Have you any idea the number of published, erotic authors in the world?

My friends, it's quite daunting. I'll freely admit to being slightly paralyzed by the sheer volume of aspiring and accomplishing writers in this field. However, I must confess an awful secret...

...a published author does not a talented author make.

There you have it. The secret is out. The publishing industry is based on 99% networking and 1% talent. I've read some published erotica that I found to be downright godawful. No, I shall not give names, as that would be above and beyond the level of catiness I'm willing to stoop to. But my message to unpublished writers is simply this: Don't be intimidated by the amount of published authors out there. Their names on ebooks somewhere doesn't make them better at the craft than you. It makes them luckier than you.

Think outside the box. Seek out smaller, more tightly focused companies. Go visit Aphrodite's Apples. Do it now. This new company will have some of the best romantic and erotic literature I have read in a long, long while. If you really want to know if you can cut it in this business, send them an inquiry. They'll tell you.