Anyone heard of Eros Digest?

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 7, 2011

I answered an ad for Adult writers wanted and sent off a sample of my work as requested. I got back a response saying they liked my work and an attached FAQ which ran thusly:

1. Will my name be on the work?
No, all performed work is ghostwriting. Rights to the work will need to be assigned to us and the end customer.

2. Where will my work appear?
Varies depending on the customer. It usually includes either print, online or ebook sources.

3. How many stories will I write a week?
Depends on your speed and quality of your work. An average writers does 3-5 stories every week (5,000 words each).

4. What is the compensation?
$10 per 275 words. All payments done through Paypal.

5. What are payment terms?
All initial projects will be prepaid 50% before you start. Once we establish a relationship each project will be paid fully upon completion. Our payments are always reliable and prompt.

6. What subjects will I write on?
A particular plot will be provided for every story. Subjects range from gay to straight to lesbian with every shade in between. If you prefer certain subjects or would like to avoid others please let us know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thoughts?

At 0.036 c recurring per word, the pay isn't that great but at the moment I'm only earning based on what my self-pubbed titles sell, so it'd be a regular income stream. It would be $181.81 per 5000 word story.

Has anyone heard of these guys and would you consider this deal? I'm very tempted but I don't want to get stung.

Maryn · Sep 7, 2011

FWIW, I've never heard of them. Not that it means anything.

I saw a red flag in "Our payments are always reliable and prompt." If that were true, would there be any need to say so?

Where are the other authors who write for this enterprise? The fact that nothing which seems to be a legitimate hit came up in a search is disturbing.

Hopefully, someone will have experience, which trumps a gut feeling.

Maryn, gutsy

VeryVerity · Sep 7, 2011

I couldn't find anything on Google either; this thread is hit number 1. Nikki, have you got a link?

Them having no web presence is a bit odd and would probably put me off, but I guess you can always try it with one short and see what happens.

It intrigues me that they give you a plot to write to. Is that a common thing? I've not heard of it before.

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 7, 2011

Well, I've sent them an email saying I'm interested, but asking for clarification on a few of these issues. They do say they'll pay 50% up front, so it might be worth a punt, but I'll wait and see how they respond.

There is no website - I found them on a freelance writing site which grabbed the link from craigslist.

I'm interested, but very, very cautious.

Satori1977 · Sep 7, 2011

Never heard of them, but a few things bother me. The pay seems extremely low. I would personally try to sell elsewhere. Now if that doesn't bother you, some other things should. No web presence, no website. Sounds like a possible scam to me. Plus, you sign over your rights and your name doesn't appear anywhere. Also sounds fishy. They could steal your work and not pay a dime, and you probably couldn't do anything about it.

But then again, I am not pubbed. I would love to hear from some published authors on this. Those that have dealt with publishers online, contracts, and all that legal junk.

dangerousbill · Sep 7, 2011

Nikki_Blaise said:
4. What is the compensation?
$10 per 275 words. All payments done through Paypal.

Ten bucks a page isn't that bad to get started. Give it a shot. A week or two of work is worth the gamble. If you get excuses why they can't pay right now, stop work immediately. They'll usually come around quickly.

You might want to check with Preditors and Editors first, or the warnings section of AW.

My publisher pays me through Paypal. It's convenient and crosses borders easily.

c.m.n. · Sep 7, 2011

I would be wary of anything through craigslist without a website presence or anything.

dangerousbill · Sep 7, 2011

On further thought:

Chances are that this is a custom erotica site. Clients send in their fantasy or plot idea, and the writer does the story for them. It's not a bad business model, since many erotica readers are very specific in their kinks. Some married folk have stories written to commemorate an anniversary or for Valentine's Day.

This explains the absence of a web presence and the anonymity. Also the modest pay.

At three stories per week, they're not expecting Poe or Conan Doyle. In a world where online sites are paying $0 to $50 for a short story, it's a way to get paid to practice. What you won't get are publication creds to put on your writing resume.

c.m.n. · Sep 7, 2011

Although, further Google searches do pull up some Eros Guide and Eros.com. And a lot of other links...

What do you think?

Maybe this is it - despite the lack of anything else but NSFW links to eros.com? *shrugs*

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 8, 2011

I have the same concerns, although the fact that they are willing to pay 50% upfront is good. The ad was on the LA craigslist so I don't expect to hear anything from them for another nine hours at least.

They may well come back with a host of credentials and a website. I also asked what happens if the customer doesn't like the story - whether still get paid or not.

I know it's possible to earn $400 sending it off to Penthouse, but then you have to wait for months and there is no guarantee of being accepted. And they also take all rights and publish anonymously.

I want this to be genuine and I was kind of hoping someone would come along and say "Oh yes, I've worked for them - they're fine!" I could bang out a couple of stories a week and still have time to do my own stuff.

Will keep you posted, then if anyone else is interested, they know it's OK. Or not, as the case may be.

sailor · Sep 8, 2011

There are sites that will write personalized erotic stories. Such as:
my own love story custom erotic source yoursparq

One would think that if Eros Digest was going to commission personalized erotica they would have to have a web site. Otherwise they would be eliminating a huge market.

Edit: It could be they are using one name to hire or attract writers and a second for their website. That could be cause for concern.

I googled 'personlized erotic stories' and those were the first 3 sites that filled the bill. There are more than likely many more.

dangerousbill · Sep 8, 2011

sailor said:
Edit: It could be they are using one name to hire or attract writers and a second for their website. That could be cause for concern.

Not really. It would be part of a sensible business model, to keep themselves between clients and writers, so as to not cut out the middleman. It's the same as realtors keeping themselves between buyer and seller. Otherwise, they'd never collect a commission.

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 9, 2011

Well, I've not heard back from them but thanks for those links, sailor - I have sent off for both of them to become a writer for them. I never even knew such things existed!!

Jack O Lantern · Sep 21, 2011

It's Legit

Hi, just thought I'd share that Eros Digest is legit. I currently write for the entity, whatever it is. It is a bit mysterious, but they do pay, and it's not bad considering it's 3 or 4 times more than other non-erotica crap I've written for le Web.

If you don't mind the anonymity, full renunciation of publishing rights and some down 'n dirty topics, then go for it. It's fun, but that's just me.

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 21, 2011

Thanks Jack O Lantern. However, I have not heard anything back from them. I was very puzzled. They said they liked my work, sent me the terms and conditions and then . . . nothing.

It's a shame as I really need the work right now. It's not a fortune but it would have made a big difference to our circumstances if I could have written a couple of stories week.

I might try again - give them a bit of a nudge.

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 23, 2011

Have you actually heard from them recently? They're still ignoring my emails.

Maryn · Sep 23, 2011

Nikki, can I get a favor that might help? If you turn on full headers in your email, you can get the IP address--four groups of numbers, each one to three digits, separated by decimal points, like 234.5.678.90--from which their email to you originated. (The intermediate ones it passed through on its way to you won't help.)

I can't promise results, but sometimes I can get a location from that, and knowing the location, find the business and any other names it uses, or who owns it. Not always, but you never know.

Maryn, girl detective

wundertunge · Sep 26, 2011

Just wanted to give another vote and say that these guys are totally legit, as far as payment goes. Yes, they hold all rights to the stories, as well. You receive pretty specific premises, so you've got to stick to those, though they're fairly bare-bones.

Also worth mentioning is that I didn't hear back from these guys until many weeks after submitting my cover letter and sample. So just be patient.

Nikki_Blaise · Sep 28, 2011

Woo-hoo - finally heard back from them. Got my first plot to write day before yesterday. Wrote it yesterday - in a day! It was a really fun one to get into and just flowed from the end of my fingers. They paid me just before midnight last night and I sent off the story this morning when I got up. I'm so happy this is working out!

Just waiting to hear if they like it or not and then, hopefully get my next plot.

Madribub and Jack-o-lantern, how many stories do they send you a week, approx? Is it a case of finish one, straightaway get the next, or do you sometimes have to wait? How long have you been writing for them?

Sorry Maryn - I forgot to thank you for your offer. I was going to do that, and then I heard back from them and was so excited I forgot to come back and thank you for offering!

sailor · Sep 28, 2011

Congrats on the first one, Nikki. Hopefully it leads to more.

Nikki_Blaise · Oct 1, 2011

OMG - they liked my story - "lovely job" - he said. I have signed a contract and they're going to send me lots more!

Am so happy

Maryn · Oct 1, 2011

Excellent news, Nikki!

Maryn, glad for you

Nikki_Blaise · Oct 3, 2011

Well, sh!t has hit the fan! Told my dh now it was all settled and he has hit the roof! Called me all sorts of names. I am a selfish effing tw@t and a dirty slut and next thing I'd probably be starring in porn and that anyone who writes sex has to have serious issues. Told me I'd probably be cheating on him as how else could I get stuff to feed my imagination.

I disgust him and he's ashamed of me and he doesn't want any of my "filthy porn money" and I'd better find another way of contributing to the household or I'd be packing my bags.

Talk about true colours!!

Oh and pedos will probably read my stories and then go and rape children and it'll be my fault. When I ventured to suggest that perhaps his reaction was a tad unreasonable he "couldn't see why and any right-thinking person would feel the same."

Satori1977 · Oct 3, 2011

Wow, Nikki. I am so sorry your husband is being a jerk. I can't imagine being with someone so unsupportive. Not only that, but mean and controlling. Did you know beforehand he felt this way? Either about the writing or sex in general?

Feral_Sophisticate · Oct 3, 2011

Wow, Nikki... I'm sorry to hear your husband has taken it that way.

Anyone heard of Eros Digest?

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