Erotica and privacy

[SweetCandyApples]

Hey, does anyone on here write and sell erotic e-books for money? I would like to begin doing this, but I have some questions that I was hoping someone who has already done it would be able to answer.

It's mainly an issue of privacy for me. Writing under a pseudonym is obviously no problem, or having separate, private e-mail, twitter, whatever accounts. But what I'm most concerned about is getting paid.

When the money comes into your bank account, does it automatically list the titles of the book which made the money? Am I going to have "Cuckold Cum-lappers" show up on my bank statement, or will it just say 'Kindle e-book sales,' or something generic like that.

My idea is to write both erotic and non-erotic books under two different names, though I'm assuming that the erotica will generate a lot more sales. I could then - my thinking goes - account for the income to my family by telling them that it was all from the sales of my non-erotic books, and they won't be the wiser.

That's an easy enough lie it seems, and believable, but is it a lie that will hold up during tax time? Is it a lie that will hold up if for some reason someone were to look at my bank account history?

Thanks!

 

[A_Little_Show]

[deleted]

 

[TxRad]

Set up a PayPal account and run it all through there.

 

[StrangeLife]

When the money comes into your bank account, does it automatically list the titles of the book which made the money? Am I going to have "Cuckold Cum-lappers" show up on my bank statement, or will it just say 'Kindle e-book sales,' or something generic like that...

Apart from yourself and the NSA, who will ever read your bank statements anyway?

But if it's a concern you can probably choose to have them be paperless, so the bank wont send you any physical letters.

 

[sr71plt]

I write published erotica. But I also write tame mainstream, so I definitely strive to keep them separate. I have multiple cut out accounts through a well-known payout system with payout by publishers (who also are separated from me by cut-out names) and it all winds up lumped together with income from mainstream publishers, fully declared as taxable and traceable back to the mainstream arm of my erotica publishers, if audit happens.

It can be done. I managed it (eventually--an initial two publishers take all the profit from my books because I wanted to publish but didn't have a means to get safely set up to do that established), but I probably only managed it because I come from a career world where it was done extensively.

A hint: it's easier if you also write mainstream and if you have an established writing/editing business.

 

[A_Little_Show]

[deleted]

 

[sr71plt]

A "cut-out" is a fake name. All of these alt names on this forum are cut-out names. I publish my erotica under fake names. My erotica publishers don't have my real name. They pay into fake name accounts, which pay into fake name accounts, which pay into my true name back account (transfers to fake names are accepted by the banks--all they care about is the account number). That this is publishing makes it easier with any government scrutiny, as authors can have accounts and transact business in pen names--and it's logical that they do. And, as I say, it's easier to handle when it comes from a mainstream publisher (who also happens to have an erotica nameplate) in accounting names and if it can be lumped together for tax reporting purposes with income from mainstream royalties.

PayPal is an example of a payout system. Just one example. I'm not going to name mine. It's a system that facilitates all of that cut-out juggling work.

Should the government show interest and bother to trace it all, they end up somewhere that could be embarrassing but isn't in the least illegal--nor is the accounting trail if you know how to do it. (And, no, I'm not going to give you a primer in doing it).

What it means for me too is that as long as I want to keep erotica activity separate, the writing is capped--I can't make a great deal of money to the extent that it overshadows what I'm making from the mainstream. What that means is that I'm free to enjoy the writing and I don't have to do the promotion activity I have to do with my mainstream works.

In my case, I've figured out how to take some of it in Internet services that don't show up in anyone's accounting anywhere.

None of it's illegal--just face and trouble saving. Safe to me is that I don't want readers of my mainstream fiction and nonfiction to know that I also write erotica. I don't think it would enhance my mainstream sales or my personal life. Simple as that.

 

[A_Little_Show]

[deleted]

 

[sr71plt]

Hey, I'm not going to argue with you. Don't use Google to try to show I can't do what I do. I do it and have done it for years--and I know how to get it done. (And I have a business manager.)

I responded to the question. Find your own way.

I love all of the armchair experts we have on this forum.

 

[LadyVer]

Interesting thread. As a freelance erotica editor, I've wrestled with the issue of privacy. Do I want writers to know who I am? No, but do they want me to know who they are? Probably not. I don't see any way of getting around anonymity when getting paid though. PayPal works for me.

 

[R. Richard]

I managed to set up a single bank account (major USA bank,) with two names on it, my business name and my pen name. I try to funnel everything, erotica or not, through PayPal. Why I set up the two name account is to enable me to receive paper checks from new publishers. The paper checks from new publishers are often, alas, for very small amounts of money. The small amount of money isn't important, it's getting set up with a new publisher. I currently have six publishers.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hey, does anyone on here write and sell erotic e-books for money? I would like to begin doing this, but I have some questions that I was hoping someone who has already done it would be able to answer.

It's mainly an issue of privacy for me. Writing under a pseudonym is obviously no problem, or having separate, private e-mail, twitter, whatever accounts. But what I'm most concerned about is getting paid.

When the money comes into your bank account, does it automatically list the titles of the book which made the money? Am I going to have "Cuckold Cum-lappers" show up on my bank statement, or will it just say 'Kindle e-book sales,' or something generic like that.

My idea is to write both erotic and non-erotic books under two different names, though I'm assuming that the erotica will generate a lot more sales. I could then - my thinking goes - account for the income to my family by telling them that it was all from the sales of my non-erotic books, and they won't be the wiser.

That's an easy enough lie it seems, and believable, but is it a lie that will hold up during tax time? Is it a lie that will hold up if for some reason someone were to look at my bank account history?

Thanks!

Here's what my payment from Amazon looks like...

Type: Deposit
Description:AMAZON DIL428211 DES:Misc. Paym ID:431040S5D INDN:Real Name Here CO ID:1830417755 CCD PMT INFO:Amazon.com Payments ID#8504094

Just a bunch of numbers and abbreviations that only make sense to the bank. Oh, the numbers and abbriev. have been changed to protect the innocent.

 

[SweetCandyApples]

Thanks

Thanks for all of the replies, really interesting to see how different people do it. I have no desire to set up a separate bank account and everything, but I think that last reply might have been the most helpful, seeing that the whole thing will just come up as a series of nondescript letters and numbers. I'm not really worried about someone getting ahold of my bank statements... just trying to think this all through.

I have a paypal account already, which I use for real-life business, under my real name. I did set up another paypal account for 'other' transactions like this, but what dismayed to discover that I could only have one paypal account per bank account.

Can I ask, how much do you guys usually make from your erotic-writing, like on a monthly basis?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Thanks for all of the replies, really interesting to see how different people do it. I have no desire to set up a separate bank account and everything, but I think that last reply might have been the most helpful, seeing that the whole thing will just come up as a series of nondescript letters and numbers. I'm not really worried about someone getting ahold of my bank statements... just trying to think this all through.

I have a paypal account already, which I use for real-life business, under my real name. I did set up another paypal account for 'other' transactions like this, but what dismayed to discover that I could only have one paypal account per bank account.

Can I ask, how much do you guys usually make from your erotic-writing, like on a monthly basis?

Paypal is the same as the bank, there is really no mention of what it is, only who it is from and you will be the only one seeing that.

As for proceeds...a couple of hundred here, a couple of hundred there, for me it is sort of a hobby, I don't do much advertising.

 

[RichardBacula]

Can I ask, how much do you guys usually make from your erotic-writing, like on a monthly basis?

Next to nothing.
I made a cool $4.50 last month, and about $2 this month.
On the other hand, I've only been at this a couple of months, with a total of 4 erotica short stories for sale via the Kindle store.
One of the reasons I'm writing stories here is to try to get more people aware of my work, because just writing and posting erotica doesn't seem to do much- there's SO much of it out there, that you need to so some publicity for yourself, and it's still hard to get any real attention without a decent body of work.
With only 4 short stories, I only made $4.50 in a month.
But if I had 100 short stories, that would be $450 in a month!
Actually, it'd be a lot more, because the more stuff you have out there, the more likely it is that people will become aware of your work, and the more likely word of mouth will be to spread.

For me, the two biggest obstacles seem to be:
1. Finding time to write.
I work two jobs, and when I have free time, I'm usually exhausted. But I've had a bit more room to breathe lately, so I'm working to focus more time on my writing.
2. Cover Art. I have a friend who can make some cover art for me, but I can't afford to pay him for it, because I'm not making any real money myself. He's cool with that, but it means that I end up in a position of either waiting on him to do the cover, or releasing the book with a generic cover (which there seems to be a stigma against).

Hope some of that helped.

 

[lovecraft68]

As everyone else said set up a pypal account. Paypal is a PIA in some areas, but they take security seriously. I've been using them for e-bay for years and for writing the last three.

All your paypal history will show is that you received money from Smashwords, ARE or whoever is paying you. There are no details.

At years end the tax docs you receive from Amazon/SW etc... simply say they the amount they paid you for the year again no mention of the product

If you are worried you will receive an itemized pay out form saying "Mommy's a roaring slut" and how much it made don't worry.

also as long as you have a bank account and valid SS or tax id you can set pay pal up under a pen name.

I'll send a PM with a link for the most important piece in the anonymity puzzle.

 

[lovecraft68]

Next to nothing.
I made a cool $4.50 last month, and about $2 this month.
On the other hand, I've only been at this a couple of months, with a total of 4 erotica short stories for sale via the Kindle store.
One of the reasons I'm writing stories here is to try to get more people aware of my work, because just writing and posting erotica doesn't seem to do much- there's SO much of it out there, that you need to so some publicity for yourself, and it's still hard to get any real attention without a decent body of work.
With only 4 short stories, I only made $4.50 in a month.
But if I had 100 short stories, that would be $450 in a month!
Actually, it'd be a lot more, because the more stuff you have out there, the more likely it is that people will become aware of your work, and the more likely word of mouth will be to spread.

For me, the two biggest obstacles seem to be:
1. Finding time to write.
I work two jobs, and when I have free time, I'm usually exhausted. But I've had a bit more room to breathe lately, so I'm working to focus more time on my writing.
2. Cover Art. I have a friend who can make some cover art for me, but I can't afford to pay him for it, because I'm not making any real money myself. He's cool with that, but it means that I end up in a position of either waiting on him to do the cover, or releasing the book with a generic cover (which there seems to be a stigma against).

Hope some of that helped.

My first quarterly Smashwords payment back in April 2011 was $13 and I think I made $247 for the year. My last SW payment along with that months amazon payment was a sizable down payment on the wife's new car so don't get discouraged, it takes time.

You have to stick with it and it is kind of like lit in that you need to keep pumping out stuff and sooner or later one starts doing well then people check out your other books.

Then you start getting people looking for you(on SW people can favorite you like on lit) and buying your new stuff so don;t get discouraged. '

as for art work go to a site like 123rf and you can buy stock photos for $4 or so and there are sites and programs where you can ad text for free.

 

[RichardBacula]

My first quarterly Smashwords payment back in April 2011 was $13 and I think I made $247 for the year. My last SW payment along with that months amazon payment was a sizable down payment on the wife's new car so don't get discouraged, it takes time.

You have to stick with it and it is kind of like lit in that you need to keep pumping out stuff and sooner or later one starts doing well then people check out your other books.

Then you start getting people looking for you(on SW people can favorite you like on lit) and buying your new stuff so don;t get discouraged. '

as for art work go to a site like 123rf and you can buy stock photos for $4 or so and there are sites and programs where you can ad text for free.

Thanks!

 

[lovecraft68]

A "cut-out" is a fake name. All of these alt names on this forum are cut-out names. I publish my erotica under fake names. My erotica publishers don't have my real name. They pay into fake name accounts, which pay into fake name accounts, which pay into my true name back account (transfers to fake names are accepted by the banks--all they care about is the account number). That this is publishing makes it easier with any government scrutiny, as authors can have accounts and transact business in pen names--and it's logical that they do. And, as I say, it's easier to handle when it comes from a mainstream publisher (who also happens to have an erotica nameplate) in accounting names and if it can be lumped together for tax reporting purposes with income from mainstream royalties.

PayPal is an example of a payout system. Just one example. I'm not going to name mine. It's a system that facilitates all of that cut-out juggling work.

Should the government show interest and bother to trace it all, they end up somewhere that could be embarrassing but isn't in the least illegal--nor is the accounting trail if you know how to do it. (And, no, I'm not going to give you a primer in doing it).

What it means for me too is that as long as I want to keep erotica activity separate, the writing is capped--I can't make a great deal of money to the extent that it overshadows what I'm making from the mainstream. What that means is that I'm free to enjoy the writing and I don't have to do the promotion activity I have to do with my mainstream works.

In my case, I've figured out how to take some of it in Internet services that don't show up in anyone's accounting anywhere.

None of it's illegal--just face and trouble saving. Safe to me is that I don't want readers of my mainstream fiction and nonfiction to know that I also write erotica. I don't think it would enhance my mainstream sales or my personal life. Simple as that.

Well first you should have no worries about the part I put in bold

as for the rest more of your typical long winded nonsense where you try to make something simple into something cryptic.

Cliff notes:

You can create fake names and as many as you want providing their is a legal tax id number that it is associated with. Ultimately the IRS will know who you are (as you need a valid and legit social to obtain a different EIN) but they would have to have a reason to do so-like failure to pay taxes on income generated using that number.

and that is pretty much that, you can be "Jo-jo Schmuck lips" to the publisher and to pay pal and you can set up a bank account for schmucklips press and no one will be wiser unless for some reason you do something to generate a witch hunt.

I had all this done with e-bay before I started writing so I just added some "aka" since then.

No where near as difficult or clever as you would like it to be.

 

[sr71plt]

So, after trashing the Cyber Crime thread with your bile, this is the one you come to to nestle your nose up my ass?

Guess this thread is toast too then.

You're an obsessed, sick man, LC.

 

[lovecraft68]

Name one of the "cut outs"

If they're out there they are not secret so go ahead and name one.

 

[sr71plt]

Get fucked, warehouse boy.

Sick, sick fuck.

 

[A_Little_Show]

[deleted]

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, I have publishers. They combine all of the royalties from all distributors and send it to one of my cut-out payout system. When it shows up there, I transfer it to another cut-out payout system and then to one of my bank accounts.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't understand what you folks are doing. You don't have publishers? There is a long list of Erotica publishers at http://myperfectpitch.com/erotica-book-publishers/. You guys don't use any of them?You self publish everything?

I don't know the erotica book market. I have never read an actual dead tree erotica book, and I write non-fiction through Pearson and O'Reilly. I have to assume the erotica world works much differently. I don't think either would pay via PayPal, and they sometimes require notarized contracts (Valid Picture ID required). The definitely insist on knowing the real identity of their business associates.

Even if you have a publisher they have to pay you and many-as the OP proves-do not want to get paid under their real name.

Understand just because someone is publishing your stuff in e-format does not mean they are some large professional company and you're better off if you can keep who you really are from them as well.

I turned down an offer a couple of months back for two reasons. 1-they were going to nothing for me I cannot do myself and wanted a percentage to do it. 2) I was leery of giving them any real information and did not feel like creating more accounts and games.