Top 10 Predictions For Taboo Authors In 2018

Here at Lot’s Cave, we look forward to the Book Industry Predictions post over at Smashwords every year. For indie-authors, this is often the most precise way to do market analysis with the least time spent. When you’re a publisher though, market analysis never ends. This year Lot’s Cave decided to share its own predictions for 2018. The market is rapidly changing and authors more frustrated than ever. Worse, there’s no list specifically designed for taboo authors. Well, now there is! Let’s take a look at 2018, taboo erotica, and predict what it means for you!

Predictions often mystify people, bringing to mind crystal balls, tarot cards, and magic spells; but they shouldn’t. That’s because accurate predictions are based on trends or repetitive patterns. As 2017 came to a close, many of these became clear. There continued to be an ever increasing amount of taboo romance and erotica themed eBooks, despite incentives otherwise. In response, many sites started to ring in the new year by implementing and securing strict content filters. Along with this, industry prices seemed to be getting lower and lower. Taboo authors rode out the storm during 2017 with success, but 2018 requires more scrutiny. What kind of scrutiny, well, check out our predictions.

Your 2018 Taboo Erotica & Romance Predictions

1. The Taboo Market Will Become Increasingly Competitive

With the new content restrictions imposed on authors, many publishing platforms refused new eBooks outright. Sites disappeared for taboo authors overnight, many times without warning. The publishing platforms that remained soon became flooded with titles, the back catalogs of authors now locked out elsewhere. As taboo publishing opportunities continue to shrink, the overall taboo market appears to stand a large chance of becoming flooded. Think about it, the average customer base of any one publishing platform does not change that rapidly. A surge in taboo titles then, reaches the same reading audience as before. This is what creates a competitive market, one that increases with each new title published.

To weather this change, taboo authors need to continue publishing only top quality content. It’s that simple.

2. There Will Be Immense Pressure To Undercut Taboo Prices

The problem with a highly competitive market is it often brings poor marketing strategies carried out by desperate authors. In 2017 many taboo authors lost 50% of their income, easily. Flooding sites with their titles was only the beginning. In their desperation, many authors uploaded their entire catalog overnight. What’s wrong with that? Well, it leads to a heavy drop off rate. Instead of building up their visibility, these authors echoed a scam. Readers couldn’t keep up, or simply didn’t want to. Now, these same authors will have to desperately make up the difference. How will they do that? The most common method is by undercutting the price of other authors’ books. Does that make sense, no. Will it be successful, no. But will authors continue to do this, yes. This is a prediction!

With a growing amount of authors ‘needing’ to undercut the prices of others, it’s worth noting the taboo market has weathered this overall trend quite well in 2017. Last year, the impact of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited almost destroyed the romance market. Untouched, was the taboo erotica readership. While full 60,000 word romance novels were selling and competing at $0.99, the same length taboo erotica novels rose from $4.95 to $5.99 or $6.99. Meanwhile taboo erotica shorts of 2,000 – 3,000 words are now easily competing at the $2.99 price point — outselling longer $0.99 romance titles. How did this happen? Well, many people are quick to excuse it as a premium content fee. Admittedly, for many authors this is the best explanation… and a true explanation. But importantly there’s also a core to the pricing issue. The taboo erotica market exists outside of Amazon’s sphere, and readers continue to pay the old market prices for books. This trend will continue during 2018.

That’s really the problem, much of the overall eBook market in 2017 dropped from $2.99 to $0.99. Not only that, but the word count for said prices increased dramatically. Taboo authors are going to feel this shift now. The urge to lower prices is already starting in subtle ways. Smashwords has already begun experimenting with ‘holiday’ sales, often finding excuses to create them. Authors are known to slash their prices down to $0.99, or cut them by 50% for higher ticket items. In general, the author forums are filled with non-taboo erotica market advice. Everyone is shouting for authors to lower prices, and publishers are often giving incentives to do so. Newsletter signup bonuses, Platform wide sales, Promotion sites, and authors themselves are all demanding lower prices. In 2018, many taboo authors will buy into this, and in so doing, they will undercut their own market. Do not lower prices!

3. Micro-Short Stories Will Have To Be Curtailed

Along with higher competition and lower prices, comes an interesting phenomenon. Short stories will slowly die out, but only after seeing an over-saturation. With the needed exposure, many taboo authors will flood sites with short stories. And, well, why not do this? Quite frankly, there’s a huge incentive for authors to abandon novels when micro-shorts are selling for $2.99. But that price is only temporary, and it’s already dropping fast. Remember, the readership base of any site doesn’t increase dramatically. Flood a market, and readers get fed up. This will actually incentivize longer titles into selling. The problem is, again, competing for lower and lower prices. This is already starting to happen, as 12,000 word books sell at the $2.99 price point on the average. In 2018, this word count will increase to 15,000 or 20,000, essentially destroying the $3.99 price point.

4. Fringe Platforms Will Disappear

This is something that won’t actually cause a panic for many taboo authors. Due to content restrictions, taboo erotica and romance is already banned on sites like B&N, Kobo, Scribd, etc. These sites are desperate, and many of them will disappear in 2018. Why? Because first, in banning taboo content they got rid of their audience, and second, they outright can’t survive the ever decreasing market prices. Why do readers buy eBooks over print books? Well, many did so for the convenience of carrying around multiple books with ease. This is no longer an incentive, as readers recognize the fact they don’t often read more than two or three books at a time. Likewise, for avid readers, the incentive to buy eBooks exist on lower priced platforms (Kindle Unlimited). Those that love to buy eBooks are quite often either avid readers, or erotica readers looking for a discreet way to collect titles. These platforms satisfy neither taboo customer now!

5. Taboo Authors Will Be Forced To Utilize Kindle Unlimited

No, we aren’t expecting Amazon to allow taboo content. What we mean is that many authors who rely on writing for a living and look solely for profit in writing taboo content, will have to resort to Kindle Unlimited. The problem with this is that, quite often, authors find themselves unable to go back. Amazon has a very competitive market, and market analysis is extremely important to accumulate sales. But, that does come with a cost. Many authors will find themselves thinking only about marketing strategies for Kindle Unlimited. Their mindset actually changes to consider a free book valuable outside Amazon’s website. Time has proven free books and discount promotions on the average don’t work for taboo content. What will happen though is more flooding, lower prices, and in the long run, less money for authors. This goes with the understanding that Amazon isn’t necessarily bad, but combining platforms can be.  The thinking has a way of blending together, and that’s the danger. Authors writing solely for artistic expression are pretty much immune to this prediction.

6. Smashwords Will Actually Start To Drop

This isn’t something we like predicting, but it’s very important to taboo authors for 2018. Smashwords is one of the few platforms available for taboo content. The problem is Smashwords is often the largest and most popular. This means authors turned away from Amazon will decide to ‘try out’ Smashwords first. When B&N turned taboo content away, Smashwords took them in. Well, the lower prices, market flooding, and desperate authors are making this site less viable. Taking an honest look, we have to admit the sales won’t happen easily. For authors that lower their prices, they stand less of a chance of selling their book, not a greater chance! Why? Because Smashwords doesn’t often favor author based sales. In other words, Smashwords isn’t conducive to customers buying entire catalogs of one author. So, if your title is suddenly $0.99, do you think readers will purchase it? Why go through the shopping cart to buy just $0.99. Sure, readers buy multiple books browsing a site, but what happens when those books update too frequently to make a profit?

7. Lack Of Promotion Efforts Won’t Hurt Taboo Authors

One of the best trends to happen in 2018 is the closing gap in social media marketing for taboo authors. Newsletter advertising favors and incentivizes discounted books. Lot’s Cave takes the position that discounting is not necessary, particularly as newsletters are increasingly flooding the market. Other than that, authors have had to find a way to promote themselves through social media. Well, sites like Facebook have been hitting authors hard in this area. As they do so, authors that depended on social media will struggle. But, that comes as a benefit to taboo content. With the market starting to level off, as now, readers aren’t getting paid promotions shoved in their face. But this does not hurt taboo authors so bad as always, readers are less than likely to suggest taboo themed erotica to their friends.

8. Time Traps Won’t Draw In Taboo Authors Or Readers

Already 2018 is becoming a year about the next new thing. Authors are discussing new promotional platforms, audio books, podcasts, etc. These are all traps for the taboo author. There’s nothing quite as tempting as wasting time in a self-serving task like recording a podcast or an audio version of your book. For taboo authors specifically, this really does look ridiculous. We all need to be honest with ourselves in the erotica sphere of the market. No one wants to hear your voice because ‘they want to know what you sound like’. Erotic readers want their smut, they want it now, and they don’t want your voice permeating their erotic imagination. Write more, record less. Trust us, when 2018 comes to a close you’ll be happy you did.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting how bad of a marketing decision audio books are for taboo authors. If you think about it, there are too many ways to lose a potential reader. Is your book written in first person? You better have a narrator to match your character’s gender. Oh, your story is in third person? Well you better have an entire cast. Is your book extremely erotic and meant to get your reader off? Well you better hope your narrator is the right gender. Just don’t do this. Audio versions of books are great for some markets, but your market probably isn’t it if you’re reading this blog.

9. Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, And The Growing Problem

Lot’s Cave must admit, we don’t particularly like Amazon. Their Kindle Unlimited program has really devastated the market for everyone. That said, Amazon is starting to get a reputation. It’s not even a good reputation. The problem is though, that Amazon is a giant. As much as we don’t like them, we have to be honest when trying to predict their influence. We remember the Apple iBooks debate, and it wasn’t pretty. Amazon seems to always get its own way, and 2018 probably won’t be any different. Authors opt in, authors can opt out, and Amazon continues to grow in popularity. The best taboo authors can do in 2018 is learn how to work with Amazon as a factor. That won’t stop us from pointing out its flaws, and there might be some complaining, but hey, so is everyone else now!

10. Scams, Scams Everywhere

Lower prices, high competition, it’s a recipe that brings out the scam titles. The taboo niche of the market typically avoids this, but just wait. Scams in the taboo market are going to increase dramatically. These books may look poor in their cover design, or they may actually look pristine. Along with the scams always close behind come sloppy authors. This isn’t really the fault of the scammers, but they don’t help. In the mad dash to stay relevant, many authors will start cutting corners. This means books will have extremely short descriptions, no excerpt, or even generic covers on the sites that allow it. For those that care about quality content, the combination can be infuriating and disheartening.

What The Market Will Look Like For Taboo Authors

Lists of predictions are great, but often times, they’re a bit overwhelming. To help ease the confusion, we wanted to finish by walking you through what you might notice in 2018. This isn’t going to be true for everyone. Admittedly, the author that locks themselves away and writes probably won’t notice many of the changes until they emerge. But, for those committed to analyzing the market, there will be notable changes. These are what you can write down on a sticky note, place on your computer, and simply watch. They also make a great set of guiding posts to keep yourself from falling into traps throughout 2018. Of course, please make sure you analyze your strategies first.

High Competition

The first thing you’ll notice as an author is a lot of competition. This will often be checking your publishers’ front page, only to find your book has already slid off. Authors will likewise be frantic, and less likely to agree on any one strategy. There will be tons of short stories selling right alongside novels. You might also notice a certain niche or kink taking up key spots in the best seller lists, and these might even feel outdated to you. That’s because the newer titles will sell too quickly to replace the backlog of sales, particularly of Smashwords. Backlog sales are counted on their site when determining book rankings. As odd as it might sound, the less sales overtime mean low replacement rates on best seller pages.

Weird Price Ranges

Along with the high competition, you might notice a sliding scale in prices. This is already starting to happen, and it will probably frustrate many authors. By the time you upload and choose your selling price, the market has shifted. Some books, due to the author’s prevalence, can charge drastically higher prices than a new author. While this happens all the time, this year it will be even more prevalent. This also comes with that saturation, and many authors will desperately lower prices leading to the difference. Not only that, but the quality of books will look quite different. Why? Well, because there will more than likely be a pool of authors flooding alternative site. The book covers are geared toward the original platform, not yours.

Pressure, And Lots Of It

Every author feels a certain amount of personal pressure to succeed. But, in 2018, this pressure is going to intensify. There will be an immense amount of pressure to cave into overall market trends. This will often be in the areas of social media promotion, pricing, and word count. The pressure doesn’t mean authors have to cave into it, but when slow sales start to occur, it can be a tempting prospect. Knowing that this pressure is going to occur ahead of time, will often provide the opportunity to figure things out beforehand. That’s the real value of predicting trends, you don’t fall into the traps of lower prices when you don’t need to just because an author in an outside market says to do so.

Steady Change

As an author, there’s really nothing to be done about platform changes. The thing is, they can be noticed. If Kobo were to actually shut down, or go exclusive with their romance subscription service, that would be easy to note while publishing. These changes are actually quite notable even for authors not looking for them. If there’s more ‘holiday’ sales on Smashwords and you’re publish frequently, you’ll notice. When you browse top sellers, if cover art shifts, you’ll notice. Kinks, title themes, sales, available platforms, sliding scales for word counts and prices are all things you can take note of without much time invested in the process. It’s worth doing this, even if it’s a minute observation.

To Conclude

Overall, 2018 has the potential of being a really successful year for taboo content. The market is actually shrinking in some ways, but exploding in others. Somewhat trapped in the middle is taboo erotica and romance. Admittedly some of this year’s trends were felt last year in the mainstream romance niche. But, isn’t that all for the better? It means we’re almost guaranteed changes that can be acted on beforehand. The best way an author can deal with anticipated and unanticipated changes is continuing to publish. Publish as frequently as you can, but be always mindful of content quality. Put out a great product every time, and you can charge whatever you want for it. You’ll weather the storm of 2018 just fine. But, as a whole, it’s looking like a promising year. Happy 2018!

The Value of Amazon’s KDP Select for Taboo Authors

Lot’s Cave has always been dedicated to helping authors with various publishing strategies. Right now, the big question in the market seems to concern Amazon. Do you publish with Amazon? Is exclusivity worth it? Are there options for authors writing taboo content?  The questions can seem endless to an inexperienced or new author. Perhaps the main question though has always been is KDP Select/Kindle Unlimited worth it? Well, let’s take a constructive look at answering that question for you!

Defining Success

How To Judge Your Achievements

The subject of writing quality is a tough one to discuss, as there are quite a few opinions as to what classifies quality writing. Speaking from the perspective of an author, it’s tempting to use the tools I’m most familiar with: royalties. In my opinion, this would be a huge mistake. Why? Because not every great story or author gets noticed. Judging great writing quality then must be determined some other way, but how? Skill level. If we look at an author’s skill level all else falls into place. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve found to be the most consistent and telling way to judge your achievements and success.

Level One: Amateur

An amateur is someone brand new, more than likely just starting out. In the writing community, this often means an author without honed skills. What does this look like? Well, many armature level authors start out using websites like StoryWrite, Fanfiction.net, and Literotica. These sites provide budding authors with much needed feedback, while readers enjoy access to free material. For amateur authors, this can be a critical step in jump starting a writing career.

Some authors do choose to remain at an amateur level, but not all. Many authors, however, will naturally progress to the next level, even without knowing the proper steps. Amateurs begin making long term acquaintances, friends that more often than not, encourage a progression into the next level. For those that do advance, an interesting trait develops close to the transition – boredom.

Boredom may or may not occur, but many bored amateurs do become published authors. Why? Because boredom transitions into a search for opportunity. These amateurs often wonder if they are ‘good enough’ to be published and out of sheer curiosity will start looking for publishers. In time, these same amateurs will seize the opportunity to submit a first manuscript. When these manuscripts get accepted, amateurs are shocked they even progressed into the advanced category.

Level Two: Advanced Amateur

The writing quality of advance armatures will vary greatly from work to work–some works will be extremely artistic and well-crafted while others will be total flops as they experiment with different ideas. Because of this varying quality in skill level, advanced amateurs can be hard to spot or even define. For sake of argument, an advanced amateur is best described as a published author within their first year or so. Authors in this category will start a catalog of their own, trying to get a feel for the industry. But what consistently marks authors in this advanced category? The clue to spotting an advanced author happens to be in their catalog. Advanced amateurs will, more often than not, be experimenting with different ideas. For writers, this means books involving different genres or sub-genres.

Finding the right genre is a personal commitment, one many advanced amateurs struggle with. This is why advanced amateurs can stay locked in this stage for so long. Authors write with varying motivations, not all of which are conducive to gaining professional experience.  The advancement into the professional level isn’t possible accidentally; the transition requires honing skills to a point of obsession and brutality.

Many tools authors want to judge quality writing with are embraced in this stage. The skills aren’t fully developed, but there’s an awareness of them. Authors will start to find their proper writing genre, one they enjoy working in. If an author is willing to keep working hard, there will be an eventual advancement into the professional category. In between the advanced and professional levels, there can be a blurring of quality. The key however, is that the quality is not yet consistent.

Level Three: Professional

Authors, reaching the professional level, will consistently sell well across their entire catalog. Notice, this does not always mean a high sales rate. Professionals though, know how to write a consistently good product, one readers want to buy. Professional writing can be tricky to spot, at least without buying multiple books from the same author. Judging an author’s catalog however, will give a hint to their professionalism. Authors that have reached this level, will possess a narrowed down catalog. This doesn’t mean an author’s catalog must be small in order to be consistent. Realistically, old titles from previous levels will still be sold by the author. What matters, is the consistency of the latest titles.

New titles at the professional level will have a common theme running from book to book. The author has found his or her genre, and knows how to write within that niche. The writing at this level often appears better, mainly due to consistent improvements over time.

I hate admitting this, but any author willing to try hard enough can make it to the professional level. Many writers will say it takes a special kind of talent to become a professional, but this couldn’t be more untrue. Only consistency matters. What many authors and readers see as those talented few are actually writers who have advanced beyond the professional level. Unlike the previous levels, not everyone can transition up to the artist level through hard work alone. Special skills are required for any author to become a real artist.

Level Four: Artist

True artistry not only requires an inherent talent, it requires an investment few writers can make; true commitment. After the time spent going through various levels, artistic authors internally know they’re simply different. They’ve made as many enemies as they’ve made friends. They’ve challenged their genre and tested the edge, trying to push boundaries into the mainstream. The true motivation behind an artist will never be sales, but a passion for what they write. Authors will know instantly if they qualify for the artistic level, whether immediately or in the future.

In today’s market, many authors think they have that special skill to become an artist, or they can somehow learn the trick. Sadly, the number of true artists seems to be shrinking. Self-publishing gives many authors the opportunity to find out if he or she is an artist, which I certainly support. The truth is, authors wanting to reach the artist level must, I repeat must, go through the armature and advanced armature levels, but may or may not actually bypass the professional level. While many artists have the passion to match skill with their experience, many stop short of the final level. The writing industry can be daunting, and it affects authors in long term most. Artistic authors may be forced to perform in the professional realm at times in order to make a living.

Artists are the select few authors we all know by name. Why do we know them by name? Because they have a real skill and love for their readers beyond professional writers. Authors may take a look at their books, wonder why they’ve become so famous, but at the end of the day, it’s the artistry. The use of writing tools like grammar, punctuation, and formatting, will not always be exceptional. Authors of this level though, they know their craft, don’t care one wit about their market, and most importantly, they’ve learned their limitations and strong points.

Conclusion

As an erotic author, there are many times I look at the writing industry and wonder what is going on. Today, many authors are likely to hurt another author’s chance just as likely as they are to teach an amateur. I’m not proud of this fact, but I’m proud of those who continue helping other authors to advance. In reality, many authors start out as amateurs because they have a passion for writing. With the growing surplus of authors created by a new and vibrant self-publishing industry, many are quick to blame amateurs as the source of all problems. This opinion couldn’t be more wrong.

Amateurs by definition will lack the refined skills many advanced authors feel they should possess. Sadly, authors need to take an honest look at their own writing. What skill level you’re on has nothing to do with pride, sales, or even time experience. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, even if you get stuck at a particular level. Acknowledging what level you’re at is the best way to advance if that’s what you choose to do. The trick is finding a starting place, and sometimes that’s a task of its own.

 

Submitting Your First Manuscript

As an author just starting out, it’s tough to know exactly what to do. You want to make a good first impression, but don’t know how or where to start. With today’s growing eBook market, finding advice everyone agrees with can be its own challenge. Lot’s Cave would like to help authors through the process of submitting their first manuscript. Many of our authors started out submitting their very first manuscript directly on our website, why? Because Lot’s Cave provided the resources. Since our company values author experience, Lot’s Cave would like to make submitting your first manuscript as painless as possible.

Research Where to Publish

When first starting out, it’s important to have a basic knowledge of where and what to submit. Not all publishers accept the same material, especially when dealing with erotic content. Doing a little research regarding your story, and potential publishers can save lots of time in the long run. Is your story too short for one publisher but not another? Does your content require a little polishing before submission? Is there a special format required for your manuscript? These questions can be answer with minimal digging on any publishing website. If you’re hoping to publish with Lot’s Cave directly, authors can find such information here: Submission Guidelines.

Summing Up Your Manuscript

Once you have a publisher in mind, start summing up your story. Before you start going through the metadata and manuscript process, know what you have. Making a list to go back to is always helpful. As a new author, it’s easy to get lost in fancy words or difficult requirements. Summing up your story’s information, while your mind isn’t spread out will be worth the time. If you’re unsure of what kind of information to include start with the following five items:

1. Story Theme: Is your story Menage? Incest? BDSM? 
2. Title Information: Does your story have a name yet?
3. Brief Summary: What happens in your story?
4. Length: Approximate word count?
5. Cover Image: Do you have a cover? 

Fix The Gaps

At this point, it’s easy to feel unsure or have some parts of the list missing. When starting out, it’s extremely rare to have it all figured out. Try doing a brief search for more information. How have authors handled covers in the past? What categories seem to fit your story? Does your summary seem to work for you? Many times, these gaps can be figured out doing ten minutes of digging. While you may feel more unsure, you’ll still have something you can come back to later. Don’t settle for a blank space. You can find more information provided by Lot’s Cave here: Writing Tips & Advice.

Tackling Manuscript Submission

 After a basic summary of information, a completed story, and some brief research, you’re likely ready to begin the submission process. Today, many publishers have an online submission process similar to that of Lot’s Cave. During this first submission, it’s extremely easy to feel overwhelmed. Try not to feel overwhelmed by the entire form. Focus on one detail at a time, and before you know it, the form will be complete. Simply grab your story/manuscript, your summary information, and open the manuscript submission form.

 Tackling Manuscript Submission: Basic Author Information

Starting out, it’s important to feel accomplished fairly early. The likelihood of an author finishing their submission form is increased if the author starts out confident. To encourage this, we recommend providing your author information first. This information often includes: name, pen name (if using one), and email. That’s it, though providing such personal information can seem a little daunting. Taking that first step though is always the hardest.

Tackling Manuscript Submission: Basic Story Information

The next step in the submission process is going to require some of that summary information. Enter your book’s title, story length, and category information. From here, you’ll also want to provide a price for your future eBook. Often, this is done by considering the length of your story. Price ranges will vary site to site, but competitive market values should always be considered. If you’re unsure, publishers will often be happy to help recommend a price. For now, enter what you feel comfortable with. Once the basic information is entered, you’ll often find most of the form has been completed.

Tackling Manuscript Submission: Submitting Metadata

Metadata is a term that describes much of the information already on your summary sheet. Remember that plot summary? Well, you’re going to need it. As an author it’s important to provide that summary, or a book description. Even better, try to take your summary and turn it into a description using your category information. A combination of the two will help promote your story. When in doubt, stick to what feels right. If you feel your story’s summary provides better information, then go with that. Descriptions take time, and they’re not easy. If you’d like more information on descriptions, check out our information here: Writing A Great Description.

Tackling Manuscript Submission: A Brief Note About Keywords

Many publishers have started asking authors to provide a set of keywords. These may feel like a daunting task on the submission form. There’s an easy way to find keywords however, think of them as search terms. If you wanted to search for your book, what words would you use? Consider your category, description, and book title, what themes stand out to you? A list of keywords is essential information to provide, as it helps readers find your story! Don’t skip this information, you might find out it’s more important than you think.

Completing the Submission Process

After providing all the above information, all that’s left is to upload your story. Today, most publishers accept Word files. There might be some additional publisher specific information you need to provide, but otherwise you’ve completed your first manuscript! Allow the publisher time to get back to you. If a publisher has any questions, they’ll contact you. While many authors wait to submit their next manuscript, it’s not necessary. Try using the wait time to write your next book, or submit a new one. In the end, you’ll find your books published in no time!

How to Enhance Your eBook

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With so many authors trying to make a transition away from Amazon, there’s an apparent problem. The challenges many authors face remains rooted in the fact Amazon was a market of its own. There were facts, data, market techniques authors learned to navigate Amazon’s market. Sadly, authors are having to realize these techniques do not work outside of Amazon. Successful authors upload their books only to realize there’s no sales. If there are sales, authors become disappointed seeing their small profit. Many authors remarked that Amazon was, “an easy gold mine” one that has dried up paying out a potential half a cent a page. Taking a moment, authors will notice a few necessary techniques in the market outside of Amazon.

Amazon Means Cheap: Many authors have never made this association themselves, but Amazon eBooks have become cheap. With Amazon being seen as a, “potential gold mine,” many authors put up whatever they could to make a small fortune. This growing quantity of eBooks lowered prices below the standard $2.99 to a surprisingly low $.99 even bundles of 30 books were offered for this $.99 price. The eBooks readers got for their $.99 drove them to alternative sites like Smashwords. Readers that enjoy good quality eBooks would rather pay the $2.99 then settle for these bad quality $.99 eBooks. Because of this, today’s market is filled with readers that avoid Amazon looking books, and yes, they can tell. This means that if authors want to sell their eBooks on sites outside of Amazon, they need to shed their “Amazon identity” and present a better quality product.

Text Based Covers: These covers with full text are a sure way to turn off readers. There’s nothing more distracting than an image covered behind blocks of text. Covers are made to appeal readers, and initiate their interest. When all readers are left with is a blur behind bold often off colored neon text, that doesn’t say much about a book’s potential story. Some of the best selling books in the market today have one word titles. These intriguing titles combined with sexy cover images really excite the reader’s curiosity. Authors coming off of Amazon will find their block text covers will not appeal many readers. This directly impacts sales, leaving some authors to feel discouraged. The market has potential buyers, they just happen to know what they want. Text based covers are not what readers want.

Long Book Titles: Similar to the issue of text based covers are these long book titles. A book’s title should never take a full cover to display. Often, this problem arises because there’s too many keywords in the book’s name. This stems from Amazon having a weird way of using metadata or a book’s keywords. Authors could literally write anything in the keywords, and it’d have little to no effect. Outside of Amazon this issue doesn’t occur. Readers will find a book based on a catchy title, along with those keywords typed in the appropriate box. It’s painful to see good titles off Amazon drowned in layers upon layers of the book’s keywords. Readers are not accustomed to this on outside sites, and many associate this with lower quality eBooks now. If authors want to improve their book instantly just edit out these keywords from the book’s title.

Quality Cover Images: Now first off, I know not everyone is a cover artist or can afford to pay for covers. Amazon books however are well known for extremely lower end covers. These are covers using photos that are often quite frankly terrible. Often, these images will have very little to do with the book’s story at all. When the image does pertain to the story, it’s off colored, neon colored, out of focus, stretched, or even appears photoshopped. Put bluntly, these covers do not further a book’s sales. However, it’s worth noting these bad covers are better than some books with no cover images whatsoever. In the end, a book should have the best cover it can. Whether that means being creative with ideas, or just knowing how to put an average but good cover together. A well put together cover will sell an eBook, but a poor one will not.

Certain Kink Advertisement: Outside of Amazon’s market, there’s a realm devoted to the controversially kinky. While menage might be the highlight on Amazon, it’s standard elsewhere. Authors should note certain kinks are not in high demand outside of Amazon. This includes (with exceptions) Billionaire Romance, Alpha/Breeding, Menage, Tentacle/Monster Erotica, and Pseudo-Incest. While these categories in many instances will appeal to some readers, they aren’t the selling point authors think they are. Many times this has to do with the content Amazon excluded that outside sites allow. Pseudo-Incest can be replaced for outright Incest, Billionaire Romance can be BDSM, Monster Erotica often gets turned into Bestiality. The market can be quite different when listing kinks… in the keywords.

Pricing: The last change to note has to do with pricing. Many books on Amazon have become cheap to seemingly compete in the market. However, these lower prices actually harm books outside Amazon. Readers want to pay for good quality works. Authors often remark, “$2.99 was the going price, but it’s too much now” this is far from true. $2.99 is still the going rate for a short. Longer works can get as high as $5.95, but they have to be good quality. Remembering that price can communicate quality, authors will appreciate a reader’s willing to buy their properly priced works. Please take note, this does include bundles. Series books as a whole set should never be priced at $.99. Nor should books be given away free just to promote a series. These tactics worked mainly in the heyday of Pulp Fiction, but not anymore. Readers honestly associate a price with a book’s quality now.

While this post in no way should be taken as an end all fix all, it stands as a starting point. Authors who have shifted to an Amazon only focus and are now confused. They’ve forgotten what the market continues to be, though it’s only been a year. An author’s knowledge of the market continues to be a critical advantage. Taking a moment to fix a few of these changes will result in a better sales potential. Every author wants to succeed in the market today, and Lot’s Cave understands this. We hope this post might give a few authors a starting point. In time, authors can then learn the critical marketing information we’ve acquired as a company over the years. The Kindle Unlimited program’s fate may be uncertain, but that’s no reason to panic. Just take a deep breath, and try something new. It might not be so bad after all.

Writing A Great Description

Author: Samantha Zacharda
Marketing Director & Promotion
Published By: Lot’s Cave

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An Introduction To Descriptions 

At Lot’s Cave, we read eBook descriptions daily. When a writer submits their manuscripts, their description is often the first chance for an impression. While we’re the first to recognize it takes not only a great description, but a great title and cover to successfully sell an eBook, the description is often the first impression readers will have. On our blog, website, and social media promotions, what readers truly gravitate towards is the description. Knowing that readers’ choices are impacted by a good description, it’s important to write a great one. Writing a great description isn’t as easy as many authors would like however, and many writers struggle to make that first great impression. With that in mind, we’d like to share a few tips we’ve learned as a collective group of writers and publishers.

What Makes A Great Description?

Great descriptions entice the reader from the first word, and sell the book even before the last sentence. Think of a book’s description as a personal selling pitch for the book. A great description doesn’t just inform readers, it appeals to their curiosity and intrigues them. What truly sells a particular book is the description’s ability to push the reader into an action, ideally downloading a preview of the book or purchasing it outright. Composing a great description requires writers to take a step back, and look at their work critically. Summarizing an entire story into a short paragraph isn’t easy. WARNING: many authors unintentionally turn descriptions into a synopsis—and it’s tough to sell a book based on a synopsis. Book descriptions are critical; think of them as a never-ending self-promotion opportunity.

How Long Should An eBook Description Be?

Description lengths change depending on publishing company needs. Still, varying degrees of length are so minuscule one could almost dismiss the issue. Part of the problem stems from the fact that a great description is actually quite short. Authors grow accustomed to writing as often and as much as they wish, but readers don’t want a mini book description. Authors must realize the ideal description length runs about 400 characters including spaces—about 75 words. Since ideal descriptions only contain 75 words, authors must be extremely selective in what they say about their book. Personally, I find writing more, then editing down, most effectively accomplishes this goal. A great description remains short while enticing the reader into reading more… not less.

Which Approach Works Best For Erotica?

Writing descriptions for erotic eBooks is a little different than writing in other genres. A great erotic eBook description must be sexy, or at least sexually appealing. An author’s word choices convey varying degrees of sensuality. The key to selling books can be found in appealing to a reader’s sexual interest. In any genre there are always key phrases or words. Using these words in a way that highlights their appeal provides an easy transition for readers, making a great description. Most publishing companies like to see a stated category, subcategory, or search terms for a manuscript. Including these items in descriptions not only sell readers and communicate an author’s market awareness; they also help Internet search engines place your book at the top of search results. Yet, it goes unnoticed how romance readers judge desirability in Erotica not only by a captivating description, but also by the subcategories described.

What Should Great Descriptions Include?

Now knowing what goes into making a great description, it’s important to know the basic content. A great description establishes all a reader needs to know about the story’s plot. The main characters and the setting should usually be established no later than the second sentence. With that established, all else is based on the initial starting sentences. The description should contain a hook that grabs readers into the plot, while not giving away the story. Done correctly, revealing plot details results in initiating a feeling of momentum building up throughout the description. This momentum entices readers provided the content is presented successfully. Erotic descriptions should also feel sensual, or capture the story’s desired romantic appeal. Nothing decreases a reader’s interest more than good descriptions failing to capture the essence of their favorite genre.

How Do Descriptions Appeal To Readers?

For Erotica, the best way to capture a reader is through sexual appeal. Notice, Sirs, this is not the same thing as sexual content—or even sex in general. Even most male readers relate to the experience and emotions behind the initial sexual attraction. A great description captures what the author already knows, the reason behind the book’s story. If a reader can relate to the story before even reading a word of it, they’ll be more likely to buy it. Enticing a reader’s curiosity is always a good method as well. People are curious, especially when it comes to what drives sexual attraction, so why not use this advantage? A great description appeals to the reader in many forms, not just one—can you include a second hook?

Can We Dissect A Description?

Let’s look at a real book description so we can obtain a better understanding of how this process works. The Lot’s Cave novel titled ‘Forbidden Promise’ contains an interesting Uncle-Niece erotic incest story. While this example may not be an ideal description, it highlights all the desired information. Uncle-Niece incest is not a very popular genre for new authors to break into, yet this book sells well. One can only conclude this is because the description truly sells the book. Feel free to find this as an example to work from for your own template. In no way is this meant as the ‘end all-be all’ of solutions. The following description just happens to be the one most readily available for use:

“Rose has a problem. Since catching her father having sex, she can’t keep from wanting him. Dad is clueless about his daughter’s desire. His kinky love life has always been kept behind closed doors. When Dad’s brother comes to stay for the summer, her Uncle isn’t the only one who can satisfy her desire. A night of kinky sex with Uncle may just be enough for Dad to examine his thoughts on incest.”

Forbidden Promise – by Lily Weidner

First Sentence

“Rose has a problem.”

The main character is established in this very short first sentence. However it fails to capture the reader’s curiosity right from the start. It’s not erotic even though it establishes the main character’s name and highlights an echo of the story’s plot. All the reader knows is that the character has a problem. The first sentence drives the reader to keep reading in order to figure out the main character’s complicating issue.

Drawing In The Reader

“Since catching her father having sex, she can’t keep from wanting him. Dad is clueless about his daughter’s desire. His kinky love life has always been kept behind closed doors.”

These three sentences propel the reader’s interest forward. Expanding on the first sentence, we begin learning more of the main character’s predicament. With the introduction of another character, we also start to see the sexual appeal of the story. Words like kinky, desire, sex, wanting, and closed doors, all initiate feelings of sexual curiosity or interest for the reader. At the same time, the words used will appeal to many different interests within the same market.

Setting

“When Dad’s brother comes to stay for the summer, her Uncle isn’t the only one who can satisfy her desire.”

This story’s particular setting isn’t obviously stated. The reader only knows it’s summertime, and the story most likely takes place in the family home. Again, the reader is driven forward by using enticing words. The introduction of another character can attract more readers with a change in the story’s appeal. Here, the reader starts to truly grasp the nature of the story. Notice however, detailing the main plot and setting takes only one sentence.

Closing Sentence

“A night of kinky sex with Uncle may just be enough for Dad to examine his thoughts on incest.”

Another hook in the last sentence captures the reader’s interest. The second hook builds on the reader’s interest and this prompts an outright purchase of the book. With the last sentence, we notice the conclusion to an even broader marketing process. What the description really does is propel the reader into an outright purchase of the book in order to discover the details. As a whole, the description accomplishes its desired goal, all in the span of 73 words.

How Can You Begin Writing Your Description?

The best way to start writing a description begins with the first thought coming to mind. Too many writers hesitate, causing them to lose their initial ideas. Remember, descriptions aren’t final until they’re sent out, and can always be edited down later. If a writer’s block-like difficulty occurs, simply begin making a list. Consider who the main characters are and determine a few keywords to draw in readers. Take a look at your initial keywords, and build hooks around them. If a writer’s block still occurs, read plenty of book descriptions for ideas, or even see new ways to format sentences into enticing hooks. If you’re unsure of where to start, remember, it’s okay to be a little lost or confused just start trying.

Already Have A Manuscript To Submit?

Lot’s Cave is dedicated to publishing material that most publishers would find too controversial. If you have a finished manuscript, we’d love to receive your submission. We have an easy five step submissions process! For us to receive your manuscript submit your story directly at our website here. Not quite ready yet to publish your manuscript, but have a few questions? No problem. Authors can always find more information directly at our website, or on our Writers Wanted page. Having problems or need clarification regarding our online manuscript uploader? Please feel free to contact Lot’s Cave directly with your questions here.