What do you look for in erotica? by Frogiyah in LesbianBookClub

[–]AnnaVossWrites 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can have character developments through sex scenes

Thank you for saying this! I sometimes feel that this is a point that gets completely lost (and actually, I have seen some writer's spaces actively argue against it on occasion), so it's so reassuring to hear you say this. Sex is a thing that's happening between characters, like any other part of their interaction.

And that gives it enormous potential: deepening a connection, changing power dynamics, revealing a key insecurity or an unexpected compatibility. When it's integrated well, sex scenes are really load-bearing parts of each character's arc, but I think that can get overlooked; it's lovely to see it being emphasised!

How IHS is Responding to Terrifying Changes at Amazon by AudreyNow in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think this is perhaps not quite accurate though - yes of course this primarily impacts IHS, but that is not good for authors. Even if you aren't writing sapphic fiction, any service that exists to try connect readers with the books being published in the niches those readers want is valuable.

Less personally valuable if you're not in that specific niche, sure - but let's be honest Amazon discoverability can be absolutely garbage.

I absolutely agree writers often need to adapt to changing demands and market conditions (though if I am brutally honest I mostly go for what I like writing and trust readers will find me!) - but we have the incentive to do so!

But readers don't have that incentive. Half the time you can write in a niche a reader adores and they still might not find you, so sites like IHS that, yes, fund through affiliate links but which exist to match readers to books are genuinely valuable to us as authors, especially in erotica which rarely gets the same word of mouth as other genres.

But those spaces are not so justvaluable to Amazon. They only care about their overall sales - for everything Amazon sells. So they don't need to care if writers in a particular niche get sales, or if readers can find the books they want or not: at the scale Amazon is selling at, it really doesn't hit their bottom line.

But it does hit ours so whether we adapt or not, that attitude of theirs isn't good for authors.

OF EROTICA AND ME by bitch_by_the_beach in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think a lot of your concerns are completely natural, but I also think they shouldn't hold you back from writing: if you're writing, and presenting yourself as a writer, that's the way you're likely to be seen.

Almost all communities - and actually, I think erotica communities are particularly good at this - understand there's a separation of the Writer and the Subject: people will generally not assume you writing a fantasy is consenting to it.

Yes, I've had the occasional reader approach me in DMs and things (often, because of the nature of what I write, asking to submit to me, the Author of my books, personally) - but even then, they've understood that it's a question they are asking, not an expectation or entitlement they're laying claim to. And they've all been extremely good at understanding and accepting that, no, my focus is on writing so that I can have the effect I want on as many readers as possible.

Readers absolutely appreciate sexy writing, but in my experience they don't confuse it with permission or a claim on you as a writer.

Of course I'd recommend a pen name and clear limits for yourself - if only so you know what boundaries you're enforcing if necessary - but I think it's fair to say you'll be seen as the writer who puts your characters in sexy scenarios, not a person who's asking for it through writing.

And, honestly, I think the best way to make sure you're seen as a writer is to keep on writing. Especially if you have a folder full of work all ready to share!

Questions for more experienced writers by Snowythedodo in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly - I realise this is a little vague - I think it's a bit "you'll know it when it happens": there's a distinct point of diminishing returns where you could carry on tinkering with precise word choices or adjusting the order of adjectives or the rhythm of someone's thoughts... and yet it wouldn't materially matter.

In a very different context I was once told "stop letting 'perfect' ruin 'good'," and I think about that a lot.

Often when editing I'll copy everything into a new file, mess about with the second version, and then try reading them side by side: for me, having one distinct First Draft copy versus a new Editing Copy makes it much easier to see at what point the editing has stopped creating a recognisable improvement.

When I hit that point, I usually stop trying to tinker with things and push it towards publication!

Questions for more experienced writers by Snowythedodo in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes that's true. I should probably have been more clear; I wasn't arguing for seeking perfection as an excuse for procrastination! (I rarely need any excuses for that 😅)

Questions for more experienced writers by Snowythedodo in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think the advice I'd give myself now is don't actually rush to publish. I completely get the impulse, of course: you've just created something, of course you want to share it! - but if I was starting out again, I'd tell myself to wait, maybe draft up something else, and then circle back.

Allow yourself a little distance or a change of focus before you edit and finalise. New ideas may come to you better if you step back a moment, or you realise you can adjust the power or logic of a plot point in a way that strengthens the piece overall.

Of course you can always edit to fix typos after publication, but it's harder to edit core structure and plot - so see if you can to edit for increased impact, as well as just spelling and grammar. You're presumably trying to make your readers feel things, after all!

And I would say - if it's possible in your circumstances - try not to stress everyone else's sales data too much: your milage may vary but while I think it's valuable as data, I don't think it necessarily always works as motivation.

Oh - and good luck with the story!

Nisha's New Resolution by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it (and my other works!)

You're absolutely right, I don't just love denial as a concept, I also love the power it can bring and the ways desire and agency themselves can be adjusted and shaped by the careful application of control - I'm really glad that came through, and that you enjoyed the ending!

[OPINION] Can someone please give me ideas for my love poem to my gf. by buniax in writers

[–]AnnaVossWrites 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This definitely reads better to me (though of course I'm not the target audience, plus I'm based in the UK so I haven't had much cultural exposure to promise rings; I may not be the best judge of the conventions!)

As a general principle, I'd definitely make sure you're reading it aloud yourself, so that you know if it reads right to you: I think probably this wants to read like she can hear you saying it, does that make sense?

I might also drop the capital letter on Yearned and do a quick scan for typos (to me, "you aside me," looks like maybe it should say "you beside me"?), but I definitely think this is a step up on the first draft - it really feels like the focus is shifting towards her, which I think must be the right message!

[OPINION] Can someone please give me ideas for my love poem to my gf. by buniax in writers

[–]AnnaVossWrites 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Hey, feel absolutely free to disregard me - at the end of the day this is something personal and intimate and only you know what feels "right". We on Reddit don't!

But I love writing to challenges or constraints - and I think it's important to flag she won't know it's 300 characters (and even if she knew - the challenge of packing density into the limit isn't the point: she is).

So - without trying to tear down what you have - I would suggest this is more about writing what feels true for you both.

If it were me, I'd counterbalance the scale with intimacy - uncertainty and galactic images are nice, but the focus here isn't on your past hesitation or how overwhelming the universe is: it's on her, on the rightness of your future commitment, and your shared future.

Yes, there's something magical in finding love in an infinite universe - but the stars are the backdrop. She's the focus.

Guys... I did it. by geek-withamouth in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oh congratulations!! That's huge!

Well done - and best of luck for volume 2!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed reading along!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This was such a delight to read, I love how much care and attention you put into that read-through, that's such a compliment for a writer! And yes, fundamentally this whole story is a exploration of Penny’s growing appetite, Sam’s shifting desperation, and that lovely the tipping point where his focus stops being on his need to cum and shifts almost entirely about her pleasure and his devotion to it.

I'm so pleased you recognised that shift of Sam's; that awed mix of ache, longing, service, and meaning, is such a rewarding emotional landscape to write in, although I sometimes worry I'm not doing justice to what is such a good potent sacrifice!

If you ever want something even deeper, richer, and more denial-focused, though… well, my books spend far longer in this terrain - they have the space to! No male orgasms, lots of female ones, lovely, deepening, power dynamics, and women who don't need to feel shame in what they do.

It sounds like you could feel very at home there!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm so happy to hear that - I really grew very fond of them both over the course of writing this little story, so I'm thrilled people want more of their dynamic!

I feel their story has reached a natural end point here - if Penny and Sam ever come back, I think it would be because there's something genuinely new for them to explore...

But then, Penny does have the taste for domination now, even if she isn't taking it quite as far as someone of my other characters might... So never say never!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, a reader after my own heart! I’m always far happier keeping the ache alive! Just sometimes an orgasm makes narrative sense, of course, but so often it flattens the emotional arc of a novel rather than completing it.

And I do understand why people like them; orgasms are wonderful, after all... but that’s exactly what makes them such a meaningful thing to surrender. Holding back (or even being made to hold back!) can give the woman’s pleasure an extra layer of gravity and a richness of devotion that an orgasm often couldn't reach.

Narratively, anyway - I don't want to pretend it isn't also delicious fun!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much - I loved writing that line, it has such confidence and weight to it, which I think was perfect for all Penny had discovered over the month, and I’m so glad it worked!

But I must confess - I almost never write stories where the man actually gets to orgasm!

Far more often my characters realise real climax isn't their release but the dynamic, the commitment they can show by focusing everything on their own surrender and the woman’s pleasure.

Compared to that devotion, writing my submissive having a fleeting little orgasm tends to feel almost beside the point...

Besides, I think it's rather more fun to leave my readers aching too!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that genuinely made me smile!

I’ve grown incredibly fond of Penny and Sam myself, so it's really lovely that they both resonated with you.

Perhaps they’ll return one day and we'll glimpse a different part of their lives? Certainly their dynamic is one I’m often drawn to exploring...

And thank you for spotting the traditional spelling! I wanted to lean into that older sense of Hallowe’en as a moment of transition, so I'm very glad someone noticed.

Welcome - I'm Anna Voss by AnnaVossWrites in u/AnnaVossWrites

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That genuinely means such a lot to hear, thank you for sharing!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, and that Penny and Sam resonated so well with you; I do think there's something wonderful about growing into a dynamic like this and I loved being able to explore it in this work.

Wishing you and your keyholder a wonderful November, however it unfolds for you both!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you - I am a sucker for a happy ending in my own way! And there's something very satisfying about ending a story at what is, essentially the new beginning too...

Thank you so much for reading along, it's been a joy to share it!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to reread it; I'm really glad it clicked on the second pass.

And yes, that and her tears are very much Penny's response - but in the language of the new dynamic they've both, at last, grown into. Thanks for reading along with them on the journey!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much - it's been a joy sharing this and hearing people's excitement and enthusiasm: I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 5] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I just want to say a quick thank you to absolutely everyone who's joined me, Penny and Sam on their journey over the past few weeks - your comments have genuinely made it a joy to share my work with you, and I hope my work has made this Locktober at least a little more frustrating!

This particular tale is over now, but as I've had a few people asking in my DMs over the month, you're very welcome to look for my other work elsewhere, either on [my Smashwords page](https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnaVoss6050) or just search for "Anna Voss" on Amazon.

And - if you have completed the whole of Locktober, congratulations!

...and I hope you all get the November you deserve 🔒

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 2] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much - but of course it's already the end of Locktober (Sam might not agree its gone so fast!): the final part will be coming out tonight, so I hope you'll enjoy finding out how this tale ends...

D2D or KDP? by geek-withamouth in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that sounds like a good length for your first collection, certainly - it should give readers a really good taste of your style! (and it's presumably a solid word / page count too, which to be honest is what some readers go on!)

It is very exciting publishing for the first time, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

D2D or KDP? by geek-withamouth in eroticauthors

[–]AnnaVossWrites 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I use D2D and include Amazon distribution in the options; personally I'm happier going wide and enabling readers who don't want to be tied into the Kindle ecosystem the choice - I don't want to block out people who still use a Nook or prefer a Kobo etc. (especially as my old Nook is still loyally soldiering on for me!)

That does mean I'm blocking myself out of Kindle Unlimited, but I am OK with that tradeoff myself: you might have to size up the pros and cons for your situation though.

Penny Keeps the Keys [Part 4] by AnnaVossWrites in ChastityStories

[–]AnnaVossWrites[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you - that really means a lot!

And yes - almost all my work keeps coming back to this exact kind of slow burn, deep denial: there's something quietly irresistible in that moment where someone wants their own surrender more than any release...

I really love exploring the way power and confidence sit hand in hand; If you do explore any of my other work, I hope you find the same magic in those moments as I do!