Erotic fiction reviewer wanted

Erotica

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Hello erotica lovers.

I'm dropping by to share information about Erotica UK's erotic fiction reviewer competition/residency with you in the hope that we'll find the right person for the job among you. Competition page: http://erotica-uk.com/erotic-fiction-reviewer-competition/

We began our Book of the Month feature in September, when the website was relaunched as a resource for the adult lifestyle community. The feature, which is run in association with Xcite Books, is proving very popular already but we don't get have any reviews set up, which I believe would finish our coverage of each new release nicely.

We're looking for one reliable person who loves their erotica and takes it seriously - someone who can write well and can articulate exactly why our readers should pick up a copy. Erotica UK doesn't profit from the sales of these books - our Book of the Month section is purely there to entertain and inform. For the right person, this would be a great hobby and a way to gain exposure as an erotic fiction expert.

Please send any enquiries or submissions to [email protected]. I'll look forward to hearing from you.

I haven't been here in a while so excuse me if I'm placing this in the wrong area.
 

Maryn

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The obvious questions which leap to mind:

Is this a paying position? How much does it pay, and in what form? (Per review, per word, by the hour, whatever)

Is the reviewer expected to give largely favorable reviews, or will his or her review be posted even if it's negative? I'm pretty strongly against filtering out negative reviews. Theoretically, Xcite doesn't publish any bad books, but you know, I bet Harper Collins, Penguin, and Random House think they don't, either, when we all know that's not the case.

Maryn, wizened skeptic
 

veinglory

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So the reviewer gets just the books, and they are all the host companies books? What happens if he or she writes a negative review?
 

Fallen

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Reviewing just for one publishing company? I'm with Maryn and veinglory. How do you handle negative reviews?
 

Erotica

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The obvious questions which leap to mind:

Is this a paying position? How much does it pay, and in what form? (Per review, per word, by the hour, whatever)

Is the reviewer expected to give largely favorable reviews, or will his or her review be posted even if it's negative? I'm pretty strongly against filtering out negative reviews. Theoretically, Xcite doesn't publish any bad books, but you know, I bet Harper Collins, Penguin, and Random House think they don't, either, when we all know that's not the case.

Maryn, wizened skeptic
It is a voluntary role as these features are not monetised. However, the reviewer would be contributing alongside some top industry names so it would be beneficial for a writer/reviewer who wants to promote themselves. Otherwise, it's just a nice hobby for someone who loves the genre and would appreciate a supply of new releases. These reviews would not need to be particularly long - 600-800 words would be plenty.

Negativity should be instance-specific - as with all reviewing - so as to be fair and balanced. It's reasonable to say that you did not enjoy a book as much as you would have hoped and to explain what spoilt it for you, while baring in mind that other readers may feel differently. We're not under obligation to provide positive reviews and we would not want to be biassed, but a good reviewer should be able to strike a good balance of tact and honesty. Reviews would not be rejected for being negative but I may request rephrasing in some instances that seem overly harsh or if a comment isn't well supported.

So the reviewer gets just the books, and they are all the host companies books? What happens if he or she writes a negative review?
It's not often that you would come across a truly awful book. With few exceptions they will have some merit and these should be used to balance the review - even if the rating is a 2/10.

Reviewing just for one publishing company? I'm with Maryn and veinglory. How do you handle negative reviews?
For now, these are reviews for Xcite books but that may change as we also have close ties with other publishers.
 

Fallen

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Thank you for replying, Erotica. Can I also ask: what about individual authors? Most reviewing sites also cater to individual authors. Will that be on offer?
 

dangerousbill

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I'm dropping by to share information about Erotica UK's erotic fiction reviewer competition/residency with you in the hope that we'll find the right person for the job among you. Competition page: http://erotica-uk.com/erotic-fiction-reviewer-competition/

You might want to look at the transatlantic site www.eroticarevealed.com , which has a corps of experienced reviewers and operates on a similar basis to yours. I doubt they want extra review work, but it might be worth contacting them for some names.
 

veinglory

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I am curious. The site also accepts fiction and take perpetual rights including for anthology inclusion.

But no mention of payment there either.
 

Erotica

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Thank you for replying, Erotica. Can I also ask: what about individual authors? Most reviewing sites also cater to individual authors. Will that be on offer?
I anticipate that we will feature individual authors going forward but this will be to showcase new talent rather than established names.

You might want to look at the transatlantic site www.eroticarevealed.com , which has a corps of experienced reviewers and operates on a similar basis to yours. I doubt they want extra review work, but it might be worth contacting them for some names.
Thank you - I'll take a look. :)

I am curious. The site also accepts fiction and take perpetual rights including for anthology inclusion.

But no mention of payment there either.
That section is speculative at this point. We're still only at phase one of redevelopment. The general idea will be for members to submit short stories, or serials, for feedback and developmental support, and to encourage people who have potential with a view to featuring their work and supporting fledgling careers. We have close links to several erotic fiction publishers, so there is a lot of room to expand on this.