Rachel Kramer Bussel's Blog, page 33
December 24, 2015
I have no idea how many words I wrote in 2015
I will be posting next week some of my favorite things I've written this year, and listing the publications I broke into in 2015, and other reflections on my year in writing. But one thing I won't be doing is sharing a grandiose, glamorous, impressive sounding number of words I wrote in the prior 365 days, because I don't have one. I have no clue how many words I write per day, or per month, or per year, because that's not how I calculate my output.
Why? Because for me, I tend to be focused on the finished product. I have umpteen half-finished stories and essays and articles that may or may not someday make it into a publishable form, but when I think about what I've written, it's generally about what I've then shared with other people. I love the moment when I hit the end, when I turn in a piece, or know it's edging closer to publication. I'm honored that this year, while most of my writing was read online, I got to hold newspapers and magazines in my hands and admire my words and byline on their ink-stained or glossy pages. Now, I'm not at all saying only published words are what "counts." Certainly, if you're writing a novel or novella or longer form work, especially, that's an unrealistic measurement. But in my case, even then, I am someone who can't afford to count her chickens before they're published, because then I get ahead of myself and forget to actually dig in and finish.
Yet while I measure my words by how they appear in their final, immutable form (although as a writer, I am always willing to tinker with them in my head post-publication, or imagine what if, or learn what I wish I'd done), I do think there can be something valuable to tracking how much you write. I was reminded of this while listening to Chris Fox on the podcast Write With Impact, which is one of the podcasts I recommended to writers. Fox is the author of the book 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter , which also has a corresponding iPhone app. I've read the book and downloaded the app and plan to use them starting next week to get me over some of my early morning hurdles of eek, I have so many things to write, where do I start?
There are lots of authors who do indeed track their output with a number. You can find various posts boasting of feats like "How I Wrote 400K Words in a Year" as Jamie Todd Rubin wrote at The Daily Beast. Maybe my resistance is self-defeating, because the truth is, I often overthink and over-research and then cannot cram all my thoughts and ideas and findings into a limited word count for an article. Or with fiction, I psych myself out because if I don't know the ending or full story when I start, I don't bother.
But for me, especially as I look back on what I did write in 2015 at this moment in the early morning hours of December 24th, I still want to pause and savor the feeling I had when the words got published, not the amount of them. I want to truly feel what it was like to create them, whether at a leisurely or a far more hectic pace. I want to remember what it felt like to be holed up in a hotel room in South Portland, Maine and write three articles in a day. I want to remember the pride I felt contacting interviewees and saying I was writing an article for The New York Times , plus the rush of editing said article from a hotel and in the car and then from my desk, then seeing people with far more advanced tech skills than I'll ever have make videos of opening the newspaper and zooming in on my piece. I want to remember watching porn from a hotel room in Krabi, Thailand, for research. I want to remember the way it felt to turn life's biggest frustrations and annoyances into words that helped soothe me, even for a few moments. I want to remember rereading my erotica story "Flying Solo," one of my rare second person stories, which I'd written the year before, and deciding, "Hey, this is pretty good," and putting it in my new book (which, I admit, doesn't count exactly as writing, but more like, selecting).
I want to remember the good and bad times, the agonizing, stressful moments writing caused me, the ones that woke me up early and occasionally made me cry, and the euphoric moments where I felt so damn happy and proud and eager and excited. Writing puts me through the gamut of emotions; it is an ever-present voice in my head, whispering in my ear, reminding me that this is my role in life, not just my job. Writing makes itself known to me even when I want to ignore it. While I am actively looking for ways to channel my 2016 writing output into both fruitful possibilities and ones that push me to try new things, which includes doing some of the writing sprints Fox suggests (sort of like sprints when you're working out, but with writing, but read his ebook or get his app for the full scoop), I don't think I will ever be converted to measuring writing in terms of numbers entirely, though I admit, I'm curious, not to much on a year's scale, but to see how many words I can create in a day, and how many I will keep after I'm done futzing with them. I want to see if I can jumpstart myself out of the fear that keeps trying to steer me toward the comfortable status quo and away from the big dreams. I want to go beyond my comfort zone, as I did this year, but also continue to remind myself what I want out of writing, why I do it, what it means to me on the most personal level.
Why? Because for me, I tend to be focused on the finished product. I have umpteen half-finished stories and essays and articles that may or may not someday make it into a publishable form, but when I think about what I've written, it's generally about what I've then shared with other people. I love the moment when I hit the end, when I turn in a piece, or know it's edging closer to publication. I'm honored that this year, while most of my writing was read online, I got to hold newspapers and magazines in my hands and admire my words and byline on their ink-stained or glossy pages. Now, I'm not at all saying only published words are what "counts." Certainly, if you're writing a novel or novella or longer form work, especially, that's an unrealistic measurement. But in my case, even then, I am someone who can't afford to count her chickens before they're published, because then I get ahead of myself and forget to actually dig in and finish.
Yet while I measure my words by how they appear in their final, immutable form (although as a writer, I am always willing to tinker with them in my head post-publication, or imagine what if, or learn what I wish I'd done), I do think there can be something valuable to tracking how much you write. I was reminded of this while listening to Chris Fox on the podcast Write With Impact, which is one of the podcasts I recommended to writers. Fox is the author of the book 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter , which also has a corresponding iPhone app. I've read the book and downloaded the app and plan to use them starting next week to get me over some of my early morning hurdles of eek, I have so many things to write, where do I start?
There are lots of authors who do indeed track their output with a number. You can find various posts boasting of feats like "How I Wrote 400K Words in a Year" as Jamie Todd Rubin wrote at The Daily Beast. Maybe my resistance is self-defeating, because the truth is, I often overthink and over-research and then cannot cram all my thoughts and ideas and findings into a limited word count for an article. Or with fiction, I psych myself out because if I don't know the ending or full story when I start, I don't bother.
But for me, especially as I look back on what I did write in 2015 at this moment in the early morning hours of December 24th, I still want to pause and savor the feeling I had when the words got published, not the amount of them. I want to truly feel what it was like to create them, whether at a leisurely or a far more hectic pace. I want to remember what it felt like to be holed up in a hotel room in South Portland, Maine and write three articles in a day. I want to remember the pride I felt contacting interviewees and saying I was writing an article for The New York Times , plus the rush of editing said article from a hotel and in the car and then from my desk, then seeing people with far more advanced tech skills than I'll ever have make videos of opening the newspaper and zooming in on my piece. I want to remember watching porn from a hotel room in Krabi, Thailand, for research. I want to remember the way it felt to turn life's biggest frustrations and annoyances into words that helped soothe me, even for a few moments. I want to remember rereading my erotica story "Flying Solo," one of my rare second person stories, which I'd written the year before, and deciding, "Hey, this is pretty good," and putting it in my new book (which, I admit, doesn't count exactly as writing, but more like, selecting).
I want to remember the good and bad times, the agonizing, stressful moments writing caused me, the ones that woke me up early and occasionally made me cry, and the euphoric moments where I felt so damn happy and proud and eager and excited. Writing puts me through the gamut of emotions; it is an ever-present voice in my head, whispering in my ear, reminding me that this is my role in life, not just my job. Writing makes itself known to me even when I want to ignore it. While I am actively looking for ways to channel my 2016 writing output into both fruitful possibilities and ones that push me to try new things, which includes doing some of the writing sprints Fox suggests (sort of like sprints when you're working out, but with writing, but read his ebook or get his app for the full scoop), I don't think I will ever be converted to measuring writing in terms of numbers entirely, though I admit, I'm curious, not to much on a year's scale, but to see how many words I can create in a day, and how many I will keep after I'm done futzing with them. I want to see if I can jumpstart myself out of the fear that keeps trying to steer me toward the comfortable status quo and away from the big dreams. I want to go beyond my comfort zone, as I did this year, but also continue to remind myself what I want out of writing, why I do it, what it means to me on the most personal level.
December 23, 2015
4 things this editor gives my anthology contributors in addition to paying them money
I am gearing up for the release of
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
, which hits bookstores and e-readers January 12th, and also to post the my new call for submissions for Cleis Press for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, which you can find on January 1 at bweoftheyear.com. The payment for authors for that volume, will be, as this one was, $100 per story. It's a fee I hope to be able to increase if I am given the opportunity to edit future volumes; I have no idea if that will happen, and right now my focus is on making the first volume as big a seller as I possibly can.
Already, I can tell you that I've gotten the woman I consider the very best erotica narrator around, who also happens to be a contributor to the book, Rose Caraway, as the narrator of the upcoming audiobook. That's one way I'm expanding the reach of this volume and ensuring that it reaches a wide readership/listenership.
Because I know that for most of us, that is a small sum in the grand scheme of bills to pay, I want to talk a little bit about what else I try to provide my authors. As a full-time freelance writer/editor/teacher/consultant, I know very well the value of money. I don't get paid sick days or holidays. I only get paid for work I produce, and that means that I'm highly aware of the value of every penny I spend and every penny I make. It's why I plan to tell those authors whose work is accepted this year to not waste their precious dollars sending their contracts via priority mail, when cheaper, regular old mail will do perfectly and won't cut into their $100 fee.
So because I'm aware that $100 isn't that much money, here's some of the other ways I try to support my authors:
1. Social media - I've made a Twitter list of the contributors to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 and am doing my best to promote them, retweet them, and share their additional news, such as free erotica stories.
2. Interviews - I try to give authors a way to promote their own work and to highlight the efforts they've put into crafting their stories in my books. In the case of this book, I'm doing a series of Q&As on Tumblr with my authors. So far, I've interviewed: Elizabeth Coldwell, Rose P. Lethe, Valerie Alexander and Theda Hudson.
3. Reviews - The moment I see one of my authors praised in a review of the book they're published in, I let them know. I also post those wonderful words highlighting their stories on social media, as I did with the recent Library Journal review. I want them to hear what people have to say about their work; of course, if a review pans my author, I won't go out of my way to point that out to them, but an up-and-coming author can use some of those reviews in their own promotional materials, to bolster a book proposal or simply to quote on their website.
4. Live events - Plug: come hear me read from Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 at these free events: January 19th, 6:30-8:30 pm at Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street, San Francisco, with Amy Butcher, Rose Caraway, Dorothy Freed and Jade A. Waters, and March 31st at The Pleasure Chest, 3436 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, from 6-7:30 pm with Tara Betts and Rose P. Lethe.
This is probably the most costly and time-consuming aspect of anthology editing. On one level, you could see it as me asking authors to provide free labor, because essentially, I am. I'm asking them to take time out of their day or night and read their story to a live audience. But why I think this is helpful to them is: a) they get to bond with audience members and grow their own fan base, b) they get to hear their work read aloud and find out how people respond to it in the flesh, c) they get to meet fellow contributors in person and b) returning to social media, I promote their name and, if they are amenable, their photo on social media. Their name may get mentioned in major media outlets that are listing the event. I firmly believe that live readings go a lot further than the limited number of people who will actually attend such an event. Simply getting your event "out there" means you're raising awareness of the existence of the book and those authors' work in the book.
Is there more I can do for my authors? Most likely, yes! I am in ongoing communication with them and open to suggestions, and hope to add new readings to the lineup in 2016. I want my contributors to feel proud of not just their bylines, but being part of this book as a whole. I want to give them as much support as I'm capable of given my time and resources. And as I said, my goal is to make this book and the next one sell far beyond my wildest dreams, which will enable me to do more promotions, more readers, and pay future authors even more money. For now, this is what I can offer, and I look forward to launching this book and reading submissions for the next one in the new year.
Already, I can tell you that I've gotten the woman I consider the very best erotica narrator around, who also happens to be a contributor to the book, Rose Caraway, as the narrator of the upcoming audiobook. That's one way I'm expanding the reach of this volume and ensuring that it reaches a wide readership/listenership.
Because I know that for most of us, that is a small sum in the grand scheme of bills to pay, I want to talk a little bit about what else I try to provide my authors. As a full-time freelance writer/editor/teacher/consultant, I know very well the value of money. I don't get paid sick days or holidays. I only get paid for work I produce, and that means that I'm highly aware of the value of every penny I spend and every penny I make. It's why I plan to tell those authors whose work is accepted this year to not waste their precious dollars sending their contracts via priority mail, when cheaper, regular old mail will do perfectly and won't cut into their $100 fee.
So because I'm aware that $100 isn't that much money, here's some of the other ways I try to support my authors:
1. Social media - I've made a Twitter list of the contributors to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 and am doing my best to promote them, retweet them, and share their additional news, such as free erotica stories.
2. Interviews - I try to give authors a way to promote their own work and to highlight the efforts they've put into crafting their stories in my books. In the case of this book, I'm doing a series of Q&As on Tumblr with my authors. So far, I've interviewed: Elizabeth Coldwell, Rose P. Lethe, Valerie Alexander and Theda Hudson.
3. Reviews - The moment I see one of my authors praised in a review of the book they're published in, I let them know. I also post those wonderful words highlighting their stories on social media, as I did with the recent Library Journal review. I want them to hear what people have to say about their work; of course, if a review pans my author, I won't go out of my way to point that out to them, but an up-and-coming author can use some of those reviews in their own promotional materials, to bolster a book proposal or simply to quote on their website.
4. Live events - Plug: come hear me read from Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 at these free events: January 19th, 6:30-8:30 pm at Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street, San Francisco, with Amy Butcher, Rose Caraway, Dorothy Freed and Jade A. Waters, and March 31st at The Pleasure Chest, 3436 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, from 6-7:30 pm with Tara Betts and Rose P. Lethe.
This is probably the most costly and time-consuming aspect of anthology editing. On one level, you could see it as me asking authors to provide free labor, because essentially, I am. I'm asking them to take time out of their day or night and read their story to a live audience. But why I think this is helpful to them is: a) they get to bond with audience members and grow their own fan base, b) they get to hear their work read aloud and find out how people respond to it in the flesh, c) they get to meet fellow contributors in person and b) returning to social media, I promote their name and, if they are amenable, their photo on social media. Their name may get mentioned in major media outlets that are listing the event. I firmly believe that live readings go a lot further than the limited number of people who will actually attend such an event. Simply getting your event "out there" means you're raising awareness of the existence of the book and those authors' work in the book.
Is there more I can do for my authors? Most likely, yes! I am in ongoing communication with them and open to suggestions, and hope to add new readings to the lineup in 2016. I want my contributors to feel proud of not just their bylines, but being part of this book as a whole. I want to give them as much support as I'm capable of given my time and resources. And as I said, my goal is to make this book and the next one sell far beyond my wildest dreams, which will enable me to do more promotions, more readers, and pay future authors even more money. For now, this is what I can offer, and I look forward to launching this book and reading submissions for the next one in the new year.
December 22, 2015
NSFW sexy holiday cards on Etsy
If there's one thing in this world I love, it's greeting cards. They might rival books as the item I'm most likely to always be ready to shop for. I adore cards, and always have, both sending and receiving them. So I was excited to write this Daily Dot article on sexy holiday gift cards sold on Etsy. I learned that they have an adult "mature content" filter and other interesting facts while researching this timely topic.
card by hi, love. greetings on Etsy
card by hi, love. greetings on Etsy
Your favorite bookstores, according to my newsletter subscribers
On Friday, I sent out my December newsletter with the subject line, "What's your favorite bookstore and why?" 38 of you responded (and are getting a free book as a thank you!). Some said that independent bookstores in their area have closed, some favorite Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The others from around the world listed these as their favorites, many of which I've heard of and in some cases, shopped at, many of which were new to me. The list also includes sex toy stores which sell books as well. I didn't plan to write a blog post about this, but I was so impressed with the store names and the stories behind them; readers are attached to their bookstores, and have passionate things to say about why they like their favorites.
I'll be reaching out to them about stocking what I think is the best book I've ever edited, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 . Want to receive my January newsletter, full of news and giveaways and other fun stuff? Subscribe on my website at rachelkramerbussel.com (left-hand side).
Do you have a favorite bookstore that's not listed here? Or a place that sells erotic books? Leave the name in the comments and I'll look into them too! (The free book offer is now over, but there will be more giveaways to newsletter subscribers next year.) Whatever you're reading, I hope you enjoy it.
Favorite bookstores according to my newsletter subscribers
A Cappella Books
Amazon.com
Bargain Books
Barnes & Noble
Bonnett's Bookstore
Bluestockings
The Book Exchange (Manteca, CA)
The Book Nook
Book Review
Book Soup
Books Inc.
The Bookshop on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Borderlands
Browse About Books (Rehoboth Beach)
Bureau of General Services -- Queer Division at the GLBT Center (NYC)
Busboys & Poets
Cupid’s Closet
Doctor John's Lingerie Boutique
Doylestown Bookstore
Early to Bed
Fireside Books
Half Price Books
Iliad Books
Kramerbooks and Afterwards
Liberty Bay Books
Loot
Modern Times
Passional
Politics & Prose
Powells
Powerhouse ARENA
Purple Passion
A Room of One’s Own
Strand Bookstore
The Tattered Cover
Unabridged Bookstore (Chicago)
Vroman’s
A Woman’s Touch
Women and Children First
Word Up
I'll be reaching out to them about stocking what I think is the best book I've ever edited, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 . Want to receive my January newsletter, full of news and giveaways and other fun stuff? Subscribe on my website at rachelkramerbussel.com (left-hand side).
Do you have a favorite bookstore that's not listed here? Or a place that sells erotic books? Leave the name in the comments and I'll look into them too! (The free book offer is now over, but there will be more giveaways to newsletter subscribers next year.) Whatever you're reading, I hope you enjoy it.
Favorite bookstores according to my newsletter subscribers
A Cappella Books
Amazon.com
Bargain Books
Barnes & Noble
Bonnett's Bookstore
Bluestockings
The Book Exchange (Manteca, CA)
The Book Nook
Book Review
Book Soup
Books Inc.
The Bookshop on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Borderlands
Browse About Books (Rehoboth Beach)
Bureau of General Services -- Queer Division at the GLBT Center (NYC)
Busboys & Poets
Cupid’s Closet
Doctor John's Lingerie Boutique
Doylestown Bookstore
Early to Bed
Fireside Books
Half Price Books
Iliad Books
Kramerbooks and Afterwards
Liberty Bay Books
Loot
Modern Times
Passional
Politics & Prose
Powells
Powerhouse ARENA
Purple Passion
A Room of One’s Own
Strand Bookstore
The Tattered Cover
Unabridged Bookstore (Chicago)
Vroman’s
A Woman’s Touch
Women and Children First
Word Up
December 21, 2015
Happy Monday: Library Journal likes Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1!
Got some great news this morning from my publisher, Cleis Press: Library Journal gave my new book
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
a great review! I'm overjoyed. You can read the introduction to the book on Tumblr. This book is near and dear to my heart, and part of my excitement is that I want to introduce the authors who are newly published in the book, or are starting out in their erotica writing careers, to a wider audience. So I was very happy to see "A New Canvas" by Tara Betts and "Scents & Sexuality" by Doriana Chase receive praise in this review. Also cool: Tara Betts will join me and contributor Rose P. Lethe at our Chicago reading on March 31st at The Pleasure Chest. It's free and I'm sure will be a lot of fun (bonus: free wine and other beverages). I typed up the review (which I don't think is online yet, but I'll link to it if they post it): 
Library Journal review
Edited for the first time by frequent anthology contributor and erotica veteran Bussel, this annual volume features short stories from a number of notable genre names, including L. Marie Adeline (“S.E.C.R.E.T.” trilogy) and Tiffany Reisz (“The Original Sinners” series). Bussel makes a point in the introduction to emphasize that all 21 selections were chosen for their strong depictions of nuanced, intelligent female characters with whom readers should identify, offering erotica that titillates while it “respects your mind.” The book lives up to that promise, opening with Tara Betts’s poetic “A New Canvas,” in which friends Angela and Troy redraw the lines of their relationship using their bodies for their canvas. Some pieces set a slow burn (a longtime work crush blossoms into something more when Ivy meets her boss Lennon at a kinky party in Reisz’s “The Assistant”), while others jump right into the action, such as Doriana Chase’s wry “Scents & Sexuality,” wherein Chase’s unnamed protagonist finds her senses kicked into high gear by the aroma of hot, hardworking gardener Jax.
VERDICT: With plenty of creative scenarios, styles, and positions, this impressive anthology is sure to be a hit among quality erotica fans.
Enter to win a $25 Amazon.com gift card when you pre-order Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
I'm putting my money where my excitement is and have 5 Amazon.com gift cards to give away 5 people who pre-order Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Details below. Good luck! This contest is open to anyone in the world but purchases must be made at Amazon.com to qualify.
How to enter
Pre-order the paperback or Kindle edition of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 by January 11, 2016. Winners will be seleted and notified on January 12, 2016. Instructions:
1. Purchase the paperback or Kindle edition of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 from Amazon.com (US) by January 11, 2016.
2. Forward receipt to bweoftheyear@gmail.com by January 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST.
3. You'll recieve a reply within 72 hours confirming that you're entered.
4. Winners will be selected and notified on January 12, 2016.
About the book
Introduction (read it on Tumblr)
A New Canvas Tara Betts
Demimonde Valerie Alexander
Ophelia the Second Jade A. Waters
Revisiting Youth J. Crichton and H. Keyes
Date Night D.R. Slaten
Flying Solo Rachel Kramer Bussel
Drawn by Nic Heidi Champa
The Ropes Elise King
Starstruck Lazuli Jones
The Altar of Lamented Toys Jessica Taylor
Matilda’s Secret L. Marie Adeline
Scents & Sexuality Doriana Chase
Alvin’s Night Elizabeth Coldwell
Enter Me Tabitha Rayne
The Wolf at His Door Deborah Castellano
Out of the Ordinary Rose P. Lethe
Lighting the Pyre Theda Hudson
Restitution Ria Restrepo
The Carnalarium Rose Caraway
Waiting to Pee Amy Butcher
Two Doms for Dinner Dorothy Freed
The Assistant Tiffany Reisz
How to enter
Pre-order the paperback or Kindle edition of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 by January 11, 2016. Winners will be seleted and notified on January 12, 2016. Instructions:
1. Purchase the paperback or Kindle edition of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 from Amazon.com (US) by January 11, 2016.
2. Forward receipt to bweoftheyear@gmail.com by January 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST.
3. You'll recieve a reply within 72 hours confirming that you're entered.
4. Winners will be selected and notified on January 12, 2016.
About the book
Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, edited by award-winning author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, delivers risky, romantic, heart-pounding thrills. Featuring a diverse range of characters, sexualities and scenarios, these 22 steamy stories revel in erotic adventure, from the sparks between strangers to the knowing caresses of longtime lovers. Women learn “The Ropes,” get “Starstruck” and dine with “Two Doms for Dinner.” Penned by beloved authors such as L. Marie Adeline and Tiffany Reisz along with newcomers to the genre, these sexy encounters will give you plenty of fantasy fodder to last all year long.Table of Contents
Introduction (read it on Tumblr)
A New Canvas Tara Betts
Demimonde Valerie Alexander
Ophelia the Second Jade A. Waters
Revisiting Youth J. Crichton and H. Keyes
Date Night D.R. Slaten
Flying Solo Rachel Kramer Bussel
Drawn by Nic Heidi Champa
The Ropes Elise King
Starstruck Lazuli Jones
The Altar of Lamented Toys Jessica Taylor
Matilda’s Secret L. Marie Adeline
Scents & Sexuality Doriana Chase
Alvin’s Night Elizabeth Coldwell
Enter Me Tabitha Rayne
The Wolf at His Door Deborah Castellano
Out of the Ordinary Rose P. Lethe
Lighting the Pyre Theda Hudson
Restitution Ria Restrepo
The Carnalarium Rose Caraway
Waiting to Pee Amy Butcher
Two Doms for Dinner Dorothy Freed
The Assistant Tiffany Reisz
How journalism helps me teach my erotica writing classes
I have to admit that when I first started teaching erotica writing classes about 6 or 7 years ago (I wish I knew when I taught my first one!), I didn't know what I was doing. I had a bit of impostor syndrome going on because I felt outclassed, yet simultaneously compelled to do this thing that felt new and risky and uncertain. Part of it was a natural outgrowth of my belief in forming community around writing.
Ever since my very first short story, "Monica and Me," was published in the anthology Best Lesbian Erotica 2001 and I organized a reading at Bluestockings Bookstore in Manhattan, and later went on to organize numerous others as well as run a five-year erotic reading series, community has been vital to my spirit and to my sense of what erotica writing is all about.
I started out writing erotica on a whim, at the tail end of law school, not knowing what I was doing but wanting to try it anyway. That first story led to writing more stories, which led to co-editing an anthology, which led to today, when I've got my 61st anthology, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 coming out. Just as I learned by doing both how to write erotica, how to organize readings, how to make book trailers, and all the attendant work of crafting erotica and putting out anthologies, so too have I learned how to teach my writing classes.
One skill that's helped me is my journalism background. No, not the journalism school I didn't go to, but the school of real life, where I've been freelance writing since around 2000, when I had various full-time jobs, and through the last four years of working for myself full-time. I've had to learn how to call up strangers, how to investigate online and off (though mainly online).
What I didn't expect was my journalism background to aid me in teaching erotica writing. I considered them two different types of writing: journalism was nonfiction and serious, erotica was fiction and less serious. But what I've found is that teaching erotica writing is an interesting hybrid of all my skills. Especially when I teach online at LitReactor for my 4-week Between the Sheets erotica writing class, I have time to dig deep into the topics I'm covering, and research answers to students' questions. That's been wonderfully educational for me, because it's broadened the scope of the class. Because a student early on asked a question about literary agents, I now have a list of literary agents who accept erotica and erotic romance, complete with details on what they are and aren't looking for, to provide to my students, and I'm constantly on the lookout to add to that list.
Same with topics like self-publishing, author branding, social media, taglines, incorporating multiple partners, and so on. Having the freedom to have that time to investigate, and having the confidence that comes with asking questions on behalf of my students, has meant that my original vision for my LitReactor class has been dwarfed by what it's become. It means that it's a constantly evolving project that changes each time I teach it, because different students have different questions.
I don't tend to think of the world as "right brain" and "left brain," but it's undeniable that I have a very artistic, creative, freeform side, and a more diligent, detailed, research-oriented side. Both of those converge perfectly for me when I teach, and are, I believe, part of what my students appreciate. It's not that I know the answer to every single question they may ask, but that I'm able to find out answers and provide resources to the questions I can't answer from personal experience. It's made me fearless in contacting major players in the erotic publishing world, and to my delight, almost all of them have responded to my queries and passed on valuable information.
So if you want to pick my brain for a month about erotica (and actually, longer than that, because all students get invited to my private online group of alumni to continue the discussions, questions and camaraderie), I recommend my LitReactor class, ideally if you have at least five hours a week to devote to it. That's what I consider the minimum input to get the most out of the class. With my February 11-March 10 class, LitReactor is offering an early bird price if you register by December 31st. The price will go up by $25 on January 1st. In the meantime, I'm contacting more publishers, editors, literary agents and authors to interview for this class to enhance it even further.
Questions about the class? Email me at rachelkb at gmail dot com with "LitReactor" in the subject line.
Ever since my very first short story, "Monica and Me," was published in the anthology Best Lesbian Erotica 2001 and I organized a reading at Bluestockings Bookstore in Manhattan, and later went on to organize numerous others as well as run a five-year erotic reading series, community has been vital to my spirit and to my sense of what erotica writing is all about.
I started out writing erotica on a whim, at the tail end of law school, not knowing what I was doing but wanting to try it anyway. That first story led to writing more stories, which led to co-editing an anthology, which led to today, when I've got my 61st anthology, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 coming out. Just as I learned by doing both how to write erotica, how to organize readings, how to make book trailers, and all the attendant work of crafting erotica and putting out anthologies, so too have I learned how to teach my writing classes.
One skill that's helped me is my journalism background. No, not the journalism school I didn't go to, but the school of real life, where I've been freelance writing since around 2000, when I had various full-time jobs, and through the last four years of working for myself full-time. I've had to learn how to call up strangers, how to investigate online and off (though mainly online).
What I didn't expect was my journalism background to aid me in teaching erotica writing. I considered them two different types of writing: journalism was nonfiction and serious, erotica was fiction and less serious. But what I've found is that teaching erotica writing is an interesting hybrid of all my skills. Especially when I teach online at LitReactor for my 4-week Between the Sheets erotica writing class, I have time to dig deep into the topics I'm covering, and research answers to students' questions. That's been wonderfully educational for me, because it's broadened the scope of the class. Because a student early on asked a question about literary agents, I now have a list of literary agents who accept erotica and erotic romance, complete with details on what they are and aren't looking for, to provide to my students, and I'm constantly on the lookout to add to that list.
Same with topics like self-publishing, author branding, social media, taglines, incorporating multiple partners, and so on. Having the freedom to have that time to investigate, and having the confidence that comes with asking questions on behalf of my students, has meant that my original vision for my LitReactor class has been dwarfed by what it's become. It means that it's a constantly evolving project that changes each time I teach it, because different students have different questions.
I don't tend to think of the world as "right brain" and "left brain," but it's undeniable that I have a very artistic, creative, freeform side, and a more diligent, detailed, research-oriented side. Both of those converge perfectly for me when I teach, and are, I believe, part of what my students appreciate. It's not that I know the answer to every single question they may ask, but that I'm able to find out answers and provide resources to the questions I can't answer from personal experience. It's made me fearless in contacting major players in the erotic publishing world, and to my delight, almost all of them have responded to my queries and passed on valuable information.
So if you want to pick my brain for a month about erotica (and actually, longer than that, because all students get invited to my private online group of alumni to continue the discussions, questions and camaraderie), I recommend my LitReactor class, ideally if you have at least five hours a week to devote to it. That's what I consider the minimum input to get the most out of the class. With my February 11-March 10 class, LitReactor is offering an early bird price if you register by December 31st. The price will go up by $25 on January 1st. In the meantime, I'm contacting more publishers, editors, literary agents and authors to interview for this class to enhance it even further.
Questions about the class? Email me at rachelkb at gmail dot com with "LitReactor" in the subject line.
December 20, 2015
The Best Women's Erotica of the Year series is now on Instagram, or why I'm putting everything I can into using book marketing tips for this title
Warning: You are going to be hearing a lot from me about my 61st anthology,
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
. I'm not apologizing, just letting you know. I've been editing anthologies since 2004, but working on this one feels in some ways like I'm doing it for the first time. Why? Because this one feels special in an entirely new way. It feels like I've been given an editorial gift that I don't want to squander. I will be announcing a call for submissions for the second volume on January 1st at bweoftheyear.com, and the deadline will be April 1, 2016, but for the first half of 2016, I will be focused on getting this book into as many stores as possible, and into the hands (and, later, ears) of as many readers as I can.
It feels momentous, like the culmination of all I've learned since that first anthology. I've done a lot right, and faltered here and there, with my anthologies, but I've discovered some of what both brings me joy about editing and what I think brings strength to the series. One of the things I'm most proud of is giving authors the opportunity to be published for the first time, such as Rose P. Lethe, whose story "Out of the Ordinary," about a couple where the trans man is having a tough time dealing with his disapproving family, and sex helps them bond as a couple. This is her first published erotica story. I hope to publish more authors' first published erotica in the series too.
So because this book is so important to me, I'm going all out in terms of promotion. I've been sending postcards to bookstores and sex toy stores to let them know about the book. I've been doing outreach on Twitter and via email. So far, I can tell you that Good Vibrations, with stores in the San Francisco Bay Area and Brookline, Massachusetts, and Toronto sex toy stores Come As You Are and Good for Her will have Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, when it comes out on January 12th, and postcards for it in the next few weeks. I hope to add to that list in a big way.
I've planned free readings, happening January 19th in San Francisco at Good Vibrations Polk Street and March 31st in Chicago at The Pleasure Chest, where I look forward to reading with contributors, especially those I've never met in person before.
I'm also trying something new with social media. In addition to Best Women's Erotica of the Year being on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, I've set up an Instagram account for the series.
Due to my making a typo the first time around, the title is not the full series name, but bestwomenseroticaofyearseries, which I think captures what this is: a series devoted to women's erotica. I look forward to posting photos from stores that stock it, and from our readings and events, and maybe even a short video here and there. Please feel free to follow the series, and I'll follow back (my personal Instagram account is rachelkramerbussel).
Thank you for your support for this book! Anything you can do to help it succeed is much appreciated. Here's some suggestions:
1. Follow us on one of the above social media platforms and share the news that the book is coming out.
2. Back our Thunderclap campaign. By doing so, you'll allow Thunderclap to post one time on January 12th on your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr account letting people know the book is out.
3. Pre-order the book on Amazon or another online bookstore.
3. Pre-order the book at your local independent bookstore.
5. Mark Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 as want to read on Goodreads.
6. Come to one of our events! Or let me know where you'd like to see us do a reading by emailing bweoftheyear at gmail.com
7. On January 12th or afterwards, leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon or Bn.com or Powells or your blog or anywhere else. Tag the book on social media or send the link to bweoftheyear at gmail.com so I can spread the word.
8. On January 1, check out the call for submissions for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, and if you qualify, consider submitting your work, or share the call with a writer you'd like to see published in this series.
Thank you for reading! I can't wait to share these 22 amazingly hot, sexy, creative, fun, wonderful stories with the world.
It feels momentous, like the culmination of all I've learned since that first anthology. I've done a lot right, and faltered here and there, with my anthologies, but I've discovered some of what both brings me joy about editing and what I think brings strength to the series. One of the things I'm most proud of is giving authors the opportunity to be published for the first time, such as Rose P. Lethe, whose story "Out of the Ordinary," about a couple where the trans man is having a tough time dealing with his disapproving family, and sex helps them bond as a couple. This is her first published erotica story. I hope to publish more authors' first published erotica in the series too.
So because this book is so important to me, I'm going all out in terms of promotion. I've been sending postcards to bookstores and sex toy stores to let them know about the book. I've been doing outreach on Twitter and via email. So far, I can tell you that Good Vibrations, with stores in the San Francisco Bay Area and Brookline, Massachusetts, and Toronto sex toy stores Come As You Are and Good for Her will have Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, when it comes out on January 12th, and postcards for it in the next few weeks. I hope to add to that list in a big way.
I've planned free readings, happening January 19th in San Francisco at Good Vibrations Polk Street and March 31st in Chicago at The Pleasure Chest, where I look forward to reading with contributors, especially those I've never met in person before.
I'm also trying something new with social media. In addition to Best Women's Erotica of the Year being on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, I've set up an Instagram account for the series.
Due to my making a typo the first time around, the title is not the full series name, but bestwomenseroticaofyearseries, which I think captures what this is: a series devoted to women's erotica. I look forward to posting photos from stores that stock it, and from our readings and events, and maybe even a short video here and there. Please feel free to follow the series, and I'll follow back (my personal Instagram account is rachelkramerbussel).
Thank you for your support for this book! Anything you can do to help it succeed is much appreciated. Here's some suggestions:
1. Follow us on one of the above social media platforms and share the news that the book is coming out.
2. Back our Thunderclap campaign. By doing so, you'll allow Thunderclap to post one time on January 12th on your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr account letting people know the book is out.
3. Pre-order the book on Amazon or another online bookstore.
3. Pre-order the book at your local independent bookstore.
5. Mark Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 as want to read on Goodreads.
6. Come to one of our events! Or let me know where you'd like to see us do a reading by emailing bweoftheyear at gmail.com
7. On January 12th or afterwards, leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon or Bn.com or Powells or your blog or anywhere else. Tag the book on social media or send the link to bweoftheyear at gmail.com so I can spread the word.
8. On January 1, check out the call for submissions for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, and if you qualify, consider submitting your work, or share the call with a writer you'd like to see published in this series.
Thank you for reading! I can't wait to share these 22 amazingly hot, sexy, creative, fun, wonderful stories with the world.
December 17, 2015
The curse of copyediting, or, there will be probably be typos in my new book so I'm apologizing in advance
Now that my new anthology
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
, is officially shipping from the printers to my door (and to bookstores everywhere very soon), it's time I confessed something that I dread but know to be an inevitable truth: there will be typos in this book. I mean, I could be wrong, and between my ace copyediting skills and my publisher's copyeditor, this could be one of the very few books that ever makes it to publication without typos. But I don't think it will be.
I realized this as I spent many hours revisiting the stories in the book to copyedit it. I wound up turning in 74 changes to my publisher, then thought, If I found 74 errors, there's got to be more. This is what keeps me up at night as an anthology editor. I already hate it when mistakes find their way into my writing, which is sometimes my fault for making errors, and sometimes means those inaccuracies have been introduced after the piece has left my computer/control. But either way, my name is going to be on the spine and cover of this book. As I learned in my intellectual property classes in law school, the individual stories may be copyrighted to the authors, but the book itself is my work, and my reputation is at stake.
So as much as I'm eagerly awaiting a giant box of books arriving at my home, I'm fearful. Because these are the kinds of things I asked my publisher to change:
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and for me, knowing there were so many typos that I found gave me pause. Will I be considered a horrible editor writers don't want to work with if there's something there shouldn't be in their story? Or will writers understand that there are so many steps along the way of the publishing process that catching every single error in 65,000+ words is probably close to impossible?
I will certainly say that copyediting my book, one I'm so proud of and think is my very best work ever as an erotica anthology editor, one that I'm hoping goes on to be my bestselling anthology, gave me much more empathy for other authors and editors. I say this as someone who's seen my last name misspelled on the cover of an anthology I had a story published in, which, I won't lie, made me a little less inclined to promote it. But we are all human. It doesn't matter that I teach erotica writing classes or have been widely published or "should have caught it." The reality is: I'm not perfect (as you can probably tell by my poor Twitter screenshots embedded here). I make mistakes, just like everyone else, and I take responsibility for them, which is what I'm preemptively doing here.
Typos don't care that I was a full-time magazine editor for seven years and spent much of that time wielding a red pen and the copyediting marks I was taught at that job, or that this is my 61st anthology or that I believe in it so strongly and am counting the days until publication. It doesn't matter how many hours I hovered over those pages with my red pen, circling and underlining and noting questions and Googling. All that matters is the final product. In a day or two, that final book, in all its glossy, sexy, unchangeable glory, will be in my hands. I will be proud of it, and I hope the 22 other contributors who wrote amazing, daring, wonderful stories, will be too. But I apologize in advance for any typos you may find. I promise, I did my best, and I will continue to do so next time. Cliffhanger: stay tuned for my January announcement of a new call for submissions.
I realized this as I spent many hours revisiting the stories in the book to copyedit it. I wound up turning in 74 changes to my publisher, then thought, If I found 74 errors, there's got to be more. This is what keeps me up at night as an anthology editor. I already hate it when mistakes find their way into my writing, which is sometimes my fault for making errors, and sometimes means those inaccuracies have been introduced after the piece has left my computer/control. But either way, my name is going to be on the spine and cover of this book. As I learned in my intellectual property classes in law school, the individual stories may be copyrighted to the authors, but the book itself is my work, and my reputation is at stake.
So as much as I'm eagerly awaiting a giant box of books arriving at my home, I'm fearful. Because these are the kinds of things I asked my publisher to change:
change “Michoacan” to “Michoacán” (thank goodness for Google!)Were they mainly small changes? Mainly, yes, but some were big. Either way, I know that when I'm reading an ebook or print book and there's a typo, it pulls me out of the story. Sometimes I have to pause and think, Is this what they really meant? I even called out a typo when writing an otherwise positive piece about a food erotica story, because when I read the sentence "Suddenly I felt it envelope my cock" it definitely pulled me out of the story.
change “onto to each other” to “onto each other”
change “Holyhot guy” to “Holy-hot guy”
on one line, I changed "my hands" to "my hand," and two lines later, changed "my hand" to "my hands"
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and for me, knowing there were so many typos that I found gave me pause. Will I be considered a horrible editor writers don't want to work with if there's something there shouldn't be in their story? Or will writers understand that there are so many steps along the way of the publishing process that catching every single error in 65,000+ words is probably close to impossible?
I will certainly say that copyediting my book, one I'm so proud of and think is my very best work ever as an erotica anthology editor, one that I'm hoping goes on to be my bestselling anthology, gave me much more empathy for other authors and editors. I say this as someone who's seen my last name misspelled on the cover of an anthology I had a story published in, which, I won't lie, made me a little less inclined to promote it. But we are all human. It doesn't matter that I teach erotica writing classes or have been widely published or "should have caught it." The reality is: I'm not perfect (as you can probably tell by my poor Twitter screenshots embedded here). I make mistakes, just like everyone else, and I take responsibility for them, which is what I'm preemptively doing here.
Typos don't care that I was a full-time magazine editor for seven years and spent much of that time wielding a red pen and the copyediting marks I was taught at that job, or that this is my 61st anthology or that I believe in it so strongly and am counting the days until publication. It doesn't matter how many hours I hovered over those pages with my red pen, circling and underlining and noting questions and Googling. All that matters is the final product. In a day or two, that final book, in all its glossy, sexy, unchangeable glory, will be in my hands. I will be proud of it, and I hope the 22 other contributors who wrote amazing, daring, wonderful stories, will be too. But I apologize in advance for any typos you may find. I promise, I did my best, and I will continue to do so next time. Cliffhanger: stay tuned for my January announcement of a new call for submissions.
December 15, 2015
Hear sexy erotica and learn how to write it with me in 2016 in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago
I'm thrilled to have my new anthology
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
hitting bookstore shelves (and ebook retailers) on January 12th, and despite moving on that same day, I'm taking myself on the road to promote it. I love doing readings, even though they aren't the most practical or economical of events, because I get to meet the authors whose words I fell for in the editing process and hear them read their stories in front of a live audience. I've been organizing readings since my very first erotica story was published in 2000; forming community and letting people hear erotica read aloud has always been part of what's drawn me to the genre and an integral part of how I operate. After I hear the author read, I always think of the story a little bit differently, and I know audiences remember the story differently as well.
Plus, bottom line (not "button line," as I somehow inadvertently typed at first): they're fun. Words on a page will always remain the same, but words read aloud will never be 100% identical. There may be a change in tone, a certain inflection, a raised eyebrow, a hand gesture, a cheer or hoot or moan or laugh from an audience member. Who knows what will happen? I've had authors bring props to readings and use them to perfect effect. I've had passages I thought for sure were intended with a certain tone read completely differently. That's the beauty, the magic, the joy and the thrill of live readings, and why I'm going out of my way (literally and figuratively) to do them. I believe so much in this book and this series. I want it to sell well, yes, but I also want it to live beyond the pages of print books and electronic screens. I want it to feel alive, captivating. I want to host had-to-be-there events for those who can attend. Yes, you'll be able to buy the audiobook narrated by the woman I think is the best erotica narrator around, Rose Caraway, in a few months. That will surely be hot too. But nothing beats the aliveness, the camaraderie, the excitement of a live reading. I still believe that, 15 or so years after organizing that first one.
So even though these days I'm mainly a suburban homebody and like it that way, I am thrilled to be organizing readings for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Right now, two are booked, both free and open to the public, Tuesday, January 19th from 6:30-8:30 at Good Vibrations at 1620 Polk Street in San Francisco and Thursday, March 31st from 6-7:30 pm at The Pleasure Chest at 3436 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, with wine and other beverages. I'll be sharing more about them and will have official links very soon, but wanted to tell you so you can mark your calendars and let friends in the area know. Can't make the readings? (Or even if you can!) Please show your support by backing the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 Thunderclap. It'll take you less than a minute; all you do is authorize Thunderclap to post a one-time post on your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr accounts. That's it! Then on January 12th, the publication date, they will let your followers know the book is out. Also: I'll have postcards at my events, but if you're in the U.S. and want one in the mail, just fill out this form and I'll mail you one!
My other 2016 events are listed below, including my online only 4-week LitReactor erotica writing class, and one more special new workshop is being finalized for Thursday, March 10th at Brooklyn sex toy store Please. I'll update this post and my website's calendar page as details become available.
January 17, time TBA (daytime)
Sex Writing 101 workshop (nonfiction), SHE LA
Learn how to write about your sex life and get paid. See sexualhealthexpo.com for details and schedule. Register here. $25 gets you into both days of SHE, January 16 and 17, and if you use the code PLSRCHST you'll get 2 for 1 admission, so you can bring a friend free (or split the cost with them). The full lineup will be announced soon, as will the timing of my workshop. Get a sneak peeking this Xbiz preview, but note that this is a nonfiction sex writing workshop, not erotica (see the next entry for my erotica workshop).
Sexual Health Expo, Hilton Universal City Hotel, 555 Universal Hollywood Dr., Universal City, CA 91608
January 17, time TBA (evening)
Erotica Writing 101 workshop, West Hollywood, CA
Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, and The Big Book of Orgasms and more, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. She'll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. Please bring paper or writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. Timing and registration TBA: contact The Pleasure Chest for more information.
The Pleasure Chest, 7733 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 323-650-1022
January 19, 6:30-8:30 pm
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 reading
Visit Good Vibrations and its Antique Vibrator Museum, as you join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and contributors Amy Butcher, Rose Caraway, Dorothy Freed and Jade A. Waters for a hot reading of this brand new Cleis Press anthology, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street (at Sacramento Street), San Francisco, CA, 415-345-0400
February 11-March 10
LitReactor Between the Sheets online erotica writing class4-week online class taught by Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 50 erotica anthologies and contributor to over 100 anthologies, including the Best American Erotica, Best Women's Erotica, Best Gay Erotica and Best Lesbian Erotica series. See URL above for weekly lecture and assignment topics. Also includes weekly writing critiques from Bussel and fellow students, discussion board, resources on author branding, pen names and submitting your work, extensive market information plus over a dozen exclusive Q&As with publishers, editors and agents, along with authors (traditionally published and self-published) such as Tiffany Reisz, Charlotte Stein, Cecilia Tan, Rebekah Weatherspoon and more about how they've broken into erotica. Students will have continued access to all classroom postings on LitReactor.com once class is over plus access to private alumni Facebook group for further discussion. Class is limited to 16 people and is likely to sell out. Students can be anonymous and take part from anywhere in the world on their schedule. $350 if you register by December 31; $375 January 1 or later. Questions? Email Rachel at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with “LitReactor” in the subject line.
March 10, time TBA
New workshop by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Please, 557 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope), main at pleasenewyork.com, 718-788-6969
March 31, 6-7:30 pm
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 reading
Join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and contributors including Tara Betts for a reading followed by a book signing. Wine and other beverages will be served.
The Pleasure Chest, 3436 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, 773-525-7151
April 1, 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Erotica Writing 101 workshop, Chicago
In this three hour workshop Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Cheeky Spanking Stories and Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You’ll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, and using social media to promote your work and do outreach. She’ll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market, including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites. Please bring paper and writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided.
This class will take place on Friday, April 1, 2016 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page and do not have to attend CatalystCon to take the workshop. $45/person. Register here.
Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
April 1, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sex Writing 101 (nonfiction) workshop, Chicago
In this three hour workshop, writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel will cover all you need to know about writing about sex, including blogging, first-person essays and journalism. You’ll learn how to ethically write about your love life, what editors are looking for, where to find experts on sexuality topics, and how to stay abreast of current sex news. Whether you’re looking to write a sex blog, column, articles or books, you’ll find out how to pitch, how much money you can expect to make, and how to maximize your editorial opportunities. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, using social media to promote your work and do outreach, and how to pitch stories. Rachel is the author of Sex & Cupcakes: A Juicy Collection of Essays, a sex columnist for DAME, and was a sex columnist for The Village Voice, Penthouse, Philadelphia City Paper and The Frisky, and has written about sexuality for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Elle.com, Glamour, Inked, Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine, Salon, Slate, Time.com, xoJane and many other publications. A resource list covering markets for sex-related pieces, including editors who are actively looking for pitches, will be provided.
This class will take place on Friday, April 1, 2016 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page and do not have to attend CatalystCon to take the workshop. $45/person. Register here.
Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
April 2 or 3
Moderating panel, Sharing Your Sex Life on the Page and the Stage
I'll be moderating this CatalystCon panel featuring Eric Barry, Lola and Suzy Spencer. Open to CatalystCon attendees.
CatalystCon, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
Plus, bottom line (not "button line," as I somehow inadvertently typed at first): they're fun. Words on a page will always remain the same, but words read aloud will never be 100% identical. There may be a change in tone, a certain inflection, a raised eyebrow, a hand gesture, a cheer or hoot or moan or laugh from an audience member. Who knows what will happen? I've had authors bring props to readings and use them to perfect effect. I've had passages I thought for sure were intended with a certain tone read completely differently. That's the beauty, the magic, the joy and the thrill of live readings, and why I'm going out of my way (literally and figuratively) to do them. I believe so much in this book and this series. I want it to sell well, yes, but I also want it to live beyond the pages of print books and electronic screens. I want it to feel alive, captivating. I want to host had-to-be-there events for those who can attend. Yes, you'll be able to buy the audiobook narrated by the woman I think is the best erotica narrator around, Rose Caraway, in a few months. That will surely be hot too. But nothing beats the aliveness, the camaraderie, the excitement of a live reading. I still believe that, 15 or so years after organizing that first one.
So even though these days I'm mainly a suburban homebody and like it that way, I am thrilled to be organizing readings for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Right now, two are booked, both free and open to the public, Tuesday, January 19th from 6:30-8:30 at Good Vibrations at 1620 Polk Street in San Francisco and Thursday, March 31st from 6-7:30 pm at The Pleasure Chest at 3436 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, with wine and other beverages. I'll be sharing more about them and will have official links very soon, but wanted to tell you so you can mark your calendars and let friends in the area know. Can't make the readings? (Or even if you can!) Please show your support by backing the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 Thunderclap. It'll take you less than a minute; all you do is authorize Thunderclap to post a one-time post on your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr accounts. That's it! Then on January 12th, the publication date, they will let your followers know the book is out. Also: I'll have postcards at my events, but if you're in the U.S. and want one in the mail, just fill out this form and I'll mail you one!
My other 2016 events are listed below, including my online only 4-week LitReactor erotica writing class, and one more special new workshop is being finalized for Thursday, March 10th at Brooklyn sex toy store Please. I'll update this post and my website's calendar page as details become available.
January 17, time TBA (daytime)
Sex Writing 101 workshop (nonfiction), SHE LA
Learn how to write about your sex life and get paid. See sexualhealthexpo.com for details and schedule. Register here. $25 gets you into both days of SHE, January 16 and 17, and if you use the code PLSRCHST you'll get 2 for 1 admission, so you can bring a friend free (or split the cost with them). The full lineup will be announced soon, as will the timing of my workshop. Get a sneak peeking this Xbiz preview, but note that this is a nonfiction sex writing workshop, not erotica (see the next entry for my erotica workshop).
Sexual Health Expo, Hilton Universal City Hotel, 555 Universal Hollywood Dr., Universal City, CA 91608
January 17, time TBA (evening)
Erotica Writing 101 workshop, West Hollywood, CA
Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, and The Big Book of Orgasms and more, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. She'll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. Please bring paper or writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. Timing and registration TBA: contact The Pleasure Chest for more information.
The Pleasure Chest, 7733 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 323-650-1022
January 19, 6:30-8:30 pm
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 reading
Visit Good Vibrations and its Antique Vibrator Museum, as you join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and contributors Amy Butcher, Rose Caraway, Dorothy Freed and Jade A. Waters for a hot reading of this brand new Cleis Press anthology, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street (at Sacramento Street), San Francisco, CA, 415-345-0400
February 11-March 10
LitReactor Between the Sheets online erotica writing class4-week online class taught by Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 50 erotica anthologies and contributor to over 100 anthologies, including the Best American Erotica, Best Women's Erotica, Best Gay Erotica and Best Lesbian Erotica series. See URL above for weekly lecture and assignment topics. Also includes weekly writing critiques from Bussel and fellow students, discussion board, resources on author branding, pen names and submitting your work, extensive market information plus over a dozen exclusive Q&As with publishers, editors and agents, along with authors (traditionally published and self-published) such as Tiffany Reisz, Charlotte Stein, Cecilia Tan, Rebekah Weatherspoon and more about how they've broken into erotica. Students will have continued access to all classroom postings on LitReactor.com once class is over plus access to private alumni Facebook group for further discussion. Class is limited to 16 people and is likely to sell out. Students can be anonymous and take part from anywhere in the world on their schedule. $350 if you register by December 31; $375 January 1 or later. Questions? Email Rachel at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with “LitReactor” in the subject line.
March 10, time TBA
New workshop by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Please, 557 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope), main at pleasenewyork.com, 718-788-6969
March 31, 6-7:30 pm
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 reading
Join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and contributors including Tara Betts for a reading followed by a book signing. Wine and other beverages will be served.
The Pleasure Chest, 3436 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, 773-525-7151
April 1, 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Erotica Writing 101 workshop, Chicago
In this three hour workshop Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Cheeky Spanking Stories and Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You’ll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, and using social media to promote your work and do outreach. She’ll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market, including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites. Please bring paper and writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided.
This class will take place on Friday, April 1, 2016 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page and do not have to attend CatalystCon to take the workshop. $45/person. Register here.
Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
April 1, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sex Writing 101 (nonfiction) workshop, Chicago
In this three hour workshop, writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel will cover all you need to know about writing about sex, including blogging, first-person essays and journalism. You’ll learn how to ethically write about your love life, what editors are looking for, where to find experts on sexuality topics, and how to stay abreast of current sex news. Whether you’re looking to write a sex blog, column, articles or books, you’ll find out how to pitch, how much money you can expect to make, and how to maximize your editorial opportunities. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, using social media to promote your work and do outreach, and how to pitch stories. Rachel is the author of Sex & Cupcakes: A Juicy Collection of Essays, a sex columnist for DAME, and was a sex columnist for The Village Voice, Penthouse, Philadelphia City Paper and The Frisky, and has written about sexuality for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Elle.com, Glamour, Inked, Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine, Salon, Slate, Time.com, xoJane and many other publications. A resource list covering markets for sex-related pieces, including editors who are actively looking for pitches, will be provided.
This class will take place on Friday, April 1, 2016 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page and do not have to attend CatalystCon to take the workshop. $45/person. Register here.
Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
April 2 or 3
Moderating panel, Sharing Your Sex Life on the Page and the Stage
I'll be moderating this CatalystCon panel featuring Eric Barry, Lola and Suzy Spencer. Open to CatalystCon attendees.
CatalystCon, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
