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In This Issue:
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From the Editor
An Overlooked Market
by Kristofer
Market Listings
Choosing a Pen (Porn) Name
by Michelle Lightfoot
Calls From A Reader - Latex Gloves and Red Shoes...
Goings On - Some Great Ones!
Q & A - Readers' Questions
Looking for Writers

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From The Editor
Katy Terrega
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Welcome to all of you Writer Online folks, nice to have you here! Feel free to jump right in with any comments, suggestions or feedback! And check out the back issues - http://www.KatyTerrega.com/backnewsletter.html - for a bunch of articles, markets and info.

The Writer Online influx brings us up to a whopping 526 subscribers. Whooee, who'da thunk it?!

Spring has sprung here in Colorado (well, after yet another snow storm last week) and not a moment too soon, as far as I'm concerned. Hope that all of you Iowa readers stayed high and dry...

I've finally figured out the fine art of interactive forms and will be working on a survey-type thing I'd like to send out to you all. Not for any nefarious purposes, mind you, just curiosity...like, where did you hear about the newsletter? And just how many Aussie readers do we really have?

Astute readers will notice that I have yet to figure out the fine art of message-boarding (aarrgghhh...). I've decided that, given our sometimes adult content, I don't want to go with one hosted off-site, but I lack the skills to intall one myself. Any techie who feels like offering support is more than welcome to contact me. (FYI - I have a fair amount of html and form knowledge, it's just that pesky CGI and Perl stuff that's got me stumped.)

On a more newsletter related note...We've got lots of 'Goings On' this issue. What a great week for acceptances, and good ones, too! My favorite one - no, I don't usually play favorites, but this is special - is Cameron Roark's sale. (You might remember him; he won the Winter Short Story Contest, albeit under another name.) He's been a loyal reader from the very beginning and he ordered a critique awhile back. After some rewriting, he submitted the story and made his very first sale to Hot Latinas for $100.00! Congrats to him and all the other published writers!

We've got two, count 'em, articles for you this week. One is about the often overlooked gay porn market and one is about choosing a pen name. Plus we've got two questions from readers, several calls for submissions and I answer a question about lead times.

As always, enjoy this newsletter and keep in touch!

Katy

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--- An Overlooked Market ---
--- by Kristofer ---
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Writing porn for fun and profit is an adventure. It is a journey of imagination, mixed with inspiration and, yes, even a little hormone. But, mostly, porn is a genuinely unique form of expression.

Everyone knows about the more popular sex magazines, but there is a small, mostly untapped market: gay porn. You may say to this that you don't know how to write gay porn. You needn't worry because it follows the same rules as the other kinds: it must be hot, quick, with intense action- all the things that make any good story.

In order to create porn that will be exciting to gay men, the only change will be that the sex is between men instead of couples or groups and that the description is a little harder-edged. The point-of-view needs to be from a gay man; his likes and actions must be genuine and believable.

The gay porn industry is growing with the emergence of the new class of sexual orientation. So, it is a viable market and one that shouldn't be overlooked when you're thinking what you would like to do.

There aren't as many prospective markets for gay porn as there are for the more mainline stuff, but the following represent a good beginning. You should request writer's guidelines rather than submitting over the transom. Most importantly, you should get involved.

There are gay porn sites on the Internet and many more to use as market addresses, but these are a start:

THE ADVOCATE
Liberation Publications
6922 Hollywood Boulevard
10th Floor - Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90028-6148

HERO MAGAZINE
451 La Cienega Boulevard
Suite One
Los Angeles, CA 90048

OPTIONS
AJA Publishing
P.O. Box 170
Irvington, NY 10533

SAVAGE MALE
564 Mission Street
Box 345
San Francisco, CA 94103

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--- Market Listings ---
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GIRL PLAY:

I'm accepting personal essays, recollections, and some fictional stories by women for a literary collection about girls masturbating together. How have your early experiences informed your adult sexuality? Girl Play will shed light on this common but often denied aspect of female sexual development. See http://www.angelfire.com/celeb/girlplay for complete guidelines. Please write me at evelyn_lb_scott@yahoo.com if you have any questions. Deadline: June 1, 2001.


OBSESSED: FETISH EROTICA

Erotica editor Cara Bruce is now accepting submissions for an exciting new anthology from Cleis Press, Obsessed: Fetish Erotica to be published in Spring 2002.

Sexual fetishes range from the much talked about shoe fetish to the lesser known fetishes of inflatable pool toys or plushies. Each of these stories must be on a different, titillating topic, and each story should explore both how fetishes are carried out and why they occur. I am looking for stories that have more then just a fetish as a prop, but instead delve deeper into the psychological aspects of fetish.

Stories should contain hot sexual elements/situations that feature characters who live their fetish. Make the fetish you write about come to life, exploring the sexual, emotional and psychological pleasures behind it.

I want stories featuring as many kinds of fetishes as are out there. Some examples are: feet, shoes, lingerie, smoking, plushies, rubber, shaving, fetish fashion, etc. I'm interested in the odd, the offbeat, the unusual. Make your characters and stories three-dimensional, sexy and innovative. This will be a collection of top-notch erotic fetish fiction that pushes boundaries and reveals the true nature of sexual fetishes.

In order to ensure that I don't have too much overlap in the fetishes being written about, please email me at fetishbook@yahoo.com with the fetish you would like to write about before you write it. I will not be able to take too many stories on the same topic and this will save you a lot of trouble and time.

Stories should range from 1000-5000 words. Manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced and printed on one side of the page only. Please include cover letter with the following: name and address (snail mail and E-mail), phone number, 75-word bio, accurate word count of story. Include SASE with sufficient postage if you want your manuscript returned. If you don't need your manuscript returned please send a SASE for a reply.

Contributors will be paid and will receive two copies of the anthology.

Please send full manuscripts to:

Cara Bruce
PMB #121
322 Cortland Ave
San Francisco, CA 94110

Or email them to fetishbook@yahoo.com - please send it both in the body of the email and as an RTF attachment.

Deadline: August 1, 2001

Please address any questions about this anthology to fetishbook@yahoo.com. You can expect to hear back from me regarding acceptance in October, 2001.

TATTOOS - PIERCING:

New tattoo and piercing mag is looking for articles and pics of people with tattoos... Their greatest need is for pictures (for which there is no pay), but they're looking for (paid) writers, too. Contact Cynthia MacGregor at CynthiaMacGregor@aol.com

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--- Choosing a Pen (Porn) Name ---
--- By Michele Lightfoot ---
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When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to joke about what our porn names would be, should any of us choose that particular profession. Common lore was that porn names were chosen by taking the name of your pet, in my case Midnight or Cubbie or Patches, as your new first name and the street you grew up on, Osage, as your surname. So, following that recipe, my porn name would be Midnight Osage.

As I got older, that logic seemed to stick in my head. Sometimes, when in a strange place, I would use that as my name. But, in reality, that name rarely saw light of day. Now that I am an adult and writing porn and erotica, I find myself wanting a new name. Not only do I want to protect my anonymity but I also want my new name to help me get into the frame of mind to write porn. I want my porn name to give me a new lease on life and help me release myself from my inhibitions.

I know, I know, it's a lot to ask of a name. To help me in my quest, I interviewed writer friends of mine, some who write erotica and some who don't. I asked them how and why they use pen names and the answers surprised me. I've identified these writers only by their pen names.

J.T. Spencer chose an adrongynous name to combat gender biases. The name also resolved a discrimination issue for J.T. as his/her given name is quite ethnic. While J.T. writes under a pen name, the work produced is presented to the publisher with the given name and the request to be printed under the pseudonym.

Lee Thompson is a prolific author who writes numerous pieces for a magazine. The editor decided that having Lee's given name on so many pieces per issue was a dilemma that could be resolved by a pen name. All of Lee's articles are presented under her given name and then some are printed with the pen name. Lee has strong ties to her pen name, as it incorporates part of her family heritage into her writing life.

Another writer who melded family history into a pen name is Roxanne, or Roxie, Mitchell. In addition to writing for a e-publishing newsletter, Roxanne also dabbles in erotica. When Roxanne's true self decided to use a pen name, she went so far as to write a biography for her! That's commitment!

When Sage decided to write about some difficult and mature subject matter, she opted to use a pen name to protect herself from undue scrutiny. Sage admits that while the privacy is nice, she sometimes wishes she could get recognition for her work. Sage also noted that she is better known, in some circles, by her pen name.

My favorite interviewee about pen names is Jo Graeber, hands down. Jo is a retired newspaper writer who now works as a freelancer. She lives and breathes as Jo Graeber. Her phone is registered under that name and she has that name on her checks. She uses that name in her everyday life and, more times than not, Jo gets paid under her pen name. While her family and close friends know her true identity, most in the writing community know her only as Jo.

Choosing your pen name is the first step. A few of the writers I interviewed told me that the most difficult thing they encounter is remembering to use their pen name when submitting work. Of course, there are some publications that won't publish work under a pen name. Be sure to find out before you give the OK to print you true name.

None of the writers notified any "official" organization about their pen name and most get paid under their real name. Jo is the exception, but she resolved this by getting her pen name on her checking account as a business name. So, she is free to write checks (and cash them!) under the name of Jo Graeber.

To obtain a checking account, or any type of business-related account, in your pen name you must do a few things. First, write a letter stating your intention to operate a business under the pen name. Sign the letter with your pen name and your real name. As long as you are not trying to defraud anyone, there should be no problems. By treating your pen name like a business name, the whole process will go much smoother. Making up business cards and stationary under your pen name will also help lend a more professional appearance to your request.

There are people who don't want anyone to know their pen name, or vice versa. In that case, you should only use your pen name when dealing directly with editors. While legally they are not bound to secrecy, most wouldn't disclose any personal information about any of their writers.

In the end, a pen name can provide the writer with a variety of benefits: anonymity, privacy, liberation or simply an alter ego. Whether you choose a pen name to get you "into the mood" or to protect yourself from scrutiny, make the decision wisely. Hopefully, these writers' tips will help you choose and use a pen name for yourself.

~

Michele Lightfoot is a freelance writer who lives near Chicago with her husband and son.

~

(Editor's Note: Do you have any interesting pen name stories? Send 'em to me and I'll put them in the next issue...)

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--- Calls From Readers ---
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One reader wants to know more about the eroticism of the latex glove. He's seen them used in girl/girl and sub/dom stories and would like to know what's up...

Another reader would like information as to whether "Red Shoes Diaries" takes unsolicited script manuscripts. Anybody know?

E-mail me if you have any info and I'll get it to the readers and print it in the next newsletter.

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--- Goings On ---
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Edward Finley says:

I'm going to have an article published in a book called "Buttmen: Erotic Stories and True Confessions by Gay Men Who Love Booty." The book will come out either this summer or next. My story is called "A Straight Man Who Admires Butt."

(Editor's note: Buttmen 2 is on it's way, I'll get that listing out to you ASAP)

Congrats Edward!

~

Lena Web says:

I recently made my first "real" porn story sale to Genesis' XES Magazine. It's called "Wet Wench" and should appear under the May 2001 issue.

Congrats Lena!

~

Danielle Smith says:

I just made my first sale to Amoret (actually my first fiction sale ever). "Pushing the Right Button" will be published in the May issue.

Congrats Danielle!

~

Delphi received an especially positive acceptance from Amoret. They said "We liked the romanticizism of the story with the paranormal approach..." Look for "Pleasant Dreams? The Visitor" in November.

Congrats Delphi!

~

Cameron Roark sold his first story to Hot Latinas, his (purple) contract is in the mail.

Congrats Cameron!

~

I've got my revamped website up and running here - www.KatyTerrega.com.

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Tell me what's going on! Have you made a sale? Do you have a piece being published? Let me know and I'll print it here for all to see!

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Check out my column at http://www.AbsoluteWrite.com on - what else?! - writing porn. This week I wrote about using "setting" effectively.

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--- Q & A ---
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One reader asked about the average time lead time between acceptance and publication.

While this varies from publisher to publisher, 6-8 months is the average for a print mag. I do have one story that was accepted in February of 1999 and still hasn't been published, but that's the exception, not the rule. (And the editor assures me it will be published "soon.")

As far as lead time for submissions, always give a print mag at least 6 months lead on time-sensitive material. That means you'll want to send out your Christmas themed porn story by June at the latest, and March would be even better.

On-line mags are a whole different ballgame of course, your story could be onsite the very next day or it might sit for a few months before being published. Most on-line stories will be published in about a month, however.

~

Alas, I wasn't able to find out much about a question I was asked in the last newsletter. The reader wanted information concerning legal liabilities for porn writers who send unsolicited manuscripts to foreign countries. Her concern is that what's legal in one country might not be legal in another. (Another reader, more recently, asked about various state laws.)

I have noticed that Canada seems to have some of the stricter obscenity laws around...

I, personally, haven't had any trouble with this, but then again, I don't submit outside of the U.S. very often. One possible way to protect yourself might be to query the intended editor first, before you send your manuscript.

If any of you have more knowledge on this subject than I do, please feel free to let me know, I'll be happy to pass it on.

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Send me your questions! I'll answer the most common ones here, and if I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find a pro who does. (Of course, failing that, I'll ask y'all for help...)

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---Looking for Writers---
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Send Me Your Stories And Ideas!

I'm looking for essays/articles that will inspire and/or instruct other porn writers. Success stories, how to break into certain markets, unique views on the genre, etc. Around 800 words is good, although I'm flexible.

I'd love articles on specific markets. There are so many sub-genres of porn and it's hard to know the subtleties of each. If you've got a specialty, from BDSM to Watersports to Leg Sex to Amputeeism, feel free to share your knowledge.

You can either suggest a topic (query) or send something whole. I'll get back to you within a week as to whether or not I'll be able to use it.

Right now I'm paying with a copy of the updated It's A Dirty Job...(plus credits) but as SOON as this site is self-supporting I'll be able to offer some cash.