November 22nd, 2008 | by Lydia Parks |
Okay, I’ll agree that not all writers process information the same way I do. Let me start off by explaining that I’m an engineer. Believe it or not, there are quite a few engineering-type erotica writers out there, or at least more than you’d probably expect. I’m not sure why that is; we all know the “insert tab A into slot B” type of writing isn’t what makes erotica great. Or even good. Good erotica has to have a story that tugs at your emotions while it’s tugging at other body parts. The one explanation I can offer is that you can only write so many technical papers before you have to cut loose and have some fun! That may or may not have anything to do with it.
So, what does an engineer do when her first Aphrodisia erotica comes out? Exactly what they tell you not to do. Every day or two, I hop over to B&N and Amazon and check my rankings.
I know, I know. Lots of writers do that. After all, you’ve poured your soul (or at least a bunch of sweat and tears) into this book, and it’ll be quite some time before you see any royalties. No matter how many great reviews you get, there’s a certain amount of nail biting that goes on.
But engineers don’t just go online and check rankings. We graph them! What could possibly be better than a graph?? Well, okay, a really hot vampire story is better. But a good graph runs a close second for those of us living half our lives in our left brains.
I realized right off the bat that some people might think I was wasting time graphing my online rankings. We all know the rankings don’t directly relate to sales. So I worked on finding a meaningful way to use the data. I’m checking my marketing ideas. If I find that the graphs both make a strong jump in the right direction, I’ll know I’ve hit on something.
Okay, at least that sounds reasonable. Doesn’t it?
So, what’s my point? Writers need feedback. Beleive it or not, writers love to hear from readers! We need some reassurance that our books aren’t sitting out there gathering dust. I’ve taken to sending emails to authors whose books I’ve really enjoyed. Granted, there’s at least one incredible writer out there who thinks I’m stalking him, but most of us really appreciate those emails. So next time you finish a book and think, “Man, that was great,” please send the poor, lonely author a note. She/he will keep that note forever in a file marked, “fan mail by book.” Especially if she/he is an engineer.
I hope you all enjoy the holidays! I’m off to hit the online bookstores…
Lydia
www.LydiaParks.com
Addicted and Sexy Beast VI from Aprhodisia















































































