Searching for advice.

[Giannimac]

Over the past couple of years I have been writing my sexual memoirs. I have written and outlined several dozen stories -- about long-term relationships, one-night stands, and in-between: i.e. a handful of experiences with the same woman.

Besides actual drafts of stories, I have compiled a list of about 300 women and probably well over 2,000 or 3,000 erotic experiences to relate. One challenge I recognize is how to maintain the reader's interest and not become repetitive. Would it be appropriate to insert photos or artwork occasionally?

I'm wondering if there is an audience for this type of writing, and if so, would it be better to present and market them as free-standing stories; to combine them into a book (incl. e-book); offer them as serial submission to a periodical; begin my own blog and offer them on the blog; etc. etc.?

What format would be the most successful, the most profitable, and the most widely accepted?
Should I group them by my experiences at different ages , such as high school, college, 30's, 40's etc.?
Would it be better to group them by type of experiences, such as romantic, long-term relationships, one-night stands, multiple partners, fetish, Swinging, BDSM, Exhibitionism/Voyeurism, etc.

Can I mix different styles within one book,e.g. romance, explicit, hard-core, soft-core, etc.; or should it be more cohesive and targeted to specific audiences?

I know, lots of questions. Any help or advice is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Gianni Mac

 

[NoJo]

Wow, you've had more sex in the last two years than I've had in my whole life! 300 women!? Unless I'm misunderstanding your post.

If it's a memoir, then you should consider it an autobiography, and as such, you should be trying to create a narrative to it -- presumably things have changed over the last two years, so doing it chronologically might work.

Spalding Gray's stuff is very funny (and excruciating honest), and he's basically just writing about all the stuff he's done, usually in time order.

I'm actually trying to write something similar myself currently. But with me the goal is to use my sexual experiences over time to tell the story of my life and times over the last 40 years. I start the thing with my first proper wank - which would definitely belong in the Humor and Satire category were I to post it here.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Wow, you've had more sex in the last two years than I've had in my whole life! 300 women!? Unless I'm misunderstanding your post.

I reckon you misunderstood - I think he's been writing his memoirs over the last few years, detailing his sex over the course of his life, however long that might be.

Depending on the length of that life, 300 women might be one a night for a year, or five a year for sixty years. Or something in between.

Is there a profitable readership for a man like that? I'd buy me a coffee first, with that loose change.

 

[sr71plt]

I've done memoir-type books (more memory books, as they don't pretend to cover it all) in both erotica "my bi life" and mainstream "my public life" forms, both available both in e-book and paperback form. The erotica one is habu's Flying High, Diving Deep, and is done in chronological order short story form. Most of the short stories (based loosely on real-life experiences) in it are here at Literotica and for a few years I had a road map on reading them in order in my profile, but I see that I dropped that at some point.

My mainstream memoir is done in loose chronological order too. It's a mixed-mode collection, though, including short stories, essays, and poems, most of them previously published separately in the mainstream. And I've subsequently taught workshops in writing "memory books," which is less of a chore in writing than a memoir that tries to cover the whole waterfront of one's life. It is composed of highlight selections.

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

There is a sticky thread at the top of the Author's Hangout for Literotica authors to publicize their books. If you are looking to publish for profit (it sounds like you are) you may want to reach out to some of those authors through PM to see how they got started. If you can find a publisher to work with, I suspect they could advise you on how to structure your stories.

In the meantime, it might not be a bad idea to put one or two self-contained stories here in Literotica just to gauge reaction from readers.

 

[rjordan]

Is there a profitable readership for a man like that? I'd buy me a coffee first, with that loose change.

The only one of its type I've read is My Life and Loves by Frank Harris published in the '20's. My dad had the volumes hidden away. I was 12. Nothing like that can be hidden from a 12 year old.

Now there are pdf copies all over the web. One is available from University of Adelaide, eb66. No doubt a special translation with a pronunciation guide.

https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/h/harris/frank/my-life-and-loves/

rj

 

[ElectricBlue]

No doubt a special translation with a pronunciation guide.

You know how the expressions, "you'll keep" and "but not for long" are often not joined together?

Consider them joined...

Australians don't need the translation guides - we speak both kinds of English here, American and English...

But hey, I don't judg. (See, you DO need the 'e').

One of the original memoirs of a serial philanderer was "My Secret Life" by 'Walter' first published in 1888, described as "one of the strangest and most obsessive books ever written"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Secret_Life_(memoir)

 

[rjordan]

Australians don't need the translation guides - we speak both kinds of English here, American and English...

The pronunciation guide is for Americans. Won't need them for long, though. In another generation, nobody here will have enough education to read.

But hey, I don't judg. (See, you DO need the 'e').

My bright little granddaughter in kindergarten caught onto the "silent e". She adds it whenever the mood strikes her. When I tell her a word isn't spelled that way she says, "Ignore it. It's silent."

rj

 

[ElectricBlue]

The pronunciation guide is for Americans. Won't need them for long, though. In another generation, nobody here will have enough education to read.

My bright little granddaughter in kindergarten caught onto the "silent e". She adds it whenever the mood strikes her. When I tell her a word isn't spelled that way she says, "Ignore it. It's silent."

rj

That's brilliant - your granddaughter proves your first statement, in her case at least, wrong!

I can just imagine the expression: "Keep UP, Grandad," hands on hips, "you're SO slow!"

 

[NoJo]

Reading this thread reminded me of my dad explaining to me about words starting with "ps", (e.g. "psychology"): The Pee is silent, as in "bath".