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Writing and Publishing Erotica Episode 22: Book Covers and Length

NOTE: There was no Episode 21. I had a blank script saved with that title, and thought we’d already recorded that one. We went on and recorded this one as #22. Episode 21 will henceforth be known as “The Lost Episode.”

Welcome back to Episode TWENTY-TWO of the Writing and Publishing Erotica Podcast. I am H. K. Kiting and I am Dean Chills and we’re your hosts for the show. This is the podcast where we talk about writing and publishing in general, and include the occasional tidbit about erotica specifically.

If you find enjoy this podcast or find it helpful then review us on iTunes.  Also, check out our books at SexyFic.com

What’s your most recent release?

H.K. Kiting: Bamboo and the Artist Series

Dean Chills: Demon Trilogy and Bear and Chaser. Also, first four Rick and Owen books in Audio

Episode 22: Topic One: covers

Reader Mail: I was wondering if you could one question I have about book covers: what websites do you guys use? I’ve looked at Shutterstock, which has the best selection but is far too overpriced, IMO… especially since I have no guarantee of making that money back. I’ve also looked at Flickr, but am not always happy with the images that pop up when  I search specifically for “Creative Commons — Commercial Use.” I’ve checked out a few other sites, including public domain image sites, but nothing seems to be as of high quality as the more expensive places. I’ve flirted with the idea of contacting the Shutterstock photographers directly and getting permission from them, but that quite literally feels like taking away from their livelihood — and I would hate to ping Shutterstock’s radar if they found out I didn’t purchase an image from them (is that even possible?). This is, all in all, the one point on which I’m a little confused about. Do you have any sites you’d recommend?

And also:

I’m a recent listener to your podcast and I have not gone through all the episodes yet so forgive me if you have gone over this question already. I listened to your episode on Cover Art and I wanted to ask how you have gone about obtaining the pictures for your cover art. Do you hire people to pose for it or is there a site that you go to that commissions out photos? I ask this because I am thinking about going into erotica and I want to know how much I should expect to be pay for obtaining attractive cover art.

www.dreamstime.com

www.istockphoto.com

www.shutterstock.com

www.fotolia.com

www.stockXpert.com

www.123rf.com

www.bigstockphoto.com

Topic Two: More Reader Mail:

Hey guys! Love the podcast and have found it to be a wonderful source of inspiration and information about the world of self-published erotica. I’m currently in the middle of my first book, and it has been a blast to write! I do have a question about the veritable “meat and potatoes” of erotic fiction, however — namely, the sex scenes. You’ve discussed many tactics to make these scenes engaging and erotic, descriptive and readymade for one handed reading, but I’m still a little fuzzy on one particular aspect — the length. How long before the reader loses interest? How short before they feel ripped off? What word count should we typically aim for? Is it better to have one long sex scene or break it up into multiple erotic sequences? Is there some magic ratio between set-up and sex scenes we should strive for? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

And Should you use create-space to make a POD paperback if your story is less than 10K words?

We really want to hear from you. If you have a comment, complaint, or topic suggestion, mail us at sexyfic@gmail.com or stop by SexyFic.com and leave a voicemail on the tab that allows you to record a message. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and leave a review for the show if you like it.