Who publishes lesbian erotic fiction?
September 12, 2014 11:46 PM Subscribe
From a first-time writer of lesbian erotic fiction: who publishes in this genre/where amongst them could a first-timer begin to seek publication? Any relevant advice greatly appreciated!
The Erotica Readers and Writers Association maintains a good list of publishers and calls for submission, including for lesbian erotica. You may find it helpful!
posted by beatrice rex at 8:47 AM on September 13, 2014
posted by beatrice rex at 8:47 AM on September 13, 2014
Loose Id, and Siren (specifically the "Siren Allure" imprint), off the top of my head; here's a long list of GLTB (and "L" only) publishers. When you're checking out publishers' sites, you're looking for "open calls" or "writers/authors wanted," where the house is seeking specific material -- it's an easy way for a first-timer to get a foot in the door. Here's a blog post with some good links to publishing pitfalls, especially the Writer Beware site. The hands-down best writing advice to increase productivity I've ever used (not that I can find the link now, of course): if you get to a point in your writing where you're struggling for the right word choice, or with a scene transition, or whatever, just throw in a "#" symbol and move on. Don't interrupt your creative flow to search the dictionary or try to puzzle out the problem right then. When you're in editing mode, keyword search "#" and smooth out the clunky bits after you've let them marinate in the back of your mind for a while. Second-best piece of advice: the snowflake method is your friend.
(Possibly relevant advice... if you're interested in simply being published at this point, self-publishing via Kindle might be an option. There are several MetaFilter posts and asks about the pros and cons of the process. For me, as a first-time writer in a similarly niche market, the encouraging reviews and the little bit of cash were a tonic. MeMail me if you'd like my bookmarks on Kindle formatting tips/e-book cover creation/etc.)
Oh, this was longer than I'd anticipated, but best wishes to you!
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:44 AM on September 13, 2014
(Possibly relevant advice... if you're interested in simply being published at this point, self-publishing via Kindle might be an option. There are several MetaFilter posts and asks about the pros and cons of the process. For me, as a first-time writer in a similarly niche market, the encouraging reviews and the little bit of cash were a tonic. MeMail me if you'd like my bookmarks on Kindle formatting tips/e-book cover creation/etc.)
Oh, this was longer than I'd anticipated, but best wishes to you!
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:44 AM on September 13, 2014
Late to the party, but maybe helpful anyhow. This sort of thing is kind of my bag--I was an editor for five years at a digital-first erotica publisher, and have spent the last two years as a freelance editor and consultant on the same subject. Before I go any further, I have to clarify that I'm coming at this from the point of view of an editor (out to make money), not an author (out maybe primarily for artistic expression or whatever). My comments are based on general trends I've seen, and individual authors have varying results.
Lesbian fiction doesn't have the same kind of sales numbers that other fiction--including gay fiction--does. It's much more of a niche market than you would expect, and because of that, I wouldn't place this with anyone who doesn't specialize in lesbian fiction. Geek Anachronism hits that right on the head--Cleis is about the only lesbian-heavy place that comes to mind for me, as well. Maybe Sapphire? I can't remember if they do erotica, and I'm on my phone and not able to easily check. To be clear, I'm explicitly anti-reccing places like Samhain, Ellora's Cave, Loose Id, Siren, etc, despite the fact that many of them have lesbian lines or imprints. For some books, those publishers are great, but the audience for lesbian fiction is not an audience that any of them are, in my opinion, able to maintain, to the point that having a book branded with the name of any of the big epublishers is probably more of a detriment than an help, in this particular genre.
Your other option is self publishing. Hire an editor, a cover artist, and someone to format for you (or figure that out yourself), and put the book up on Amazon. This is a good option if you already have a readership--if you have a popular blog, if you have a huge Twitter following, if you're involved with the lesbian fiction community on Tumblr, etc. Plenty of people do it (and do well at it) without that sort of launchpad, but it'll be easier if you have it. MeMail me with questions, if you want.
posted by MeghanC at 7:54 PM on September 13, 2014
Lesbian fiction doesn't have the same kind of sales numbers that other fiction--including gay fiction--does. It's much more of a niche market than you would expect, and because of that, I wouldn't place this with anyone who doesn't specialize in lesbian fiction. Geek Anachronism hits that right on the head--Cleis is about the only lesbian-heavy place that comes to mind for me, as well. Maybe Sapphire? I can't remember if they do erotica, and I'm on my phone and not able to easily check. To be clear, I'm explicitly anti-reccing places like Samhain, Ellora's Cave, Loose Id, Siren, etc, despite the fact that many of them have lesbian lines or imprints. For some books, those publishers are great, but the audience for lesbian fiction is not an audience that any of them are, in my opinion, able to maintain, to the point that having a book branded with the name of any of the big epublishers is probably more of a detriment than an help, in this particular genre.
Your other option is self publishing. Hire an editor, a cover artist, and someone to format for you (or figure that out yourself), and put the book up on Amazon. This is a good option if you already have a readership--if you have a popular blog, if you have a huge Twitter following, if you're involved with the lesbian fiction community on Tumblr, etc. Plenty of people do it (and do well at it) without that sort of launchpad, but it'll be easier if you have it. MeMail me with questions, if you want.
posted by MeghanC at 7:54 PM on September 13, 2014
Oh, if you are just starting, try out the ERWA calls for anthologies. Cleis put out a lot of them and it's a good way to get some proper feedback if you do get published.
posted by geek anachronism at 10:33 PM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by geek anachronism at 10:33 PM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by geek anachronism at 12:28 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]