Is Erotica your main genera?

CharleeBeck

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 14, 2014
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Location
New York
So a lot of writers, myself included, are writing quick commercial stories. The effort, from what everybody says, is far less than the pay-off if you are just pumping out shorts for super cheap downloads under a pen name in between working on your larger, more serious project(s). Personally, I am a horror writer, working on a three season serial piece, using erotica as sort of a dry run at self publishing before I decide what rout I'm trying to take with my "real" stuff. I feel like I'm a struggling actress posing for a girly mag lol. But I was curious about everybody else; is erotica your main thing, or is it more of a "busing tables until the agent calls" situation?
 

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
Erotica is one of the genres I write. I certainly do not consider it lesser than the others or somehow a distraction from my "real" writing goals. In fact I think opening a thread with that premise in the erotica genre subforum is borderline disrespectful.
 
Last edited:

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
4,028
Reaction score
356
Location
somewhere in Massachusetts
Website
karennacolcroft.com
This is just my personal opinion, and hopefully I'm not crossing any RYFW lines... This is not aimed specifically at Charlee or at anyone else, but just some generalized thoughts on the matter.

Anyone who writes *anything* to "make a quick buck while I figure out what to do with my 'real' stuff" is doing a disservice to the genre, the readers, and likely themselves. If you're writing something that you don't consider your main genre because you want to hone your skills, or because it's fun, or something like that, fine... but if it's because you figure it's quick and easy and you'll make some cash at it, while you're looking down on it as something you'll want to forget about as soon as you "really make it", then it might be something to reconsider.

And, as Veinglory said, writing ANYTHING because you figure it's quick and easy and you might bring in a few bucks is somewhat disrespectful to the people who work their butts off to write that genre/category WELL, who consider it their main genre, and who are being tarred with the same brush as those who put out substandard product because they're only writing it until their "real" writing takes off.

If that sounds ranty, I'm sorry, but I've had far too many people insult my erotic romance AND my young adult fiction by saying "anyone can write it" or demanding to know why I'm not rich because "it's so easy anyone can do it, so you must be doing it wrong."

I write erotic romance under one pen name. I write young adult fiction under the other. I also have a couple of erotica shorts out under a top-secret name... those have sold zero copies at all, but I was trying them as a fun thing, not because I thought they'd be easy and rake in the dough. (I think I've also gotten trapped in the Amazon adult Bermuda Triangle...)

And Charlee... to me, your reference to "feeling like a struggling actress posing for a girly magazine" implies that you're ashamed of writing erotica. I may be reading too much into your statement, but if you feel that way about writing erotica, why do it?
 
Last edited:

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 24, 2006
Messages
40,775
Reaction score
5,947
Location
Some personalized demiplane
I have a fun story!

...well, technically, all of my stories are fun.

Once upon a time, I was thinking: "Wow! My friends who write erotica make way more money than I do! But then again, I love erotica, so, obviously, I should write a few erotic novels and then make money toooooooooo!"

And so, I tried to write an erotic novel...

AND FAILED.

I had spent years and years practicing and learning how to write sci-fi and fantasy and young adult. Those skills do not instantly let you write about all the things that erotica involves - not just the sexy times, but also the sexy bits that lead to actual sexy times. The ability to craft a narrative that uses sex the way an action novel uses action scenes. The skill to make what turns you on turn other people on.

And, finally, the stamina to keep up the passion in the book and for the book!

My novel burned out 4,000 words in.

It took me 4 years and 3 abortive tries before I started the current erotic novel I'm working on - 50k and counting! - and that was with loads of practice and thought.

The moral of the story is: Never ever think you can jump into a new genera to make a quick buck. It's never ever going to actually be quick.
 

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
4,288
Reaction score
561
Location
Pennsylvania
In fact I think opening a thread with that premise in the erotica genre subforum is borderline disrespectful.
I know I would be offended if someone opened a thread with this premise in my primary genre forum.

And so, I tried to write an erotic novel...

AND FAILED.

I had spent years and years practicing and learning how to write sci-fi and fantasy and young adult. Those skills do not instantly let you write about all the things that erotica involves - not just the sexy times, but also the sexy bits that lead to actual sexy times. The ability to craft a narrative that uses sex the way an action novel uses action scenes. The skill to make what turns you on turn other people on.
Yup. I've been trying to pull together a proper plan for a romance/erotic romance for years. It's anything other than easy, though my stumbling block is needing to have much deeper internal journeys for the characters to really make the romance side of things entertaining and believable. I want to write it for the 'right' reasons (because I have a story I'd like to tell, not because I think it's easy money) but it's still wickedly hard to do well.
 

StoryofWoe

Sick and pale with grief.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 4, 2014
Messages
1,045
Reaction score
89
Location
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.
I always knew that if I was going to write anything, it would be either erotica or erotic romance and I'll echo Veinglory and Kimjo here: referring to erotica as something to do while you work on your "real stuff" is pretty disrespectful to both the writers and readers of the genre, and I would argue, partly why so many people refuse to take it seriously.

Erotica is more than just spank-bank material or the side job you take on while you're waiting for your "real career" to take off. I'm curious, how much erotica do you read in your spare time? Are you writing shorts because you think they're easy and will make you a quick buck (which, according to your friends, doesn't actually work) or because you don't want to invest the time, energy, research, practice, etc. into writing a viable, full-length erotic novel? Sorry if that comes off as harsh, but it's been my experience that most people who think erotica and sex in general is easy to write, aren't writing as well as they could be. The number of members who come to this board from other genres on AW because they have no idea how to write an effective sex scene is a testament to that.

Imagine if someone said, "Yeah, my main genre is romance, but I write short horror stories on the side because they're so easy. Just throw in a little blood, a few ghosts, a zombie or two, and voila, child's play." That's how a lot of people feel about erotica, but only because they don't bother to delve further than "Peg A slides into Slot B and then she moans," and end up ignoring the myriad tools that can make an erotic story great.

Yes, the market is FLOODED with cheap one-offs that lack both an engaging plot and developed characters (which a lot of people enjoy, and that's fine), but as a genre, erotica has the potential to be both fun and emotionally affecting. I'm always amazed by how flippant people can be towards a genre that touches on such a personal, emotionally-charged aspect of our inner and interpersonal lives.

So no, erotica (and erotic romance) isn't just a stop along the way for me. It's where I live and thus, I show it the respect it deserves.
 

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
16,441
Reaction score
1,529
Location
between rising apes and falling angels
Website
www.cranehanabooks.com
Seconding other posters: erotic and erotic romance are genres into themselves, with very specific reader and publishing requirements. I jumped into erotic romance from science fiction, because I had a story that couldn't be told via mainstream filters. Four years later, I'm still learning about my new genre. I'd never consider just jumping in to make a quick buck - I can instantly tell when other writers have done so. It shows.
 

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
19,533
Reaction score
22,771
Location
Aotearoa
I write fantasy and erotica and horror. Fantasy because it's where my heart lies. Horror because it's where my brain sometimes goes. Erotica because it's a challenge to write and there are a lot of good markets for it.

So, yes, in that sense I write erotica in a particular subgenre for money. I've found it easier to sell than fantasy short stories. I think that's because of the ratio between the number of decent paying markets and the number of decent submissions those markets receive is higher for erotica than fantasy, but for all I know maybe I'm better at writing erotica than fantasy.

I do think erotica's harder to write. In fantasy, you can depend on the world/magic/unicorns and dragons/whatever to capture the reader's attention. With erotica, it's the characters, plain and simple. And, IMO, characters are the hardest thing to write well.
 

amergina

Pittsburgh Strong
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
15,599
Reaction score
2,471
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Website
www.annazabo.com
I write erotic romance and fantasy. Sometimes I cross the streams.

But I write these genres because I *like* these genres. I want to write good, passionate stories that readers love and stay with them after they reach the end.

So no, I'm not just busing tables. My agent has sold my erotic romance. I've gotten a starred Library Journal review. Erotic romance was part of that call.
 

lianna williamson

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
Messages
942
Reaction score
196
Location
small-town New England
Another off-genre writer who haunts the Erotica board because good sex scenes are HARD TO WRITE, yo.

As for writing something outside one's "real" genre for the money, I will quote Neil Gaiman:

"Nothing I did where the only reason for doing it was the money was ever worth it, except as bitter experience. Usually I didn't wind up getting the money, either."
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,474
Location
Snow Cave
That's a great quote, Lianna. Thanks!

Maryn, who writes in two genres and considers them equals
 

dangerousbill

Retired Illuminatus
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
4,810
Reaction score
413
Location
The sovereign state of Baja Arizona
But I was curious about everybody else; is erotica your main thing, or is it more of a "busing tables until the agent calls" situation?

Erotica is what I'm good at. I write thrillers and a little scifi, too, but nobody wants to read them. But I have a following for my three erotica novels now, and I pander to that.

Perhaps it's because I like writing it, and I can draw on personal experience (which is a little hard to do in the thriller and scifi areas).
 
Last edited:

Viridian

local good boy
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 20, 2013
Messages
3,076
Reaction score
557
I don't really write erotica. I just like the people here. :D

And my fiction is erotic romance, which is close to the same thing. So. :Shrug:
 
Last edited:

M.N Thorne

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 28, 2013
Messages
321
Reaction score
12
Location
California
Actually,I would have to say that I kinda agree with you about "feeling like I'm a struggling actress posing for a girly mag."My case is a little different because most of my writing is tied to my current profession. However, I feel that your statements about the genre applies to those who do not consider Erotica and Erotic Romance as serious writing. Sure, I've pump out several erotica shorts/poetry chapbooks in order to get paid and keep my built-in audience happy. However, Erotica is an serious genre that most its writers and readers love and respect.



So a lot of writers, myself included, are writing quick commercial stories. The effort, from what everybody says, is far less than the pay-off if you are just pumping out shorts for super cheap downloads under a pen name in between working on your larger, more serious project(s). Personally, I am a horror writer, working on a three season serial piece, using erotica as sort of a dry run at self publishing before I decide what rout I'm trying to take with my "real" stuff. I feel like I'm a struggling actress posing for a girly mag lol. But I was curious about everybody else; is erotica your main thing, or is it more of a "busing tables until the agent calls" situation?
 

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
4,453
Reaction score
215
Location
supernebragilistic expialidocious
Erotica is a lot of authors "real" writing. And I agree with the above comments on how referring it to not being "real" is a little disrespectful to other authors who take it seriously.

It's been a common misconception for years "Sex sells. I can make a lot of cash from it. Just look at 'this series' or 'that series'. I can do that, too." Most of the authors I've come across who only writes erotica/erotic romance for mucho-bucks end up NOT continuing in the genre. Why? Their hearts aren't into it. They didn't find one thing they liked about the genre, other than the possibility to make money. And when that money doesn't come, what next?

If your "real" genre is horror, why spend those hours you will not get back writing something you're not really interested in?
 

Aquarius

Got the hang of it, here
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
10
Location
Roanoke, VA
Erotic romance w/ heavy paranormal elements writer here. And I dabble in historical fiction (Egyptian) for pure amusement factor.

And as already mentioned, I take umbrage to the idea that writing erotica isn't REAL writing. It's certainly real enough to me when I'm literally cursing out a character for getting distracted by another dude when his female SO is literally trying to seduce him. Strange that I'm doing so, and I'm the one writing the scene.

Its not easy to make sex scenes not seem run of the mill, in addition to keeping the romantic relationship smoking hot
 

DiloKeith

Doesn't scare easily
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
621
Reaction score
110
Website
dilokeith.wordpress.com
I currently have no interest in writing fiction other than erotic fiction.

Like others have explained quite well, I believe erotica is just as "real" as other writing.
 

Motley

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 6, 2010
Messages
345
Reaction score
14
Location
Hiding in this box I made.
Fantasy, horror, romance, erotica and I'd love to try my hand at mystery one day. I put just as much effort into all of them and don't consider any lesser than any other.

Some stories are easier than others, but the division isn't genre-specific.
 

Beachgirl

Not easily managed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
3,848
Reaction score
232
Location
On a beach, of course.
I write erotic romance and, like others have already stated, not because I thought it was easy or I could make a quick buck. There's nothing easy about writing *good* erotica or erotic romance.
 

elindsen

Zombie lovin'
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
6,219
Reaction score
379
Location
somewhere between hell and back
Website
www.augustkert.blogspot.com
I agree with everyone so I won't go down that path. But may i make a suggestion? Why not, if you're working on skills and such, write fan fic? There are many writers of fan fic who have massive followings and are amazing writers. It is a good place to hone skills, from what I've heard.
 

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
11,882
Reaction score
1,557
Location
Just north of the Deep South
I write speculative fiction - primarily Science Fiction and Fantasy, but also some Horror. Sometimes it has erotic content, sometimes it has sexual content (the two are not necessarily the same thing) and sometimes it doesn't.

For me, I started writing more explicit erotic content to develop a skill-set. It's not a temporary thing, but learning how to write a certain element well, whether I ever finish/sell another erotic novel or not.
 

DancingMaenid

New kid...seven years ago!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
5,058
Reaction score
460
Location
United States
Erotica is, practically speaking, my main genre at the moment. It's definitely not the only genre I write, or that I'm interested in, but it's the one that I'm actually writing the most in at the moment. I also write a bit of non-erotic fantasy, science fiction, and mainstream/literary fiction, and I have some ideas in those genres that I'd like to get around to. But writing erotica is very natural for me right now, and I enjoy it.

I don't consider it a side thing in addition to my "real" writing. But it has taken me a bit to start taking my interest in erotica seriously and use it as an outlet for "serious" ideas and characters. For example, I've had an idea for a fantasy novel for a few years now, but couldn't work it out because I couldn't think of a plot. It finally occurred to me recently that it might actually work very well as erotic fantasy. This was an odd realization because my erotica tends not to be quite as character driven as my work in other genres. It's not that I feel like erotica is "lesser" writing, but I wonder sometimes about how much audiences read erotica for the characters, and how easy it is to find an audience for more "literary" erotica. That's really my only reservation about branding some of my work as erotica.

I don't think there's any way I could just fire off quick stories for a quick paycheck. I've known some people who were able to make a decent amount of money by writing niche kinks that sold well, but trying to do that would burn me out so quickly. I'm not the fastest writer to begin with, and if I'm not interested in the story, writing is like pulling teeth for me. Ultimately, I would rather make fewer sales writing stuff that I would write normally than a lot of sales writing stuff that stresses me out because there's no fun in it.
 

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
19,533
Reaction score
22,771
Location
Aotearoa
I agree with everyone so I won't go down that path. But may i make a suggestion? Why not, if you're working on skills and such, write fan fic? There are many writers of fan fic who have massive followings and are amazing writers. It is a good place to hone skills, from what I've heard.

I don't because:
a) I like creating characters from scratch
b) There isn't any fic/show I'm a fan of, so I wouldn't know anyone else's characters orworld well enough to write fanfic
c) I like to have the option to sell a piece if it turns out well
 

Fruitbat

.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
Messages
11,833
Reaction score
1,310
So a lot of writers, myself included, are writing quick commercial stories. The effort, from what everybody says, is far less than the pay-off if you are just pumping out shorts for super cheap downloads under a pen name in between working on your larger, more serious project(s). Personally, I am a horror writer, working on a three season serial piece, using erotica as sort of a dry run at self publishing before I decide what rout I'm trying to take with my "real" stuff. I feel like I'm a struggling actress posing for a girly mag lol. But I was curious about everybody else; is erotica your main thing, or is it more of a "busing tables until the agent calls" situation?

I'd guess there is plenty of "erotica" that's more "written porn" than "literary," and therefore pretty quick and easy to write, if that's what you mean. I also wouldn't doubt if it tended to sell pretty well. That's not my path but I don't see any reason it shouldn't be yours if you enjoy it and it works for you. The only thing I'd add is perhaps using different pen names for the two different audiences.
 
Last edited: