Free Erotica? Amelia Bryant Ponders The Problem With Price

Help or hindrance? Dangled carrot or sustained revenue killer? Is free erotica a problem or worth its weight in gold to the independent smut writer?

Whether dipping one’s proverbial tootsies into the erotica writing business, or being a seasoned pro, free online erotica is one issue bound to provoke reaction. Anyone seeking online smut to read on their PC or download to a phone or Kindle or similar e-book reader can either go to well known websites such as Literotica to access a plethora of free stories. Or they can go to Amazon and Smashwords and pay for the stories accessed (these sites also offer free stories).

But surely it must frustrate authors trying to earn a crust (never mind a fortune) from their writing, when facing so much competition from others offering their wares for nowt? Why do this?

Let’s consider the pertinent points. Firstly, cost. Once the book has been written, the formatting done and the cover designed and everything is uploaded, the costs of production (time, paper, print toner, fizzy pop and Chocolate Hob Nobs consumed while writing/typing) are incurred once and once only. There’s no marginal cost attached to subsequent sales made.  

A free book should help generate some buzz, shouldn’t it? ‘Buy my FREE steamy erotica tale on Amazon’ etc etc. Announce this on all the relevant social media channels and the express hope is that there’s a flurry of downloads which will a) keep the book in the top half of the Amazon sales lists, thereby achieving some visibility b) convince those readers to fork out for subsequent priced books.

But does it really work like this?

The problem is that such a simplistic viewpoint fails to take into account that thousands of other smut authors have exactly the same idea. The result: thousands of free stories. But the unavoidable fact is that there’s now an abundance of free erotica. And that spells trouble for the erotica writer seeking financial recompense for their efforts.  

I liken it to someone walking to work in the morning or heading out of the office for lunch. You’ll see coffee shop baristas offering samples of their latest blends. Perhaps you’ll see a deli shop offering passers-by a tiny bite of a new sandwich combo. You’ll be offered a tasty mouthful (stop sniggering at the back!) in the hope that you pop in to buy a full-sized sandwich the following day, or perhaps even there and then.  

There’s an implicit understanding operating: here’s a free sample to see if you like it, and if you do, you can have more. Much more. As much as you want in fact.  

But you’re going to have to pay for it.
  
However, there’s a segment of the smut-reading fraternity who say ‘Why should I pay for anything? There’s so much available already for free. What incentive is there to pay for it?’

Using my street food analogy once more, It’s the equivalent of the hungry office worker being able to walk along a street full of delis and coffee shops and receive enough small samples of coffee to equal a full cup, and enough small sandwich bites to make up a proper-sized sarnie. His or her thirst has been totally quenched and their appetite sated. And without having to pay for a damn thing! But to add insult to injury, they can return day in, day out and do exactly the same, because there’s an endless supply to enjoy. Now it’s a stretch to imagine this could happen in real life. But it IS happening online when it comes to reading erotica.

So, you’ve got a whole gamut of smut writers doing what they think is a sensible attempt at gaining some awareness and hopefully driving subsequent sales. Individually, not a bad idea. Collectively however, the overall effect is arguably detrimental.  

Now it’s important to recognise there are many erotica authors who write for the simple pleasure of writing and striking a chord with readers, who wish no reward for their efforts. They perhaps want to dip their toes in the bath or wish nothing more than to see their words stimulate, inspire and/or amuse others. And bless them for it.  

There will also be a large number of smut readers around the world who have no intention of paying as so much is already available. They want something which will get their juices going enough for some naughtiness and then, hey-ho, that was nice. Next!  

What is the split between those who will pay and those who won’t? For erotica writers wanting to earn a living doing this, the non-payers are of no concern. Well, I say that glibly: they ARE a concern if they constitute the majority. But professional erotica writers will focus their efforts on what they know paying customers will shell out for. That’s one of the reasons for the Erotica Reader Survey that’s currently live.  

Personally speaking, I value my time spent thinking about the story, planning it, doing a bit of research perhaps, developing some characters, before even getting down to writing it. And don’t forget about editing, re-writing if necessary, and formatting for Amazon, Smashwords etc. That’s a fair few hours. Most businesses would charge for their time and effort in producing the final product or service – why should erotica writers differ?  

I’d love to receive your comments on any of the points raised here and encourage some discussion on the topic. And keep your eyes peeled for a follow-up post in which I’ll talk about pricing approaches, strategies and tactics.

EXTRA Sauce! Bayswater: London Sex Writer Amelia Bryant’s Quick Guide

So if you’ve read my hot erotic story ‘Baring All In Bayswater’ perhaps you’d like to get a flavour of the area, especially if you’re not from London or you’re located thousands of miles away.

Photo: (c) Amelia Bryant

Located to the north of Kensington Gardens and west of Paddington, Bayswater is a lively, cosmopolitan hub. Most of the activity centres around the street named Queensway, which is crammed full of restaurants, international food shops, fast food joints and all the usual major retailers. In the picture (left) of Queensway you can make out the entrance to the large Whiteley Centre shopping mall and cinema - it's at the far right of the photo, white peaked with the flagpole.

Locals requiring some extra bedroom (or wherever) spice have a well-stocked Ann Summers store on Queensway to stock up on assorted naughtiness. And shock author confession – this is the store where I bought my first Rampant Rabbit!


   

Photo: (c) Amelia Bryant

The tube station is located just a little under halfway along. And it’s one of the best examples of the London Underground map (designed by engineer Harry Beck) not being topographically accurate. If you take a look at the tube map, you’ll see Queensway and Bayswater stations separated by what seems to be a reasonable distance. In fact you could walk between the stations in probably the same time as it would take you to read this blog posting. We’re talking only a couple of hundred yards, tops. 

Bayswater has something of an edgy reputation – just like its Australian equivalent (what is it with Sydney, trying to copycat London’s vice spots: King’s Cross AND Bayswater?!) Yes, it’s a hustling busting ‘never quiet’ area – Queensway certainly – but it is also renowned for its sexual commerce. Some of the nearby W2 streets are well known on the internet for the ‘services’ offered in some of the apartments, and police have broken up vice rings and brothels operating in the area.

Photo: (c) Amelia Bryant

The street is dominated by a couple of very big apartment blocks – Princess and Queen’s Courts. Queens Court is the location of Mia’s fictitious flat, located just yards to the south of the tube station. But it makes me smile mischievously. Queens Court (pictured left) is listed on many bulletin boards and online forums as the ‘Ground Zero’ for London escorts! One minute on a search engine duly upholds these assertions! 

And I actually know Queens Court rather well! I won’t reveal all, but I did date someone for a while who flat-shared there. I must admit: I never bumped into any exotic ladies all the times I was up and down in the lifts. Let’s just say that with the preponderance of genuine hotties that could often be seen walking along Queensway, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. 

Anyway, I’ve got happy memories of Bayswater as you can imagine, and it made returning there for some photos a pleasure. The sights and smells took me back a few years. And yes, speaking purely objectively of course, yes there are still a veritable amount of hot-to-trot ladies there – ‘working’ or otherwise!


Have you read a juicy excerpt from my smutty Bayswater story? Read it now!


Or if you have already and liked it, then buy 'Baring All In Bayswater' at Amazon, dammit! ;-)


Watch out for accompanying ones for each new London Lovers' Ground story!