Is erotica bad for your resume?

The question is are you trying to suck up to people who think pornography is sinful? If the answer is yes, keep these works on separate resumes.

Practically speaking the erotica publication will not help you get more non-fiction work and the cross-over audience is probably nil--so there is probably no real need to write them under the same name.

I write non-fiction under my name, and all my fiction under a pen name. Someone googling 'gay elf spanking' probably doesn't want to ready my ethology text book.

So the question is, what reasons do you have for wanting to write erotica under your real name, and do those reasons outweigh potential problems for your non-fiction? (slight loss of readership? Potential alienation of a future publisher?)

Did the erotica acceptance pay you an advance?

If so, then you put it on your resume, same as any other sale.

If it's with a smaller publisher that pays royalties, but no advance, then I'd leave it off.

An editor is only going to be interested in actual sales made (whatever the genre), not how much royalties you've earned.

Most erotica writers use a pen name and it's perfectly acceptable. I plan to use one, even though I have an excellent sales record under my own name in other genres. The pen name me will have a separate mail addy and website--which will help me keep things sorted!

I'd suggest a separate website for the erotica and a link on your health/fitness site to it. The link should visually convey some idea of the nature of the site, that, or the link could be to the website of the erotica publisher.

If you have the logo for, say, Ellora's Cave up and the hyperlink goes directly to the page with your book on it, that should be cool. Most readers have heard of EC and others and will know whether they want to check it out or not.

I think a clear [adult material] tag is needed. I suspect that most reader do not know anything about Ellora's Cave, especially those who primarily read non-fiction.

I'd agree to keeping them separate since the chance of getting cross buying is slim.

This topic also sparked a question. Gillhoughly, you said to leave off any publishing credits for which you received no advance. I'm not saying you're wrong, but that seems a bit off. What if I'm querying an agent/editor looking for erotica, or erotic elements. Should I still leave those eight novellas I've had published off the query letter?

I tend to site cases at an equivalent level--a royalties only epublisher will be interested in similar clips. Tor might do better not knowing about them.

I would say no... don't leave the eight novellas off. In the case of subbing to an erotic publisher, if you have no "erotic" credibility to your name other writing will help. They will know you can at least write are more likely to read it. It's not going to hurt you.

Telling a children's story book publisher that you have eight erotic novellas might. I would "edit" my writing resume for them.

If you're breaking into a market list any credit that's not going to hurt that market. Hell when I subbed to my first erotic market my publishing credits were a UCC in house handbook (for an international law firm -- got to love a captive market of 3000 people) a Municple bond offering pamphlet and a few legal articles. You put it in the I can write a decent sentance and work well with an editor gloss. Now I don't have to bring that up as I have short story, novella and novel creds for erotica.

My feeling about advances. They're really nice if you can get them. But a sale is a sale. If I toss my royalty only checks on the floor the don't bounce. A query is just trying to get someone to pull your MS to the top of the pile.

My 2c rant.

I'm new here, but I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I write fiction under pen names, and I have a separate pen name just for erotica. For me, it's just easier to keep separate pen names with individual email accounts. My friends know what I write, but I'd rather that my family remain in the dark.

I agree with Lee. My hubby knows and some friends. That's enough for me.

And James to a degree. I wonder if children's publishers would even want something from a writer of erotica these days...

Any way, I won't worry about being "exposed" until I get to Stephen King status. LOL

I've been thinking about using an erotica pen name as well, if and when I ever get this kinky story to the markets.

I've got really good ideas about eing able to set up signings and readings with kids and family groups for another one of my stories, and the two together is in a way counter productive.

If I venture into the online erotica markets there is something about a touch of anonomity to it. You can make up whatever persona you like. What then, do you think my name should be?

I was thinking of Kissy Leigh. Leigh is my middle name, and when my nieces were young they couldn't say the R in Krissy, so they said Kissy. Me but not me.

Besides, then I can interview myself!

teehee

I juggle a few pen names. A writing partner helped me come up w/ my erotica pen name, Kis Lee. It took us a while to think of a good pen name. I'm really bad w/ names, especially when it comes to naming characters.

Lee that is too funny that I thought of an name so similiar to yours! How should fix mine? I've always felt if I had a pen name it should be derived from my real name. I don't know how JD Robb comes from Nora Roberts, but anyway.

Let's see:

My name is Kristin Leigh Battestella, and my married name will be Snouffer. At first I thought KB Snouffer would be cool, but my Jason is one of the people opposed to my erotica.

Stella is kind of obvious, don't you think? Egats, I didn't think anything could be tougher than picking a title but this is it!

At the time, my partner and I were both coming up with our pen names. So we went back and forth, making a list of names. When you write them down, you start to figure out what works and what won't.

Maybe your husband-to-be will come around. My boyfriend isn't too thrilled w/ what I do, but now he tries to be supportive.

My wife is very supportive of my writing erotica... I myself happen to like writing it.

VeggieChick said:

Also, I'd rather NOT use a pseudonym for my erotic stories. Is this a big no-no?

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It worked ok for A.N. Roquelaure for erotica....lol

I think she is doing fine now, and her erotica is now published under her real name.

Well and James Buchanan sure as heck ain't my real name. I like pen names that don't "sound" made up. I went back to family names -- James is what I would have been named had certain circumstances not prevailed. Buchanan is a family name so it feels more like me. Of course it wasn't until I had two publications under my belt that a small press editor asked why I was using the name of the worst president in US history 0.0.

So if you want to go with combos... Kay Leigh. Krissy Batte. KB Leigh. Just playing around with your name. Or look back to when you were a kid. What did you really wish your parents had named you (we all go through that phase). Try that.

James Buchanan said:

Of course it wasn't until I had two publications under my belt that a small press editor asked why I was using the name of the worst president in US history

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I wondered about the presidential reference in your name...lol

Well, just be glad you didn't have any Nixons in your family...your pen name could have been a lot different! (<--- btw...Jimmy Carter smiley)

Alright how is Leigh Wood? Wood is a family name but is it too tongue and cheek or a really not funny pun?

It sounds fairly normal... if there's a pun I don't get it.