By Kate Baggott

The maxim “sex sells” is not always true. Writing about sex makes a lot of people uncomfortable. For writers who sex-it-up in an effort to earn a better living, the discovery that editors are turned off by sex scenes can come as a shock. Society might be becoming more sexualized, but “literature” is becoming more prudish.

If writers accept they are not going to get rich with their exposed metaphors and slinky similes, they can still sell off their sexier archives to erotica-specific web sites. There are three basic steps all writers should keep in mind when preparing submissions to wet the way forward.

Step One: Genre Classification

Like any other form of writing, erotica falls into a variety of categories that follow general conventions.

In addition to defining the orientation audience of the piece as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, straight, transsexual, or polyamourous, you will need to declare whether your story is vanilla (plain, but sweet and usually satisfying), romantic (sweet, but fleeting), contains elements of BSDM (bondage, discipline, dominance and submission), or concentrates primarily on oral and/or anal pleasures. Other concentrations can be defined as “kink”, but keep in mind that most publishers avoid anything containing skat (pee and poo), underage sex, rape or non-consensual violence.

Authors should also note whether their work focuses on historical or imaginary worlds that suit particular subcultures. These might include characters from the regency era, gothic creatures (including vampires), or space ship perverts searching the for galaxy’s biggest offerings.  

Step Two: Researching Markets

The teacher’s favourite saying “writers have to read” applies to erotica too. The rapid expansion of the genre combined with the fragmentation of interested audiences has resulted in a many new markets for writers. Unfortunately, they pay a fraction of what earlier, more general publications once paid. While established brands like Hustler and Penthouse still cater to those with a casual interest in threesomes or voyeurism, hard fetishists have their own web sites and publishing interests.

The ranks of sites for straight women and straight couples are also swelling with new opportunities for writers. Find a few sites you like and get to know them before making an approach.

Step Three: Keep It Up

Reaching the ideal publication spot requires the training of instincts. To make the initiation easier, follow a variety of erotic-information sites listing calls for submissions, contests and newsletters.

The most important sites to begin with are The Erotica Readers & Writers Association whose site is located at http://erotica-readers.com/ERA/index.htm and the general publishing information site duotrope.com where the search filters can be set to return only erotic markets set to a specific pay scale (non-paying, token, semi-pro and pro levels). 

Remember, even with multiple markets for all kinds of kinks and curves, writers of erotica need to get used to rejection. Like the pick up itself, publication is a numbers game. Persistence and the desire for constant improvement have to be internalised. It’s an act that makes eventual acceptance more satisfying.    

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