Many erotica writers have big dreams of becoming published authors. They are willing to do whatever it takes to get their name out there for readers to find and they are willing to do just about anything to get the label, "published author." With the growth of self-Publishing, the genre of erotica has definitely grown as self-published authors able to publish their stories faster than through traditional publishing.
Self-publishing may require more work on the part of the author, but there's a gift with this – control. When authors sell their works to publishing companies for a paycheck, they usually sell the rights to the works, which means the publishing agency can do what they want with the work.
They can choose the distribution channels, and they can decide how much time and effort they want to put into marketing. This can severely hurt the authors' chances of finding success, as they are often responsible for marketing the book themselves.
You control what happens to your book
There are some rules and regulations when it comes to erotica and publishing. Some publishing agencies and even distributor channels, such as iBooks and Barnes & Noble, don't want to allow certain forms of erotica for sale. They have strict guidelines in terms of what is allowed to be published, and many people will go alternative routes to get it on the market.
Sadly, because of the lack of knowledge when it comes to publishing, many people fall into the trap of paying to get the book published.
It's important to note that authors should be paid for their work, not pay money to get their name out there. If you find yourself with a contract offer where you have to pay to get your book published, chances are you are dealing with a Vanity Publisher. A vanity publisher is not necessarily good for your reputation as they tend to ask writers to pay for the publishing fees, and then they keep the profits for themselves.
Plus, you relinquish all control of your book and the rights to your novel.
You want to track royalties
The thing about erotica is that many people buy this kind of literature because they enjoy reading it. It's very easy for someone to take advantage of a writer who doesn't know what he or she is doing when it comes to publishing.
Many people can set up a business and claim to be a publishing company, by the rights to a book, or even get the author to pay for publication. Once the books are selling, they can simply report false numbers to the author, making them think that they are selling a mediocre amount of books when they are indeed selling thousands more.
An example of this happens just this summer when a company by the name of JK Publishing was caught. The owner, Jana Koretko of Johnstown, had been inviting erotica writers to publish through her. The story reveals that she would tell the authors that they were doing quite well with their books but she would take a huge chunk of their money and keep to herself. The District Attorney's Office has accused her of stealing more than $125,000 from over 15 clients.
This scam took place over two years.
If these authors had chosen to self-publish the novel, they would have full control over their book rights, and they would have that money right in their own pockets. It's always wise to be leery of people asking you to pay money to publish a book, as they may just be trying to make money. Remember, erotica is a billion-dollar industry and sometimes, people will do anything to get a piece of the pie.
What do you think about this scam? Are you surprised that people are paying to get published out of desperation?
