How do people monetize their writing?

[lovecraft68]

Keith has been selling a long time, so he is well worth listening to. Electricblue66 had no success selling and is bitter and tries to talk everyone out of doing it.

The market seems the slowest I've seen it in 13 years of selling. I have some ideas why, but not worth getting into here. I can say that for the last few years I've made 1k+ a month, but I have 210 e-books out there and am on several platforms so its been building over the years. I also write a lot of taboo and Milf. Taboo sells well on Smashwords, Milf just about anywhere. Hotwife sells well, but some other categories, not so much.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Currently at 3k views - for yesterdays first foray & 4.44 rating & todays part 2 is 1.4k + 4.5 star.

I have no clue if that is good or not but it's exciting when you get a Hot symbol next to the story! The 3rd and final part tmrw is the best/hottest in my (humble) opinion.

Here's a prediction for you - that third part will track around 25% of the first chapter's view count, and around 50% of the second chapter.

There's nearly always a fairly significant drop off in View count in the first three chapters, so don't be surprised when you see it. If you have a fourth chapter, the Views will flatten out at that point, and keep pretty much steady state to the end - they're the readers you've grabbed with your story.

 

[TheAlphabetGirl]

Here's a prediction for you - that third part will track around 25% of the first chapter's view count, and around 50% of the second chapter.

There's nearly always a fairly significant drop off in View count in the first three chapters, so don't be surprised when you see it. If you have a fourth chapter, the Views will flatten out at that point, and keep pretty much steady state to the end - they're the readers you've grabbed with your story.

I totally geek out on stats lol.

So in theory tomorrow i'll get about 750 reads and not a H. Good to keep my feet on the ground ;0)

Begs the question whether it is better to do one story (10k words) or in 3 parts?! One day after the next.

I did it this way as all my favourite stories have been presented like that and I found them less daunting to read.

 

[TheAlphabetGirl]

Keith has been selling a long time, so he is well worth listening to. Electricblue66 had no success selling and is bitter and tries to talk everyone out of doing it.

The market seems the slowest I've seen it in 13 years of selling. I have some ideas why, but not worth getting into here. I can say that for the last few years I've made 1k+ a month, but I have 210 e-books out there and am on several platforms so its been building over the years. I also write a lot of taboo and Milf. Taboo sells well on Smashwords, Milf just about anywhere. Hotwife sells well, but some other categories, not so much.

Oh funny - you all know each other! Ever met in person or its just an online thing?!

I've followed you all @lovecraft68 as you have interesting thoughts and way more experience than me so appreciate it! Not sure I've figured out how to DM anyone directly yet but I will get there :0)

 

[HeyAll]

Patreon, mostly to collect tips. I write things like updates, preview, and a lot of my advice. No one really asks for stuff, which is suprising. I am happy to let subscribers give input to stories but none seem interested in that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Oh funny - you all know each other! Ever met in person or its just an online thing?!

I've followed you all @lovecraft68 as you have interesting thoughts and way more experience than me so appreciate it! Not sure I've figured out how to DM anyone directly yet but I will get there :0)

No, we just know each other through the forums over the years.

If you click on anyone's name it should take you to an option 'start conversation"

 

[ElectricBlue]

I totally geek out on stats lol.

So in theory tomorrow i'll get about 750 reads and not a H. Good to keep my feet on the ground ;0)

Begs the question whether it is better to do one story (10k words) or in 3 parts?! One day after the next.

I did it this way as all my favourite stories have been presented like that and I found them less daunting to read.

A 10k standalone story is very typical here on Lit. One thing to consider, which many writers who come here with short story experience, but not erotica experience, is that the length of a story matters, but in a different way.

You'll often hear folk say about classic short stories, less is more, keep it concise, keep it tight, all that good literary stuff. All true.

But that misses the point that one of the joys of erotica, I'm sure you'll agree, is arousal. You've got to give time for it, and if you're artful and thinking of your readers, you've got to build it. That means a different, cyclic pace in your writing, more ebb and flow, more building up to the release.

If your chapters are too short (3750 words approx = one Lit page), you're not giving your readers much time to build their arousal (unless they're only sixteen and will come like a two-stroke lawn mower, very quickly).

Keep in mind, too, that the release rate of chapters is irrelevant once the whole story is published, and completely immaterial in a year. In that context, the length of the chapter is more important.

Something to think about.

Other useful stats that appear to be quite common (for most categories, but each category has its own dynamic): one Vote per hundred Views, one Comment per thousand, unless you're writing in Loving Wives (LW), where the comment rate is far higher. But read a few first and make your own mind up - there's a great divide across Lit, and that category is not like any other. And if you want eyeballs on stories, write incest stories.

Welcome to the AH too, by the way.

 

[KeithD]

But that misses the point that one of the joys of erotica, I'm sure you'll agree, is arousal. You've got to give time for it, and if you're artful and thinking of your readers, you've got to build it.

Not really. You can do it that way, yes. But all you really need to achieve sexual arousal are the right trigger words for that reader, artfully arrived.

Never say never.

 

[R. Richard]

If you want to monetize your erotica, you need to:
Write a lot of titles
Edit good covers
Find out what sells on Amazon or Smashwords

 

[oneagainst]

Just looking at venturing into this myself. Seems that Amazon is 80% of the market, so fundamentally the question is: can it sell well on Amazon...? I'm coming to the opinion that my Lit stories are going to have to go the self pub route due to the subject matter, but the mainstream stuff has a chance of trad publishing. Irony being that I've built up a reader base on Lit that I can leverage for one route and definitely not the other. It's a 3D Chess catch-22.

 

[lovecraft68]

Just looking at venturing into this myself. Seems that Amazon is 80% of the market, so fundamentally the question is: can it sell well on Amazon...? I'm coming to the opinion that my Lit stories are going to have to go the self pub route due to the subject matter, but the mainstream stuff has a chance of trad publishing. Irony being that I've built up a reader base on Lit that I can leverage for one route and definitely not the other. It's a 3D Chess catch-22.

I'm not sure amazon is 80% of erotica sales at this point. They've played so many games over the years putting books in the dungeon, allowing content then suddenly banning the same books etc...

Smashwords has always thrived on erotica and smart enough-unlike Barnes Noble who have been on the edge of shutting down for what seems like years now-to sell taboo, non consent, even Beastie, because those things all sell like wild fire. I'm one of many not thrilled with their merging with D2D, but part of why D2D wanted to buy SW is to use the SW store so their existing authors can publish all the erotica they're can't or won't try on amazon.

If you're talking "due to subject matter" then SW/D2D should be your target.

As for mainstream? You pretty much need to know someone at this point, and its worth noting that more and more mainstream published authors, are beginning to publish themselves for bigger royalties, more control, and less bullshit.

 

[alohadave]

Begs the question whether it is better to do one story (10k words) or in 3 parts?!

There is lots of debate about that, and no clear answer.

 

[lovecraft68]

I wouldn't say I know the publishing ropes for this genre :0) and had lots of good advice on this thread.

And can I write arousing erotica, the kind that teases readers to tingle and twitch in their pants?! Well - I'll let the ratings system be the judge of that!

Currently at 3k views - for yesterdays first foray & 4.44 rating & todays part 2 is 1.4k + 4.5 star.

I have no clue if that is good or not but it's exciting when you get a Hot symbol next to the story! The 3rd and final part tmrw is the best/hottest in my (humble) opinion.

A little advice. Don't get caught up in the numbers. I'm not saying its not great to have a good score or an H or lot of attention but focus on story first. You get too caught up in stats, and the story underperforms in that regard its easier to get disgusted and it can affect your writing.

 

[KeithD]

Just looking at venturing into this myself. Seems that Amazon is 80% of the market, so fundamentally the question is: can it sell well on Amazon...? I'm coming to the opinion that my Lit stories are going to have to go the self pub route due to the subject matter, but the mainstream stuff has a chance of trad publishing. Irony being that I've built up a reader base on Lit that I can leverage for one route and definitely not the other. It's a 3D Chess catch-22.

Amazon is not traditional publishing. It's self-publishing packaging. If you, not a publisher, have selected the work for publishing and borne the brunt of packaging it, that's self-publishing.

 

[Otto26]

Since some of the respondents here have some experience I'd like to jump on board this discussion. Let's say I'm writing stories of 30K-60K in length with bondage, non-con/dub-con primary elements. My stories are all over the place for settings (fantasy, sci-fi, slice of life, etc...). I'd like to see a little money from these but it's never going to be my day job because I'm not interested in putting the requisite amount of work into it. What's the easiest platform to publish to?

 

[FeelingLikeMyself]

You can self publish on Amazon. But Tik-Tok found a big where you can return material that you've read and Amazon takes the money back. I don't know if it's been addressed or not though. I've heard some wild stories about people writing off the wall erotica and making big money.

Seriously weird, like Bigfoot made me his sex slave weird.

 

[Otto26]

You can self publish on Amazon. But Tik-Tok found a big where you can return material that you've read and Amazon takes the money back. I don't know if it's been addressed or not though. I've heard some wild stories about people writing off the wall erotica and making big money.

Seriously weird, like Bigfoot made me his sex slave weird.

I understand that establishing a following for a niche subject matter or producing stories on demand can be quite lucrative IF YOU PUT A LOT OF WORK IN. I'm not interested in going that route. For all that people complain, Literotica is a platform that makes it absurdly easy to publish. I'm looking for a rough equivalent where I can park my content and get enough money to buy some tacos once a month.

 

[KeithD]

Once you've established a publishing platform that attracts readers/buyers to you, the best way to monetize it in any way is to keep the available works coming on offer. I've maintained an average of half a million words of works published to the marketplace every year since 2007. Can you put that level--or close to it--of effort into it?

 

[lustychimera]

I understand that establishing a following for a niche subject matter or producing stories on demand can be quite lucrative IF YOU PUT A LOT OF WORK IN. I'm not interested in going that route. For all that people complain, Literotica is a platform that makes it absurdly easy to publish. I'm looking for a rough equivalent where I can park my content and get enough money to buy some tacos once a month.

Webnovels are where the money is at these days.

Break it up, teaser chapter or two, the rest behind a paywall. Well worn method.

 

[Otto26]

Once you've established a publishing platform that attracts readers/buyers to you, the best way to monetize it in any way is to keep the available works coming on offer. I've maintained an average of half a million words of works published to the marketplace every year since 2007. Can you put that level--or close to it--of effort into it?

Assuming this is directed at me. My answer is: No. I'm not going to put that level of effort in. My day job is far more lucrative than writing would ever be. I want to write what I want, when I want, and publish it with the least amount of effort. Which is why I've been publishing here on Lit. If possible I'd like to monetize that a little. If it's not possible then it's not possible.

 

[ChasBozwell30]

I guess everyone dreams of getting a publisher and writing a best selling novel right?! Just wondering how people go about doing this. Publishing on Amazon must be like the biggest haystack where you need a followership to gain any serious sales traction.

Competitions in magazines - get a publisher. How often does theat work out for erotica based authors?

Making the jump into TV scripts? seems a harder market to get into and sex content would be less graphic (which is quite a lot of the fun in the writing for me)

Any other routes in to making some money?!

ps - Ive only just published my first story (3 parts) so trying to not get ahead of myself. but its so exciting!!!!! would appreciate any comments from all you lovely fellow readers/writer.

https://literotica.com/s/tall-young-and-well-hung-pt-01

I've sold a few (non erotic) stories, I could point out a few helpful sites. Erotica is a bit more niche though, I would think self-publishing is the most likely or successful route. I'm afraid there aren't a lot of mags or competitons, but there are a few out there.

 

[StillStunned]

Reedsy does weekly writing prompts, with cash prizes. At the very least, it's a place outside Literorica to begin with more mainstream writing.

 

[Red_Herring4]

Can you monetize via Patreon and Amazon at the same time? That is, could you make stories available to your patrons first on Patreon, then after a set amount of time, also make them available for sale on Amazon? Just curious.

 

[lustychimera]

Can you monetize via Patreon and Amazon at the same time? That is, could you make stories available to your patrons first on Patreon, then after a set amount of time, also make them available for sale on Amazon? Just curious.

Only Kindle Unlimited requires exclusivity.

 

[Ada Stuart]

If you want to monetize your erotica, you need to:
Write a lot of titles
Edit good covers
Find out what sells on Amazon or Smashwords

So true

But, you can also earn a good amount of money from Google Play Books, Eden Books and Apple (through Smashwords or D2D). Recently I've also started publishing directly on Kobo and the income from Kobo Plus is steadily increasing, so it looks like many readers like the subscription model.

So, yes, it's possible to earn money from your writing. Amazon is the best place to be, as long as they allow you to publish there. But they don't seem to like erotica or explicit sex scenes any more. I got kicked out of Amazon last year, but since then my readers seemed to have moved with me to Google, Eden and Smashwords instead of lurking around Amazon. So, now my income is about the same as it was before Amazon got too scared to publish my books.

Is it enough to quit my dayjob? Nope. Not yet. But it's a really nice additional income that pays for my holidays and adds to my retirement fund.