A bloody good idea

[Guest]

Ruthless?I extended the porn challenge deadline 'cuz I'm soft and sweet. However, when it comes to business, you better believe it! The gamut of communications babe, but PR is the biggie.

and thanks, you gorgeous woman you, I always say the same of you, except I always add beautiful

Oh, I believe it, babe.

Thank YOU, you beautiful woman; beautiful in every way.

 

[impressive]

Speaking of multiple volumes -- what should we shoot for in terms of number of stories per volume? The Lit anthology didn't have many at all (IMO).

 

[English Lady]

where as i dunno how many nominees we'll get so i'm being cautious *L*


Anyhow EL is bowing out for tonight...I'll atempt to catch up in the morning. My cold stuffed brain needs it's sleep!

keep it pleasant whilst i'm gone...or else

 

[Guest]

Lou...i don't think that can be emphasised too much. this is going to be ruthless. it is going to be a quality publication and i know i need this kind of thing to find out what i need to do to improve further. I think this could be a great learning experience for anyone, even if their pieve doesn't make the finished article.

Yep, I think you are so right. Loads to learn out there, and this is a fine way of learning some of it.

 

[sophia jane]

Speaking of multiple volumes -- what should we shoot for in terms of number of stories per volume? The Lit anthology didn't have many at all (IMO).

It depends on the length of the stories; my favorite anthology was quite long, around 500 pages I think. I'm sure that's too much to shoot for here, but if you don't include enough stories people aren't as likely to buy it (in my opinion).

SJ

 

[Guest]

Speaking of multiple volumes -- what should we shoot for in terms of number of stories per volume? The Lit anthology didn't have many at all (IMO).

It depends on whether or not you put any limit on words per story. Average limit for antho's is 4,000 - 5,000 words. In which case, a limit of 12-15 stories per volume would make it a (roughly) 250-300 page paperback.

 

[Softouch911]

A great idea in the making for sure. Thanks for posting it, Earl.

Like Tate, I have a little background in various forms of publishing. Mainstream porn publishers will be looking for something that will sell, primarily. And they usually interpret that to mean authors they already know ... so it would be good to get some of the folk on Lit. who already have a track record (i.e., publications list) to get involved.

Most of the large, non-adult bookstores carry porn in their "Sexuality" section. They usually interpret this to mean a large array of novel books based on Victoriana, punishment and spanking, kidnapping and ravishment, ghosts inhabiting young girls, and so on. In other words: high romanticism and lots of costumes to move it away from RL stuff that will enflame the local censors.

The most popular form of porn anthology in the US is the Penthouse Letters series. There are some 20 or 30 volumes already out -- the categories in the Penthouse Letters, if anyone has a copy, to check might make a proven, saleable approach. One of the things they like is the husband watching the wife get it, another is interracial, and I forget much of the rest as it's been awhile.

I'm an acquaintance with a guy who used to publish porn but decided it wasn't worth it any longer. Except for the literary varieties (as he called it, and meant the kind I just mentioned!), most of it is written for semi-literate people who don't have access to a computer. Most people won't pay for porn when it's available for free on the internet. Just his take.

Of course if a book is self-published, all of this is irrelevant and it would have to be up to the writers who are included to sell enough copies on their own to make back the costs.

Sorry if this sounds pessimistic, I don't mean it to. I'm suggesting the need not only for a hard-ass editor but a very cynical business plan so the stories appeal to specific target groups who will find the book easier or better than what they can get for free elsewhere.


I'd love to help in some way, btw.



Softouch -- tuckered out after all that.

 

[yui]

You guys are tossing off some wonderful ideas and suggestions! I agree that you need some guidelines and I can see the need for a very loose theme. But, saying that, I think if you're going to start limiting the stories, or the style of the works, to specific themes then you are going to lose something.

No one wants to read the same story, in the same language, over and over again. At least I don't. Maybe I'm a minority, but all the stories having the same theme (other than "sex" or "sci-fi" or something very broad) sounds kind of not so much fun. For me, the fun of an anthology is that there is a whole smorgasbord inside instead of just the Pizza Hut lunch buffet.

Or not.

And thank you to The Earl for mentioning "Sex & Candy". http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/diverse/redface.gif

 

[sweetnpetite]

Oh yeah-- and this anthology would be 'one time rights' right?

we don't want to tie ourselves and each other down (well, we do, but in a different way)

 

[Alex De Kok]

I came to this late, but I'm interested.

Alex

 

[BlackShanglan]

Interested. Even willing to help with some editing.

Shanglan

 

[matriarch]

I came to this late, but I'm interested.

Alex

Count me in.

I think.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Interested, but curious about the marketing part of it - how do you reach potential readers who might pay money for this? As Alex said, it's free on the net.

 

[impressive]

Interested, but curious about the marketing part of it - how do you reach potential readers who might pay money for this? As Alex said, it's free on the net.

I don't think any of us are planning to get rich off this -- however, for those with bigger aspirations, it will add a "published" to the resume.

My "earnings" would all go to charity (which could also be a marketing tool, if all the authors of a particular volume agreed to it).

We know we'll sell at least the # of copies as there are stories in each volume -- since we'll each buy one for ourselves.

 

[sophia jane]

I don't think any of us are planning to get rich off this -- however, for those with bigger aspirations, it will add a "published" to the resume.

My "earnings" would all go to charity (which could also be a marketing tool, if all the authors of a particular volume agreed to it).

We know we'll sell at least the # of copies as there are stories in each volume -- since we'll each buy one for ourselves.

And if by some miracle, real publishing house came into the deal- so much the better!
And I'll buy one, too.

SJ

 

[BlackShanglan]

On the topic of voting -

I've just finished participating in a panel-rating setup for a small organization's in-house collection of poetry and stories. The method they chose I think a good one. There is an overall editor who collected and organized the submissions and submitted them anonymously to a panel of readers she had selected in order to present a diverse range of preferences and views. That panel then rated each work on a 0-5 scale. The editor tallied the votes and selected the top numerical scorers for inclusion, with the odd addition here or there for works that offered a substantial element of variety that helped shape the volume.

Might I suggest a similar approach? We could elect or select a panel of readers to do the selection. That process will, admittedly, narrow the range of people giving input. But it would also elminate the problems of anonymous vote-bombing. I can think of several people whom I would trust to choose wisely. If we had, say, Abs, Dr. M, Colly, Carson, and English Lady, or some similarly diverse range of tastes and styles represented, I think we'd do well, especially if we chose people with the objectivity to know when a story is good even if it's not their personal "bag." If we wanted to avoid shameless pandering and sucking up, we could always keep the panel anonymous.

Just a thought -

Shanglan

 

[AlteregoID]

I like what Rob said about it.. about writers sitting around and talking which leads into the stories.. or even just a group of people, the characters from the stories..

I had a similar thought for a group of fantasy stories once.. 'heroes' sitting around a camp fire telling each other the tales that brought them to all be where they were.. it's a very workable idea.

edit: Sorry, didn't know I was on this account This is Tolyk, for those of you who are unaware.

 

[CharleyH]

You guys are tossing off some wonderful ideas and suggestions! I agree that you need some guidelines and I can see the need for a very loose theme. But, saying that, I think if you're going to start limiting the stories, or the style of the works, to specific themes then you are going to lose something.

No one wants to read the same story, in the same language, over and over again. At least I don't. Maybe I'm a minority, but all the stories having the same theme (other than "sex" or "sci-fi" or something very broad) sounds kind of not so much fun. For me, the fun of an anthology is that there is a whole smorgasbord inside instead of just the Pizza Hut lunch buffet.

Or not.

And thank you to The Earl for mentioning "Sex & Candy". http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/diverse/redface.gif

MAJORLY, misread (well ok saw first sentance) AGREE whole heartedly.

 

[CharleyH]

Interested, but curious about the marketing part of it - how do you reach potential readers who might pay money for this? As Alex said, it's free on the net.

He is asking about a GET WRITTEN published thing. Not everything is free on the net, BTW

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I own two such collections of porn in print and have to say that I am turned off by the idea of the book being tied together with some sort of story line. It may only be me, but when I'm ready to read something for the turn-on, I like to get right to it.

I also think that making it too flowery in terms of organization is a mistake. I like fairly general categories like the ones here at Lit with the stories in that genre beneath that subtitle. That way, I always know which sections turn me on, about where they are located between each cover, and that they're there when I need them.

I dunno. I think my overall point is that this is smut and when I read smut at home, I know what I like, I'm reading it for a purpose, and I like variety. A central theme (stranger seductions, sex in the rain, etc...) that is anything other than sex just doesn't appeal to me.

~lucky

 

[cloudy]

I own two such collections of porn in print and have to say that I am turned off by the idea of the book being tied together with some sort of story line. It may only be me, but when I'm ready to read something for the turn-on, I like to get right to it.

I also think that making it too flowery in terms of organization is a mistake. I like fairly general categories like the ones here at Lit with the stories in that genre beneath that subtitle. That way, I always know which sections turn me on, about where they are located between each cover, and that they're there when I need them.

I dunno. I think my overall point is that this is smut and when I read smut at home, I know what I like, I'm reading it for a purpose, and I like variety. A central theme (stranger seductions, sex in the rain, etc...) that is anything other than sex just doesn't appeal to me.

~lucky

I agree wholeheartedly.

After all, variety is the spice of life, and if you narrow down the stories to a certain theme, you also narrow down the number of people who are likely to buy it.

 

[Softouch911]

I agree wholeheartedly.

After all, variety is the spice of life, and if you narrow down the stories to a certain theme, you also narrow down the number of people who are likely to buy it.

Of course. But that's not to say it shouldn't be focused ... otherwise, how do you attract a reader?

Someone picks up a book, a magazine in the doctor's office, or picks a station on a radio because something has made them think it will have what they generally like.

We want to get a focus that will appeal to people who like smut and not just sound like a reproduction of the Penthouse series. They should see it and say, "This looks interesting ...."



Softouch

 

[neonlyte]

Some thoughts.
Coming late to this and have not read the entire thread so forgive repetition.

Selecting what is included in any anthology seems a minefield and should preferably be handled by an editor external to Lit. A recent exercise to select 10 short stories attracted 300+ entries on a forum much smaller than this - that equates to 290 unhappy people.

I find it difficult to see a publisher picking this up unless they have a single point of contact - preferably an experienced market savvy editor.

One or two people here know I am currently involved in exactly this process, that is working through an Editor at the invitation of a Publisher interested in piloting an initial book of a collection of erotic short stories. It is an incredibly slow process originally proposed nine months ago, my next meeting with the publisher is in June, though I will be meeting the editor next month in London, it is possible (no more than possible) that I will be asked to produce a selection of short erotic stories by different authors for consideration for the initial book. This has been discussed but I have not yet been asked to do this.

One problem with my prospective publisher is that the work will not be initially be published in English. I don't personally regard that to be a setback, I'd rather be published in any language than not published at all and believe some publishing success - even in a foreign language - will assist in finding an English language publisher.

If I am asked to produce a short list, I'm not at all sure how such a list might be assembled, I certainly would not want to 'openly' do the choosing and will watch with interest how this thread seeks to resolve the problem. As and when anything firm comes of my current negotiations, I will report back.

 

[cloudy]

Of course. But that's not to say it shouldn't be focused ... otherwise, how do you attract a reader?

Someone picks up a book, a magazine in the doctor's office, or picks a station on a radio because something has made them think it will have what they generally like.

We want to get a focus that will appeal to people who like smut and not just sound like a reproduction of the Penthouse series. They should see it and say, "This looks interesting ...."



Softouch

I agree with you as well. I just think that some of the "themes" suggested, such as "sex with a stranger," or "long-term" couples, are way too narrow to attract a decent-sized market.

 

[impressive]

Selecting what is included in any anthology seems a minefield and should preferably be handled by an editor external to Lit. A recent exercise to select 10 short stories attracted 300+ entries on a forum much smaller than this - that equates to 290 unhappy people.

I see this differently.

As long as a story has the "approval" (via poll) of x# of us ("x" to be defined at some point), there is no need to exclude anyone ... just publish more volumes.