How often have you heard, "Nobody makes money from self-publishing"? It's coming from the mouths of authors, agents, publishers and editors out of ignorance... or malice.
If you're looking to jump-start your career in writing, though, self-publishing can be an absolute Godsend if you're just an average person. The problem is, the information you need is scattered all over the internet. And frankly, the money is best in erotica, and money is ultimately the bottom line between you and writing full-time.
Not only do you need to know how to write well, you also need to know graphic design. You have to be well versed in the kinks you want to write, too. Do you know what readers will want when they pick up a billionaire story? How about a werewolf story? If not, this book will shine a light on those topics.
This book is a short, but basically complete, introduction to the field of self-publishing erotica--though other writers may find some things of value, as well. Do you love writing? Are you scared of spending months on a novel only to not have it sell? Erotic shorts are the perfect place to start.
When you're ready to make a change and really jump head first into the vast ocean of self-publishing, make sure you're carrying this book as your lifesaver!
There are any number of books all exploring the same subject: how to write and sell erotica. Sex sells - a truism long apparent - and there is a demand for this sort of material. An insatiable demand. Just write up some sex, add a bit of plot, call your characters Bob and Carol. Or Ted and Alice. Or Bob and Ted. Or Carol and Alice.
Oh how the money rolls in!
This book is a little more practical than others, I feel. Perhaps I should tell people who ask what I do that I write handbooks. This is a guide to writing handbooks.
Understand the audience, deliver the goods, package the work so it stands out and isn't lost amongst the dross - in this industry, there is a LOT of dross - and success is assured.
Highly recommended for those contemplating the writing of books to be read with one hand.
Just a heads up; less than 25% of this book is actual advice and the rest is crammed full of erotica freebies from the author's own collection. (It's a great collection mind you, it's just not what I bought this book for.) Several typos and some awkward sentence structure here and there do not mar the choice bits of good advice that remain in the front quarter of this book.
Within the pages of her latest effort, accomplished authoress of all things smutty Dalia Daudelin has given us a wonderful guide to the shifting and often uncertain world of erotic self-publishing. Dalia extensively examines that process of writing, sales, advertisement, and design, in addition to an extended discussion of some of the more risqué, yet financially rewarding stories that readership crave.
And after all, that’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? While most of us, barring the greenest newcomer, are entirely aware that the days of the ebook “gold rush” are long past, leaving us only their fond, painful memories, we at least put pen to paper in an effort to aid in the day to day of our lives, financially, emotionally, romantically, and otherwise. Too, the book doesn’t pull any punches about the bittersweet realities of living the often thankless life of a self-published writer, the long hours, the sometimes heartless critics, and the uncomfortable smiles when we’re invariably asked “what exactly it is that you write about?”
She ably covers the ins and outs of writing (good writing, mind you) in a way that’s accessible and fair, but veteran hands may find themselves bored in these discussions. But to be fair, Dalia did set out to write a comprehensive guide to self-publishing erotica, so perhaps I’m just being picky in assuming that it’s primarily meant for a semi-vet like me. This is well balanced by the fact that a great deal of the book has some helpful hints and clues that will appeal to seasoned hands. There is something for everyone within this book, and newcomers would be hard-pressed to gain the knowledge that Dalia has painstakingly amassed in her own experiences.
My only concerns, barring my own personal issues with the scope and aim of her content, are that some of the formatting came through on my PC-based kindle app as a little weird, but then again, I run a cinematic widescreen, so your mileage may vary.
There seem to be multipe versions of this book, so I hope I have the right one. Amazon tells me the version I read was published in 2014 so I guess this is the one!
I had difficulty reading this book due to the poor editing. There are several instances where it swings wildly off the current topic or references something that hasn't been said yet. Some sections are a lot of words that don't really tell you anything. Having said that, there was definitely some useful information here, but much of it may be out of date by now. I also read a newer book (Titled Writing Erotica For Beer Money) by the same authors, and it was written and edited a lot better than this one, though with similar information. If you have to choose between the two, get the newer one. Curiously, I got to the end of this book and my kindle only said 11% read. The rest of it is full of short stories which is kind of weird and doesn't add to the quality of the book. Especially since the first one isn't that great.
This book is a fantastic resource for starting out writing erotica. While it seems short at first glance, it goes over numerous topics on how to get started with self-publishing in this genre. The thing that makes this worth it the most is the multitude of links and references to actual products/software/tools used to write; this makes the book a very handy reference guide to the depth of resources available to newbie writers.
Naturally, the short length of this book means that the author couldn't get more in detail about the actual components and themes, so if you're having trouble with the actual story writing aspect of self-published erotica, you'll probably need to find a book geared more towards that.
If you're new to self-published erotica or want to get into writing it yourself, you'll find this book well worth the money!
This is a very helpful book. I have been writing for a while, but I am new to the Erotica game. What I love is the writer puts everything in realistic terms. Are you an artist? this may help, but isn't perfect. Do you want to make money? Boom, I can help you. She knows what sells and why. Why does niche and fetish erotica sell? She'll tell you. What are the hot kinks now? It's in here.
The book could be longer. I'd like a breakdown of how fast she gets a story out, typical turnaround time etc. Other than that, this is a no brainer. If you have read this far into a review from someone you don't know, you should probably just go get the book. :)
I keep looking into self publishing books, and this was no exception. Unlike a lot of the erotica writing how tos I've read, this one did not include a short story to analyze. Daudelin did reference some of her works, but not in such a way that you felt like you HAD to buy her books to see what was going on.
Unlike books that tell you what you should include, this one also has a detailed series of chapters on what to do once the words are written: editing, formatting, cover design, all that. Many books Iv'e read on publishing erotica either gloss over these parts, or specify they're not that important (save a good cover) and move on.