Authors - your experiences with erotica publishers?

[MagicaPractica]

Hi Folks - I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to share their opinions of their experiences as authors with publishers of erotica, ebook or hard copy? Thanks!

 

[SusanJillParker]

Hi Folks - I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to share their opinions of their experiences as authors with publishers of erotica, ebook or hard copy? Thanks!

I've published six e-Books with three different publishers and they all absconded with the royalties after paying me a few hundred dollars in advances. I only received the advances because I insisted. I knew they weren't honest. One was from Malta (lol).

E-Book publishers aren't very forthcoming and honest from my experience. My e-Books are still for sale on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble and I don't receive a penny.

Instead I decided to go direct and write custom, personalized, creative stories for fans. I'm earning a better living writing personalized stories than I ever thought I'd earn selling e-Books.

I'm hoping someone makes one of my stolen e-Books into a movie so that I can sue their ass and make a claim against their earnings.

Good luck with your plan on publishing e-Books. Having read some of your stories, you're a great writer.

 

[R. Richard]

If you want to publish, you need readers. You either have to publicize yourself or find a publisher. Most small publishers are not all that good at publicizing. If you want to self publish in Amazon or Smashwords, you need several stories, if you're to gain a readership.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've published six e-Books with three different publishers and they all absconded with the royalties after paying me a few hundred dollars in advances. I only received the advances because I insisted. I knew they weren't honest. One was from Malta (lol).

E-Book publishers aren't very forthcoming and honest from my experience. My e-Books are still for sale on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble and I don't receive a penny.

Instead I decided to go direct and write custom, personalized, creative stories for fans. I'm earning a better living writing personalized stories than I ever thought I'd earn selling e-Books.

I'm hoping someone makes one of my stolen e-Books into a movie so that I can sue their ass and make a claim against their earnings.

Good luck with your plan on publishing e-Books. Having read some of your stories, you're a great writer.

As long as you can prove you are the author-which I am sure you can-you can contact those sites and get your books pulled

 

[SusanJillParker]

As long as you can prove you are the author-which I am sure you can-you can contact those sites and get your books pulled

Thanks but I'm hoping they make a movie so that I can sue them (lol).

Besides I've earned more money out of the stories than they ever did. Most of the stories that I write are fan inspired and fan commissioned. By the time it makes it to "stolen" e-Book time, the readership is already exhausted. Good luck to them. They can have the $50 they'll earn.

 

[sr71plt]

I've had good experience with erotica publishers. They have stepped up to do everything but write the works to the extent I want--I've always been accommodated in cover image choice if I had preferences. Royalties have come in--all gravy to whatever alternative I can think of that doesn't require me to put more effort into production than writing. A big advantage is that they provide the editing that I don't have to try to find and pay for myself.

Publisher promotion isn't any better than any other publisher except at the best-seller mainstream level, but I've found that erotica sold on line does better without much, if any, promotional effort than mainstream works do with a great deal of promotion (the kicker here is synergy--keep them coming. A fan base will form that will go looking for them). I publish an average of over two royality-paying erotica works a month under various pen names, and having publishers gives me the freedom to spend most of the time on the writing.

 

[DreamCloud]

. I publish an average of over two royality-paying erotica works a month under various pen names, and having publishers gives me the freedom to spend most of the time on the writing.

How large are these works?

 

[sr71plt]

How large are these works?

I try not to e-book anything under 12,000 words (although you'll find them selling on the Internet with as little as 2,000 words). I try to hit with something at least 25,000 words every other month, as this can be (and is) paperbacked too. That said, the anthologies, of which I do five or six a year, hit around 80,000 words and go up to over 260,000 words each (habu's Fetish Galore). There are novels among them running from 40,000 to 80,000 words. Habu is only one of the pen names--If you go to Allromanceebooks.com, which gives wordage, and key in this author name you can check ranges out for yourself. I produce somewhere in the neighborhood of half a million words to the marketplace a year and have done so for nearly a decade.

 

[3113]

My own experiences: I have had one e-publisher that went under because an owner embezzled the money, and a second with a lot of energy and professionalism that ended up jettisoning almost all its authors because the publishers weren't able to maintain what they'd created (they were small and had bitten off more than they could chew, especially when they ran into personal issues like health/marriage/job problems). My current publisher is, I'm happy to say, both professional and seems to have staying power.

This doesn't mean you should fear e-publishing, but you should do your homework before closing one. Find out:
1) Are they professional (i.e. will they edit you and make your work the best it can be, will they give you good covers, advertise you on their site, etc.). This includes "are they honest?" meaning do they have a good reputation for reliably paying their authors, editors and cover artists?

2) And can they keep the business going? If they've been around for a while, if they're focused (i.e. know what they're selling and how to sell it), they probably not only have staying power, but know the market and how to keep up with it.

 

[sr71plt]

Might add to that whether or not they list the e-book widely on distribution sites and in various platforms. If they only put the book on their Web site and in only one platform format, you aren't going to get many sales. My main erotica publisher posts it for sale just about everywhere--Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, Allromanceebooks and beyond--and formats it to seven different platforms as well as paperbacking if it's long enough to do so. The distributors ebb and flow on sales results, but the more points of sale you have, the more you'll earn from it.

And I'll reiterate that if you want to make money off erotica e-books, you have to keep them coming. Don't expect to make anything on a one-off book. You need to establish that you have books worth buying.

 

[lovecraft68]

And I'll reiterate that if you want to make money off erotica e-books, you have to keep them coming. Don't expect to make anything on a one-off book.

Exactly.

Its somewhat like building a following at lit, not many people 'blow up' here after one story, readers tend to forget you quicker than you want to believe if you don't keep new stories coming....same in the pay market.

And each new book added isn't just another one someone might see, but they generally lead to sales on your older books so if people like you and click your page on whatever site you're on and see you have a lot of books they will keep coming back for more.

I sell my stuff on SW fairly cheap, especially for the size of them, and I get a lot of multiple sales.

The books are there forever as well. I still make an occasional couple of dollars on the first one I put out 4 years ago and that usually comes from people looking at my list when they see a new book.

 

[DreamCloud]

I try not to e-book anything under 12,000 words (although you'll find them selling on the Internet with as little as 2,000 words). I try to hit with something at least 25,000 words every other month, as this can be (and is) paperbacked too. That said, the anthologies, of which I do five or six a year, hit around 80,000 words and go up to over 260,000 words each (habu's Fetish Galore). There are novels among them running from 40,000 to 80,000 words. Habu is only one of the pen names--If you go to Allromanceebooks.com, which gives wordage, and key in this author name you can check ranges out for yourself. I produce somewhere in the neighborhood of half a million words to the marketplace a year and have done so for nearly a decade.

If you listen hard enough, you can hear me sighing. Looks like I keep my day job.

 

[sr71plt]

If you listen hard enough, you can hear me sighing. Looks like I keep my day job.

This is my day job now, having retired from two careers, with doing this having been my end goal (although I thought more of it would be mainstream publishing).

 

[Trip_Dalton]

Try out Smashwords, it's a great way to get your feet wet. Just remember, if you do make any money, you'll get that pesky 1099 statement at tax time

My personal opinion? Screw the e publishers. When was the last time you've seen an Allromance ad, or any ad for an erotic book (Real erotica, not that 50 shades crap) anywhere?

Use SW, keep your covers clean enough that Barnes and Noble will accept them (ie accepted into premium catalog) Keep your titles PG-13 and your descriptions, and you've got a chance.

 

[sr71plt]

Allromance ads are a gross waste of money, so the e-publishers are being more than a bit smarter than the self-publishers on this anyway. Fat chance of making enough to cover the cost of an Allromance ad.

If you see a self-publisher Allromance ad, look carefully for the "sucker" sticker slapped on the self-publisher's forehead.

I use e-publishers because it's zero up-front expense to me and they do almost all of the work. Self-publishers have to do any promotion there is to be done anyway, so it means nothing if e-publishers don't do any promotion either. That's not what their usefulness is. If you pick the right ones, they do everything in the production, including covers, editing, multiple-format formatting, multiple-sales points distribution, at no expense to or effort from the author. The author can be nearly a full-time writer, generating more books while the self-publisher is struggling with one. Self-publishers have to do it all themselves at their own expense and their own effort/time, taking the risk that they'll make anything at all out of the project and/or they won't botch some step in the production.

The biggest reason writers would prefer to self-publish rather than going with a publisher is that they can't get anyone else but themselves to take the risk of publishing them. And most of them don't bother to have what they self-publish edited, with the natural effect on book quality.

It's really quite humorous to see writers who can't get anyone else to pay to get them published rationalize how much better self-publishing is.

 

[lovecraft68]

Allromance ads are a gross waste of money, so the e-publishers are being more than a bit smarter than the self-publishers on this anyway. Fat chance of making enough to cover the cost of an Allromance ad.

If you see a self-publisher Allromance ad, look carefully for the "sucker" sticker slapped on the self-publisher's forehead.

I use e-publishers because it's zero up-front expense to me and they do almost all of the work. Self-publishers have to do any promotion there is to be done anyway, so it means nothing if e-publishers don't do any promotion either. That's not what their usefulness is. If you pick the right ones, they do everything in the production, including covers, editing, multiple-format formatting, multiple-sales points distribution, at no expense to or effort from the author. The author can be nearly a full-time writer, generating more books while the self-publisher is struggling with one. Self-publishers have to do it all themselves at their own expense and their own effort/time, taking the risk that they'll make anything at all out of the project and/or they won't botch some step in the production.

The biggest reason writers would prefer to self-publish rather than going with a publisher is that they can't get anyone else but themselves to take the risk of publishing them. And most of them don't bother to have what they self-publish edited, with the natural effect on book quality.

It's really quite humorous to see writers who can't get anyone else to pay to get them published rationalize how much better self-publishing is.

Not as humorous as watching you try to sound important and better than everyone else.

Long ago...you said to me when I mentioned I was going to start selling that there were ways for people to tell who sells what on different sites.

Remember that. Because I know what you sell and its squat and before you try the "mainstream" published line, until you prove that-which we both know you never will- then its all lies.

But on topic, self publishing vs publishing is just like what we say about what people do with their stories here, its their choice and there is no right or wrong way, only what's right for that person.

I prefer to do the work and keep the full share minus the site royalties, others choose to give up a percentage to let someone else do the leg work. Whatever works, works.

 

[sr71plt]

I should care that you prefer roaming around in the desert pretending you have a better handle on this because you're the only one willing to take the risk on/expense of your work? Doesn't affect me in the slightest.

In addition to you bullshitting about my sales stats that you have no way of knowing, I do remember how in November of 2013 you breathlessly told the forum you were quitting your job in the warehouse to write full time. So, how did that work out for you, genius?

 

[Trip_Dalton]

You can't argue with Pilot, he's the expert, remember? The best editor, the best writer, the best poster . . . . Hell, just look at his plethora of stories here, the scores and views say it all, he's the master!

The truth is, he knows dick about self-publishing. He actually thought Smashwords and Amazon were affiliated, LOL.

 

[lovecraft68]

Difference between us old fool is I can back what I say. I could post a lot of numbers here, and numbers, unlike you, don't lie.

I could go up and down and show you up pretty well.

In fact I'll toss one out there for the benefit of people who don't know the sites and numbers that well.

Several times on the authors/books thread you bragged about one of your books "Number one at All Romance!"

See I publish there as well-well not anything new, ARE is the most work of any site and for the least reward-and the second book I put on ARE I was surprised to see was number for paid books in its category.

I was excited, I went right to the reports thinking I'd sold a lot of books. Know how many I sold? Three

That's about what it takes to get to be "number one" there. The site does not have high volume-at least not in comparison to bigger sites.

So there just for you, free of charge, a little truth to put you in your place.

I can go all night.

But I won't because it would be pointless. I would show hard proof, you would sputter and tell tall tales. Make claims about things then refuse to show proof.

Enjoy your superiority complex, end of the day its all you really have.

 

[lovecraft68]

You can't argue with Pilot, he's the expert, remember? The best editor, the best writer, the best poster . . . . Hell, just look at his plethora of stories here, the scores and views say it all, he's the master!

The truth is, he knows dick about self-publishing. He actually thought Smashwords and Amazon were affiliated, LOL.

Amazon is listed as an affiliate of Smashwords, as in SW will put your book there, but....they claim they have trouble integrating with Amazon which is BS. fact is Coker hates amazon(as many indy authors are learning to do) and really doesn't want to be bothered with them.

The only books he will put there are ones that make x amount of money on SW first and its a high number.

 

[Trip_Dalton]

Status of Amazon

Although we have a distribution agreement with Amazon via their Kindle Direct Platform, they're unable to receive our entire catalog until they create a bulk upload facility. In the meantime, we're only distributing a few hundred titles to Amazon out of our catalog of over 250,000. We understand that many Smashwords authors would prefer the convenience of consolidating their distribution to Amazon via Smashwords, rather than uploading direct to Amazon. If your book has earned over $2,000 at Smashwords and you would prefer to consolidate your distribution via Smashwords to Amazon as opposed to uploading direct with them, please click the "support" link at the bottom of this page and let us know you're in the $2,000 club and would like to be considered for our distribution to Amazon.

Well unless Pilot owns one of those "Few Hundred" books, his statement was completely wrong.

When you publish at Smashwords it gets listed on Amazon, doesn't it?

Yeah, he understands Smashwords great

 

[JKendallDane]

You can't argue with Pilot, he's the expert, remember? The best editor, the best writer, the best poster . . . . Hell, just look at his plethora of stories here, the scores and views say it all, he's the master!

The truth is, he knows dick about self-publishing. He actually thought Smashwords and Amazon were affiliated, LOL.

Add yet another slash mark to the "Has pilot's number" column.

 

[sr71plt]

Of course, anyone interested in doing this is on his/her own to decide how to do it. It doesn't bother me what they decide to do, nor does it affect what I do.

If they go with the bottom-feeding backbiters playing here, they deserve what they get.

 

[Trip_Dalton]

It's really quite humorous to see writers who can't get anyone else to pay to get them published rationalize how much better self-publishing is.

Who's the backbiter? Did I make stupid comments about your post? Nope, but you just have to give everyone shit.

You're such a crybaby Pilot . . . .

 

[SusanJillParker]

Unfortunately, after Stephen King was rejected so many times and gave up, his wife picked his Carrie manuscript out of the trash and found someone to publish it. How she did that is a mystery to all of us. Maybe she had sex with the man.

No one wanted to publish JK Rowling but for one man who finally stepped forward. Can you imagine? I can't imagine her being rejected.

Frank McCourt of Angela's Ashes fame and Pulitzer Prize winner didn't publish his book for 30 years while teaching high school English. "Wow!"

Having to keep his day job at the Custom House in Boston, no one wanted to publish Nathanial Hawthorne. Emerson hung around Melville of Moby Dick fame complaining how they couldn't get published. Even Ben Franklin had a difficult time publishing his Almanac. Give me a break. Nothing has changed in more than a hundred years.

Sometimes it's not whether you have talent but who you know and being in the right place at the right time as is the case of E. L. James and her Fifty Shades of Grey. Many writers here can write rings around her, yet, here we are arguing about self-publishing, Amazon, and Smash Books.

We just have to look at some of the screenplays written and the movies produced to know that if we were someone and/or knew someone, we could write a better screenplay and produce a better movie.