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!

The Challenge of Erotic Writing

“The stigma to writing Erotica may seem easy to avoid. Truthfully, some people can…but many cannot.”

There are challenges every writer will face, no matter what genre they write for. At times, these challenges can be rather obvious, other times, the challenges have to be experienced firsthand. Writing Erotica will always be one of those genres that have a few challenges. While these challenges will be different depending on the writer, we can all at least relate to a few. Before going into detail about the difficulties, it’s important to remember that difficulties are just challenges. If there weren’t these challenges, then many of us wouldn’t feel as accomplished as we do. These challenges should in no way hinder or turn away potential authors. The purpose of listing these difficulties is to make them more manageable, and hopefully spark a better experience in the long-term for Erotica authors.

One of the major challenges facing Erotica authors is the stigma attached. This single challenge is actually the cause of many other initial drawbacks. At first, the stigma to writing Erotica may seem easy to avoid. Truthfully, some people can avoid this negative stigma, but many cannot. Authors have a difficult time promoting their new book, discussing their writing with friends, and celebrating personal achievements. Nothing can be more difficult for an author, than facing the reality of being published yet able to tell no one. In general, if it wasn’t for this stigma, there’d be an innumerable amount of authors discussing their latest book. Most of these drawbacks are personal, but the social stigma can have a greater impact on an author than most would admit. At times, authors can feel as if their writing is somehow less valid as, “it only gets people off.”

Another major challenge authors face is a saturated market. Erotica is a very popular market suddenly, and while an abundance of books is good for readers, it may not be so good for authors. Keeping material fresh, relevant, and exciting, all while staying unique is a tough demand. Ensuring that a particular book is ‘good’ simply doesn’t make it in the market any longer. Books have to be well put together as a whole, which means a good story, description, excerpt, cover, and title. Readers look for a combination of all factors, rarely settling on one or two. Because of this, the authors that do become successful know the market they’re in, and what they’re writing. Readers get better material, and authors often find their skills increasing. This challenge really is reflected on the time it takes to be reassured of a book’s success.

Perhaps the single most important challenge is the lack of feedback. Erotica is not commonly shared or discussed among readers. Many people are hesitant to share their new favorite erotic book with friends, much less family. Because of this, authors can feel extremely disappointed. Many writers have friends that are also writers, often enough in different genres. This means that many Erotica writers see other authors gaining reviews and feedback from readers. As an author, we all like to hear this feedback, and we worry when we don’t get it. Wanting to improve our writing, to know our readers enjoy our stories, and what readers would like in the future, all requires reviews and feedback. To be a successful author, and still not receive reviews, is a tough concept to accept.

Writing Erotica has its difficulties, but authors enjoy these challenges. Many times, we can take a step back, and embrace the challenge as an inspirational piece of motivation. The common assumption is that writing Erotica isn’t for everyone, and there is some truth to that. However, I believe more authors, knowing these challenges, can be more likely to succeed. Some of the challenges, while not applying to everyone, are seen as part of the genre. These challenges make writers into successful authors. While Erotica has gained popularity, authors seen an increase, and books being in high demand, many writers are new to these challenges.

Lot’s Cave is proud of our authors for overcoming those challenges, and we’re always eager to see others doing the same. For our authors, writing about such sensitive and taboo topics, difficulties are not a strange occurrence. Despite the lack of reviews, feedback, reader recommendation, and censorship, our authors truly make a name for themselves. Overcoming these challenges, our authors have really excelled in their skills as a writer. As a whole, our authors have a better grasp of the difficulties, and are eager to help new and upcoming writers. Continuing to face these challenges, despite the unrelenting difficulties each new book faces, our authors really do make us proud. Here at Lot’s Cave, we couldn’t be happier!