When your characters are talking to you

[KeithD]

This would be a good place to explain why there isn't livelihood-sustaining profit in the erotica publishing market. The reason pins to Literotica and other free-access/use story Web sites. Although some will buy erotica in the market, not enough will to cover the livelihood of more than a handful of writers. There's so much available for free that there's practically no paying market for it. On top of that the market has been glutted, so that, if you weren't in the first wave of offerings of truly excellent stories, you aren't likely to be in the handful of those who will make a living wage from publishing erotica to the marketplace.

 

[StillStunned]

This would be a good place to explain why there isn't livelihood-sustaining profit in the erotica publishing market. The reason pins to Literotica and other free-access/use story Web sites. Although some will buy erotica in the market, not enough will to cover the livelihood of more than a handful of writers. There's so much available for free that there's practically no paying market for it. On top of that the market has been glutted, so that, if you weren't in the first wave of offerings of truly excellent stories, you aren't likely to be in the handful of those who will make a living wage from publishing erotica to the marketplace.

Speaking for myself, if I ever decide to take a shot at making money from my erotica, I'd present it as a different genre - sci-fi, sword & sorcery, historical fiction - and not shy away from being explicit. Draw the readers with the promise of a fully developed story, as it were, and reward them with hot sex scenes.

 

[KeithD]

Let's remain clear on a point. Making money from writing erotic is not the same as making livelihood-sustaining money from writing erotica. The "I am hot stuff/hear me roar" poster here specified the intent/anticipation/expectation to make a living from writing erotica.

 

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

Not in this forum, you're not.

Good luck to you. I've glanced at your stuff here, and I hope you find the readers you seek.

No, not on this forum - Literotica isn't a place where one can charge for stories, it is where people go to get free stories. As someone pointed out here, they are two different categories of readers.
But don't judge me too harshly for becoming angry and trying to defend myself and list all the reasons why I believe my stories are worth sharing! So, I am confident and I have faith in myself, so what? Is that really enough reason to dislike me? Is a writer ever allowed to say, "I believe I have a talent for writing"?

From where I'm sitting, a lot of people think they are better than they are. Usually these are people who have never published anything, never made the effort of producing an entire book, let alone 8 of them.

You can tell me whatever you like, but if you are only doing it to knock me down, good luck with that... my perseverance is what sets me apart, and dealing with crap such as I've seen on this particular forum? Well, that's just part of it. I've been victim of vitriol in the past, by other so-called "authors" who never even bothered to read my stuff. I have since learned that my job is to tune such people out, not for my sake necessarily, but for the sake of my fans. And I do have them, believe it or not. They are the ones that asked me to start publishing erotica in the first place. I did not do it in search of fame and fortune - I did it to please my readers. Because doing so is the most fulfilling thing I've ever experienced.

I have three University degrees and I've worked in a number of different white-collar jobs over my professional career. Including law, unfortunately. Each and every one has left me seriously disillusioned and even depressed. Not so with writing! I might never earn enough to call it my profession, yet I will never ever stop writing, because it is truly what I was born to do. Back in primary school, teachers loved hearing my stories, and this has simply never changed! Imagine the joy I get when I can share my lovely stories with others and make them just as happy as I was, writing them? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, yes? How writing transports you into another world, a better world and in my case, a fairer world, as well.

I would have to be mad to quit, just to avoid some hateful, spiteful, small-minded remarks from people who cannot handle a Croatian girl being who she is, and announcing proudly, "hey, I actually have a high opinion of myself". In my writer's group on Fetlife, I go out of my way to encourage others to have more self-confidence. Indeed, I often talk about the "mojo" as being the artist's most valuable possession, something to protect at all cost. I always say, it is not enough to think you are "OK" at writing (or any kind of art), if you want to succeed. No, hell no. You must wake up and think to yourself "I am great at this, I got this." Only then will you have a chance...

Of course, I don't expect you to understand! To you and some others here, I am still nothing but a tall poppy, but that is a reflection on you, not me.

 

[StillStunned]

Let's remain clear on a point. Making money from writing erotic is not the same as making livelihood-sustaining money from writing erotica. The "I am hot stuff/hear me roar" poster here specified the intent/anticipation/expectation to make a living from writing erotica.

That's what I meant too. Although I understand that, unless I get very, very lucky, it would take time and a lot of hard graft to get to the point where I could sustain myself. And like you say, straight-up erotica wouldn't be the way to go anyway.

(If nothing else, I suspect readers are more likely to pay for a book if they can convince themselves they're mostly interested in the exciting plot, not just the sex.)

 

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

Speaking for myself, if I ever decide to take a shot at making money from my erotica, I'd present it as a different genre - sci-fi, sword & sorcery, historical fiction - and not shy away from being explicit. Draw the readers with the promise of a fully developed story, as it were, and reward them with hot sex scenes.

Yes, indeed, a valid idea. Let me share with you my experience. After writing 5 BDSM style erotic novels, I wrote a full-length sci-fi erotica (Zor by Sasha S.E. Joy if you're curious) and published it as sci-fi with strong sex scenes. Still, because it has adult content, Amazon won't let me market it, which is OK, considering the costs involved.

So, now I am embarking on this whole learning journey about marketing, which is what I should have studied at University.. dammit... but anyway, I know it is easy to think "this is all too hard, the market is flooded" etc. But the truth is, there are people out there making decent coin from writing really average stuff! I've met some of them in my writer's group, so I know. I guess I'm saying, don't give up. I'm sure as hell not giving up, I have motivation enough for several lifetimes. And I plan to share everything I learn with people around me, because I am an artist and as such, I want to support other artists. Sure, farmers put food on our table and mechanics fix our cars and doctors heal us (sometimes), but we also need art in all its forms. It is food for the soul... just ask the 2000 year old vampire in my most recent story (not the short version, the long one I just submitted, ha ha). It is what sustains us emotionally - and that is worth paying for.

 

[Voboy]

No, not on this forum - Literotica isn't a place where one can charge for stories, it is where people go to get free stories. As someone pointed out here, they are two different categories of readers.
But don't judge me too harshly for becoming angry and trying to defend myself and list all the reasons why I believe my stories are worth sharing! So, I am confident and I have faith in myself, so what? Is that really enough reason to dislike me? Is a writer ever allowed to say, "I believe I have a talent for writing"?

From where I'm sitting, a lot of people think they are better than they are. Usually these are people who have never published anything, never made the effort of producing an entire book, let alone 8 of them.

You can tell me whatever you like, but if you are only doing it to knock me down, good luck with that... my perseverance is what sets me apart, and dealing with crap such as I've seen on this particular forum? Well, that's just part of it. I've been victim of vitriol in the past, by other so-called "authors" who never even bothered to read my stuff. I have since learned that my job is to tune such people out, not for my sake necessarily, but for the sake of my fans. And I do have them, believe it or not. They are the ones that asked me to start publishing erotica in the first place. I did not do it in search of fame and fortune - I did it to please my readers. Because doing so is the most fulfilling thing I've ever experienced.

I have three University degrees and I've worked in a number of different white-collar jobs over my professional career. Including law, unfortunately. Each and every one has left me seriously disillusioned and even depressed. Not so with writing! I might never earn enough to call it my profession, yet I will never ever stop writing, because it is truly what I was born to do. Back in primary school, teachers loved hearing my stories, and this has simply never changed! Imagine the joy I get when I can share my lovely stories with others and make them just as happy as I was, writing them? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, yes? How writing transports you into another world, a better world and in my case, a fairer world, as well.

I would have to be mad to quit, just to avoid some hateful, spiteful, small-minded remarks from people who cannot handle a Croatian girl being who she is, and announcing proudly, "hey, I actually have a high opinion of myself". In my writer's group on Fetlife, I go out of my way to encourage others to have more self-confidence. Indeed, I often talk about the "mojo" as being the artist's most valuable possession, something to protect at all cost. I always say, it is not enough to think you are "OK" at writing (or any kind of art), if you want to succeed. No, hell no. You must wake up and think to yourself "I am great at this, I got this." Only then will you have a chance...

Of course, I don't expect you to understand! To you and some others here, I am still nothing but a tall poppy, but that is a reflection on you, not me.

You don't need to justify yourself to me or anyone else. I'm simply making an observation:

I've glanced at your stuff here, and I hope you find the readers you seek.