Dragging your dirty, yummy thoughts onto paper can be a daunting task for any erotica writer--newbie or pro. Here's how to do it and hopefully get noticed.
1) Write your story. (Short stories here are king. If your idea starts running novella-length or longer, consider splitting it into chapters- each with their own erotic outcome. Your reader may only read one chapter per day, but it will keep them coming back for more.)
2) Look at your rough draft and consider your market. (Generally, men seem to prefer the take off your clothes and screw like bunnies method, where as women like the seduction before the dance.)
3) Tailor your story to the above-mentioned idea. (If you are writing for a male-dominated market, don't switch between graphic sex and lines of flowery prose.Using the word cunt in one sentence, then referring to her swollen center of pleasure in another can be jarring to your reader. Unless the situation calls for it, I would avoid the switch.)
4) Edit, edit, edit. (You are writing sex, not a romance novel. I doubt that your reader cares about your character's entire personal history. If it doesn't add to the story or takes away the steam of the moment- delete it.)
5) Polish it until it gleams. (Make it pretty, make it hot, and make it real. Even if your short story is involves two elves hooking up, will it excite your reader? If you have a hard time picturing the action, so will whomever reads your naughty work.)
6) Spell check is your friend. As is a properly formatted manuscript. Use them wisely.
7) Find the appropriate market to submit your work. (If you are writting your story for a contest or chose a magazine or website beforehand- Congratulations, you can skip this step. If you don't know where to place your story, research your little heart out. Wherever you choose, make sure to follow the publication's guidelines carefully. It would be a shame if you submitted a historical erotic tale to a sci-fi publication and got rejected simply because you didn't read their rules.Your time is valuable--as is the editor's--don't waste it.)
8) Create a brief cover letter, if asked for. (Make it polite and to the point. Unless an editor asks for your life story--which they won't-- don't send four pages of unneccessary information. Again, read the publishing guidelines carefully.)
9) Email (or snail mail) your story.
10) Wait. (Don't send 20 emails asking if the editor received/reviewed your work. That's just rude.)
11) Repeat steps 1-10 as often as you like.
Have fun, flesh peddlers :)
