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How to Write Erotica Kindle Edition
Have you had intimate fantasies or simmering plotlines you’ve wanted to write but weren’t sure how or where to start? Let renowned erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel show you how to turn those fragments into fully fleshed out erotic stories, novellas, and novels. In this indispensable nonfiction craft guide, Bussel takes her 20+ years of experience in the genre and walks writers through the ins and outs of erotic writing. Whether you want to see your work on the shelves of bookstores, pen sexy stories or letters for a partner, or simply explore your creativity, How to Write Erotica will put you on the path to becoming the next Anaïs Nin!
Having taught erotic writing workshops at universities, conferences, and sex toy stores across the world and online, Bussel knows how to make even those who blush at the word “sex” feel comfortable putting pen to paper. Her easy-to-follow method to penning erotica is broken down utilizing helpful tactics that include:
Practical examples from her own writing process
Erotica excerpts
Interviews with over a dozen successful erotica authors
Numerous writing tips and prompts
Aspiring erotic authors of all genders will learn everything they need to know about gaining inspiration from their everyday surroundings, breaking into publishing, promoting their work, and making a name for themselves. From pseudonyms to BDSM, overcoming writer’s block and crafting sultry, believable characters, Bussel’s advice will have you seeing erotic possibilities everywhere. You don’t need an advanced degree, previous writing experience, or sexual experience to write good erotica. All you need is a keen imagination and a willingness to follow your lusty mind wherever it takes you.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCleis Press
- Publication dateFebruary 14, 2023
- File size6.5 MB
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews
Review
A seminal, unique, and expertly written writer's guide to a specific genre that has always been a lucrative market, How To Write Erotica is particularly recommended for aspiring writers working in both erotic and romantic fiction. -- Midwest Book Review
How to Write Erotica is without a doubt one vital and excellent book. The ideas, suggestions, and prompts that Rachel Kramer Bussel offers in her book are invaluable, and her book is a resource I know I will put into practice. -- Christian Pan
Whatever is standing between you and good erotic writing can be found and overcome by looking inside this clear and comprehensive how-to guide. Terrific advice from one of the foremost writers and editors of the genre. -- Justine Elyot, author of On Demand, Kinky and Fallen
If you’ve ever read erotica and thought, ‘I could write better smut than this!,’ How to Write Erotica is the book that will actually help you do it. It treats erotic writing like the craft and business that it is — focusing on a level of professionalism and care that’s required in any other genre of writing. If a writer completed only half of the exercises listed throughout the book and took only half the advice given, they’d be further along than many other writers publishing their smut right now. You can take the craft of writing about sex seriously and write steamy stories that turn yourself and your readers on. -- Kayla Lords, Sex Writer
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B0BP9B4MQD
- Publisher : Cleis Press (February 14, 2023)
- Publication date : February 14, 2023
- Language : English
- File size : 6.5 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 226 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #617,387 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #117 in Composition
- #220 in Fiction Writing Reference (Kindle Store)
- #223 in Creative Writing Composition
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

I write memorable stories and teach people how to craft their own. I've edited over 70 anthologies. My favorites are Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1-8, The Big Book of Orgasms, Fast Girls, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories, Spanked and BDSM books Please, Sir and Please, Ma'am! My anthologies have won 3 Samois Anthology Award and I won the 2021 John Preston Short Fiction Award, all from National Leather Association-International (NLA-I). My mission is to tell powerful stories, including fiction, journalism and personal essays, and encourage others to get their words on the page and into the world. My nonfiction has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Elle, Glamour, Salon, Philadelphia Inquirer, Time.com, The Village Voice and numerous other publications.
Writing classes: https://rachelkramerbussel.com/new-page-3
Newsletter and contact: https://rachelkramerbussel.com/contact
Teaching and consulting: http://eroticawriting101.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/raquelita
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelkramerbusselauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachelkramerbussel
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelkramerbussel
Blog: http://lustylady.blogspot.com
Click the yellow follow button to get news about my new releases!
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Customers find the book's advice essential, with one mentioning its actionable tips for promoting work. The writing prompts receive positive feedback, with customers considering them must-haves for all writers.
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Customers find the book helpful, with one mentioning it provides actionable tips for promoting work.
"...And boy, I’m sure glad I did! Rachel’s book is full of advice that will benefit nearly everyone...." Read more
"...writing, she is both an editor and a contributor and the insight in this book is essential...." Read more
"Very Informative..." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing prompts in the book, finding them must-haves for all writers, with one customer noting they are straightforward.
"...from news stories and even your garage, but Rachel provides unique writing prompts and guides you through the editing process...." Read more
"...I also liked how straightforward the text is...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023Every great writer, whether a seasoned pro or a novice, needs the right tools and resources to help them hone their craft. By trade, I’m a copywriter. After hours, I like to dabble in writing erotic fiction.
I’ve read several collections of erotic short stories Rachel Kramer Bussel edited and enjoyed them all immensely. After learning she released “How to Write Erotica,” I immediately jumped at the opportunity to purchase the book.
And boy, I’m sure glad I did! Rachel’s book is full of advice that will benefit nearly everyone. Not only does she help you trump your own internal fears and biases and find inspiration for your sexy scenes from news stories and even your garage, but Rachel provides unique writing prompts and guides you through the editing process. She also offers actionable tips for promoting your work and getting it published.
If you want to become an erotic writer, this book is a must-have for your arsenal of writing tools.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2024Every erotic writer could gain some insight.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2023As a writer, I often sit and wonder what editors are thinking about when they choose and edit writing. In this fantastic how-to, I found out, Rachel Kramer Bussel is the OG of Erotica writing, she is both an editor and a contributor and the insight in this book is essential. While it goes over a lot of the nuts and bolts of the craft itself, I also found the insight into the cultural parts of Erotica invaluable. A friend of mine teaches a sex writing class and I recommend she use it as well!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024I'll start with the things I liked. I liked the author's tone--it wasn't too formal, and it almost felt like I could hear her voice, like we were having a chat over coffee. I also liked how straightforward the text is. A lot of people who claim to write erotica will then turn around and use flowery language and silly nicknames for body parts, but this book doesn't play around with any of that and is very no-nonsense.
However. I really don't think this book offers anything that you can't find for free on the internet. I'm probably not the target audience, as someone who's written and read erotica for a good decade now, but I'm trying to get more serious about my writing, which is why I decided to give this book a shot. I'd hoped it would open my eyes to things I didn't already know, maybe give me a glimpse behind the curtain of the industry, but it really just feels like a primer for beginners.
And I saw another review point out that there were too many examples and quotes from other authors to pad out the book, and I hate to agree, but... I do. Most of the examples weren't even that good (though I was introduced to Erin McLellan, at least, and her included passage was great) and oftentimes, it felt like all the quoted authors were saying the same thing, so there wasn't really any reason to include it all. It got to the point where I was basically just skimming over the quotes because once you read the first one, you got the gist of the others.
I might recommend this book to TOTAL beginners, people who've never before attempted to write erotica and are just starting out. I definitely don't recommend it for people who are already familiar with the genre. Ultimately, it left me wanting more and I don't feel like I've really gained anything from it, unfortunately.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023f you are going to get tips and tools for writing erotica, who better to supply them than the woman who has edited over 70 erotic anthologies, written erotica for over a decade, and is widely recognized as one of the experts on to the topic today? Rachel Kramer Bussel has worked in writing and publishing erotica for years and years. She knows the ins and outs of both the writer and editor side and she has the capacity to break down the process into steps most other erotic writing tip books leave out.
This volume not only gives you insight to the publishing process and creating stories which others want to read, it goes into the whys of erotica. Why do you write it? What can you learn from it? How can it best serve you? This is a big step forward for erotic writing guides.
Rachel's writing style makes the book very accessible to all levels of erotic writers. Its great for the novice who just wants to write a sexy story for their partner. It also provided me, a seasoned writer, with a bunch of tips and tool! Seriously, I've taken classes from some of the best erotic writers out there and worked with some great editors and I finished this book with a bunch of new ideas and tools.
For anyone looking to write sexy stories, this is well worth picking up!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023Very standard, show, don't tell writing advice. Uses so many quotes from other writers just to lengthen the book. The examples used were not well used or great examples and filled so many quotes to again, lengthen the book and drive home a point. You don't need 3 quotes from other authors to make a point. Brevity is the soul of wit. Sentences and paragraphs that could be minimized were all lengthened, which made it an extremely tiresome read.
Very disappointed buy.