Is it essential to have a website if you write erotica?

Pisco Sour

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The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking of flogging my short erotic and erotic romance pieces under a different pen name from my mainstream romance persona. I can't use the same pen name because the books/stories are very different and it wouldn't work--my erotica stuff is rather hardcore, with some kinks. BUT, I'm already very busy managing my other pen name and I don't really want to do all that social media stuff for my erotica. Am I delusional to think I can get away with that?
Do publishers of erotica require or expect authors to have a website and twitter etc, like some of the mainstream romance publishers do?
 

JulesJones

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If this is a completely separate persona, I'd have at least a basic website with "a play what I have writ and where you can find it", updated as necessary. Ideally with Amazon/Kobo/Smashwords/etc affiliate links, because you not only get a tiny amount of affiliate income, you get some data on whether people are actually following said links.

This doesn't require any sort of social media alongside it, although I'd be inclined to grab the Gmail address at a bare minimum, and preferably the name on some of the other things like Twitter, both in case you change your mind later and to stop someone impersonating you.

If you're not keeping the personas separate, you may still want to have a website for the brand anyway, even if it's only as a signpost back to your main site for the people who put that name into an address bar in a browser.
 
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Pisco Sour

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Thanks for the advice! I want to keep the pen names entirely separate as the subject matter wouldn't be acceptable (probably) to my mainstream romance readers. But a basic website sounds doable, also the advice about registering a twitter and gmail, in case I change my mind. Thanks again!
 

JulesJones

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As for hosting the site, last year I set up a barebones separate persona with the intention of writing some erotica I wanted to keep separate from the erotic romance (not any steamier, but a completely different market). I just used WordPress with the option to have my own domain for an annual fee. Not that said persona has actually written more than one short story at this point. :) But at least the website and Gmail address are there if I need them in the future.
 

Rechan

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I think it depends on if you're focused on selling short stories to anthologies, or if you're putting out things that are purchasable. If you're putting out books/ebooks that contain only your stories, then a place to direct people to is ideal. If however you're just getting stories printed in other people's books, I don't think it's essential at all.

Though it should be said that a website that hasn't been updated, that has no new content, doesn't look attractive to visitors, unless it is literally just "this is the place to go if you want to know what all my things are", which you could do with a Goodreads account.

As for hosting the site, last year I set up a barebones separate persona with the intention of writing some erotica I wanted to keep separate from the erotic romance (not any steamier, but a completely different market). I just used WordPress with the option to have my own domain for an annual fee. Not that said persona has actually written more than one short story at this point. :) But at least the website and Gmail address are there if I need them in the future.
With Wordpress, it seems like just a Blog. There's no separate pages - like "Here's my bibliography page" "Here's my contact page" etc. So how can you have your books listed and such?
 

Pisco Sour

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I think it depends on if you're focused on selling short stories to anthologies, or if you're putting out things that are purchasable. If you're putting out books/ebooks that contain only your stories, then a place to direct people to is ideal. If however you're just getting stories printed in other people's books, I don't think it's essential at all.

Though it should be said that a website that hasn't been updated, that has no new content, doesn't look attractive to visitors, unless it is literally just "this is the place to go if you want to know what all my things are", which you could do with a Goodreads account.


Thanks!
 

JulesJones

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You can set up separate pages on even a basic WordPress account. For an example here's my book blog on WordPress (this isn't my main blog, which is on LiveJournal/DreamWidth)): http://julesjones.wordpress.com/

There are tabs along the top which go to some basic information pages. I only wanted a handful of static pages, so there's no menu structure, but you can do nested drop-down menus in at least some of the basic page layouts provided on the free service.

I also used WordPress for a mostly not-in-progress project to webify the anthology zine I published back in my fanfic days, along with some of my own fanfic. That uses the drop-down menus. I suppose it's time, per a discussion earlier this month, to out the fanfic pseud... http://helenpatrick.wordpress.com/author/helenpatrickzines/
 

Pisco Sour

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Hi Jules! I just checked out your blogs and site. Great stuff and very funny. (LOL, re your lunchtime doc ending up in the management folder.) And I learned about the UK history site and book-marked it. Hey, you never know when old ordnance maps can come in handy, right? Thanks, and also thanks for sharing.

I'm not sure yet what I'll do with this new pen name and erotica shorts/novellas, but having a look at your sites gives me a good idea of possibilities. I guess I'm lazy. I want to put out my erotica but not really engage with readers unless I have to. A static site would suit me best, methinks. Just a 'here is everything I've written in one place' sort of page. Though you can do that on GR and Amazon, I might be able to do it cheaply with a website/wordpress page. I don't have the time to blog or tweet, FB, Pinterest for this new persona--Correction: I have prioritised the important things in my life and do not want to make the time! Lazy? A little, maybe, but I find keeping up with all the stuff for my mainstream pen name/s very draining and I'm slowly cutting back on my social media to concentrate on my family and writing. Anyhoo…thanks for all the input!
 
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rachelkramerbussel

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Why a site is important

I think you want to have enough so that your site is the #1 hit on Google if people are looking for more information about you. Regularly updating your site, even if the changes are minor, will help keep you at the top of Google. You could also put in some keywords about your genre and the specific kinks in your books. You just never know who will find you that way so I think you do want a web presence, though since this is your secondary pen name, make it as minimal work for you as possible.
 

Pisco Sour

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I think you want to have enough so that your site is the #1 hit on Google if people are looking for more information about you. Regularly updating your site, even if the changes are minor, will help keep you at the top of Google. You could also put in some keywords about your genre and the specific kinks in your books. You just never know who will find you that way so I think you do want a web presence, though since this is your secondary pen name, make it as minimal work for you as possible.

Thanks! I'm all over the place right now, trying to manage my main pen name, and wondering if I can do all the work involved with this one. Lots to think about and in the mean time, procrastinate. LOL. I have the stories written, edited and ready to go, but I'm not sure if I can cope with everything involved in getting myself up and running as an indie erotica author. Thanks for the help and advice!
 

Celeste Carrara

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Thanks! I'm all over the place right now, trying to manage my main pen name, and wondering if I can do all the work involved with this one. Lots to think about and in the mean time, procrastinate. LOL. I have the stories written, edited and ready to go, but I'm not sure if I can cope with everything involved in getting myself up and running as an indie erotica author. Thanks for the help and advice!

Do you not want readers to know it's you who writes the erotica? Cause you can use your website you have already and just create a new page for the new pen name. Don't assume your romance readers won't want to read some erotica ;)

I can think of quite a few big authors out here who use one site for their different genres. For example, Gena Showalter writes romance that is pretty erotic and also writes YA! She has one site with links to all her books. Or you can do what JR Ward does. She writes under 2 names, here's a link to her site: http://www.jrward.com
 

MsLaylaCakes

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Ditto what Celeste said. Kresley Cole comes to mind--Erotica and YA. You could always have the domain name for your pen name route to your current website... (which has a separate page for your erotica persona).

On a separate note, Squarespace (which I love, but which is on the pricey side), has a cover pages feature, designed for people who want super low maintenance websites. You don't necessarily have to go with their service, but their sales pitch might give you some ideas: http://www.squarespace.com/seven/cover/
 

Pisco Sour

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Do you not want readers to know it's you who writes the erotica? Cause you can use your website you have already and just create a new page for the new pen name. Don't assume your romance readers won't want to read some erotica ;)

I can think of quite a few big authors out here who use one site for their different genres. For example, Gena Showalter writes romance that is pretty erotic and also writes YA! She has one site with links to all her books. Or you can do what JR Ward does. She writes under 2 names, here's a link to her site: http://www.jrward.com

I looked at the site, thanks! J.R. Ward puts her name in BIG LETTERS on her other books as well as the pen name (tiny, underneath), which I don't understand. I mean, why not just write these books as J.R. Ward then? Never mind, doesn't matter and I digress. My erotica stuff is pretty niche and I don't think my romance readers would like it. I want to keep the new pen name entirely separate from my other pen name, but thanks for the suggestions. I might do a cheapie static website for the new pen name and see what happens. Thanks for the help!
 

gingerwoman

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I only have a blog as I don't have anything that would cost money.

I would suggest making a twitter account for the new pen name, because it doesn't take much time and does lead to sales.
 
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Filigree

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I have a basic Wordpress blog that links to my GR, Twitter, Tumblr, and Amazon pages, stuff on Pinterest and Photobucket, as well as my (limited) backlist. All my pen names are covered there, and I'm not going to change it unless or until a Big Five imprint drives up with a station wagon full of cash and says 'change it'.

That said, the blog was probably the best investment of my time outside of actual writing and artwork.