Erotica blog writing, an interview with Julie Grissom

Tell me about your Blog/Website/Business?
My blog is http://www.juliegrissom.com . It’s HOT! because I both write and edit erotica, which is more fun than you can possibly imagine. It’s totally freeing, and allows my imagination and hormones to go wild.

What was your first erotica blog?
This is my first blog

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie blogger/writer?
Keep doing it! Keep changing it. Keep finding things to tell your readers–and write well. You don’t have to write long, just well.
Don’t use all that silly, kiddy-stuff like “how r u?” Use real words that real readers can understand because not all of them are into texting.

What do publishers do that you wish they wouldn’t?
I wish publishers would speed up the process instead of hanging onto a manuscript for a year or more before sending polite regrets–all the while requesting that the author not send out multiple submissions. I mean, come on! Let’s be fair about this!

One more thing on this subject–Let’s talk for a minute about reviewers. Sure, they might not all like what an author writes, but there’s no need to be obnoxious about it. Also, reviewers who give away the ending should be curtailed somehow. Maybe permanently.
(That’s a joke. I do not *really* advocate cutting off their fingers or excising their tongues.) I’d just like them to be aware that giving away major plot twists or the ending of the story is not the way to entice readers. Most of them don’t, of course, but the odd one does.

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t?
Post things like what they ate for breakfast. Who cares? If a person’s going to blog, they should have something of general interest to share. Like how many spiders they had to shake out of their shoes in the morning, or what six crows on a fence means for one’s future.

Where do you see growth in the blogging field?
In the advertising of almost everything, but mostly (because that’s my field) of books. Electronic books, to be more precise. The more e-reading devices that come out, the more computer literate people are going to want to know where to find the kinds of books they want.
Women, especially, feel shy, intimidated, or embarrassed going into a store and searching out erotica. Getting it through the internet is private, comfortable, and easy.Over the years, I’ve collected a bunch of electronic reading devices–the original Rocket e-Reader, the next generation Rocket 1100, several different PDAs, and now, a sweet little MSI NetBook. I even take my Rockets (both of which still work) and my current PDA into the bathtub with me(one at a time, in case you’re wondering), safely sealed up in a Ziploc bag. I download more books than I buy in brick & mortar stores, and also listen to a great many books from Audible.com on my PDA.

What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?
As above, electronic devices for reading/listening to books, newspapers, magazines, newsletters. Online magazines are a great source of advertising, as are Google, Facebooks, Twitter and likely others, but they are the ones I use most. I do click on some of the ads, and periodically buy the items if they interest me.

What do you do to improve the world?
I make people happy with the books I write. I try to make them smile, laugh, sometimes pant and tingle a little and encourage them to read more. Reading is far more satisfying than sitting slumped in front of a box watching idiots perform for a laugh-track. In my oh, so humble opinion, of course.

What do you do that is green?
Well, I look at people, being that my eyes are green, I’m sure that helps. As does composting vegetable waste, planting trees, never using a dead tree at Christmas, keeping plastic out of the ocean–even picking it up out of the water when I see it floating by–cutting up those nasty little plastic collars pop & beer manufacturers use to tie their six-packs together. Those things are deadly for birds and small animals if left lying around. I take my own reusable bags to the store when I buy groceries and say “No” to plastic bags if they’re offered. I recycle everything I possibly can.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?
Clowns scare me so bad I feel nauseated.

What’s your favourite book?
I have to pick one? That’s not possible.

What is on your iPod?
I don’t have an iPod. Believe me, there are still a few people in the world who don’t. Of course, if someone gave me one, I wouldn’t refuse, I’d rejoice.

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?
I’m going to join both Twitter and Facebook in a few days when I finish judging the 20 books I agreed to read for a contest for EPIC, an organization of readers, writers and publishers of electronically published books.. My blog is http://www.juliegrissom.com . I love it when readers leave comments and want to become my followers.

What events do you go to?
Mostly, writers’ conferences, wooden boat festivals, boat shows, family reunions, little theater productions.

How do you prefer to communicate?
With readers, by e-mail. With other authors, any way I can, in person, phone, e-mail, blogs etc. With family, phone, in person, & email.

Who would you recommend, and why?

Recommend for what? Resoling my shoes? Giving me pedicures? Writing books I love? Blogging? My first choice in that last one would be www.heatherinbeautifulbc.com  She’s the best blogger in the world. (At least, in my world.) You can find 10 or more simply by going to www.ninc.com/blog . There are some great blogs there, mostly about writing, but also about life experiences. People who write or aspire to write can find really valuable information on that site. And published writers can get so many benefits from joining Novelists, Inc. I can’t begin to list them.
Two print-published book-lengths works of fiction, any genre, in the past five years will gain you entrance (along with the requisite fees which are not onerous), and the Nink newsletter alone is worth the fee. The conferences are the best writers’ get-togethers I’ve ever attended. EPIC is another great organization and you don’t have to be published in anything, but if you want to write, there’s more information on how to sell, who to approach, and what the benefits of e-publishing are than you might suspect. For information on joining EPIC, contact Karen

What is one thing people can do for you?
Buy my books. Buy the books I edit for www.carnalpassions.com  and www.champagnebooks.com . Visit my blog to see which book I’m featuring each week. Comment on my blog, tell people how truly wonderful I am. I believe it, why shouldn’t everyone? Heck, even my dog believes it!