Our site is dedicated to assisting authors in honing their skills and making a living doing what they enjoy. We’d be negligent if we didn’t mention erotica, a category that pays well for an increasing number of authors.
With the tremendous popularity of ’50 Shades of Grey’ and its sequels, erotica has had a splashy moment in the spotlight in recent years. However, the genre has been around for decades. Erotic writings about gods and goddesses’ lovemaking escapades extend back to ancient Greece and Rome, and erotic novels have been around since the Middle Ages.
Is erotica, on the other hand, a viable means for an author to generate money? We’ll debunk some common misconceptions about this genre of writing and show you how to get started and make money writing erotica!
What Does It Take to Be a Successful Erotica Author?
To begin with, it’s critical to eliminate the myth that erotica is synonymous with pornography. While they both deal with sexual themes, erotica nevertheless necessitates the core characteristics of any excellent work of fiction: character, plot, conflict, and so on. Readers–the people you need to make a career from this endeavor–will not stick around if your story has no more depth than an X-rated movie clip.
Character development is probably even more vital in erotica than in other genres of creative writing since it is so relationship-driven. So, before you dismiss the genre as illegitimate, think again. It is one good way on how you can make money writing erotica.
The First Steps
The easiest method to begin writing erotica is to practice, just as you would with any other genre of writing. Read up on narrative ideas like story arc and dialogue to help you add depth to your storyline, and try something new with unique characters or relationship dynamics to test your creativity.
While you’re honing writing talents, you might find it beneficial to join a writers’ club and share your work for peer evaluation. This is also an excellent method to learn more about the industry and how other people make money writing erotica. On sites like Meetup and Facebook, you may find many writing groups, both general and erotica-specific.
Find Your Specialty
Within the more fantastic genre of erotica, like with all fiction, there are subcategories. There’s erotica set in a science fiction universe that revolves around a mystery. Some of the stories are set in the present day, while others are placed in the past. Find a niche that suits your interests and writing style if you want to be a successful erotica author.
Many erotica authors find that writing in a genre they’re already familiar with is the most comfortable for them. If you’ve dabbled with fantasy writing, for example, you might discover you have a penchant for creating witches and wizards who fall in love. If you’re more of a realist, sensual plotlines set in familiar, modern-day surroundings might be more your speed.
Take into account the length as well. Short tales to full-length novels, and multi-part series are all examples of erotica works. Before diving into a book, you might find it easier to try your hand at a few short tales.
Be Relentless
Writing erotica necessitates a higher amount of bravery than other genres. Keep striving even if you feel tired of explaining the legitimacy of your writing to family and friends. Some erotica authors claim to make between $7,000 and $10,000 per month, even without a large publication contract. It is one way on how to make money writing erotica.
If you’re not sure, self-publish your erotic stories.
One advantage of writing erotica is that self-published works have a sizable market. Self-publishing means that you release and promote your work independently, rather than going via a publisher and jumping through all associated hoops.
While having a publisher has numerous advantages, self-publishing can be a viable approach to get your work out there when you’re just starting. By using this method, you may acquire a loyal following if your work is noticed.
When you self-publish, you pay to have your book printed, either one at a time as orders come in or in a batch of a certain number of copies. The resulting books are yours to market and sell as you see appropriate, and instead of a publisher getting apart, you keep the earnings. As you can see, self-publishing makes money primarily dependent on your ability to market and sell your book on your own.
However, many erotica authors have found success in a new and more cost-effective avenue, thanks to Amazon.
The Amazon Kindle Store and Erotica
The Amazon Kindle Store is a game-changer for writers, allowing anybody with a computer to publish, market, and sell works of fiction on the enormous online retailer’s platform. On this channel, there are roughly 6 million titles available, the majority of which are self-published. And, fortunately for erotica authors, the platform has a sizable erotica fan base.
Follow this instruction for using Kindle Direct Publishing, the platform’s service for self-published authors on Amazon, to get started selling your erotica on the Amazon Kindle Store. You must ensure that your book follows particular formatting and style guidelines.
You should also read Amazon’s Kindle Direct content standards, which spell out what types of content can and cannot be offered on the site. Particular sorts of partnerships, as well as graphic cover art in erotica novels, are prohibited.
It’s a great idea to add it in your writing portfolio.
Whether you choose traditional publishing or self-publishing, you’ll need a venue to display and market your work. A writing portfolio can help with this. A writing portfolio is a website where authors and other writers can show samples of their work to the public. It serves as a resume-like tool for finding jobs and creating vital industry connections.
Complete your writer bio with a bit of additional information about yourself after you’ve signed up. You can include information about your schooling, employment experience, and hobbies here, as well as links to your other social network pages. Choose one of the pre-made portfolio themes, or mix and match colors to make your own.
Then, in your portfolio, provide your writing samples. You can link to pieces that have been published online or that have been listed in the Amazon Kindle Store. It’s okay if you haven’t been published yet; upload PDF samples of your writing from your PC.
Once your portfolio is ready, you may distribute the URL widely to begin selling yourself as an erotica writer this is how you make money writing erotica.