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On the author chat loops this last week, there has been much discussion regarding the differences and similarities between being a print author and an e-published author. I suspect the most passionate of all the debaters are those authors that hope to one day make the leap from e-publishing to print with a NYC publisher. I wish them the very best. Yes, I do.
I, on the other hand, don't have any such ambitions. Perhaps if I were younger. Perhaps if I were hungrier (literally). Perhaps then I would have deep seated ambitions to grab at that shiny brass ring.
But the truth is much simpler. I'm perfectly happy doing what I'm doing where I'm doing it. I like writing what I'm writing. And apparently, I have a knack for it. On one author's blog, she discussed how erotic romance wasn't really "her" so she had decided to withdraw a book from the publishing schedule and would write something that was more "her". Lucky woman to find herself and her niche. Even luckier to realize it and have to courage to stick to it.
That's what I'm going to do. It seems that I do fairly well writing funny erotica. What an oxymoron. But it seems to work. I wrote another book that was just as good...just as creative...just as interesting--to me. Readers hastened to tell me the book was really, really good. But as my friend told me bluntly, "It's no Chrysanthemum. It's not funny." Heh.
Let us hope a lot of readers read it anyway. And maybe those readers who found Chrysanthemum just a tad over the top will, like the baby bear, find that Dancer's Delight will be just right. If those series don't quite do it, I also have a series about a bunch of shape shifting angels...
The beautiful thing about writing for Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press is that there is room for all my weird crazy oddball ideas. So far, my editor, bless her heart, hasn't fired me back an e-mail asking if I've lost my tiny mind. That's exactly why I'm content to hang out where I am. It's my niche. My place.
I don't begrudge anyone with greater ambitions. Every single writer has to assess their own goals and plans. Without a long term plan, they won't reach their goal. Part of the rise to success is just plain luck. But most of it is hard work and planning. That's something most of the newbie authors are only now understanding. Writing is the least of the career. It's the easiest part... it's the rest of it--promo, website, blogging, chatting--that takes careful planning so that the writer has time to write!
I have my hands full doing what I'm doing. Thank goodness!
Anny
I'm getting worried, dear Anny, as it appears you prefer posting at night. This tells me I will have very little time to come up with my continuing pph tomorrow evening.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think you may be brilliant. To use a quote: "It seems that I do fairly well writing funny erotica. What an oxymoron."
It's a new genre, not an oxymoron. Shall we call it. Eroticomedy? Humotica? Erotunny? Hmm. Will have to give it some thought.
Just for you, I will write it some time tomorrow afternoon, even if I don't post until tomorrow night.
ReplyDeleteAnd I vote for Eroticomedy...
Yep-it all comes down to one thing - to thine own self be fair dinkum. Do what suits you when it comes to writing
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, peaceful philosophy! It's very important to know ourselves. I've had three titles accepted by EC/CP and I have friends telling me to branch out. I too am happy where I sit. Will I send things that aren't EC/CP genres to others? Sure. But as long as the gentlemen in my head keep telling me their stories, I'll keep writing them and hope someone listens.
ReplyDelete"funny erotica" Absolutely! Sex should be fun. Is there anything sexier than a man laughing? Or one who makes you laugh? No oxymoron. The two go beautifully together.
Jae
I've always thought that sex was one of the funniest things on the planet. Really.
ReplyDeleteHmm. I don't take it as a good sign when I'm intimate and my man can't quit laughing. Up to the act, sure. During...not so much. Unless we're playing around.
ReplyDeletePuh-lease. An activity that requires you to be naked in weird positions and even comes with toys? How could it be serious. The conversation along is..."oooohh, yeah, just like that! Harder. No lower! No higher!" Heh.
ReplyDeleteLaughter and sex can be a good mix - if you are both laughing together and at the same thing ;)
ReplyDeleteAnny, you said it well - if you are happy where you are then you have nothing to worry about. I suppose the only reason to spread yourself around is to protect yourself against things like what happened at Trieskilon - don't want all your eggs in one basket. Though I would be astonished if something like that happened at Elloras cave or Cerridwen.