First Night Celebrating William Rotsler's ReRelease of Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema Was A Hit!

(from the William Charles Rotsler site)

Thanks to all the great folks who came out to the first night of the three week celebration of the rerelease of Bill Rotsler's Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema!  It was a blast and a half!

And if you couldn't make it last week, a special retrospective of Bill's erotic work - plus one or two of his films - will still be shown this Saturday, May 30th ... and there'll be very special concluding event on Saturday, June 6th with guests and door prizes!

For tickets to these fun nights just click here

Check out this fun video of last Saturday's event!

Read William Rotsler's Classic Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema 

FREE For A Limited Time With Amazon Unlimited!

Read 5 Time Hugo Winner William Rotsler's Patron Of The Arts ($2.99 - Free on Amazon Unlimited) and The Far Frontier ($2.99)

REMINDER: Sex Sells - How To Write and Sell Erotica Class!

(From M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

Okay, I do quite a number of classes - and they are all lots of fun - but teaching erotica writing is near and dear to my heart ... which makes this upcoming event very special:

Sex Sells: How To Write and Sell Erotica

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Center For Sex and Culture

1349 Mission Street , San Francisco, CA

The market for erotic fiction and nonfiction is booming! There actually is a secret to writing great erotica - and you'll discover just what that is in this fun, hands-on workshop with well-known erotica writer and teacher M.Christian.

For the beginning writer, erotica can be the ideal place to begin writing, getting published, and - best of all - earning money. And for the experienced writer, erotica can be an excellent way to beef up your resume and hone your writing skills.

M.Christian will review the varieties of personal and literary expression possible in this exciting and expanding field. He'll also teach you techniques for creating love and sex scenes that sizzle, current pay rates, how to write for a wide variety of erotic genres, where and how to submit your erotic writing, and more.

$20
Center for Sex And Culture
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1133726

#

M.Christian is a recognized master of erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com

Confessions Of A Literary Streetwalker: A Universal Madness

This is very nice: the great Erotica Readers And Writer's site just posted a brand new Confessions Of A Literary Streetwalker essay!

"Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing." –Margaret Chittenden

Maybe it was because of a recent birthday – thank you very much, that's very kind – or perhaps it's because I just realized that I've been at this, being a 'professional' author for over 20 years – shocking, I know – or possibly it's because of a few .... (ahem) sad experiences recently but I want to revisit something I've said before.

I really wonder about writers.  Okay, internet, let's hear what you have to say: artists, musicians, actors ... how to you treat your fellow creators?  I used to have a wonderful roomie who was a musician.  We used to chat all the time about this, that, and other things but a lot about how even though there's a sense of competition among his fellows there was also a lot of camaraderie: he'd come home full of bright energy from playing for hours and hours with other musicians ... just jamming. 

Meanwhile I'd spent the night struggling with getting a stubborn story to cooperate, but mostly dealing with one insanely arrogant writer after another demanding they receive special treatment (oh, as a matter of transparency, I work as an editor and a publisher in addition to trying to deal with my own writing 'career').  This all came to a head when I realized that for those two decades of being a published about I currently have only a dozen or so fellow authors I consider to be 'friends' (and Facebook doesn't count).

Sure – as a writer myself – I can understand why ... but that doesn't make it right.  Again, I'm not sure what it's like to be a painter, actor, photographer, musician, or victim of any other creative pursuit, but writing is damned hard: we get little or no respect, no money, and everyone and their Great Aunt Maude thinks they can do it as well.  Our years of work, the care and concern we put into our stories and novels, are ignored unless we sell something – and then only if it makes millions – or if you take home some pretty little trophy.  If you have a day job – and every writer out there does, and if they aren't then they're either lying or a member of the rare 1% of writers – you know the deafening silence that comes when you mention finishing a work. 

But what's worse is that far too often it seems that the greatest barrier every writer must face ... are other writers. Like said, it's understandable ... but not excusable: we get our teeth bashed in, our souls crushed, our work ignored – or slammed by trolls – and so, wounded, we try to bolster our scarred egos by wrapping ourselves in a cloak of supposed superiority. 

Write erotica?  I'm better than a pornographer.  Write science fiction?  I'm better than a romance writer.  Write romance?  I'm better than a thriller writer.  Write thrillers?  I'm better than a science fiction writer.  Have 5,000 Facebook 'friends'? I'm better than someone with none.  Won an award?  I'm better than anyone who hasn't.  Write for a blog or site?  I'm better than anyone who doesn't.  Have an agent?  I'm better than someone who doesn't have one.  Write a novel?  I'm better than anyone who hasn't.  Sold to a 'big' publisher?  Then I'm better than anyone who hasn’t.  Sold a book for five figures?  Then I'm better than someone who hasn't.  A professional?  Then I'm better than someone who hasn't sold a word.  Become a 'name'?  Then I'm better than anyone who isn't.

It's pathetic. 

No, it's fucking pathetic.

Oh, I've heard all the lame justifications for this arrogance: if I treated everyone equally then I'd never have time to write, that everyone has to earn their stripes, that you should take public pride in your accomplishments.  But that's exactly what they are: excuses.  The bottom line isn't taking time, or the fear of becoming a full-time mentor or support system.  The awful trust is that treating other writers poorly makes weaker authors feel more important.

Like said, I understand it – and, I'm ashamed to say I've fallen victim to be on more than once occasion.  But that doesn't mean I'm not aware of it – as well as despising myself when I do it. 

But it doesn't have to be this way.

[MORE]

Very, very, VERY Special: Sex Sells - How To Write and Sell Erotica Class!

(From M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

Okay, I do quite a number of classes - and they are all lots of fun - but teaching erotica writing is near and dear to my heart ... which makes this upcoming event very special:

Sex Sells: How To Write and Sell Erotica

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Center For Sex and Culture

1349 Mission Street , San Francisco, CA

The market for erotic fiction and nonfiction is booming! There actually is a secret to writing great erotica - and you'll discover just what that is in this fun, hands-on workshop with well-known erotica writer and teacher M.Christian.

For the beginning writer, erotica can be the ideal place to begin writing, getting published, and - best of all - earning money. And for the experienced writer, erotica can be an excellent way to beef up your resume and hone your writing skills.

M.Christian will review the varieties of personal and literary expression possible in this exciting and expanding field. He'll also teach you techniques for creating love and sex scenes that sizzle, current pay rates, how to write for a wide variety of erotic genres, where and how to submit your erotic writing, and more.

$20
Center for Sex And Culture
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1133726

#

M.Christian is a recognized master of erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com

The Newest Von Gutenberg Magazine

Check it out: the brand new issue of Von Gutenberg - with a new article by little ol' me...

This Thursday: Cupping - Using The Ancient Medicinal Technique For Erotic Play!

(M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

This is gonna be a blast ... see you there!

Cupping: Using The Ancient Medicinal Technique For Erotic Play

Thursday, May 14, 2015 · 8:00 PM –10:00 PM

SF Citadel181 Eddy St, 

San Francisco, CA

Cost: $20 at the door, or $15 in advance
https://www.Purplepass.com/sfc5142015

For thousands of years, many cultures have been using 'cupping' as a remedy for a variety of ills – from muscle strains to just a wonderful way to relax. In this unique class, participants will not just learn how to use cupping safely but also how to use it to enhance all kinds of erotic – and kinky – play. Demonstrations will include not just how to use cupping on various parts of the body in new and exciting ways but also the different types of cupping sets that are available and what type is right for everything from advanced BDSM play to just soothing an achy back.

#

M.Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.

M.Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com

May Is Great For Classes And Events!

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

May is gonna be a blast for classes and events!  Check this out ... plus a very special three week event celebrating the adult films and photography of William Rotsler!

Cupping: Using The Ancient Medicinal Technique For Erotic Play

Thursday, May 14, 2015 · 8:00 PM –10:00 PM

SF Citadel181 Eddy St, 

San Francisco, CA

Cost: $20 at the door, or $15 in advance
https://www.Purplepass.com/sfc5142015

For thousands of years, many cultures have been using 'cupping' as a remedy for a variety of ills – from muscle strains to just a wonderful way to relax. In this unique class, participants will not just learn how to use cupping safely but also how to use it to enhance all kinds of erotic – and kinky – play. Demonstrations will include not just how to use cupping on various parts of the body in new and exciting ways but also the different types of cupping sets that are available and what type is right for everything from advanced BDSM play to just soothing an achy back.

#

M.Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.

M.Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com

Sex Sells: How To Write and Sell Erotica

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Center For Sex and Culture

1349 Mission Street , San Francisco, CA

The market for erotic fiction and nonfiction is booming! There actually is a secret to writing great erotica - and you'll discover just what that is in this fun, hands-on workshop with well-known erotica writer and teacher M.Christian.

For the beginning writer, erotica can be the ideal place to begin writing, getting published, and - best of all - earning money. And for the experienced writer, erotica can be an excellent way to beef up your resume and hone your writing skills.

M.Christian will review the varieties of personal and literary expression possible in this exciting and expanding field. He'll also teach you techniques for creating love and sex scenes that sizzle, current pay rates, how to write for a wide variety of erotic genres, where and how to submit your erotic writing, and more.

$20
Center for Sex And Culture
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1133726

#

Special Three-Week Event Celebrating The Adult Films And Photography Of William Rotsler!

Digital Parchment Services Is Proud To Announce

The First Re-Publication In 40 Years

Of William Rotsler's Classic Look At

The Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema (1959-1972)

A Special Three-Week Program Featuring

The Adult Films And Photography

Of William Rotsler!

Kicked-off May 23^rd with a Book Launch Party

With Door Prizes

For Immediate Release:

The estate of William Rotsler, San Francisco's Center For Sex And Culture, and Digital Parchment Services are proud to announce a very special three week series of events (May 23 – June 6) celebrating the launch of a new, enhanced edition of the legendary writer-director's controversial look at the 1960s birth of the adult film: The Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema (1959-1972).

Reserve the dates of Saturday, May 23 (special book launch party); Saturday, May 30; and Saturday, June 6 (doors open at 6:00PM, show beginning at 7:00PM and concluding at 10:00PM).

William Rotsler (1926 – 1997) was truly a renaissance man: acclaimed sculptor, filmmaker, photographer, reporter, novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, and the recipient of multiple awards and award nominations.

But first and foremost, William Rotsler was a visionary erotic filmmaker, acclaimed for such "cult classics" (Wikipedia) as Agony of Love, Lila (Mantis In Lace), Street of a Thousand Pleasures, The Godson, and Like It Is!, among others.  During the 1960s he directed dozens of short and feature length films.  Frequently working with Harry Novak of Boxoffice International fame, William Rotsler filmed many of the legendary actresses and models of his time, including Diane Webber, Virginia Gordon, Vincene Wallace, Pat Barrington, Gloria Saunders, Cathy Crowfoot, Joanne Rotolo, and Vicky Dee.

Back in print for the first time in 40 years, The Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema is William Rotsler's view of the rise and flowering of adult filmmaking in the 1960s, beginning with the films of Russ Meyer, through to the phenomenal success of Deep Throat – the movie that put adult films on the map – to Behind the Green Door, and so many others.  It takes readers behind the scenes for a look at the making of erotic movies, presents up-close-and-personal interviews with stars and producers, and concludes with an "Erotic Cinema Checklist" rating the heat level and and quality of over 100 erotic movies of the era!

Over the years since its original publication The Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema has as achieved the status of a classic on its subject.  Eric Schaefer, Associate Professor of Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College hails the book for its "valuable insights" and unique lived perspective..." while John Minson in Bright Lights Film Journal says the book, "from the start of the porno-chic age," provides "contemporary perspectives and valuable insights into soft- and hard-core..."

And William Rotsler was a man uniquely qualified to write it.  "His experience [as writer and director] within the sexploitation industry made him a prominent commentator on the screen's explicit sexual realism," writes David Church in "Between Fantasy and Reality: Sexploitation, Fan Magazines and William Rotsler's 'Adult Only' Career."  In his writings, Church says '...Rotsler knowledgably ... championed the underground cinema movement for creating 'sexy and beautiful' films that 'say ... important things' as a visible part of broader social changes in sexual mores..."

The republication of The Golden Age Of Erotic Cinema is a major event!

That's why Digital Parchment Services and The Center For Sex And Culture are planning a special three-week-long event to celebrate it beginning Saturday, May 23 with a don't-miss book release party featuring a video recap of William Rotsler's life and work, including trailers for his erotic movies, personal reminiscences from friends, a showing of one of his notable films, and wine and cheese afterward.

The following two Sundays will feature more clips and trailers plus one or more of William Rotsler's ground-breaking erotic films. And throughout all three weeks, there will be a special gallery exhibition of posters for his movies, samples of his erotic photography, and reproductions of his adult cartoon work on display at the San Francisco's Center for Sex And Culture!

Be sure to join us for the May 23 kick-off book release and the special video presentation on William Rotsler's life and work.

To Pre-Order Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1565296

WHERE:

The Center for Sex And Culture

1349 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103

WHEN:

Saturday, May 23 (book launch party): Doors at 6:00PM.  Event 7:00PM to 10:00PM

Saturday, May 30: Doors at 6:00PM.  Event 7:00PM to 10:00PM

Saturday, June 6: Doors at 6:00PM.  Event 7:00PM to 10:00PM

DONATION (suggested):

$10 per evening

REPORT ON AZTECAPHOBIA

I haven't followed the Hugo Awards for decades but the recent - and frankly deplorable - situation with them has made my blood boil.  Luckily the brilliant Ernest Hogan has said it better that I ever could:

(from Ernest Hogan's Mondo Ernesto)

They mock the secessionist petitioners in Texas and other states, celebrate the infestation of even the smallest American heartland towns by African, Asian and Aztec cultures . . .

The above is a quote from Vox Day, one of the puppies who has caused the current shitstorm over the Hugo awards. For those of you who have not seen the wide-ranging media coverage this story is getting, a bunch of guys who don't like the trend in diversity in speculative fiction hijacked the nominations of the Hugos, throwing the future of the awards into doubt. Personally, I haven't paid much attention to the Hugos (or the Nebulas) in decades, but this is starting to hit close to home.

Because, Aztecaphobia is alive and well!

They're afraid of Aztecs coming to their hometowns. The Wild West stereotype of the blood-thirsty, half-breed never died. In Arizona, we still hear people talking about rumors of cannibalism and human sacrifice in the barrio. Schoolchildren speaking Spanish can trigger panic attacks.

Or as a little old lady from Phoenix once said, “We don't want downtown smelling like tacos!”

I've always considered the smell of tacos to be a sign of an advanced civilization.

The idea of an Aztec future must be their worst nightmare. I wonder if they've read any of my books or stories?

Dell Harris' cover painting (he called it “Scorpio”) for the self-published High Aztech ebook must put stains in their underwear.

If you want to get that edition, with that cover, you should buy it now, because Digital Parchment Services is working on a new Strange Particle Press edition of High Aztech, that – among other things – will have a new cover, that and incorporated imagery by a famous Communist artist!

Don't listen to the puppies, folks! Dream the dreams you lust after. Create the futures you want, be they African, Asian, Aztec,Texan or Arizonan. We need more visions, not less. Everybody, let your imaginations go wild!

Don't worry if it scares anybody. They may pull dirty tricks and try to shut you down – it's been the story of my life – but it's worth the fight. If they can't face Aztec cultural warriors, they are doomed.

Besides, one persons dystopia is another's utopia. One culture, one civilization, isn't enough. Imagine more. It's what sci-fi is supposed to be all about.

Read Ernest Hogan's Locus Poll Top Ten Novel Cortez On Jupiter - For Only $3.99

This Wednesday: Magic Words: Using Erotic Writing To Explore Your Hidden Sexuality And Spirituality @ Good Vibrations!

(From M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

Always love teaching this class ... come and have a good time as well!

Magic Words: Using Erotic Writing To Explore Your Hidden Sexuality And Spirituality


Wednesday, April 29, 6:30-8:30pm
$20 in advance, $25 at the door
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1410432
1620 Polk St, San Francisco 94109

There are many ways to reach your inner sexual and spiritual self––but one of the most surprisingly powerful paths is through the written word. In this lecture/workshop, participants will hear how erotic writing (fiction as well non-fiction) can reach hidden places that often lay unexposed, help make personal discoveries and to assist in a personal journey of self and sensuality. Participants will learn how to free their erotic writing voices, how to develop their writing towards discovering the erotic spirits within, and when to silence––and when to listen to––the inner critic.

#

M.Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.

M.Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is http://www.mchristian.com

This Thursday: How To Create An Effective Online Profile And Write Messages That Will Get Good Responses!

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

This is going to be a blast and then some - see you there!

How To Create An Effective Online Profile And Write Messages That Will Get Good Responses

Thursday, Apr 23, 2015 6:00 PM - 8:00PM
The Center For Sex And Culture
1349 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

$20 - Pre-order tickets here

The world is the now the Internet ... and if you don't know how to use it then you are at a serious disadvantage in making any kind of connection: employment, social, artistic and most of all erotic.

This class will not just explore how to use the Internet and various sites as a resource to explore your own sexuality in any form but also how to create an effective and alluring online profile. But creating a digital 'self' is only part of it: participants will also get tips on how to reach out in imaginative ways that will get a positive response, the important things that are too often forgotten and other social niceties that can be the difference between frustration and disappointment and having a wonderful and best of all sexy time online!

#

M.Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.

M.Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is http://www.mchristian.com

Confessions Of A Literary Streetwalker: Bond, James Bond ... Or Do I Really Need An Agent?

Check it out: an oldie (but a goodie) of my Streetwalker columns just went live on the Erotica Readers and Writers site:

The world of professional writing can be ... no, that's not right: the world of professional writing is - without a doubt - a very frightening, confusing place.

Not only are there only a few diehard rules – to either slavishly follow or studiously avoid - but even basic trust can be a very, very rare: should I put my work on my site, or will it be stolen?  Should I even send my work out to other writers, for the very same reason? 

What about editors or - especially - publishers?  Does my editor really have my best interests in mind?  Should I make the changes he or she suggests or should I stand my ground and refuse to change even one word?  Is my publisher doing all they can for my book?  Are they being honest about royalties?  

Back in the days of print - before the revolution – a lot of these questions would have been answered by an agent: a person who not only knew the business but would actually hold a writer's hand and lead them from that doubt and fear and, hopefully, towards success ... however you want to define that word.

Agents spoke the cryptic language of rights and royalties: they could actually read – and even more amazingly - understand a book contract.  They'd be able, with their experience and foresight, to say when a writer should say yes or no to edits.  

They could open doors that no one else could open - and in some ways that still holds true: a few big (and I mean huge) publishers will still not talk to an author who doesn't have an agent.  Don't get me started on the Catch 22 of an agent who will only look at published authors - when publishers won't talk to writers who don’t have agents.

That was then, I hear you say, but what about now?  Well, as the smoke begins to clear from the fires of the digital revolution, a lot of authors (and editors and publishers) are beginning to question even the concept of a literary agent.

Part of this pondering is because the doors that used to be shut to authors, without the key of a publisher, are beginning to swing open.  Yes, a lot of the huge (and I mean immense) houses are still well fortified, but a lot of publishers, a few of them quite sizable, are allowing - if not welcoming - un-agented authors.  

Another part of this doubt is that a lot of agents simply haven't kept up with the times: the ebook revolution, they deluded themselves, is just a passing fad.  Well, it isn't, and many authors who have signed with these kinds of agents have begun to feel that they have hitched their literary wagon to the wrong horse.

But do you need an agent?   

The rule I was taught still holds a fair amount of water: if you are submitting to a small to mid-range publisher an agent is really not necessary - in fact they can actually work against an author. Publishers want a smoothness in their dealings with an author: having to deal with an agent, especially one that feels they have bust a publisher's chops to prove they are worth their percentage can far too often sour the deal.  As an anthology editor - and an Associate Publisher - I've personally had to slam the door on more than a few deals because of an agent who got in the way.

[MORE]

I'm Teaching For Queericulum!

This is gonna be a blast: I'm going to be doing a combo (basic bondage and impact play) for Queericulum, on April 18th. Here's the info:

Two Great Things .... Together: Impact Play & Basic Bondage
Join this workshop to receive (ahem) 'hands-on' instruction in a wide and sometimes-strange variety of different impact toys: hands, hairbrushes, paddles, crops, wooden spoons, batons, quirts, and lots more.

And then get some (ahem) 'confining instruction' in a wide range of affordable bondage gear, such as Saran Wrap, Bungie cord, plastic tape, and tons of other fun toys and techniques!

Both impact and bondage will be taught with an air to fun, affordability and -- most of all -- safety so you can hit (and be hit), bind (and be bound) for a long, long time!