Is there actually a market?

pim8parnell
I suspect it's far too late to recover anything, but Bethany's Woodshed has a demonstrated track record of shady behaviour according to this article.

NYT story

Hi. I'm late to this discussion, but I am fortunate enough that some of my stories have been selected by LSF Publications. Do I earn money from these books? Yes. Do I earn a lot of money? No. Just a small amount but with the knowledge that I'm helping this place keep the lights on.

Thank you all very much!

I really appreciate your insights and the links, which you posted, were a great start!

I would'nt be in it for the money or anything. But I have a few plots in my head, that I see coming out some time. And as actually no one writes without an audience in mind (even with journals there's usually something in you, wishing the material to be found)... I wanted to get to know the mechanics of writing bdsm-erotica.

In my day job I'm performing and producing in the German-speaking Spoken-Word-Scene and doing lots of off-theatre stuff. Now that I said it, "German-speaking Spoken-Word" does sound like a build up for a monty python sketch.

I don't believe "money" / capitalism to be something good for the way we do and enjoy arts as a society. But getting into a production process, wherefore commercialization can be a medium, helps me, to keep my inner "genius" in check. You know, that bitter notion, that either you're "it" and you've been "it" all along, or you're not, and you just don't have "it" in you...
And this kinky-thing is to special for me. I couldn't stand, if it were another reason for self-doubt.

In Germany most performing arts projects start with an application for grants. You argue why your idea is beneficial for the people. That's screwed up in its own way, but... it does keep my self-perception okay.
Knowing art to be all manufacturing, teamwork and division of labour really helps me.

So that's why I had this strange question. I want to write a few spanking erotica pieces in German.
Just don't want to be alone with an audience

So thanks again and all the best to you all!

Just want to add my 2 cents.
If you look at the stories the library lists how often it got viewed and the number of comments plus how often it is added as favorite.
To get 1000 views a story seems to have to be online for multiple years
My guess is that only Good and Bad stories get comments.
To reach more than 20 comments a story needs to be ancient.
This should tell you that spanking stories are a real niche.
Since I am German too, I admit that I am dreaming of writing a little story myselfto 'repay' the community. Researching spanking stories I realized that when we made a class trip to England (Yeah England not Britain) in 1980 might have been 1981 since I remember that I searched in London for a Sinclair ZX81 kit. A computer with Z80 processor and the insane memory of 1kB and running at a frequency of 1MHz (cost about 300 new pounds). With corporal punishment still allowed in England back then and our teachers suggesting a visit to an English school it got me thinking if our teachers tried to set us up ;)

I'm even later to the discussion but have also had some stories selected by LSF Publications. But whatever royalties I would make would only further convolute an already complex tax situation so I just sign over whatever my share of the take would have been to the Library. Don't think I'm passing up the opportunity to be the next Stephen King...

Actually the community has to thank or curse goodgulf for being responsible for my presence. I got a few books on amazon and asked LSF publications if they would forward my comments to a few authors. One was R.G. Chilton which I even asked if he was male or female. Mr. Woodley cast the hook with 'Hiding in the Academy' and I finally got caught by Mr. Chilton's 'Christman across the County line'
Even though this site is free there are hardly any stories that reach 1000 views within 12 months. So I doubt you can earn significant anounts of money with spanking stories. As you can read in this part of the forum I am working on my own story, but this story is meant as a thank you gift to the community I joint and which was kind until now.
gift = Geschenk in German
the German word Gift is a different matter though I don't think the community would like a thank you Gift (to lift the fog, in English it translates into poison. ;) )
Imho: A story here is something to be remembered by when your body ceases its biological function.

I got a 1099 from Kindle this year to report my earnings to the IRS. It recorded that I had earned $10.87 in total

Wow. Not to go off topic, but that was the first kink site I joined.

I have at least a fantasy that I am a good enough writer to make a living at it, if I were not so lazy. Now that may not be true, except the part about my being lazy. That is all too true. However, even in my wildest fantasies I have never imagined that I could make a living as a writer of spanking fiction. The market is just too small. My pay here has been the comments I have received on the stories and songs I have posted. Thanks again for all who have commented. I can't spent your comments at the grocery store, but that's okay. They feed my spirit.

Back in the day, I earned a good monthly check by writing for Just Us Girls & Men Under Control. Sadly, the publisher folded up shop.