I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing.
I'm so close to finishing my first book. I've been posting it somewhere online and the reviews are incredible. 95% of all the chapters have a rating of 4.5 or higher, and there are none rated below a 4.1. I get amazing comments every day saying exactly the things that I wanted to make people feel, and even some that shocked me.
I'm so close. So fucking close.
And I'll never be able to publish this.
There is no possible way that I could get this book to publication except for going Amazon, and do I really wanna do that? Why am I still writing? Nothing I do will ever be good enough to dig myself out of this gigantic hole I'm in. I'm nearly homeless. I'm miserable. I have no health insurance, and so I haven't been able to afford my antidepressant medication for over a month and a half.
Fuck this book. Fuck my life. Should I just end it, /lit/?
Finish it, you're going to make it.
We're all going to make it!
you might as well finish it and publish it before you off yourself. either it will snow-ball quickly into a success or it'll get acclaim after you're dead.
In all seriousness though have you tried sending manuscripts to different publishers? What's your reasoning on why it couldn't be published anywhere but Amazon?
>>7898394
I read that you have to get an agent to send out your manuscript.
And...
My story's published on Literotica.
In the Gay Male tag.
With vampire themes and overlaying body mod fetish.
I've spent way too much time on it and it's actually become an extremely in-depth, detailed, mindful story.
With gay sex every two chapters.
Pic related is the wordcount. I'm nearly at 300 pages.
>>7898403
I'm sure that's the case for some or most publishers, but I'm sure there are some that accept unsolicited work, it's probably just a bit more hit or miss with finding the right one.
I don't really know anything about the erotica market, but if something like twilight or 50 shades can sell then I don't see why a better written work wouldn't catch the interest of similar demographics.
Maybe find someone to be your agent? at the least I think having a more formal editor to work through it with you could be a good idea.
>>7898403
You don't have to have an agent always. Some allow direct, unsolicited manuscript submissions. Anyways, if it's gotten great reviews, publish it on amazon for a few bucks. You could probably get some enthusiastic readers to give some great reviews and the literotica site could be a good place to market it/built hype. Tons of people make at least some decent side money off of writing bullshit erotica on Amazon, so I'm sure a well-written, well-reviewed novel would do well. And after that, all you have to do is keep writing, keep publishing, and boom you've got a decent little income building along with a way to express yourself creatively. Go for it OP.
>>7898431
I do want a formal editor. That would be fantastic.
Maybe then I could see if this has any value whatsoever outside of whoever's schlicking to it on Literotica.
Being better than Twilight of Fifty Shades was actually the whole point of why I started writing it, as bad as that sounds.
>>7898440
Huh. Thank you.
So which way should I go? Small publishers, an agent, or Amazon?
>>7898473
Doesn't sound bad at all, trying to show that modern erotica can be done well, or at least better than that, is rather noble.
I know nothing of publishing or what might be the better option financially for you, but, since I'm fairly certain most agents don't take charity cases, I would opt for trying some small publishers and if that fails then going to amazon and self promoting the shit out of it via social media and reviews from your literotica fans.
>>7898491
>>7898491
I am shit at social media.
I guess I'll try to get an agent first, then go for Amazon if that doesn't work.
I also have to keep in mind that the ending of the book might very well completely ruin whatever my fans thought about it.
Fuck, this next chapter I'm struggling with might ruin it.
If it's getting so much good feedback, why don't you think it will be published?
>>7898548
Like I said, because it's gay vampire pain fetish erotica.
Even if it does get published, okay, it'll take up a spot on a shelf next to Fabio's cousin in a CVS aisle or something.
These are the things that I think about when I lie in bed at night.
>>7898533
You might want to try sending your manuscript to publishers you know would be interested in this kind of stuff.
I live in France, but there are many publishers putting out erotic fiction with fantasy themes, like Milady or Bragelonne. Your novel is already written, so you might as well try!
>>7898533
Whatever works man, an agent will probably speed up the process a bit.
I've always thought that it's the journey that matters over the destination when it comes to reading, but I can imagine the public might behave differently.
A lot of the time people can be drawn into the story even more so when something unexpected happens so the chapter might not dissuade them, but I know nothing of the gay vamp erotica market so I could be full of shit.
>>7898376
Wait so it's gay porn? What are you even worried about then? That shit is easy to publish. If it was literary fiction you'd honestly have a harder time.
>>7898576I'm planning to kill the love interest.
He needs to die. He's a fucking asshole.
Ain't no happy ending where we're headed.
A lot of people have already expressed that they're looking forward to seeing the main couple turn out happy. I don't know how to tell them it's not happening. Course, I can't. Spoilers.
>>7898403
Dude, your manuscript screams COMMERCIAL SUCCESS at the right publisher. Just start researching agents, and then look into agents that have open submissions for erotica authors. Also make sure you get your cover letter down.
Once you finish it you need to take everything down. Your might want to let it sit for a bit, do a draft.
>>7898594
If it's beautiful and tragic it might work out.
>>7898592
It's only really porn by definition. Y'know, cuz of all the sex.
It's more like hardcore Anne Rice if Louis and Lestat were banging 24/7.
>>7898598
All right. I will.
I've already looked into how to write a query letter and all. The hard part is finding an agent to send it to.
Has anyone got an idea on where to start looking? Is the Writer's Market book worth perusing?
>>7898600
I'd like to think that it is.
You guys can read it if you want.
>>7898609
>It's only really porn by definition. Y'know, cuz of all the sex.
>It's more like hardcore Anne Rice if Louis and Lestat were banging 24/7.
I'm telling you, people love that kind of shit. You're angsting over nothing. You've got something that's pretty much bound to sell on your hands.
>>7898609
Try Agentquery.com
I'm not sure if they list people who handle erotica but they do have a database of agents and it is free.
>tfw the guy who writes gay vampire smut is farther along on his novel than I am
>>7898633
oops forgot link
https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=2084583&page=submissions
>>7898633
You can start looking now and form a list of agents who you think might take you on since you're almost done, but you should wait till you have a full manuscript before sending out queries
>>7898651
All right.
Thank you.
... This thread is surprisingly magnanimous for what I've seen from /lit/. Normally no one can agree on anything and you're all assholes to each other. Least in general.
