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Different versions of your book – racy and literary

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Paul Whybrow

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Jun 20, 2015
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After contemplating becoming a transvestite in another posting today ‘Self-Publishing And The Sexes’, I’m also pondering the advice given by novelist Fay Weldon.

images


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...ity-and-write-a-racy-pageturner-10086140.html

She reckons that we should write two different versions of our book – one for traditional publishing, which is literary in tone, and another dumbed-down racy version for readers who use Kindles and other e-reading devices. This means ”abandoning one’s dignity.”

After eighteen months of trying to sell my books, I’m not sure that I’ve got any dignity left – and if I have, it’s probably slipped down the back of the sofa and is beyond retrieval. Fay Weldon has a history of making tongue-in-cheek provocative statements, but I think that she may have a point.

I’ve mentioned in other blog postings that I’ve been giving my ebooks on Smashwords away for free. I started this just before Christmas last year, as a promotional tactic to help launch my novel. It’s also a basic form of market research, to see what draws readers. I’ve tried changing tags and book covers, to see if this increased the downloads of a title that was being ignored.

The only conclusions that I’ve made,is that people like sad titles, rather than happy (who'd have guessed that?)), as well as titles with a name in or that’s in the form of a question. Unsurprisingly, any mention of sex or erotica helps to shift copies – so bear that in mind when choosing your descriptive tags and book title.

This is proved by the success of my first volume of erotic verse, which is called ‘What Do You Like ?’,with the subtitle ‘9 Erotic Poems’. This has been downloaded 900 times, as of today, which makes it the most popular of my forty-four free titles.

Fay Weldon’s advice may impel me towards a career writing torrid romances featuring villainous lovers with smouldering eyes, heroines with heaving bosoms + of course, the obligatory oversexed vampire and horny werewolf!

What do Colonists think?
 
Hm, to get lost in the slush pile of sex? Maybe, maybe not! After 3 years though, maybe I should change direction, or develop a forked tongue.... oh wait, that could be taken the wrong way! I mean, to wear two hats, one for the more conventional ( or is that mundane writing?), versus the more erotic route... I really gotta go before I get in literary, or factual trouble! ;)
 
This is proved by the success of my first volume of erotic verse, which is called ‘What Do You Like ?’,with the subtitle ‘9 Erotic Poems’. This has been downloaded 900 times, as of today, which makes it the most popular of my forty-four free titles.

Fay Weldon’s advice may impel me towards a career writing torrid romances featuring villainous lovers with smouldering eyes, heroines with heaving bosoms + of course, the obligatory oversexed vampire and horny werewolf!

What do Colonists think?

It seems that you have books in which you say thing things that you really want to say, aimed at a discerning, intelligent, sensitive demographic, and other titles that are making you money. I don't think there's anything wrong with that scenario!

After eighteen months of trying to sell my books, I’m not sure that I’ve got any dignity left – and if I have, it’s probably slipped down the back of the sofa and is beyond retrieval.
Oh, so it's back there with the TV remotes! That's where mine always end up.
 
Hm, to get lost in the slush pile of sex? Maybe, maybe not! After 3 years though, maybe I should change direction, or develop a forked tongue.... oh wait, that could be taken the wrong way! I mean, to wear two hats, one for the more conventional ( or is that mundane writing?), versus the more erotic route... I really gotta go before I get in literary, or factual trouble! ;)
No no, you were right the first time. Develop a forked tongue. There's probably more money to be made that way.

Who listens to a guy wearing two hats, anyway?
 
Dignity is like a £/$ coin, lost down the back of the sofa. Sure, you could root around under the cushions, digging through the dirt and dead skin. Or you can tip that mother over, slash the mesh underneath and let that little coin roll free. :D
 
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