How to charge for content?

I've been using Patreon to get a constant supply of payments coming in but now I have people who want custom short stories written for them. Does anyone have any advice for setting up an online store for something like this?

Or is there a site that had a function like this?

Maybe I'm really naive but there are so many ways to get this type of thing for free I don't really know why anyone would pay for it. Even if you could get paid a trivial amount I don't see how you could have that much business to make it even worthwhile. My advice is to keep your day job and have some free fun.

subwannabe said:

Maybe I'm really naive but there are so many ways to get this type of thing for free I don't really know why anyone would pay for it. Even if you could get paid a trivial amount I don't see how you could have that much business to make it even worthwhile. My advice is to keep your day job and have some free fun.

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Some people want very specific stories tailored to their fantasies, so I do occasionally see requests for stories on commission here.

It's like the above user said. I get request for very specific stuff. Right now I'm writing about a straight Pakistani Wife who is dominated by a butch white lesbian. I've been asked to include racial abuse, strap ons and anal sex. I was even sent pictures to accompany it.

There's a market here. That kind of stuff can be hard to find. Besides why can't a hobby make money? I became an amazon affiliate because I like talking about toys and comic books and now it earns me an extra $100 a month. It never hurts to monetize your interests.

Amazon (kindle) and Smashwords for straight up extra cash if you are just writing what you want to write and don't want to have to worry about deadlines and assignments. If you keep writing the cash will start to multiply over time slightly. Just keep adding shorts

smutnut said:

Amazon (kindle) and Smashwords for straight up extra cash if you are just writing what you want to write and don't want to have to worry about deadlines and assignments. If you keep writing the cash will start to multiply over time slightly. Just keep adding shorts

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I'm working those avenues As well. I'm not really looking for a new way to make
Money. I've got a good handle on that. I could write a 100 words on corn and make a buck on it. I'm just trying to find the best way to charge for custom work. I'm thinking paypal payments is the easiest but I'm wondering if there a widget or something I could on my blog or if there's a site that will have something like that.

Does nobody on this site charge for their work?

Did you look through the different forums prior to posting this thread? It's far more likely to get responses in the Author's Hangout (which is frequented by many of the people who charge for their non-Lit work) than here in How To.

Thanks I'll give that a try. I guess how to is the wrong place to ask how to do something.

DunstanCraig said:

Thanks I'll give that a try. I guess how to is the wrong place to ask how to do something.

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Well, no, it's not the wrong place. How To just deals with a broader base of topics and topics that don't really fit anywhere else on the board. We typically refer people who have kink-related questions to BDSM or Fetish & Sexuality, those who post "survey" type questions to the Playground or GB, writing questions to the AH, etc. Relationship, technology, board logistics, health, even home improvement questions, etc., are the type of topics that are typically better suited to How To.

Perhaps I'm reading your last two posts incorrectly, but the tone is coming across to me as kind of snippy. The tone of the AH is similar to that of How To, so you may want to watch that when you re-post your thread there.

Didn't mean to be snippy. Just new to the site and it seemed
Like the obvious place to go for information. I didn't know the nuances of it yet.

I don't mean to carry on but doesn't it make sense that a site with literotica in the URL would have a how to better prepared for questions about writing erotica them how improvement?

I think I'm being misunderstood again. I'm mostly laughing at
The situation. I make light of things like that.

DunstanCraig said:

I think I'm being misunderstood again. I'm mostly laughing at
The situation. I make light of things like that.

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Not sure what situation you are laughing at.

I play around with Amazon and Smashwords for kicks with erotic stuff.

I have also sold screenplays and have been hired to write on assignment, but don't understand why you would need a widget or program for this since it is a one on one isolated thing where you cannot resell the content so the idea of a store set up wouldn't make sense. Email the content and have them pay you through paypal, or paxum or just have them send you a check.

You could be paid various ways. It would not be a store type of set up and I don't even see how it would work.

Don't think I would write erotica on assignment because it is my one time I don't have to answer to anyone. They would have to pay me a lot and it wouldn't be worth it.

Cool we are on topic now.

I've been using Patreon which allows to people make donations for content I create. It's a monthly payment they can make through their PayPal. Recently I started a promotion where I will write something personalized as part of a sign up package. It turns out there's a lot of people who want this even afte the sign up. Anyway the site gives me a degree of separation by processing everything and sending me a check or a deposit to my paypal. Id like something like that. I don't want to just use my paypal because I don't want that kind of direct exposure.

I guess I could set up another one just for this business but I'm still
Looking for spam sort of separation. People seem to trust the Patreon system. It's got
A sense of professionalism that I'm not sure I could mimic on my own.

I like the idea of a store becaus that's sort of what I'm already doing I just need more flexibility. I had a hopes there was a site like that for creative writers. Most other mediums seem to have something like this.

DunstanCraig said:

Cool we are on topic now.

I've been using Patreon which allows to people make donations for content I create. It's a monthly payment they can make through their PayPal. Recently I started a promotion where I will write something personalized as part of a sign up package. It turns out there's a lot of people who want this even afte the sign up. Anyway the site gives me a degree of separation by processing everything and sending me a check or a deposit to my paypal. Id like something like that. I don't want to just use my paypal because I don't want that kind of direct exposure.

I guess I could set up another one just for this business but I'm still
Looking for spam sort of separation. People seem to trust the Patreon system. It's got
A sense of professionalism that I'm not sure I could mimic on my own.

I like the idea of a store because that's sort of what I'm already doing I just need more flexibility. I had a hopes there was a site like that for creative writers. Most other mediums seem to have something like this.

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I have to be honest. I only heard of Patreon since you mentioned it. I signed up for it, but don't think I will use it because can't believe they would condone my stuff. I am big on non consensual and reluctance. I get censored so much on mainstream that I don't feel like dealing with that with erotica. I have had stories taken off of Amazon and even gotten those fix tickets from Smashwords.

What is the difference between using Paypal with Smashwords and using it with Patreon that bothers you?

My dream goal is to create something that goes huge on Amazon or Smashwords that should have been censored but slipped through the cracks LOL. Not because I'm out to create anything illegal (not into anything most people would consider illegal) but they censor over stupid things like using the word "slave" in your titles and stuff. It would be my big F-U to censorship.

I try to keep separation too but not overly obsessed with that because if you are too ashamed of what you are doing, you probably shouldn't be doing it. It's a matter of beating the system so your stuff is too big to get taken down or more valuable because it does get taken down.

I have a few ideas for some gimick stuff (something like vampires or zombies (but not) for example) but am more feeling things out now

P.S I was starting to do okay with Amazon and Smashwords for a while but time constraints messed me up and I'm not doing as well as I had been. Putting a little more time into it now though and it is picking up again. Most of the stuff is crap I think, but even with crap I try to make it okay crap LOL, and I do have fun writing it. That's the main thing. Just don't have fun writing what I have to write any longer these days.

I spent a lot of time talking back and forth with the staff and Patreon before I signed up. Adult content as a few restrictions on it. It won't show up in their feeds or suggested items.

It's not for everyone but I'm giving it a try. There a few writers who are
Making a decent income from it.

Also it's not a matter of shame. My wife is an ECE teacher and we keep a barrier for her carriers sake. (Never noticed how similar and different those words are:barrier/carrier

DunstanCraig said:

I spent a lot of time talking back and forth with the staff and Patreon before I signed up. Adult content as a few restrictions on it. It won't show up in their feeds or suggested items.

It's not for everyone but I'm giving it a try. There a few writers who are
Making a decent income from it.

Also it's not a matter of shame. My wife is an ECE teacher and we keep a barrier for her carriers sake. (Never noticed how similar and different those words are:barrier/carrier

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Do you do all your tweeting and pins and stumbleupons and etc. with smashwords? Smashwords moves slower than Kindle but seems to pick up and stay growing, though slowly. I'm not sure what else there is. But might check out Patreon (until they start to censor my stuff). Smashwords censors very little though some of their associates do (like apple). I'm not talking about anything clearly illegal of course, just borderline edgy and questionable or taboo...

I've seen the same subjects as here on there and a lot of stuff here couldn't be put on kindle.

I appreciate what you're saying but I'm
Not really looking to that way right now. I've for a money maker with what I'm doing now.
I'm just looking to perfect the process.

If you do want to try out Patreon though do what I did. Set up a blog or site or what have you to direct traffic too. That way you can link off site for the risky stuff.

I'm typing on my phone and it really mangled that last post.