Rachel Kramer Bussel's Blog, page 12
June 3, 2018
Why I self-published Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica instead of using traditional publishing
Learn why I self-published Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica over at Medium. And of course, it's free on Kindle Unlimited or $4.99 for 35 sexy stories of food play all involving sweet treats. Follow me on Medium for more on self-publishing later this month as part of my month of Medium (30 posts in the 30 days of June) and of course if you like what I have to say, your shares or claps (holding down the hands button on the left of the essay 1-50 times) are much appreciated and help more people see it and me get paid.
June 2, 2018
5 spots left in my June 12 Berlin, Germany erotica writing workshop (in English)
Heads up that if you've been wanting to take my June 12th Berlin, Germany erotica writing workshop at feminist sex toy store Other Nature, there are five spots left! The workshop runs from 18:30-20:30 and while it doesn't require any prior writing experience, it does require pen or pencil and paper or a laptop so you can write during the exercises. And I'll be giving out a timely handout on where to submit your writing. Plus selected erotica anthologies of mine will be available for sale in English and German. See you soon, Berlin!
My essay on Kim Kardashian West's White House meeting with Trump and slut-shaming
This is my month of Medium, where I aim to post 30 essays or articles, which averages out to once a day. I can't commit to once a day because I'll be in Berlin for part of the trip and attempting to be offline, but I'm pretty sure I can do 30, especially given all the ideas floating around in my mind. Today's post is about Kim Kardashian's recent White House visit to meet with President Trump about prison reform. Specifically, it's about all the people who slut-shame her and act like because she's a "porn star" she can't have opinions. If you like the piece, please consider sharing and/or clapping (holding down the hands button at the left of the essay for 1-50 times), which helps it get viewed by more people.
Also, to be forthright about my writing rejections, this essay got three of them from the places I submitted it to starting Thursday morning around six a.m. Two rejections via email, one from an editor I'd never worked with and one from an editor I have, both asking me to pitch again. The third outlet I didn't get a response from, but I submitted it as a pitch late Thursday, around five p.m., after the first rejection, and said I'd shop it around if I didn't hear back by Friday at 5 p.m. So then I decided to post it on Medium since its timeliness is waning.
Also, to be forthright about my writing rejections, this essay got three of them from the places I submitted it to starting Thursday morning around six a.m. Two rejections via email, one from an editor I'd never worked with and one from an editor I have, both asking me to pitch again. The third outlet I didn't get a response from, but I submitted it as a pitch late Thursday, around five p.m., after the first rejection, and said I'd shop it around if I didn't hear back by Friday at 5 p.m. So then I decided to post it on Medium since its timeliness is waning.
May 30, 2018
These two erotica book giveaways end tomorrow, May 31!
I finally sent out my May 2018 newsletter and it has an exclusive, subscriber only giveaway at the bottom for my Cleis Press anthology Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories. Follow the newsletter link to enter and if you're a subscriber, you'll be eligible to win! It's open internationally. Not a subscriber? Get on the list at my website or on the left-hand side of this blog. You have until May 31, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST to enter. Books will be sent to winners on Friday morning. In June for Pride month, I'm giving away signed copies of Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica.
And my U.S. only Goodreads Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 3 giveaway also ends on Thursday, May 31, so make sure to enter. Good luck!
And my U.S. only Goodreads Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 3 giveaway also ends on Thursday, May 31, so make sure to enter. Good luck!
May 29, 2018
My new privacy policy
With GDRP in effect, I made a privacy policy that covers rachelkramerbussel.com and this blog (linked in case this post is republished), which may be updated soon but the gist of it is, I'm the only person who sees emails to me and the only person handling my Mailchimp newsletter. Speaking of which, it's late this month, going out today, Tuesday, May 29, but will have a great subscriber-only giveaway of my hotel erotica anthology Do Not Disturb so subscribe if you want in on that. The giveaway ends this Thursday, May 31, so you'll have to act fast. If you have any questions about the privacy policy, contact me at mail at rachelkramerbussel.com.
Privacy Policy of RKB Enterprises, Inc./Rachel Kramer Bussel
We are committed to protecting your privacy. In this notice, you can read about the information we collect from you and how we use it. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at mail@rachelkramerbussel.com.
1. Information we collect
This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on rachelkramerbussel.com or lustylady.blogspot.com. RKB Enterprises, Inc. collects this information in order to send you Rachel Kramer Bussel’s monthly newsletter or answer any questions emailed to her directly.
The information we may collect, provided by you, includes:
Your email address
Your name
Your country
2. Mailchimp
If you sign up for Rachel’s newsletter, which is administered through Mailchimp, we will store some of your information, including your email address, IP address and certain information about the links you click within the emails we send you, on a Mailchimp server. Neither we nor Mailchimp will ever sell your email address or share it with any other party, unless we are legally compelled to do so. If you contact Mailchimp directly regarding your subscription to our newsletter, Mailchimp may contact you directly; otherwise, Mailchimp will never contact you. Only authorized Mailchimp employees have access to our subscriber list. You are always free to unsubscribe from our newsletter, but as long as you are registered with Rachel Kramer Bussel’s mailing list, Rachel and RKB Enterprises, Inc. may use Mailchimp to send you information about your account.
3. How we use your information
We use your information only to complete operations necessary to distribute Rachel Kramer Bussel’s monthly newsletter. We do not share your information with third parties except (such as in the case of Mailchimp) when it’s necessary to complete the functions of RKB Enterprises, Inc.
When you email us, we will use your email address only for the purpose of responding to you and for no other purpose, unless you’ve given us direct, explicit written consent to share the contents of your email.
4. Data security
The only person who has access to your data is Rachel Kramer Bussel and, to the extent necessary to deliver your monthly newsletter, Mailchimp. (see #2).
5. Changes to this policy
RKB Enterprises, Inc. reserves the right to change this policy at any time. Although we will notify users appropriately when changes are made to this policy, you are responsible for checking this page for changes. Your use of rachelkramerbussel.com and/or lustylady.blogspot.com constitutes agreement to this privacy policy.
Privacy Policy of RKB Enterprises, Inc./Rachel Kramer Bussel
We are committed to protecting your privacy. In this notice, you can read about the information we collect from you and how we use it. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at mail@rachelkramerbussel.com.
1. Information we collect
This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on rachelkramerbussel.com or lustylady.blogspot.com. RKB Enterprises, Inc. collects this information in order to send you Rachel Kramer Bussel’s monthly newsletter or answer any questions emailed to her directly.
The information we may collect, provided by you, includes:
Your email address
Your name
Your country
2. Mailchimp
If you sign up for Rachel’s newsletter, which is administered through Mailchimp, we will store some of your information, including your email address, IP address and certain information about the links you click within the emails we send you, on a Mailchimp server. Neither we nor Mailchimp will ever sell your email address or share it with any other party, unless we are legally compelled to do so. If you contact Mailchimp directly regarding your subscription to our newsletter, Mailchimp may contact you directly; otherwise, Mailchimp will never contact you. Only authorized Mailchimp employees have access to our subscriber list. You are always free to unsubscribe from our newsletter, but as long as you are registered with Rachel Kramer Bussel’s mailing list, Rachel and RKB Enterprises, Inc. may use Mailchimp to send you information about your account.
3. How we use your information
We use your information only to complete operations necessary to distribute Rachel Kramer Bussel’s monthly newsletter. We do not share your information with third parties except (such as in the case of Mailchimp) when it’s necessary to complete the functions of RKB Enterprises, Inc.
When you email us, we will use your email address only for the purpose of responding to you and for no other purpose, unless you’ve given us direct, explicit written consent to share the contents of your email.
4. Data security
The only person who has access to your data is Rachel Kramer Bussel and, to the extent necessary to deliver your monthly newsletter, Mailchimp. (see #2).
5. Changes to this policy
RKB Enterprises, Inc. reserves the right to change this policy at any time. Although we will notify users appropriately when changes are made to this policy, you are responsible for checking this page for changes. Your use of rachelkramerbussel.com and/or lustylady.blogspot.com constitutes agreement to this privacy policy.
How to use your professional jealousy to advance your career
I wrote about how I overcome professional jealousy and why it's so alluring over at Medium. If you like it, please consider holding down the clap button at the left of the piece for 1-50 claps, which helps more people see the essay and helps me get paid. It's also an examination of the new memoir
Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist
by Franchesca Ramsey, which I highly recommend.
Specifically, I focus on a chapter Ramsey wrote (I'm 99.99% sure) about Julia Allison. If you know who she is, I think you'll enjoy the essay, and if you don't, the below Wired cover is a clue, and you can find out more in the essay.
I discuss the folly of professional jealousy and the damage it can do to career advancement, so I'll add a little context. I'm typing this at 3:20 a.m. when I should be sleeping. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, especially in the years since October 2011 when I got laid off from my magazine job and have been forced to learn how to be self-employed. My business has grossed six figures the last two years (emphasis on grossed because I invest tens of thousands of dollars back into it and am investing even more this year), but I work hard for every dollar.
There's a lot of trial and error, usually more misses than hits, and, for me, the sense that I can never relax or let go. I'm starting retirement savings in my forties and have zero guarantee of future income. So while it may look like I'm a version of "successful," and I would say I feel somewhat successful, it's an ephemeral feeling. It's why I gobble up NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast and am reading books by the likes of Barbara Corcoran. Professional jealousy is really a time waster when you consider how many tasks go into building a business (yes, even "passive income" like book royalties). I spent part of Memorial Day making lists of which photos I have handy to post on the Best Women's Erotica Instagram account and drafting a so-long-they-may-not-read-it-all email to the authors in the next volume in the series (speaking of which, the deadline for the Volume 5 call for submissions is August 1, 2018, which will be here very soon). Most days my first waking thought is about my to-do list. So the idea that anyone would be jealous of my career seems laughable to me most days, because "success" doesn't always feel incredible and amazing. It's nice when I get a big (for me) royalty check, but I'm always aware that the next one could be half or a third or a tenth of that, or nothing. That keeps me in check and buckled down focusing on the next task or project or pitch (while also, of course, taking the time to promote the books and articles that are already out so that more people can hear about them, because that's part of this job too).
You can also follow me on Medium for essays several times a week, sometimes about books, sometimes about writing and publishing, sometimes on technology or travel or whatever I'm thinking about at the moment.
Specifically, I focus on a chapter Ramsey wrote (I'm 99.99% sure) about Julia Allison. If you know who she is, I think you'll enjoy the essay, and if you don't, the below Wired cover is a clue, and you can find out more in the essay.
I discuss the folly of professional jealousy and the damage it can do to career advancement, so I'll add a little context. I'm typing this at 3:20 a.m. when I should be sleeping. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, especially in the years since October 2011 when I got laid off from my magazine job and have been forced to learn how to be self-employed. My business has grossed six figures the last two years (emphasis on grossed because I invest tens of thousands of dollars back into it and am investing even more this year), but I work hard for every dollar.
There's a lot of trial and error, usually more misses than hits, and, for me, the sense that I can never relax or let go. I'm starting retirement savings in my forties and have zero guarantee of future income. So while it may look like I'm a version of "successful," and I would say I feel somewhat successful, it's an ephemeral feeling. It's why I gobble up NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast and am reading books by the likes of Barbara Corcoran. Professional jealousy is really a time waster when you consider how many tasks go into building a business (yes, even "passive income" like book royalties). I spent part of Memorial Day making lists of which photos I have handy to post on the Best Women's Erotica Instagram account and drafting a so-long-they-may-not-read-it-all email to the authors in the next volume in the series (speaking of which, the deadline for the Volume 5 call for submissions is August 1, 2018, which will be here very soon). Most days my first waking thought is about my to-do list. So the idea that anyone would be jealous of my career seems laughable to me most days, because "success" doesn't always feel incredible and amazing. It's nice when I get a big (for me) royalty check, but I'm always aware that the next one could be half or a third or a tenth of that, or nothing. That keeps me in check and buckled down focusing on the next task or project or pitch (while also, of course, taking the time to promote the books and articles that are already out so that more people can hear about them, because that's part of this job too).
You can also follow me on Medium for essays several times a week, sometimes about books, sometimes about writing and publishing, sometimes on technology or travel or whatever I'm thinking about at the moment.
May 24, 2018
Don't miss your chance to get published in Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 from Cleis Press
The July 1, 2018 deadline for my
Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 call for submissions
is coming up and I haven't received too many submissions. I hope that's because all you budding writers of kinky bondage stories are brainstorming and writing and self-editing, but if not, I wanted to remind you that I WANT TO READ YOUR STORIES! And I'm especially looking to publish work by writers I've never worked with before, because I think it's good for readers, good for the genre and good for a new series to publish new (to me) writers.
So please spread the word. I'm paying $75 for original, unpublished stories. Everything else you could want to know is in the call, but if you have any questions after reading it, contact me at the email address listed there and I'll get back to you ASAP (might be a little slower in early June when I'll be traveling).
This anthology won't be published until late 2019, but it takes a long time to put together an amazing book that's proofread until it's as close to perfect as possible. If you want to know more about the timeline for my books (although I've since revised it a little to give myself and my copyeditor more time to do our work), read my Erotica Writing 101 post about why it takes so long to hear back from anthologies. Speaking of Erotica Writing 101, I am available to work with private clients on your erotic fiction or sex-related nonfiction projects, although I don't work on any pieces that authors plan to submit to my anthologies, as that would give those authors an unfair advantage. I'll be accepting new clients through June 1, 2018, and then again starting on June 18, 2018.
So please spread the word. I'm paying $75 for original, unpublished stories. Everything else you could want to know is in the call, but if you have any questions after reading it, contact me at the email address listed there and I'll get back to you ASAP (might be a little slower in early June when I'll be traveling).
This anthology won't be published until late 2019, but it takes a long time to put together an amazing book that's proofread until it's as close to perfect as possible. If you want to know more about the timeline for my books (although I've since revised it a little to give myself and my copyeditor more time to do our work), read my Erotica Writing 101 post about why it takes so long to hear back from anthologies. Speaking of Erotica Writing 101, I am available to work with private clients on your erotic fiction or sex-related nonfiction projects, although I don't work on any pieces that authors plan to submit to my anthologies, as that would give those authors an unfair advantage. I'll be accepting new clients through June 1, 2018, and then again starting on June 18, 2018.
May 23, 2018
New by me: Facebook's marketing problem when it comes to sex
This morning I was fired up and wrote a Medium essay/rant, "Facebook Has a Marketing Problem, and It's Spelled S-E-X."
You can see by the responses that I'm not the only one. If you read it, you'll learn I actually respect their decision to refuse adult product ads (though it's frustrating as an erotica editor). However, I'm specifically calling them out on sending me emails and courting my ad dollars on my page, when they will never accept said ads. To me, that's a bad user experience and bad business.
If you like the piece, please click the hands on the left and "clap" for it by holding it down for 1 to 50 claps. The more claps it gets, the more people who see it, and the more I get paid. I'm being told that someone from Facebook will be checking it out, but I'm not holding my breath.
You can see by the responses that I'm not the only one. If you read it, you'll learn I actually respect their decision to refuse adult product ads (though it's frustrating as an erotica editor). However, I'm specifically calling them out on sending me emails and courting my ad dollars on my page, when they will never accept said ads. To me, that's a bad user experience and bad business.
If you like the piece, please click the hands on the left and "clap" for it by holding it down for 1 to 50 claps. The more claps it gets, the more people who see it, and the more I get paid. I'm being told that someone from Facebook will be checking it out, but I'm not holding my breath.
May 19, 2018
Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica is out now!
After a lot of time and effort and trial and error, I'm thrilled to share the news that my first self-published anthology,
Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica
, with 35 very sexy and delicious food erotic adult stories, is now available on Kindle. If you're outside the U.S., use the universal Kindle link.
If you're one of the very small number of people who read my 2008 anthology Sex & Candy, you'll recognize 26 of the stories as reprints. There are nine all new original stories as well, some of which taught me new terms like cuberdons and De La Rosa. The whole reason I put this book out is because that original title was print only and when the original publisher closed, access to the stories closed since there was never an ebook or audiobook. I have several other books in the same dead-end situation that I may look into reviving down the road, if I make a profit with Candy Lovers, which I've spent a little over $2,100 on so far (I'll break down those numbers in a Medium post soon.
Official description:
If you're one of the very small number of people who read my 2008 anthology Sex & Candy, you'll recognize 26 of the stories as reprints. There are nine all new original stories as well, some of which taught me new terms like cuberdons and De La Rosa. The whole reason I put this book out is because that original title was print only and when the original publisher closed, access to the stories closed since there was never an ebook or audiobook. I have several other books in the same dead-end situation that I may look into reviving down the road, if I make a profit with Candy Lovers, which I've spent a little over $2,100 on so far (I'll break down those numbers in a Medium post soon.
Official description:
If you love the sweet taste of sugar melting on your tongue, the allure of chocolate and the exciting feeling of licking a creamy ice cream cone, you'll adore Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica. These 35 enticing stories of food play delve into the fun of popular desserts used in the most tactile, sensual ways. These men and women pursue their sexual fantasies, opening wide to indulge an offered treat or presenting their bodies to be used for sticky, arousing, totally hot carnal celebrations.As of now, I only plan to publish on Kindle, with an audiobook to follow later this year. I chose that partly because I get a better royalty rate from Amazon for being exclusive (70% instead of 35%), but even more so because the process was more complicated than I had expected and I wanted to simplify it, lest I give up entirely. So right now I'm simply relieved it's for sale. I still have to investigate getting into better categories than Fiction/Erotica, getting a sales rank, and have to send out copies to my authors. I'm sure there's an infinite number of things I could've done better, but I feel good about this first effort. I'll be posting about the resources I used and my self-published journey at Medium in the next few weeks, so follow me there if you want to learn more about it. I will say a huge thank you to Dayv Caraway of Stupid Fish Productions for the cover design and Jade A. Waters for formatting help. I also highly recommend checking out their ebooks and audiobooks; Stupid Fish has published many, and Jade just published her first, which I'll be posting more about soon. Without them, either there wouldn't be a Candy Lovers ebook, or it would be dreadfully ugly inside and out.
Whether whipping up the perfect confection in the kitchen, feeding a partner a sweet treat direct from your fingertips (or other body parts) or indulging all their senses in a sugar orgy, the characters in these sexy stories are sure to whet your appetite and turn you on. From couples using dessert to add even more intimacy to their relationships to new passions fueled by a shared love of the pleasures of the tongue, Candy Lovers is sure to arouse you. Edited by the award-winning Rachel Kramer Bussel, these are the perfect erotic tales to read whenever you're in the mood…with your favorite candy nearby.
May 17, 2018
I'm a needy writer - here's my essay on why I feel unworthy because Twitter didn't verify my account
My latest Medium essay is up. It's called "I Feel Dumb for Feeling Dumb That Twitter Didn't Verify My Account. Hope you enjoy it, and if you do, I'd appreciate your claps (what happens when you click the little hand symbol at the left of the essay and hold it down for 1-50 "claps," which are Medium's way of determining reader engagement and author pay). Thanks for reading and for validating me (kidding, sort of).
