Month: December 2014

Book Covers

[14-01-04: Corrected and uploaded the correct audio file… Sorry!]

If you find enjoy this podcast or find it helpful then review us on iTunes.  Also, check out our books at SexyFic.com

Forbidden Winter 200x300

What’s your most recent release?

H. K. Kiting: The Funhouse

Dean Chills: Forbidden WInter

 

Episode 15: Book Covers

We’ve talked a bunch about the act of writing itself, but we’ve never touched on one of the most important aspects of your book: The Cover. In many ways, the cover is more important than the contents of your book: it’s the first thing a prospective reader sees, and if they hate the cover, your book has zero chance of being bought.

 

The Funhouse 200x300What should be on an erotic book cover?

  • Shirtless men and Fabio clones?
  • Half-dressed women
  • Faces or just bodies?

Amazon’s UNOFFICIAL rules:

  • –Naked female torso including front view or sometimes side view.  Side boob inappropriate.
  • –Arms or hands across breasts.
  • –Naked butt.   On one occasion, upper thigh close to lower butt cheek was unacceptable.
  • –No naked people in a clinch even if they aren’t “fondling”.
  • –Any sexual position that implies penetration (Missionary, doggie-style, etc).
  • –No naked characters straddling each other.
  • –No handcuffs on wrists.  Handcuffs being held is fine.
  • –No “O” faces.
  • –No nudity.
  • –No women on their knees in front of men (as in implied fellatio).
  • –No men between women’s thighs (as in implied cunnilingus).
  • –No men’s faces on breasts.

Still there is NO official list of rules other than a vague statement that their content guidelines are “About what you’d expect.”

Hanging Out in the GarageWays of getting a book cover made:

  • Buy a premade book cover
  • Hire someone to make a book cover
  • Do it yourself

Doing it yourself:

  • Tools (Photoshop, Pixelmator, etc.)
  •  Abtract?
  • Photos- Taken yourself or purchased from Stock Photographers [Jason’s Mummification]

Legal considerations:

  • Model release (and especially decency clauses)
  • Photo licenses and royalties. Not as simple as just buying from a stock site.

 

We really want to hear from you. If you have a comment, complaint, or topic suggestion, mail us at sexyfic@gmail.com or stop by SexyFic.com and leave a voicemail on the tab that allows you to record a message. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and leave a review for the show if you like it.

Audio Books

Episode 14: Audio Books

 

What’s your most recent release?

Dean Chills: Forbidden Winter

H. K. Kiting: Riding the Tide

 

Audiobook Samples:

Scuba Lessons #1: Pool Time

Scuba Lessons #2: The Quarry

 


 

Episode 14: Audiobooks

Dean: I mentioned a few episodes back that I had a few audio books out, and I got several emails asking how that works.

 

Question 1: Where can you sell audio books?

ACX – CreateSpace – Your own website – CD Baby

 

Question 2: Should I narrate my own books or not?

Doing it yourself:

Are you the same sex as the narrator?

Are you comfortable doing it?

Do you sound natural doing it?

Can you do the voices or accents?

Paying someone else to narrate your story

Paying outright

Where can you find narrators?

Revenue split through ACX

 

Question 3: What do I need to do it myself?

Equipment

Quiet space

Question 4: How much can I make?

40% on ACX sales. The Author and Narrator each get 20%. Pricing varies depending on length.

Createspace charges $4.95 + 15% of the sale

Your site: The Sky’s the limit

Sites Mentioned:             

ACX

Createspace

Audible

Gum Road

CD Baby

SexyFic December 2014 Entire Catalog

Read

We’ve had requests from podcast listeners and readers for a listing of ALL our books. That’s easily enough accomplished, so here you go. This is our entire erotica catalog, broken down by type of encounter: Gay, Straight, and Mixed/Supernatural. 

 

Jumping off the Cliff into Erotica

Episode 13: Jumping off the Cliff

Michelle wrote in way back in October and asked:

I am a freelance writer and aside from blog posts I have ghost written, my true passion has never had exposure. I am often asked by female friends and family members to write erotica and romance stories for them.  This has turned into a Christmas and birthday tradition.  I have to limit them to one story request per month.  

I want to take the plunge into my career as a publish author of romance and erotica but I find myself at the edge of the cliff looking out. There are so many others out there like the vastness of the sea.  I want to jump, but I need some one to come up behind me and push.

What would you recommend as far as a sounding board?  I used to practice on fanfic sites but I was not as happy with the quality of the critique.  More often it was the way I handled a character and not the composition of the scene itself. 

I want to hone the craft but in all honesty, I am ashamed to admit I am not totally sure how to do that.  When I taught myself to crochet, I spent hours on getting the stitching right, but as I write my stories, I can’t seem to find the same cohesion.

Maybe I am my own worst enemy, with a devil on each shoulder so to speak.    

I love your podcast; I listen to podcasts while I am working around the house or siting down at my computer working on articles. Please continue your podcast.  

I will write every week with my trials and tribulation if it will give you material to continue- the starting author from their perspective.

 Thank you for the wonderful and informative podcast.  

 

OK then. We’d love to hear you trials and tribulations as a beginning erotica author, Michelle, and that applies to yours and anyone else who would like to share with us.


 

Discussion Points:

  • So how to get started?
  • How did you get started? (Dean, Henry)
  • What are your thoughts? Blog comments.

We really want to hear from you. If you have a comment, complaint, or topic suggestion, mail us at sexyfic@gmail.com or stop by SexyFic.com and leave a voicemail on the tab that allows you to record a message. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and leave a review for the show if you like it.