Writer Advice

I'm flattered that you'd think of me for help in the quest to get your work edited and/or published.

The best detailed guide I can recommend to you about publishing erotica is my own book, How to Write a Dirty Story.

More than a third of the book is about publishing and marketing. I wrote it because I got so many letters like yours, and I wanted to put all my advice in one place! My friends who are authors say it's the most bracing thing I've ever written..

I know exactly what you're going through- having spent fifteen years in the trenches before a major publisher took notice of my work, and decided to give me a contract.

Unfortunately, through my entire ordeal the only thing that I learned in certainty was that there is no prescription for getting your work into print, or better yet, read and beloved.

What I can suggest is that you begin your submissions with small presses or literature/erotica sites on the Web. Often they are willing to give an unknown writer a shot based on the quality of their work, with less attention paid to its commercial appeal. They are eager for talent that suits their aesthetics. This is exactly how I got my start.

Go to well-stocked bookstores and find books that are similar to what you want to be doing. Scout the internet for the kind of web publishers who you admire.

If a book is your aim, you'll have to compose query letters, a book proposal and some sample chapters. There's plenty of guidebooks that can tell you what those are suppose to look like. Of course, if you're trying to publish in a periodical, then you simply send in your finished piece with a cover letter.

Research the presses whose interests are similar to your own. For example, people are always asking me where to publish erotic fiction, and they ask me because I edit a well-regarded erotica anthology series. 

If you read the back pages of any one of my Best American Erotica volumes, you will find a "Readers Directory" or "Credits" area where I list the names, editors, and addresses of the best publishers I've  worked with over the past year. It's a gold mine of information.

In general, the best place to scope out a well-published author and their connections is to meticulously read the front and back matter of the books and blogs they publish.

Speaking of blogs, start one. I can't imagine working as a writer without it, it's like the 21st century equivalent of pen and ink. You will get feedback, readers, and inspiration you'd never find anywhere else.

Occasionally, I offer writing classes, and I announce them in my blog. If you sign up for my email alerts, you'll be the first to know!

The best advice of all is persistence and passion for your work, as well as the ability to take advantage of any lucky break that may come your way.

Good luck,

Susie