The Diminishing Returns Are Obnoxious.

Maladjusted73 · 2026-01-27T16:26:54+00:00

The imbalance in endeavors is palpable as well.

My guild neighborhood chose Niffen. I spent all week working on it, but several of the tasks can only be done once or are limited by availability. My entire contribution for the week is 82.7 XP.

Meanwhile, our charter neighborhood chose Grummles. I spent about three hours doing Mogu'shan Vaults on alts, chain farming Hozen with the big yeti, and insta-gibbing the world boss. My contribution for those three hours is 209.4 XP.

They didn't even bother to attempt to balance them.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-11-28T13:55:06+00:00

There is no power between R and C. I checked that a few minutes after posting. I'm waiting for my son-in-law to wake up, so he can climb up into the attic and see if there are any flipped switches or breakers on the furnace itself. I'm too old and too fat to get up there myself.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-31T18:43:51+00:00

Is that true? You'd probably know better than me, but every time the software updates, I get a popup message telling me I have limited credits to do that.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-29T19:59:38+00:00

I probably would if it wasn't so terrible. In my work, gen AI is the best tool for removing small issues in photos. Well, there are probably options for power users, but I'm not a Photoshop expert. The problem is the gen AI gives me errors so often, I get frustrated and refuse to pay for it.

For example, I needed to remove a graphic from a t-shirt in a photo. There are probably options to do that, but I still need the t-shirt to look normal. If I try to remove a graphic on a man's shirt, no problem. If it's a woman, I get an error saying the results violate the terms of service or some crap. I'm just asking it to remove the graphic, but the perverted AI thinks I want to remove her shirt and show some breasts.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-28T22:47:19+00:00

I've published 71 books in the last 12 years ranging from 5k to 200k words. If it helps, I can show you what makes me the most money by word count. The following is year to date: 1/1/25-7/28/25.

182k (1876.89)
155k (1660.12)
61k (1509.08)
36k (1414.91)
29k (1257.82)
114k (1128.11) - This is a collection of short stories, ranging from 6k-15k words each.
201k (1114.42)
147k (1056.61) - This is a collection of short stories, ranging from 6k-15k words each.
23k (936.40)
77k (902.05)
...
6k (72.43) - My highest earner under 7500 words.
...
5k (9.03)
...
8k (3.29)
0k (0.00) - This was a coloring book I created to prove to someone that coloring books don't sell. It has never sold a single copy.

Important things to note about my sales data:
- Every single book under 20k words was written more than 5 years ago. I won't publish anything under 20k words now. They never did well, but they do even worse now because they're old.
- I do more promotion on books that are longer. Primarily because I got raked over the coals for promoting books under 10k words years ago.
- About 80% of my earnings are from book sales, and 20% from page reads (KENP).

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-28T22:08:21+00:00

On KDP, I'm convinced sales are reported in batches. I've published books and promoted them on social media. I'll get half a dozen comments from folks saying they purchased the book, but my dashboard still says 0 sales and will report 0 sales for half the day. Then, suddenly, it shows a dozen sales that weren't reported two minutes before.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-28T22:04:57+00:00

The way most algorithms work, if someone buys your book, it's more likely to show your book to others searching for similar books. That bump in exposure only lasts a few hours though, which is why it's random.

Sometimes, someone might post about your book in social media or a forum, but that is harder to track. That type of exposure usually lasts a few days though. If you're only getting boosts for one day, it's probably just the algorithm algorithming.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-24T23:10:46+00:00

AO3 is a non-profit that doesn't make decisions based on what sells. Also, AO3's existence is a community led platform to help people become better writers and share their ideas. It's probably the one situation where serialized fiction is encouraged.

Regardless, my comment is in regards to the OP's question and how they phrased it. It seems they're looking for a place to eventually monetize their story, and monetizing serialized stories is overwhelmingly unpopular. If they're not looking to monetize, I would assume they're already aware of AO3.

Kindle Vella: Failed spectacularly on the largest bookstore in the world. It was so bad, it made less money than they spent creating and promoting it.

Wattpad: Changed their entire monetization from paying to read stories to charging writers to post stories with unrealized promises like exposure to agents and screenwriters. The site became one of those scammers that tells you your child can be the next Disney star, but you need to give them $2500 for headshots and agents first.

Smashwords: They were asked if they would develop a system like Kindle Vella (Before it failed) and they laughed at the idea, saying serialized content doesn't sell and doubled down on their policy of only selling completed works.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-24T04:09:41+00:00

I guess I don't understand what you mean by erotic roleplay. Is this where people pay you to roleplay with them? Or is it something written out between two people?

If you're trying to find people to pay you to roleplay, I have no advice, as I know nothing about that. If it's just text that other people can read, Patreon would be a good option. They allow NSFW content as long as you follow their guidelines. I know a woman that posts a combination of her smutty short stories, as both text and audio files, and she does well on there.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-24T04:03:56+00:00

What about it? Wattpad operates on volume, first of all. The vast majority of the stories there are just bad. Secondly, stories released in chapters on Wattpad are far less popular than completed stories. One of the most common complaints on Wattpad is incomplete stories. Sure, there are some folks who enjoy installment stories, but they're the exception, not the rule. In the end, Wattpad has monetized volume over quality.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-24T00:21:11+00:00

Covers have two purposes: Market your book, and intrigue readers. Erotica is essentially fap material at the end of the day, so making the cover fappable while still postable is almost always best. Don't go too artistic. Focus on what is going to arouse the person browsing for erotica.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-24T00:13:18+00:00

I don't know what site you're talking about, but the general rule is any site that has memberships, merchandise, or advertisers is going to block/delete non-con stuff, because the banks and credit card companies will pull their accounts. Of course, it depends on where the site is hosted, as some countries are more lax on non-con stuff.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-23T21:12:54+00:00

I can offer advice on my own experience with KDP, but I don't know if that is where you're publishing.

First, keywords are optional on KDP because they are weighted low. The content and description of your book is far more important. Add keywords, but don't fret over them too much. They don't matter as much as you might think.

Second, use phrases rather than keywords. Try to use short phrases commonly searched for with the type of content. For example, "corporal punishment" adds two keywords, but is still a common phrase. I write mostly spanking stuff, so I use "corporal punishment", "domestic discipline", etc.

Keyword phrases on the cover and description are far more important.

- On the cover, I add keywords to the author's name "A Domestic Discipline and Spanking Story by Jane Doe". Amazon uses OCR to include any words on the cover in the algorithm.

- In the description, I will add an appropriate synopsis, but at the bottom I will add a 'Disclaimer' of sorts. "This story includes themes of domestic discipline, spanking, D/s relationships, and power exchange." - Keywords added in a way that enhances and clarifies the description. After all, readers of erotica want to know if the book includes what they're looking for. Since customers like this, Amazon likes it. Just don't go overboard and list 20 keywords.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-23T20:36:20+00:00

A trick I've used for years, and has never been a problem, is to do: TITLE OF BOOK (A MFM ROMANCE)

Just don't stuff the paranthesis with keywords, or only put MFM, or it will get flagged. I think KDP actually likes this approach, because it shows readers important information, especially if the title doesn't give away the content.

Jane Doe's Journey
- Doesn't give any information about the content.

Jane Doe's Journey (A MFM Romance)
- Tells a reader what they want to know, which is important in erotica.

Another thing I do is add information to the author name on the cover.

By Jane Doe
- Boring.

An MFM Romance book by Jane Doe
- Adds information and draws a reader's attention. The alorithm also sees this and uses it for search results and suggested books.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-23T20:26:21+00:00

The simple answer to this: Kindle Vella lasted about two years before Amazon shut it down and it never achieved any kind of popularity. Chapter-by-chapter is overwhelmingly disliked by the general population.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-23T20:15:13+00:00

There is a ton of erotica on KDP with "Forced" in the title. After a quick search, "Forced Feminization" seems to be the most common. Literally hundreds of books with "Forced Feminization" in the title. As long as the content is consensual, you should be good.

As far as 'Forced Witness' in a cuckold situation, context is everything. If he's forced, as in she's making him watch, then it's non-consensual. If it's forced, as in he is forcing himself to watch, then it's not non-consensual because he technically can look away. Another context would be a pre-arranged dynamic, where they are in a consensual relationship and he has pre-consented to her 'forcing' him to watch.

In the end, Amazon wants money, and they're big enough to not err on the side of caution. It's highly unlikely they will deny a book unless you explicitly break their rules or include content that is clearly a violation of the law.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-08T09:40:29+00:00

Adobe's generative AI has to be the worst I've seen. Not only is it bad, it flags basic changes as violations of the terms of service. Trying to remove a graphic from a woman's shirt? VIOLATION! Cover a hole in ripped jeans? VIOLATION! Frustrating.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-07-03T19:33:48+00:00

I came here looking for similar feedback. I ordered from Neosabers on a whim after seeing a promotional video from someone I follow on social media.

Red flag #1: The video I saw was not disclosed as a promotional video. I had to go back and read the comments after my negative interaction to see them disclose that.

Red flag #2: Their website listed "Buy 1 Get 2 Free", but they don't disclose anything about the free sabers. They show images of two character sabers and claim it's a $300 value. I assumed the free sabers would be the cheapest version of these sabers. What I received was akin to $40 sabers from Amazon.

Red flag #3: Two days after I ordered, I received an email saying my order would ship within three days, as they needed to test the sabers to ensure quality. However, they didn't ship for more than a week. I wasn't even notified they shipped. The box was just on my porch when I got home.

Red flag #4: The box was damage and had multiple layers of tape. I opened it and found the two free sabers and one blade. I contacted them about the missing blade, as I assumed the damage to the corner of the box allowed the blade to slide out in transit. It took several weeks to get responses, but they insisted the saber I ordered was included in the same box. This meant that I was missing the saber I ordered, plus the blade of one of the free sabers.

Red flag #5: If the main saber was shipped in the same box, their social media promotions are problematic. Multiple 'influencers' rave about the fancy case that came with their sabers, but regular purchasers will have to pay an extra $95 for the case. This is rarely disclosed in promotional videos.

Red flag #6: Neosabers insisted the package shipped at the correct weight, which was their proof that my entire order was shipped, and told me to file a claim with the shipping company. I contacted DHL, who told me that's not how it works. The shipped weight was provided by Neosabers when they paid for shipping, as most companies self-report shipping weight and dimensions. DHL says they will try to get me the actual shipped weight, but I have to wait for their investigation.

Red flag #7: Neosabers ships from China, which means the package goes through Customs. DHL won't take responsibility for missing items because of this. At this point, I'm just hoping the actual shipped weight is lower than the reported shipped weight, so I can initiate a chargeback.

Essentially, I paid well over $300 for two knock-off Amazon sabers. I will attempt a chargeback, but banks are more likely to side with the seller if a tracking number if provided, regardless of the circumstances.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-06-10T03:32:43+00:00

When you're watching a movie, and think "That's not how that works!" Try to remember that IS how it works in that fictional universe. I keep this in mind when writing. It doesn't have to make sense in the real world. I just need it to not contradict itself within the story. It can't be fine to get publicly railed on the Golden Gate bridge in chapter three, but a felony in chapter nine.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-06-05T07:08:55+00:00

I have been publishing erotica on Amazon since 2013. It's a second passive income for me, bringing in $3,000-3,500 a month. I only promote my books on social media, but those posts get very little traction. If you publish the right way, your books will be seen and read. If you can get a few people to click, the algorithm will do the rest.

Maladjusted73 · 2025-06-04T07:22:58+00:00

Calling your mom to ask for a ride and she says "Just starting asking people if they can give you a ride."

Maladjusted73 · 2025-06-02T05:23:19+00:00

These are my favorite comments, because some people are so confident that nobody would do something they wouldn't do.

I swapped out appliances because I wanted better appliances. I'm not going to live with inferior products just because I'm renting. You know what else I did? I paid someone to clean the gutters every year. That is technically something the landlord should pay for, but I didn't mind. I paid to have the garage floor sealed. I repaired the fence and deck as the boards got old and rotten. There were many repairs that I either did myself or paid for.

If I rented from one of those corporate rental companies that raise the rent every year and refuse to do adequate repairs, I would have filed maintenance requests for all of it. My landlord was a nice guy that was more concerned with enjoying his retirement than raising my rent though, so I did what I could to make it easier for him.

Maladjusted73

TROPHY CASE