How to triple your output in one week!

BenPanced · Jun 28, 2018

Self-pub your m/m novel on Amazon.
Let it percolate.
Create a pseudonym.
Take the m/m novel from step 1 and change the pronouns to female.
Take the above novel and change the names to female.
Congratulations! You've just written a f/f novel!
Self-pub your f/f novel on Amazon.
Let it percolate.
Create another pseudonym.
Take the f/f novel from step 7 and change one of the characters back to male.
Congratulations! You've just written a m/f novel!
Self-pub your m/f novel on Amazon.
Watch the numbers roll in!
Just hope nobody notices.

Marissa D · Jun 28, 2018

Pterofan · Jun 28, 2018

If you're going to turn m/m into f/f, you'll need to change a lot more than just the names. Otherwise you're liable to end up with scenes like "Moira sucked Felicia's humongous c*ck into her mouth while her fingers caressed Felicia's b*lls." Unless you're writing SF or fantasy, where that would work.

Somebody actually got away with this?

frimble3 · Jun 28, 2018

According to the link in the OP, yeah. And they were merely a variation on another attempt. And they may not be alone.
Thank you, BenPanced!

Marian Perera · Jun 28, 2018

Agreed, the first thing I wondered was how the sex scenes worked.

Lakey · Jun 28, 2018

You could do fascinating social experiments by having different groups of people read and rate the different versions of these books. Analogous to experiments where the same resume is sent to hiring managers with names that signal different sexes, races, etc. (Never mind the enormous cost of getting a large enough sample of people to participate in a study that requires them read an entire book; it's interesting to think about!)

WGough · Jun 28, 2018

Yeah, I get writing the tropes, but c'mon! These shenanigans support the spurious claim that m/m romance writers just write m/f romance with two male MCs. Or the other way around. Something, something, rant, rant, rant.

They didn't even bother to change the covers for the m/m and m/f sports series. I might be the only on miffed by this. Thanks, BenPanced.

san_remo_ave · Jun 28, 2018

Oy.

I swear, if these people would put just HALF of the effort into doing something good/productive that they put into how to 'game the system' we would have long since found a cure for cancer and a number of other societal woes...

WGough · Jun 29, 2018

san_remo_ave said:
Oy.

I swear, if these people would put just HALF of the effort into doing something good/productive that they put into how to 'game the system' we would have long since found a cure for cancer and a number of other societal woes...

Amen.

tiddlywinks · Jun 29, 2018

Someone...actually did this?

Good lord.

Hopefully WLCT · Jun 30, 2018

Why do we have to triple our output ? Did I miss something? Write what's comfortable for you.

MatthewSteele · Jun 30, 2018

Hopefully WLCT said:
Why do we have to triple our output ? Did I miss something? Write what's comfortable for you.

Haha, click the link and read the article. It's quite entertaining.

BenPanced · Jun 30, 2018

What's really surprising is after this blog post, nobody's said or done anything. Usually, this sort of tomfoolery ranks complete and total evisceration on Goodreads and the usual outlets. But nary a peep.

Fallen · Jul 1, 2018

There's been kickback on FB, including from one of the authors responsible, saying "everybody does it". :Wha:

(Funny, I've not heard of an author doing this to his own work before). He's since deleted his FB account and post.

Marissa D · Jul 1, 2018

Fallen said:
There's been kickback on FB, including from one of the authors responsible, saying "everybody does it".

So he's an extreme solipsist?

Can't say I've heard of anyone else doing this either. I do know some authors do PG-rated versions of their more sexually explicit books, but I've *never* heard of anyone changing genders and republishing the same material.

Filigree · Jul 1, 2018

Most of these 'mirrored' books seem to be contemporary romance. The setting makes it easier to use common elements. Imagine trying to do this with a fantasy or science fiction book! Too much world building to hide or smooth over.

paddismac · Jul 1, 2018

I haven't run across the gender swapping, but I have found authors with multiple titles who introduce a MMC who is interchangeably a billionaire/mafioso/navy seal/werewolf/vampire/alien/what have you, then go on to tell the exact same story, never touching on the billionaire/mafioso/werewolf thing again. If I actually paid for more than one of these books (even at .99), I'd be PISSED. Maybe the few new sentences written to change the H from one iteration to another keeps it from being a TOTAL scam, but I think not. It's keyword bait and switch.

BenPanced · Jul 1, 2018

Fallen said:
There's been kickback on FB, including from one of the authors responsible, saying "everybody does it". (Funny, I've not heard of an author doing this to his own work before). He's since deleted his FB account and post.

I'm surprised that nobody's commented anything on the book reviews, though (ETA: went back and checked the link. They're all 2 years and older on Facebook). According to the m/m Facebook groups, Amazon, and Goodreads, it's all been smooth sailing and life's just a feckin' buttercup of love. The only thing I have seen is somebody trying to accuse fanfic authors who've gone on to be published commercially.

Southpaw · Jul 3, 2018

Wow, just wow.

How to triple your output in one week!

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

Pterofan

Trust me, I'm a writer

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Marian Perera

starting over

Lakey

professional dilettante

WGough

san_remo_ave

Back at it

WGough

tiddlywinks

Chaser of Shineyyyy Plot Bunnies

Hopefully WLCT

MatthewSteele

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

paddismac

Parasite free since '09

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Southpaw

The squirrel apocalypse is coming!