If it puts the bully in your wooly, then yes.
It is unlikely to be financially rewarding for any but a tiny number of writers - but this applies to all genres. I understand that a very high proportion of writers who regularly publish earn £500 or less per year. It's only the ultra elite that make a living out of it. What Metilda has achieved is remarkable but she must have worked exceptionally hard with getting a following going through her blog etc. I imagine it would be much easier for a women to get a following going then a man. I have seen one escort with a huge fan base through her f/b page and website publishing and selling erotic fiction based on her exploits as a hooker. But she has a site where men can visit and drool over her etc. I also note that Metilda writes quite extreme stuff (eg explicit arsehole fisting) - is that an example of what is in demand Metilda? I only sell vanilla ice cream so unfortunately so am destined to remain obscure.
I havent read fifty shades but I imagine the lexicon and style most writers use here is extreme by comparision - I expect the words pussy cock arsehole clit (plus descriptions of extreme sex anal fisting) etc just dont appear. That kind of writing probably wont ever be accepted by a mainstream publisher.
I checked out Metilda's website and all the titles she is selling on amazon.
Impressive artwork for the covers and nice website, blog etc.
Amazon readers a far more critical lot than Lush readers it seems - but no one title has more than 1 review and 90% have no reviews at all. This does not mean too much - as few people leave reviews.
For me, it is the fun of the writing. I enjoy what I write, and hope others will. My readers are usually most kind, and I have met many good friends and lovers in my stories long before I meet them in Lush.
Publishing is one of the few ways that you can get paid again and again for doing work once. I like it when I get paid for something I wrote five years ago, knowing that I had a choice of knuckling down to write or hitting another episode of some box set. Whether it's 'worth it' is a personal choice. Over 99% of people would be financially better off spending that time stacking shelves or any other job that comes to hand. Writing is not well paid unless you're lucky and good at it.
It is probably more difficult than ever to make money from writing erotica since the world is awash with free options and myriad paid alternatives to whatever you choose to write. That being said, the only guaranteed way to fail is not to try.
I can draw it but putting it into words is another thing for me
Writing erotica has gotten me laid so much more with much hotter girls than I could have ever gotten without it. So, yeah... I think it’s worth it.
eBooks aren't the only option. There are quite a few porn magazines/sites out there that buy erotica, a handful offering professional rates (5 cents a word or so). Plus, it's cool to have your stories on actual porn sites/mags, which get a ton of traffic. Just remember Vonnegut got his first stories published by porn mags.
Writing erotica for myself and my wife has opened up a whole new world to us. She has had phone sex quite a lot and some of the things she has learned in these sessions she has put in stories and given me lots of ideas for things to write about, even if she won't do them in reality. She enjoys reading some of my tales.
If you are trying to make a living, there are much more lucrative uses for your time. Standing at the side of the road with a sign that says I will write for food would very likely get you more money. Art is like that.
You do it for the love of it and then just hope you get lucky. Same for music and painting, sculpting and acting. They are great arts, but only a fool truly believes making a living is a sure thing
I just got my royalty check check for my book sales from 2017. $7.34.
TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Some good advice in this thread for new writers. I think as soon as the purpose of your writing becomes 'making money', the quality of your writing and the fun you get from it will deteriorate. Write because you enjoy it and then maybe who knows, but don't quit your day job...
I'm writing just because I enjoy it and ultimately my book is a book that I will enjoy reading when I eventually finish it.