most?

Well. My readers are probably into the same stuff as I am, or they wouldn't be my readers. So they might like less physical domination and more mind games. Of course, a little bit of roughness and hair pulling always goes a long way, but on the "hardness" spectrum, I'm really on the tame side. I have very little bondage, very little spanking or beating, very little force, but a lot of exploitation, seduction, mind control and blackmail.

Do you think you have contributed toward creating uplifting erotica for lesbian readers?

Mh. Well, I don't really believe erotica need to be uplifting. For me, all it needs to do is turn my readers on, and as long as it does that, it works. I do like having gay women in nice, strong roles, and I've written a novel under a different pen name about a queer woman's struggle with her own sexuality and sexual desires. So maybe that qualifies? I dunno.

How many of your readers do you believe are hetero men?

Yeah, I was wondering that myself, and so I eventually asked for people to give me their gender when they're signing up for my newsletter. Turns out, it's about 50/50, a little bit more guys than women. (Curiously enough, on the german site, it's much more guys than women. Don't know what to make of that.)

Have you requested Gilbert Gottfried to voice one of your audiobooks? His work on 50 Shades was nothing short of seminal.

Have you requested Gilbert Gottfried to voice one of your audiobooks? His work on 50 Shades was nothing short of seminal.

Well, you might hate me for this, but I've never read (or listened to, or watched) 50 Shades. Dunno why, but it just doesn't flip my switch.

This is almost trolling... essentially, his comically grating voice makes the dreary work funny. Good for a laugh.

This is almost trolling... essentially, his comically grating voice makes the dreary work funny. Good for a laugh.

Heh, okay. Got it.

Does your passion for writing erotica have any root in fan fiction? Have you ever been involved in fan fiction communities?

Does your passion for writing erotica have any root in fan fiction? Have you ever been involved in fan fiction communities?

No, never. I don't understand the appeal of fan fiction, so I've never had an interest in it.

Howdy, fellow writer!

How did you get started in erotica? I do mostly technical things, but I have been thinking of expanding to something a bit more fun.

Also, can you walk me through your process? How do you go from a final draft to a self published story?

Thanks!

How did you get started in erotica? I do mostly technical things, but I have been thinking of expanding to something a bit more fun.

Well, it came naturally, somehow. I just had all these ideas, and one day just started writing them down. One thing led to another, and I started publishing them on some story sites, gained some traction, wrote some more, and one day had dozens of stories and someone tell me I should try to do more with them. In other words: It wasn't really a conscious decision, it's just kind of a vehicle that drives my stories and makes them more interesting. Plus, sex.

Also, can you walk me through your process? How do you go from a final draft to a self published story?

Well, idea comes first, usually in the form of an interesting character, or an interesting setting, or both. I make a document to collect all the ideas I have for the story, like the looks of the character, their background, the location, time, etc. and where I would like the story to go (roughly). I don't outline or do any of the fancy stuff, I just start writing at the start, and end at the end. In between, there's sex.

I've got a pre-made document that's already formatted the way I want it, with all the front and backmatter, and I just need to fill in the text and title of the book. Once finished, I convert it into an epub with Calibre, make a cover in photoshop, upload both to KDP, fill out the title and blurb, and Bob's your uncle.

roughly

Thanks for the response! I might try that sometime, then. I think it's time some of my work gets seen.

Follow up question, it you feel like answering. Do you see yourself going anywhere else with your writing? Any new concepts or genres you would like to explore? Do you think the language you write in affects the story? I found that when I write in spanish, the story always ends up bittersweet, so I wonder if you experience something similar in german.

Thank you again, happy writing!

Do you see yourself going anywhere else with your writing? Any new concepts or genres you would like to explore?

Yeah, I've moved away from self-contained shorts to more of a series-based approach, where one story builds upon the previous one. Sadly, so far, those don't sell so good, but I've not done it long enough to be able to tell one way or another. It's definitely more fun to write, though.

I'd totally like to work a little more with illustrators. So far, I've had a couple of people illustrate scenes from my stories, but haven't found one who I could work with on a consistent basis to make something like a graphic novel out of it. That'd be cool!

Do you think the language you write in affects the story? I found that when I write in spanish, the story always ends up bittersweet, so I wonder if you experience something similar in german.

Yeah, the german versions usually sound rougher and a lot dirtier than the english ones. Maybe it's just me, but everything in english always sounds cute, which makes it a much more melodic and pleasing language, most of the time, except when you're trying to write dirty.

What inspires you?

Mmh. That's a question I get from time to time. There's really nothing specific that inspires me, but it's rather random. I can get inspiration from other books and stories, from tv-shows or movies, or games, from stuff I read on the internet (including reddit) or just things I've experienced myself.

For example, I've written a naughty dark fairy tale, right after we had watched Maleficent. Or there's a sci-fi series I'm workin on which is strongly inspired by Viscera Cleanup Detail and Dungeon of the Endless (both games me and my partner love to play together). Or there's several stories about stuff I've experienced, sometimes several separate events folded into one story.

Where do you advertise? I publish my books free in serial form on Literotica and Storiesonline, but that is the only effective way I know to drive sales. (About 20k/yr)

Amazon is useless and takes a huge cut. Is that your experience too?

Where do you advertise?

Newsletter and social media, mainly. I've got a link to my newsletter in every book, so that fans find it easy to subscribe and keep up with new releases. It's the most effective marketing tool I've found.

I publish my books free in serial form on Literotica and Storiesonline, but that is the only effective way I know to drive sales.

Yeah, I don't think the free story sites help much. The crowd there is just too different, and not enough of them actually would pay for books. But hey, we're all just experimenting, so if it works for you, go for it!

Amazon is useless and takes a huge cut. Is that your experience too?

Not really. The cut is actually quite modest, compared to what publishers used to take in the paper world, and on top of that, they provide a gigantic marketplace. Without the Zon, I'd not make half of what I do. So I'm fine with them.

Did you ever think about writing a story about a boy who broke both his arms?

Did you ever think about writing a story about a boy who broke both his arms?

I don't usually write stories about boys. But I've written a story about a woman who's got four arms. Hope this helps.

What do you think about sex-negative feminism?

What do you think about sex-negative feminism?

Well, I think labels are overrated. We (speaking of feminists) get into these petty little in-fights over stupid crap like "sex-positive or sex-negative" when it's really about letting women do what they like to do. If a woman likes to have sex, she should be comfortable with it. If not, then not. It's okay either way, just don't think what works for you needs to work for everyone else.

Do you know the author Stormy Glenn? She's my mom and I've been trying to get her to do an AMA for a year now.

Do you know the author Stormy Glenn? She's my mom and I've been trying to get her to do an AMA for a year now.

Sorry, I've never heard of her, but she should do it!

I like to write short erotic stories with a fantasy/Sci fi twist, do you think there's a market for that? My friend in publishing thinks the successful erotica categories are very specific.

I like to write short erotic stories with a fantasy/Sci fi twist, do you think there's a market for that? My friend in publishing thinks the successful erotica categories are very specific.

Yeah, well, sci-fi isn't really a strong niche - if it is one at all; I think it's more a setting than a niche. Anyway, what counts more than the setting is the erotic content. Is it hetero, gay, lesbian? Is it alpha stuff? What kinks does it serve? That kind of stuff markets it better than just the very broad label "sci-fi".

Do you ever get so turned on when writing that you have to... take a break?

Do you ever get so turned on when writing that you have to... take a break?

Let's just say there's a toy in my drawer for a reason.

As someone starting to get into writing erotica under a pseudonym (I already self publish under my own name with young adult novels), I'd love to ask a couple of things;

Do you publish under your name or another?

Do you stick to the same genre (historical, contemporary, supernatural, etc.), or do you like to mix things up?

Do you find it difficult to create original characters when you have so many stories to your name, or do they sometimes blur together?

Do you think there's a niche for lesbian erotica? I can imagine there are fewer books available in this area than there are in heterosexual erotica. Does that help?

Of all the languages you publish in, which do you find sells the best?

Are you able to make a living from your books (even a modest one), or do you work a day job to help supplement your income?

Do you publish under your name or another?

Well, Kathrin is my actual name, but I have a different last name, of course. I've written a few other stories under different pen names as well, but nothing under my actual name. I don't think I ever will.

Do you stick to the same genre (historical, contemporary, supernatural, etc.), or do you like to mix things up?

I love to try my hand at several different environments and genres, but I tend to stick to my kinks, as far as sex goes. I've written sci-fi (near future and far future), cyberpunk, fantasy, historical (1980's, 1920's Weimar Germany, 19th century, planning a piece about the 15th century and another one about roman times) and, of course, contemporary stuff. As far as the themes go, they tend to be the same throughout, though. They always involve lesbian women, some female domination, and an assortment of my usual preferences.

Do you find it difficult to create original characters when you have so many stories to your name, or do they sometimes blur together?

It depends. Some stories don't really require fully fleshed-out characters. Sometimes a random name and some photo reference for looks is enough. For my longer series I do put a lot of work into the backstories of my characters. They're similar-ish, because they're all part of my inner universe, but hopefully different enough for readers to distinguish them from one another.

Do you think there's a niche for lesbian erotica? I can imagine there are fewer books available in this area than there are in heterosexual erotica. Does that help?

Yes and no. There's a niche, but it's a small one. I'm actually thinking about branching out into hetero stuff, simply because the vast majority of erotica readers are the proverbial "middle-aged southern women", so there's a much larger audience to tap into, when you're writing hetero. In other words, the income ceiling is much higher there, but the competition is as well.

Of all the languages you publish in, which do you find sells the best?

German, by far. I don't know why, to be honest, because it's the very same stories, same covers, same everything, except in different languages. Maybe my style appeals more to a German audience? I dunno.

Are you able to make a living from your books (even a modest one), or do you work a day job to help supplement your income?

See here and here. I've still got a day job, even though I wish I wouldn't.

Is there a large market for this sort of thing? I know Fifty shades blew up, but i never thought it was much of a market what with all the other alternatives.

But i suppose that's like saying "Why do people still make sci-fi films when we have movies"

Is there a large market for this sort of thing? I know Fifty shades blew up, but i never thought it was much of a market what with all the other alternatives.

Well, there's a market. There's a bigger market, if you're writing romance with erotic elements to it, and there's a HUGE market if you're doing it well. Romance is possibly the largest segment of book sales there is, and erotica is a subset of that.

Hi Kathrin! As someone who has only managed to dabble in self pubbing erotica, I have a question that's based off a wall I've run into. How do you go about creating your covers? I find that that's the hardest part for me. The words run free, but making covers or trying to purchase stock photos takes a lot of the fun out of it!

How do you go about creating your covers? I find that that's the hardest part for me. The words run free, but making covers or trying to purchase stock photos takes a lot of the fun out of it!

Well, first off, your cover needs to be sexy. You're trying to sell sex, so the cover is your advertising board. If you're trying to illustrate your erotic story with an apple, you're doing something wrong. So find a picture that's sexy and appealing. It may or may not reflect the contents of your story, but that's entirely optional. Sex comes first, everything else comes later.

Then, get a copy of Photoshop. It's just 10 bucks a month, and well worth the investment. If you don't know how to use it, watch a few beginners tutorials on youtube, but you really don't need to do much with it. Just some basic editing, cropping, putting fonts together and that's basically it.

Personally, I'm a sucker for fonts, so I like to put some emphasis on balancing those, which is icing on the cake, but could make your cover look that much better if done right. But that's a whole 'nother issue altogether.

When you first decided to take the leap and put your first book out there how did you market yourself?

When you first decided to take the leap and put your first book out there how did you market yourself?

I didn't. I got introduced to the awesome /r/eroticauthors subreddit on here by a fellow author who had read my stuff and thought I should give it a try, and so I read up on what I could, and then just started publishing. As I said, books market themselves when you just keep on publishing more. Every new title is an advertisement for the older ones.

What kind of marketing did you do for your first books and how does that differ now that you're established? Is there anything you do now that would have been invaluable to know earlier on in your writing career?

What kind of marketing did you do for your first books and how does that differ now that you're established?

I didn't do any marketing beforehand. Now I'm using my newsletter (invaluable resource) as well as social media, the odd paid promo, but really nothing more involved. The best way to sell books is to come out with new ones.

Is there anything you do now that would have been invaluable to know earlier on in your writing career?

Yeah. Don't dump it all at once. Publishing 80 titles in a few days might give you an initial boost, but it falls off rather quickly, if not followed up with more titles soon. Stretch it out a bit, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

http://img.booru.org/smtg//images/3/f994eec1f811464fa7729cb205752235bd402598.png

Can you critique this porn I wrote?

Can you critique this porn I wrote?

I've read worse.

Would you ever do a collaboration with our lord and savior chuck tingle?

Would you ever do a collaboration with our lord and savior chuck tingle?

Oh my god, I don't think I could. I'd be MUCH too nervous, and I'd probably fuck it all up. I'd be flattered like all hell, though, if asked.

Have you ever met Chuck Tingle?

Have you ever met Chuck Tingle?

I wish, man. I wish. As far as I know, he lives on a floating mountain somewhere in Brazil, though.

200 is a shit ton of books. Have you sacrificed quality for quantity? Do you have other people writing for you? Why do you self-publish?

200 is a shit ton of books. Have you sacrificed quality for quantity?

Not really. As I said, most of them are short stories, so in essence, it amounts to about half a dozen novels. That's not terribly much for a year.

As far as quality vs. quantity goes, I don't think that's a good way to look at it. Quality writing is first and foremost spelling, grammar and punctuation, then some decent plot and vivid descriptions, good pacing and a sense for style and rhythm. None of that takes more time than crappy writing, if you can do it right.

Do you have other people writing for you?

No. I have outsourced some of the translations (for languages I don't know) and a few of my covers, and proofreading and editing is done by my girlfriend. Other than that, I do it all myself.

Why do you self-publish?

There aren't terribly many publishers interested in erotica, so I didn't even try to apply for that. I'm doing quite well on a self-publishing platform, so I don't really see a need for a publisher.

Hi there, I'm a writer looking to get published. Still finishing off my first real book, currently at over 70k words, mostly a teenage hero with a corrupt government in the background to put it mildly. I've already written almost a million words in fanfiction since 2001, but I want to finally earn money doing so!

I see your stories are relatively short, have you ever considered writing a longer novel and getting it published with a print-based company, or is self-publishing just that much easier to get? I can imagine it must be hard for publishers to want to publish books since there's lots of competition, which is making me nervous. I feel that self-publishing won't get me the audience I desire. What is your opinion on that?

Regarding your covers, do you take the photos yourself or are they stock images before you edit them in photoshop? What kind of permissions are needed if you did take photos of people, i.e. ownership rights etc.

I see your stories are relatively short, have you ever considered writing a longer novel and getting it published with a print-based company, or is self-publishing just that much easier to get?

I've published longer works, but I didn't do those with a publisher either. I've put out a few of my works as printed books myself, but those won't sell. There's just no real market for printed erotica. Your mileage may vary, though, because I don't really knnow what genre you're in, and a lot depends on just that.

I can imagine it must be hard for publishers to want to publish books since there's lots of competition, which is making me nervous. I feel that self-publishing won't get me the audience I desire. What is your opinion on that?

I think it depends on what market you're trying to get into, and which publisher you're with. If you've got an offer from Random House, by all means, go with Random House! If your publisher has a budget not much larger than your own, you might be better off doing it yourself.

Regarding your covers, do you take the photos yourself or are they stock images before you edit them in photoshop? What kind of permissions are needed if you did take photos of people, i.e. ownership rights etc.

Stock photos. Usually I make sure beforehand that the license includes use for any purpose, or the stock company has said they're okay with them being used in erotica. The bare minimum you need is a license to use the photo commercially and (probably) to modify it, since you want to put your name and the tile of your book on it.

if u had a character in a down and dirty mortal kombat-style fighting game, what fighting moves would you have?

The WORD OF DOMINANCE, obviously.

Is there anything, any topic, that's off-limits, even for erotica? Are there actual "rules" that govern this, or could pretty much any subject matter be included?

Is there anything, any topic, that's off-limits, even for erotica? Are there actual "rules" that govern this, or could pretty much any subject matter be included?

Yes. Broadly speaking anything underage is a no-go. There's just one site, to my knowledge, that permits underage stories, but if you're trying to sell it, stay away from that as far as possible.

Then, there are a few things that are sketchy. Some allow it, some don't. Broadly speaking, incest, bestiality and rape, murder, mutilation are those areas. They have a huge appeal, but many sites don't allow some or all of them. Again, selling those stories is almost impossible. (Only a very few shops - and none of the major ones - actually allow them, and most of them will never fully admit it.)

How do you finance the covers? Do you pay up front, or % of sales? How much do they cost? Do you work with the same illustrator? Thanks for the AMA.

How do you finance the covers? Do you pay up front, or % of sales? How much do they cost?

Up front. The ones I've had done, are usually between 15 and 20 bux each. If you want a really great cover for a highly polished romance novel, you should be prepared to spend lot more on it, though. (Around 500 or so.)

Do you work with the same illustrator?

Yeah, I've got a cover designer who I'm very happy with. Most of the time, though, I do them myself. I've got decent PS skillz, and they're sufficient for the stuff I do.

Have you ever hit a guy in the balls (accidentally or intentionally) or wanted to? What happened and how did he react?

Have you ever hit a guy in the balls (accidentally or intentionally) or wanted to? What happened and how did he react?

Never done it, but I keep wanting to regularly.

Q1. Have you done work on literotica.com and if not is it hard to compete with most of it being free? Q2. Do you have a other job besides this

Q1. Have you done work on literotica.com and if not is it hard to compete with most of it being free?

Yeah, I've been on Literotica. It's not really hard to compete with that, because it's a totally different readership with totally different interests. There's very little overlap between the freebie crowd and the paying crowd, and even among those paying for books, there's different groups you can market to (like bargain-hunters, people who just buy longer works, etc.).

Q2. Do you have a other job besides this

Yeah. I'm an office chick during the day.

Do you plan on making non-erotic literature in the future?

Do you plan on making non-erotic literature in the future?

Yeah, possibly. I've got a few ideas for non-erotic books, but right now I don't have the time to invest in them, and they're not quite "ripe" yet. But I think I'll get there eventually.

I ask, is writing for a read-only novel more lucrative (on a return on effort expended basis) than creating interactive erotica in the form of erotic video games? I'm a software developer, and the visual is huge.

I never really realized how lucrative erotica was until I saw some numbers a few years ago. Today are a lot of erotic games that have a following that are completely donation based, like this Trapquest that makes 8k a month in tips or the most well known one in the genre imho: Corruption of Champions which that makes 23k/mo.

I ask, is writing for a read-only novel more lucrative (on a return on effort expended basis) than creating interactive erotica in the form of erotic video games? I'm a software developer, and the visual is huge.

I never really realized how lucrative erotica was until I saw some numbers a few years ago. Today are a lot of erotic games that have a following that are completely donation based, like this Trapquest that makes 8k a month in tips or the most well known one in the genre imho: Corruption of Champions which that makes 23k/mo.

I don't really know. So far, I've only written a (very short) interactive story, using Twine, and converted it into an ebook (all of it without visuals). It sold pretty good, better than my usual books, but at the same time took about 4 times as long to make, so in the end, it didn't pay off too well.

I guess, you should try it and see for yourself. I'm really not too savvy as far as the gaming market goes, I'm afraid.

How do you practice writing and how did you do it previously (before publishing and getting constant feedback from readers)?

I may have wrong assumption, but given how your site looks and kind of amazing number of published titles it feels like you have some structure of work. I'm (copywriter, learning to write stories for fun) interested in how did you get good in writing (as in good in writing what people want to read)? If that's connected to deliberate practice model, I'd love it if you elaborate : )

How do you practice writing and how did you do it previously (before publishing and getting constant feedback from readers)?

Well, you get better at writing through writing. Of course, it helps getting feedback from readers, so I'd recommend publishing your works on forums, story sites, etc., even if they're still kinda shitty. But your writing will improve through writing. There are a few training techniques, but I've found none as useful as just writing more and better stuff.

However, every author is different and has different needs. What works for me, may not work for you, and only you know what you'd like to achieve. So keep your eyes open for anything that might help you, sometimes it comes in unexpected forms.

I may have wrong assumption, but given how your site looks and kind of amazing number of published titles it feels like you have some structure of work. I'm (copywriter, learning to write stories for fun) interested in how did you get good in writing (as in good in writing what people want to read)? If that's connected to deliberate practice model, I'd love it if you elaborate : )

Well, you're assuming I'm writing what people like to read, which isn't quite the case. I'm writing what I like to read first, which makes me a horrible businesswoman. I'm constantly struggling to try to write more to the market, to get something out that sells better, but at the same time still maintain the fun of writing for me, so I can continue doing this. It's a balancing act, and right now I'm leaning a lot more to the side of fun instead of profit.

Let's put it like this: If your kinks and niches happen to coincide with the kinks and niches of the majority of erotica readers, count yoruself lucky! If you can churn out one alpha-male biker gangbang orgy after another, you're way better off than I am. If not, it'll be an uphill struggle.

How do you gain an audience?

How do you gain an audience?

There's different ways, depending on what you want to achieve. If you "just" want an audience, just publish your stuff on sites specialized in your genre. Fanfic sites, sex story sites, anywhere people can read them for free. Then keep writing, and they'll keep coming.

If you want a paying audience, you'll have to spend a lot more time on doing marketing research and actual work to get your book out.

How do you come up with the books you write? Do you just stare at a blank screen and it comes? I've always wondered that.

Also, if you have time. If an amateur wanted to write. What would be your best piece of advice?

How do you come up with the books you write? Do you just stare at a blank screen and it comes? I've always wondered that.

It actually happens before the blank screen. I watch a movie, and think "that'd make a great story" or "this would be a hot scene, if they did X right now". Or I've been watching a series (coug L.O.S.T. coug) so many times that I came up with something similar, just by osmosis. It really comes from everywhere.

Also, if you have time. If an amateur wanted to write. What would be your best piece of advice?

Simple. SIT THE FUCK DOWN AND WRITE. Then write some more. Then write again. And more. And more. Don't think it all needs to be perfect right away. Your first story will suck, and so will probably the first dozen or so. Just keep at it, and keep going. It's like any other activity, you get better the more you do it.

Do you have a favorite fantasy?

Do you have a favorite fantasy?

Yeah, several. I've got a few kinks that I like to come back to, like watersports and fisting, but my favourite fantasy is what you might call "public exploitation", taking advantage of a reluctant participant in front of others. Mmmh.

Have you ever written something that you either wasn't really that into, or that actually turned you off, because it would result in greater sales? 200+ books is a lot, considering.

Have you ever written something that you either wasn't really that into, or that actually turned you off, because it would result in greater sales? 200+ books is a lot, considering.

Yeah, and it sunk like a stone. I get tons of requests from guys who wanted me to write a pegging story, and so I did, and it was shit. Also, my girlfriend wanted me to write this one fantasy of hers, and I did. She liked it, but it didn't sell well either. I'm not sure what kind of lesson there is to learn from that.

"Editrix"? Really?

Aviator - Aviatrix

Editor - Editrix

I knew my latin classes would pay off one day.

Are you making any money at it?

Yeah. As for how much, see here and here.

Do you think the more detailed a scene is the hotter it becomes? Is there such a degree of being too much detailed?

Do you think the more detailed a scene is the hotter it becomes? Is there such a degree of being too much detailed?

Yeah, there is. Some authors spend waaaaay too much time on descriptions, when sometimes a few sentences would suffice.

Well, strike that. I guess it depends, again, on your audience. Like, if you're writing for the romance crowd, there's no such thing as too detailed descriptions. They looooove them. For my readers, though, it sometimes matters, and sometimes doesn't. I think everyone has a different image in their mind of what a character or a scene looks like, and sometimes it has just little to do with the way it's written. So I like to strike a balance between giving the readers room for their own fantasy, and giving them just enough information to fuel said fantasy.

Do you think there is a market for a male perspective confession-style stories? Like, "The time on the beach with the lifeguard", that kind of stuff. I've been writing them as a hobby for years, and wondering if I could flesh them out and sell them, now...

Do you think there is a market for a male perspective confession-style stories? Like, "The time on the beach with the lifeguard", that kind of stuff. I've been writing them as a hobby for years, and wondering if I could flesh them out and sell them, now...

Hm. Rule of thumb: Male perspective sells a lot less than female perspective. Keep in mind, about 90% of erotica readers are women. They're not interested in the male perspective. However, as with everything: If you're very good at it, you'll find your audience. And since you've already got them written, why not give it a try? What could go wrong?

I've read one of your books. It was awful. Aw. Ful. Why are you still making books?

Because there's enough people who ask me to?