Rachel Kramer Bussel's Blog, page 83

Get social media tips tonight from Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook

I brought Gary Vaynerchuk's new book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World with me from New Jersey to Albuquerque to Santa Fe to Austin. I actually planned to leave my copy there because it's heavy but as I began reading I realized I have oodles to learn from it about how to optimize my professional social media use. That's my little personal two cents. More about the book and Gary's event tonight with New York Observer editor in chief Ken Kurson at Barnes & Noble Union Square at observer.com.

New York reading tomorrow night with Slash Coleman, Sweta Vikram and Donna Minkowitz

Tomorrow night, November 26th, I'm reading at Loft 227; all the details are on Facebook and Slash's site and below. I'll have copies of The Big Book of Orgasms , which I'll be reading from, and a few other books to sell, and postcards and bookmarks to give out.



November 26, 7 p.m.
Loft 227, 227 W 29th Street Suite 4F, NYC
Literary Mischief w/ Slash Coleman: Season 1 Show 5
New York, NY (NYC) - 11/26
Hashtag: #MissLit

Slash Coleman (PBS producer and author of “The Bohemian Love Diaries”) hosts an evening of inspired literary mischief with three of New York City's most eclectic authors: Sweta Vikram, Donna Minkowitz & Rachel Kramer Bussel presenting stories from their latest books, compelling, offbeat interviews with the writers with time to spare for Q&A and stimulating conversation.

I'm on iTunes: erotica books and audiobooks

For your shopping convenience, all my iTunes books and audiobooks in one handy link. This includes the audiobook of Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex , which has outsold the print and ebook versions combined recently, and has outsold my next highest-selling audiobook by 5 to 1 in the last royalty period, all because of podcaster and narrator Rose Caraway, who not only recorded 5 free audio erotica stories from the book, but went out of her way to make it a success, and to whom I owe an endless round of thanks for her dedication, professionalism and all around awesomeness. I am overjoyed that she will be narrating The Big Book of Orgasms. Her passion for her work has led to a wide new audience for my first book of short shorts.

My book is on PostSecret and Amazon's most gifted erotica book list!

The good news keeps pouring in for the best book I've ever edited, The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories ! I've been honored and thrilled that the book is making such a connection with readers and am looking forward to our January 3rd reading at The Museum of Sex as part of Between the Covers. I got an email last night that someone took the book's postcard, wrote some kickass news on it, and sent it to PostSecret! I hope that all erotica writers can do what they love for a living, and that all my The Big Book of Orgasms contributors have smashing success in their writing careers. Thank you, fairy book mother or father, for helping this little book reach a whole new audience. You made my weekend!



I also saw that The Big Book of Orgasms is the 26th most gifted erotica book on Amazon, right behind mega blockbuster Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James. Go us!



Speaking of Amazon, here's what some reviewers are saying, such as DeDe Deylnn, who you can read more of on her blog:

So many steamy scenes happen and this book has opened up my perspective on new places, scenarios, and perspectives on having a good orgasm. There are plenty of queer stories, by queer writer, included in this book that would make anyone very happy. Two of my favorites: a story about two men at a construction site and the other a dominate woman and a man playing with power, control, and orgasm denial. It's so hot. I totally suggest you check this book out.

And Alex:

Another great thing about this compilation is that the stories, while short, are long enough to get both the mind and the juices flowing. Explicit enough to intrigue and leave you wanting more without being blatant and overbearing. These stories are involved enough to spark discussion and desire.

One of my favorites is "Under the table," by Elizabeth Caldwell, which creates the setting for a hot fantasy about getting hot and bothered in a restaurant but leaves enough of the picture left for me to finish the scene on my own. Another is "The Massage," by Lady Cheeky, which gets a bit detailed as the author goes from anticipation to post-orgasm jelly... there are very few things, in this world, as great as either giving, or receiving, that kind of whole body, orgasm.

Brunch in Brooklyn today with Tionna Smalls

Yesterday I got to write about one of my favorite movies, Preaching to the Perverted, in my New York Observer CineKink writeup, and today I found a fun brunch for those of you in Brooklyn, featuring former Gawker columnist and VH1 star on What Chilli Wants, Tionna Smalls. Please do keep sending me your New York City events, ideally with 2 weeks notice, to 8dayweek at observer.com - I'm doing this until January 8th, though you can always send to that address and find the listings in the print paper every Wednesday and online daily at observer.com. To those not in New York, maybe you know someone who'd like these events. I know not everyone is local, but I'll be posting most of these to spread the word.

Getting hyperlocal in New Jersey and Maine

I love the direction that blogging is going with hyperlocal blogs. I live in Red Bank, New Jersey, and we have the wonderful redbankgreen.com to stay informed about all sorts of events and news about our town. I was thrilled that Asbury Pulp wrote this headline about me and The Big Book of Orgasms: "Rachel’s ‘Orgasms’ shake the Jersey Shore – and much of the nation." How could I not be?



More local love from The Portland Buzz about my December 3 Erotica 101 writing workshop at Nomia in Portland, Maine. At least half the 18 seats are spoken for so if you're interested, I strongly encourage you to call Nomia at 207-773-4774 and register soon ($20/person). I can't wait to return to Maine!

BDSM erotic romance Matzoh and Mistletoe First Look at Heroes & Heartbreakers

I reviewed BDSM erotic novella Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin over at Heroes & Heartbreakers, a must-bookmark site for romance readers!

6 sex and erotica Kindle ebooks for $1.99 each - limited time flash sale (aka, I have no idea how long this sale will last!)

6 of my Cleis Press Kindle ebooks are on sale for only $1.99 - I literally have no idea how long this promotion will last so if you're interested in my erotica and/or Best Sex Writing 2012, guest judged by Susie Bright, at rock bottom Kindle prices, I'd buy them now. Happy e-reading! Click on covers to purchase and to look inside (that's just how the cover images came through via Amazon).


Fast Girls: Erotica for Women


Suite Encounters: Hotel Sex Stories


Irresistible: Erotic Romance for Women


Only You: Erotic Romance for Women


Instruments of Pleasure; Sex Toy Erotica


Best Sex Writing 2012: The State of Today's Sexual Culture

Go see Lady Rizo tonight at Joe's Pub for her Violet CD release party!

If you're in New York, go see Lady Rizo's Violet CD release party tonight at Joe's Pub! She gave me the scoop for The New York Observer. Trust me, it'll be an amazing show.

What you'll learn in my erotic writing workshops and other interview questions answered

A journalist contacted me about doing an interview that wound up not running, so I thought I'd share it with you. My upcoming erotic writing classes are December 3rd at Nomia in Portland, Maine and January 17th at the New York Academy of Sex Education in New York and erotica and nonfiction sex writing workshops March 14th pre-CatalystCon; if you're interested in booking me for 2014, email me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with "Workshop" in the subject line about details, timing and budget. Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to Bookwoman in Austin for one of the best workshops I've ever taught!

How did you get started in the world of erotic writing?

I was in law school and reading a lot of erotica, and when I saw a call for an anthology called Starf*cker about celebrities, I knew I wanted to try it myself. This was 1999, so the celebrity I chose was Monica Lewinsky. That first story, “Monica and Me,” got published in Starf*cker and Best Lesbian Erotica 2001, and I’ve been writing erotic stories ever since.

Was there a movie or specific story you remember reading that piqued your initial interest?

Susie Bright’s Best American Erotica series was the first erotica I read. The breadth of stories wowed me. I haven’t read it in a long time, but there’s a story in Best American Erotica 1999 by Tsaurah Litzky, an author whose work I’ve since published in my books, called “The Balm That Heals,” that I still remember. It was about something that I’d have thought would turn me off but was so exquisitely written I was completely entranced by it.

As an editor, what makes a good erotic story?

The story should grab the reader from the first sentence and keep a steady pace. You want to tease the reader and give them a sense of who the characters are before you dive into the sex scene, so they’re more invested in what happens. When I’m editing an anthology, I look for diverse stories in terms of characters and settings and scenarios and sexualities, so if you have a hobby or interest that could be fashioned into an erotic story, that can make it stand out. I’ve published stories set at the opera and in chemistry labs; as long as the characters are believable and can convey their particular fetishes and desires in a way that sounds authentic, I’m going to want to read it.

What are some challenges you face when writing?

By now I’ve probably written over 150 erotica stories, so sometimes I get stuck when trying to create a fresh plot. I do my best to challenge myself and write about characters who aren’t like me. I’ve written gay male erotica, straight erotica, bisexual erotica, lesbian erotica, but I’m always looking to push myself and my work into places it’s never gone before. Sometimes that means trying the second person voice or researching something I’ve never done to incorporate it into a story.

What are your goals when you hold these workshops?

I hope people will walk away realizing that they can write erotica involving their everyday surroundings and lives and get inspiration from unlikely sources. I think sometimes people think erotica has to be all about orgies and sex clubs and hardcore BDSM and while it totally can involve those things, it can also be about couples having hot sex in their own home. So much of erotica is about making the characters’ passions come alive on the page. I also hope people are inspired to send out their work and start getting published!

What advice do you have for people interested in writing erotica?

Don’t try to sound “porny” or add extra sex scenes because you think that’s what editors want. Write in your own voice and use the language for body parts and sex acts you’d normally use, unless they would sound weird in the voices of your characters. Even if you’re writing about something that actually happened, feel free to embellish and change things to make the story flow. Good erotica can feel true even when it’s entirely made up. You can get inspiration from all sorts of online resources, from Pinterest to Google to the news.