Non-Erotic Writing

[SoftGameHunter]

I actually have done a lot of mainstream writing and have sent two full novels to agents for representation. The first was a complete flop, and the second looks likely to go that same route. There are more in the works. I've avoided sex for the most part. For one, it would be too easy to slip into habits I've built up over the years in forums like this. And for another, the industry barely tolerates new male authors these days, never mind one middle-aged white men that write sex scenes (unless they're queer, which I am not.) Sexuality in publishing is in a strange, unhealthy place these days.

I'm not giving up, at least not without a dozen failed novels under my belt. Any less than that would mark me as unserious as an author. I am very happy to have an outlet for the smut once again. I may not get paid for this, but at least someone will read it.

[Claire]

@SoftGameHunter I hope you find an agent soon who is interested in your novels. Did you ever consider self-publishing on Amazon or something like that?

[SoftGameHunter]

@SoftGameHunter I hope you find an agent soon who is interested in your novels. Did you ever consider self-publishing on Amazon or something like that?

Oh yes, I have looked into that sort of thing. And with my currently out-there project, I'll put it on Amazon KDP or something similar once I've given up on tradpub. But there are still a couple dozen agents sitting on it or that I'm waiting for them to open up to queries, and one who even requested more information (last winter), so hope is not yet lost. Meanwhile, I keep on writing the latest.

[skuttrusk]

I also write non-fiction and other kinds of fiction. Maybe the sex stuff came first, maybe because I get a buzz from that. And that led me to write more in other avenues of interest to me, and I found that also gave me pleasure, of a different kind.

[Shocker]

I intend to try my hand in non erotic writing for Broccoli’s suggestion of emulating NaNoWriMo in November, I simply can’t fill 50000 words with smut.