Why not publish?

[scorpia95]

I've read some amazing stories on this site. I mean like they have a much better plot and its beautifully written without any inconsistencies. Especially since I came to the realization that 7 pages (3700 words) in Ms Word equates to one page in Literotica.


So why don't you guys bother to publish your work on kindle or something? Even if you only make a $100, its something right?

 

[sr71plt]

I've read some amazing stories on this site. I mean like they have a much better plot and its beautifully written without any inconsistencies. Especially since I came to the realization that 7 pages (3700 words) in Ms Word equates to one page in Literotica.


So why don't you guys bother to publish your work on kindle or something? Even if you only make a $100, its something right?

I do. So do some others here. Nearly everything I have posted here--and more--is available in the marketplace too.

 

[R. Richard]

I do publish. In fact, I currently have six publishers. This publisher wants s*x downplayed, the next wants no nasty covers (not even close to a nipple and no butt crack,) the next won't publish if a story even contains the word r*pe. The last will publish incest, but only their way.
"The wheel is rigged, but it's the only game in town."

 

[sr71plt]

"Rigged" is a harsh perspective. You want it to be all about you and on your terms, self-publish. When you hook up with a publisher you are no longer talking about "me," you are talking about "us," and to the extent that the publisher is carrying the costs and production and marketing burden, they have a legitimate say in what the shared product is going to be.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Several of us do. If you switch on the "view signatures" option, you'll see plenty of us here plugging our e-books.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I do, but I also publish here too.

 

[SusanJillParker]

I've read some amazing stories on this site. I mean like they have a much better plot and its beautifully written without any inconsistencies. Especially since I came to the realization that 7 pages (3700 words) in Ms Word equates to one page in Literotica.

So why don't you guys bother to publish your work on kindle or something? Even if you only make a $100, its something right?

I'm a freelance writer. I write custom, personalized stories for fans for a fee. I'll write any story in any category as long as all characters are over 18 and there's not bestiality.

I've even written obituaries, biographies, resumes, and cover letters.

I've written six e-Books with three different publishers but after paying me a small advance, $100 to $300, they disappeared with the royalties. My e-Books are still available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and other places.

Now, I go direct to those fans who e-mail me. I've written hundreds of stories for fans since 2007 under 15 different Literotica names.

 

[Haulover]

I've read some amazing stories on this site. I mean like they have a much better plot and its beautifully written without any inconsistencies....

I'd be curious to know which stories / authors you're referring to.

 

[scorpia95]

I'd be curious to know which stories / authors you're referring to.

From the top of my mind, pretty much anything by silkstockingslover. Her multi-part stories are close to 50-100k words easily.

 

[Areala-chan]

So why don't you guys bother to publish your work on kindle or something? Even if you only make a $100, its something right?

Because I don't want to.

Writing for me isn't a job, it's a hobby. I do it in my spare time for the sole purpose of entertaining others, and the easiest way to ensure the possibility of entertaining the most "others" I can is to give it away for free.

As soon as I start taking money for it, it ceases to be a hobby and becomes work. It's worth the cost of whatever pittance I'd earn on the Kindle market in exchange for the ability to keep doing it as a hobby and sharing it with the enormous community here. My job earns a paycheck. My hobby is what I want to do with my life. Keeping those separate is vital, no matter how foolish or irresponsible it might seem to others. It's just who I am.

 

[ChloeTzang]

So why don't you guys bother to publish your work on kindle or something? Even if you only make a $100, its something right?

I aim to self-publish, but I don't think I'm good enough yet. I'm here improving my writing skills until I think I'm good enough that I'm not going to embarrass myself putting it out there and asking readers to pay. Lit's a great place to learn on a live audience if you want to write erotica.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

There are no amazing stories at LIT.

There are a few good writers with blemishes., more interested in scores than getting better.

 

[sr71plt]

I've written six e-Books with three different publishers but after paying me a small advance, $100 to $300, they disappeared with the royalties. My e-Books are still available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and other places.

E-book publishers don't pay advances. So, guess what, Freddie.

 

[sr71plt]

There are no amazing stories at LIT.

And of course James has read them all to be able to make this statement.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I aim to self-publish, but I don't think I'm good enough yet.

Having read some of your stories, I think you're being unduly hard on yourself there!

Some self-pub sites have "pay what you want" options, so if you're uncomfortable charging you can put your work up with the option for people to buy it for free, and if they think it's worth more then they can pay more.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Having read some of your stories, I think you're being unduly hard on yourself there!

Some self-pub sites have "pay what you want" options, so if you're uncomfortable charging you can put your work up with the option for people to buy it for free, and if they think it's worth more then they can pay more.

I didn't know that. Thx

Hard on myself? Yeah, I probably am but I don't want to dive in half-assed. Really working on my plotting right now, as well as working in more conflict. My stories are pretty linear. Once I get through this hump, I'm doing it though. Told myself that I'd be getting 4 books done and self-published this year. Ten months to go

 

[sr71plt]

How do you get people paying for stories that are also posted here - because these are drafts and the final stories are further worked out and edited?

Yeah, it surprised me too. But I've been profitably doing it for a decade. The stories almost always appear in the marketplace first in some form and only later at Lit. and other Web sites. But to my surprise, they just keep selling in the marketplace too. Maybe there are folks who like to have something with a cover in their Kindle--or they don't know about Literotica (I don't broadcast Literotica versions, but if they e-mail me, I tell them they can read most of it for free here--just not the current offering they can buy).

If you look at my current avatar--and all the rest as they change--these are version that are running now or once ran on Literotica and are still available--and selling (not like hotcakes) in the market. The final chapter of the work that my current avatar is for posted here today. It launched in the market in 2013.

It can happen because it does, and I laugh when it's suggested it can't happen in publishing, because it's been happening for me since 2006. The buying market is slowing down, but I got in early and have taken a tidy profit out of it.

 

[yukonnights]

Because I don't want to.

Writing for me isn't a job, it's a hobby. I do it in my spare time for the sole purpose of entertaining others, and the easiest way to ensure the possibility of entertaining the most "others" I can is to give it away for free.

As soon as I start taking money for it, it ceases to be a hobby and becomes work. It's worth the cost of whatever pittance I'd earn on the Kindle market in exchange for the ability to keep doing it as a hobby and sharing it with the enormous community here. My job earns a paycheck. My hobby is what I want to do with my life. Keeping those separate is vital, no matter how foolish or irresponsible it might seem to others. It's just who I am.

This sums my own endeavors at writing here pretty well. But, hearing some of the more experienced authors discuss the possibilities makes me wonder if it would be kind of fun to try it

I aim to self-publish, but I don't think I'm good enough yet. I'm here improving my writing skills until I think I'm good enough that I'm not going to embarrass myself putting it out there and asking readers to pay. Lit's a great place to learn on a live audience if you want to write erotica.

Probably a fairly common concern. Since there are a number of published authors contributing to this thread I thought to ask this: 1) Is there already a thread in which experienced authors share insight about publishing erotic literature? 2) If not, would the experienced authors consider such a thread?

Part of the hesitancy for some us is probably the learning curve to even get started. This is probably especially true of those who view it more as a "hobby".

 

[Bramblethorn]

How do you get people paying for stories that are also posted here - because these are drafts and the final stories are further worked out and edited?

Everything I have up for purchase at Smashwords is also available here for free. I don't promote them other than via a link on my Lit author page and sig, so I assume most of the Smashwords purchasers are coming via Literotica. I still get some sales; it's not much money but enough to stroke my ego.

Might be that they want a nice e-reader version to keep, or it may be they're using SW as a tip jar for what they read here.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

How do you get people paying for stories that are also posted here - because these are drafts and the final stories are further worked out and edited?

I only have a couple posted here and on for-pay-sites. Just a little overlap.

I have my own website that just takes you to the pay sites to purchase. Click the links in my sig. You'll see.

 

[R. Richard]

"Rigged" is a harsh perspective. You want it to be all about you and on your terms, self-publish. When you hook up with a publisher you are no longer talking about "me," you are talking about "us," and to the extent that the publisher is carrying the costs and production and marketing burden, they have a legitimate say in what the shared product is going to be.

No crap! You did omit the fact that the sun rises in the East and water is wet.
I was trying to answer the question as to why more people don't publish for pay.
I do realize that I'm dealing with people who run businesses and they run the businesses their way. I had stories published in All Romance and their say was, "We won't pay." I don't think that, "We won't pay" is a legitimate say. I had a publisher reject one of my submissions, because they won't publish where the summary includes descriptions where a hand touches a sexual organ. My response was, "What hand, what sexual organ???" My unchanged submission went live the next day.

 

[sr71plt]

So, what did you mean by the "rigged" reference? And the attitude shown that the publisher would dare to only invest in what they wanted to have as a product of theirs? Why wouldn't a publisher have the right, without being slammed, to publish "their own way" if they were bearing the production and distribution costs?

 

[Kantarii]

Because I don't want to.

Writing for me isn't a job, it's a hobby. I do it in my spare time for the sole purpose of entertaining others, and the easiest way to ensure the possibility of entertaining the most "others" I can is to give it away for free.

As soon as I start taking money for it, it ceases to be a hobby and becomes work. It's worth the cost of whatever pittance I'd earn on the Kindle market in exchange for the ability to keep doing it as a hobby and sharing it with the enormous community here. My job earns a paycheck. My hobby is what I want to do with my life. Keeping those separate is vital, no matter how foolish or irresponsible it might seem to others. It's just who I am.

Best answer on the board... I couldn't agree with you more. I write because it's a hobby I enjoy just like drawing, sculpting, glass etching, and water color on top of doing my own makeup for pictures. KudosNice answer Kant

 

[sr71plt]

You can make money from a hobby without being bogged down in thinking it's a job you have to do. People are different.

 

[Areala-chan]

You can make money from a hobby without being bogged down in thinking it's a job you have to do. People are different.

Of course one can make money from a hobby without feeling like it's a job. A question was asked ("Why don't you publish?"). I answered simply and honestly ("Because I don't want to,") without claiming I was speaking for anyone but myself. I think everyone who wants to should be doing it, even if people don't think they're "good enough". It's just not for me. I have more fun giving it away than I would if I was asking money for it. Rather like sex.