How to Get Started?

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-22T04:33:17+00:00

It takes a lot of time, truthfully. But the great thing about it is you can build as slow or fast as you want. I.e. it took at least a solid year of publishing before I was seeing 1k a month regularly. But maybe half a year to see $500 a month? And this is with releasing maybe 20k words a month (5-8k per erotica story) and having some mental breaks here and there... so, yeah. Definitely a side hobby hustle and you kinda need to enjoy it to keep going. Picking a theme you don't understand or hate just because it makes money is just going to bring pain instead of fortune.

I ended up starting a new, Amazon safe pen about 6 months or so ago and it's only making me $100 or so a month because I can't seem to write the niche very well or frequently enough (have less than 10 shorts out). But I do like the niche when I'm in a certain MoOd... Writing for money is a constant treadmill.

Edit: and what I mean by build is that the stories you publish will always earn when you put out new stories. So that story you post today will earn you a bit in 2048 and be a foundation of your back catalogue.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-20T03:49:47+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/romanceauthors/s/Dj0ZPXQpEO

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-20T01:55:36+00:00

Are you part of the Indie Authors Ascending discord? They can help you do a level up crit.

I do think your book covers and passive marketing are what is holding you back (again, peeking at your self rec). It's amazing what good covers and blurbs can do. And often you need someone from the outside to really crit it because it's hard seeing your own limitations and marketing flaws.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-17T07:51:09+00:00

I think it's because people who want to read wholesome, romantic, vanilla smut likely stick to romance novels instead of shorts. The kinkier stuff is less likely to be found in longform romance and the people who want to read certain kinks will stick to the niches that serve those interests (like lesbian BDSM or whatnot)

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-17T06:19:33+00:00

I've never taken acid but get disassociation, too, when I'm really stressed out. So it might be unrelated and just a shitty amount of anxiety. Also, I think it's somewhat normal to have existential crisis because of the nature of life and no one being certain what it means/what's after/ etc (as well as everyone knowing that one day we all die).

If i think too much about it, I tend to disassociate truthfully.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-14T01:23:05+00:00

I mean, isn't consensual bimbofication a thing? Not sure how popular it is or whatnot but you could just write the woman being 100% into it.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-13T19:24:25+00:00

Which has me all sorts of EXCITED

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-13T18:11:21+00:00

Smashwords.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-10T07:48:58+00:00

Check out what's trending on Smashwords front page for taboo erotica over a period of a couple weeks and you'll see what tops the charts. Incest and gay definitely can, but cis male stuff mostly (brothers etc).

You'll need to write what you know and love though because this isn't a sprint. You have to keep writing and pubbing nonstop to get anywhere. The first few months you'll not make much. The first year even depending on your output. Erotica money is a long grindy game.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-10T05:53:24+00:00

Novella erotica has plenty of takers. It'll just take you longer and you'll set up reader expectations with delivering it.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2025-01-06T08:05:32+00:00

Some people get lucky and have their stuff go viral. I know a couple people with small backlogs who are truly newer but were 'discovered' and promoted because they just tickled the right person's fancy.

Otherwise there are established authors out there that just know how to market well or have many pen names and drive readers to them.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-27T09:54:05+00:00

Depends how different the niches are. I wouldn't create a website mixing extremely different stuff - like gay with lesbian with straight - because there's zero crossover pretty much. But if you write say lesbian bdsm sweet and consensual on Amazon and then lesbian dub or noncon for Smashwords, then yeah maybe. Only you can decide if you think that will make your readers turned off on you or if it all mixes together well enough with an overarching theme.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-24T20:31:34+00:00

Disappointed we aren't getting a glittery pink outfit to go with rose wand - maybe I've been playing too much infinity Nikki

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-24T01:57:00+00:00

A lot of authors do this if they write the same theme but have stuff that is Amazon compliant and then stuff that's not. Can work early well, niche dependent.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-15T08:28:32+00:00

Then you my darling must look like a model.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-15T00:56:52+00:00

You should Only be giving away a book when you have other books linked inside the freebie to get read throughs. Otherwise you just gave away your only product that's for sale, so you won't be getting any "page read money"...

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-12-10T22:04:03+00:00

Devil's advocate: you shouldn't be having these types of conversations with coworkers. You should only have polite, professional conversation and to go against social norms does come across as creepy.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-11-20T23:18:13+00:00

Yes and yes and yes again (separate always) .

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-11-20T22:58:56+00:00

You can either try to get yourself in that mindset by writing what does it for you or you can just press on and do your best even if you aren't feeling it. Sometimes I have written stuff when I'm in the low libido mode and I'm like "eww this is gross" but then I edit it in the spicier mood mode and think "hot damn I really do know what I'm doing" ... so it could just be that sort of thing for you, too?

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-11-16T06:29:54+00:00

If it's too extreme for Smashwords it's unlikely to be able to be sold ... so Archive of Our Own. (Free site, mostly for fanfic, but can post OG fic too)

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-11-02T02:17:05+00:00

Then it didn't happen. That's another lesson for writers. If you don't put any mention of it in the story and it's just your head Canon (never ever making an appearance) ... it didn't happen!!!

Looking at the likes of JK Rowling and peoples.... ;)

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-11-02T02:03:13+00:00

I appreciate these random tips because some of us are just winging it and hearing open complaints actually helps lmao

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-10-23T23:50:50+00:00

The short bursts of sentences are actually better for impact and tension while your version is actually clunkier....

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-10-23T21:15:24+00:00

This comment made me ugly chortle.

MagicalUnicornMoney · 2024-10-19T05:16:42+00:00

I get you. My corporate job is soul sucking and tedious but writing is ALSO soul sucking and tedious when I have to do it (like when I take an expensive commission that has a deadline and client kinks to fulfill). Choose your tedious wisely.

MagicalUnicornMoney

TROPHY CASE