I took a few
minutes to speak to a cohort in crime, M. Christian to pick his brain
about erotica, writing and the business in general. Hopefully the
answers he provided will add value to your writing and push you into
erotica if you've leaned that way but were uncertain.
He took a few minutes to answer some questions.
1. You've been around erotica for a long while. What has changed from your perspective?
Has it really been THAT long ... sheesh, I guess it has: my first story was in FutureSex (1993), which was then picked up for Best American Erotica 1994 ... and it all just sort of took off from there.
As for what's changed ... well, the biggest thing, naturally, has to be the ebook revolution. Back
in the bad old days it used to take pornographers far too long to haul
sexually explicit materials up four and flights of stairs – but now
everything is internet this and digital that. But, I tell ya, it really is for the better: ebooks are simply better for everyone, everywhere. For
readers they are cheaper and don't take any room (and no shipping
costs); for publishers that are easier and (again) cheaper; and for
writers they mean we all can work without having to constantly worry
about needing to sell, sell, to make up our advances – AND we can do all
kinds of new books because publishers can take risks they couldn't
before because doing so was just too expensive.
2. How does one achieve the title Acknowledged Master of Erotica?
To be honest you make it up. Alas,
the headache of the new world of publishing is that it has become
harder to get yourself noticed, what with all these new publishing
venues. So sometimes a writer has to do whatever it takes to get them to rise above the rest. That's not to say that
writers should ever lie to get themselves heard – that's never a good
idea – or become an arrogant so-and-so – which is a worse idea – but
that just staying and writing in your garret doesn't work anymore
(sigh).
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