If you love writing erotica and want to make some extra cash, there are a few ways you can go about it. You can write short stories or novels and sell them online, or you could write articles for adult websites and sell advertising space.
You can also sell e-books or audio books.
Whatever route you decide to take, there is an opportunity to make extra money by joining the realms of erotica writers who have become successful authors.
There’s a lot of money to be made writing erotica.
In fact, according to one study, the market for erotic fiction is worth an estimated $2 billion. So how do you get started in this lucrative field? In this blog post, we will show you how to make money writing erotica – from the comfort of home!
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How to Make Money Writing Erotica
Writing romance and erotic short stories is a great way to join the world of self-publishing. It is a great side hustle for a freelance writer with no experience who wants to make good money.
In this article, we will look at everything you need to know to start making some real money writing sexy stories:It contains the personal step by step instructions:
- How To Find A Profitable Niche
- What Kinds Of Stories Sell
- Where To Sell Your Erotic Fiction
- How Much Money You Can Earn With Erotica
- Tips For Making As Much Money As Possible With Your Erotic Fiction
What Is Erotic Fiction?
Erotic fiction is a writing genre that focuses on sexual activity, often between people who are not romantically involved. The term can be used to describe any type of writing, from short stories to novels, but is most commonly associated with erotic romance novels.
Erotic fiction can be both explicit and suggestive, and can explore different degrees of sexual involvement and intensity.
While writing erotica books may seem like a really unique side hustle, it is the easiest way for many writers to take the first step to turn their hobby into a full-time job.
Why Make Money Writing Erotica?
If you love writing and have a taste for romantic and adult content then you should really consider making money with erotic fiction.
Erotic content was almost an unknown niche back in the early 2000s.
In fact, Ellora’s Cave, the original ebook publisher used to email PDFs of stories to subscribers.
When 50 Shades of Grey became a runaway hit in 2011, erotica sales took off. And with the advent of ebooks and self publishing, a whole new world emerged for authors.
Back in the day if you wanted to be a published author, you had find a literary agent and hope that you got “discovered”. Now, it is much easier to self-publish your work using Amazon KDP and other online retailers.
Plus, you don’t even need to write huge long novels in order to make money.
There is a huge market for short stories on Amazon and erotica is the best performing genre on the site. E-books in particular, a growing market in the Erotic fiction segment which makes it even easier for you to start making money writing erotica ASAP.
Of course, if really short text is more your thing, you can always get paid to sext!
How Much Money Can You Make Writing Erotica?
Erotica can be an easy side hustle for those with either little or no writing experience. There are many people who are making $500-1000 a month selling their short stories online.
There are even erotic fiction writers publishing exclusively on Amazon who are making six figures a year selling their erotica to the masses. The amazing thing about selling your sexy stories is that it can actually become a stream of passive income.
If you write enough books that sell, you can enjoy the profits from your book sales for years to come.
Step By Step Guide To Making Money Writing Erotica
Now you know why you should start selling your erotic stories online, how do you actually get started? Follow this step by step guide to publishing your first story on Amazon.
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
Although you have already chosen to write erotic fiction, it can really help to narrow that niche down even further. You want to choose the right genre that attracts lots of readers who will eat up everything you write.
You may already have some ideas in mind but if not, here are some tips for choosing:
- Read romance novels and erotic stories that have already been published and figure out which writing process you like best for yourself.
- Join Facebook groups for Erotic fiction authors and research that way
- Check out the Amazon Bestsellers for erotic fiction and user them for inspiration
Consider the following popular niches within the genre of erotica:
- BDSM
- Lesbian fiction
- Gay fiction
- Historical romance
- Fantasy novels
Step 2: What Kinds Of Stories To Sell
Although you can write whatever stories you want, the best thing to do is to focus on what really sells. And that is the short story.
I have already spoken about How To Sell Short Stories For Money because they really are the best way to get started as an author.
For some reason short stories are the most popular genre in fiction right now. Maybe because we are all so busy and don’t have time for War and Peace. Or maybe because they are easier to read on an electronic device.
What do we mean by short stories?
Short erotica is anything under 10,000 words so if that is your wheelhouse, you will do great! Most popular erotic novels are under 150 pages so they are pretty easy to write quickly if you are feeling inspired.
Remember that in addition to selling single short stories on Amazon, you can also create bundles of individual stories called collective volumes.
Step 3: Write Your Story
Obviously writing your erotic story is the most important part of making money with your writing but don’t spend so much time planning your first foray into erotica writing that you never actually publish anything.
The more you publish, the more money you make so start pumping out content as quickly as possible once you think of a story idea.
Most authors avoid using their real name and instead use a pseudonym (nom de plum/ pen name) when publishing on Amazon.
Tips For Writing Sex Stories For Money
- Keep your story simple and focus on the sex scene -that’s what your reader is there for.
- Avoid cheesy cliches and metaphors.
- Bear in mind that most erotica readers are women so write with them in mind.
- Write what you know. Writing from experience will make your stories much more realistic.
- Although the erotic scene is important, you need to expand your characters too.
- Keep up to date with current trends
Step 4: Create Your eBook
Once your first book is all good to go, make sure to proofread it for errors. Now you are ready to start formatting it and creating your cover design.
You can use a free program such as Canva to create your ebook cover in no time. Just hit “create a design” and ebook to get tons of ideas for book cove
Make sure to check out the bestselling erotic novels right now so that you can see the kinds of covers and titles that sell well.
To turn your story from Word or Pages to a sellable ebook, you can use the free Amazon tool that will take you through the process step by step.
If you are using a platform other than Amazon to sell your stories, you can easily convert them into a PDF using a free program like SmallPDF.
Where to Sell Your Erotic Fiction
Once your book is ready, it’s time to start listing it for sale. Although Amazon is the biggest player in the ebook market, you can also look at other platforms to increase your chances of getting sales.
The Best Companies to Make Money Writing Erotica
Amazon Kindle Publishing
You are probably familiar with the Kindle store which is Amazon’s ebook wing. The Amazon Kindle Store is one of the biggest ebook stores worldwide and it has completely changed the publishing landscape.
The amazing thing about selling your short stories on Kindle Direct publishing (KDP) is that it is completely free to use!
Of course Amazon takes a cut of your sales but listing your book for sale is free which is perfect for newbies.
Amazon puts your erotic fiction in front of so many potential buyers that there is no way you could afford that kind of marketing power on your own.
How does payment work on KDP?
Amazon will pay you royalties when you book is bought on Kindle. You can choose from a 35% or 70% plan depending on what works for you. (read more about royalties here).
If your book is read through Kindle Unlimited, you will also earn a royalty.
How to start selling erotica on Amazon Kindle
It is really easy to get started with Kindle publishing. You can open your free account and then follow the instructions to uypload your book according to the formatting guide.
To learn more about getting started on selling through Amazon, ready my guide here: Make Money With Kindle Publishing
To get insight into what it takes to become a six figure author on Amazon, I highly recommend you read the ebook (of course),The ALL-NEW Six-Figure Erotica Author: How I Make Six Figures Self-Publishing Erotica by Jade K. Scott.
This easy to read book will take through everything you need to know to make money on Amazon with your erotic fiction.
Smashwords
You might not have heard of Smashwords but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the possibilities of this site. Why? Well, as of 2020, Smashwords is the largest distributor of ebooks to libraries. You can also get ore exposure beyond Amazon by listing your book with this platform.
Like Amazon, Smashwords is completely free to list your story. Through the Smashwords store, you can have your ebook sold through places such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OverDrive and the Scribd.
You can earn 60% of list price from major ebook retailers and up to 80% list at the Smashwords Store.
To publish your ebook for free on Smashwords:
- Sign up for your free account.
- Download The Smashwords Style Guide for simple instructions on how to format your manuscript as a Microsoft Word .doc file prior to upload.
- Click Publish and follow the simple steps to upload your book and cover image.
Draft2Digital
D2D is a popular ebook distributor who distributes ebooks to most common sales venues, much like Smashwords. You can choose which digital storefronts you want to publish to to maximize your chances for sales.
You can set your price to whatever you want on D2D and they will take 10% of the retail price of that book, for each sale you make.
To get started on Draft2Digital:
- Sign up for a free account on Draft2digital
- Follow the steps for creating and uploading your ebook for publishing.
Writing Erotica for Money FAQs
What skills do you need to write erotica?
Although good writing skills are important for any writer, there is more to it than that if you want to be successful.
One really important thing you need to be a great erotica author is a great imagination. Can you transport your reader to a tropical island, a medieval castle or a magical kingdom?
If you’re passionate about what you write, then your readers will be too so make sure to spend a lot of time reading erotic fiction yourself.
Can You Make Money Writing Erotica in 2023? – Final Thoughts
It is actually easy to make money writing erotic fiction right now.
Amazon Kindle offers ebook and print publish services with no upfront costs
Beyond that, there are companies like Smashwords and Draft2Digital that also offer similar ebook services and distribution to all possible devices. There is no need for an agent. And there is no worry about rejection.
If you’re interested in making money writing erotic fiction, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, it’s important to have a unique voice and style. Second, be sure to produce high-quality work that readers will enjoy. Third, be prepared to invest time and effort into your writing career.
And finally, target a niche audience and create content that interests them.
Best Tips for Making Money Writing Erotica
