One of us writes the majority of the initial text, the other edits. We use Grammarly and (self-made) macros to clean and improve the writing. We send the manuscript in parts to our beta readers and when the manuscript is complete, we do another proofread before it goes to the editor. With our editor, we’ll go through the book twice before we call it finished. After that, we have the process of publication.
BDSM Romance isn’t erotica. (Even Amazon doesn’t know that! The only way to get a BDSM category for your book is in erotica. )
In our books (and a lot of good BDSM Romance books) the relationship and character development are the most important part. BDSM scenes and sex (yes, we do have explicit sex scenes) are supportive of getting the characters to grow and their romance to build.
All the time. A lot of the BDSM scenes we describe are either something we experienced ourselves or have seen. Our characters also have traits in common with either us or people around us. Reviewers have mentioned how true to life our books are and that’s because a lot (but not all!) of it is.
We’d like to add a warning here, too. Our books aren’t a HOWTO on BDSM practice. If you want to know more about BDSM and want to practice safe, sane, and consensual our advice is to join Fetlife (a kinky Facebook) and look for local events. Talk with people in the lifestyle during a munch or visit a workshop or training.
With digital stores like Amazon, the cover and title have become increasingly important. It’s the first thing people see. It’s important that the title and cover reflect what the book is about.
We read them all and love them all. Well, maybe not the snarky ones but some people just can’t help themselves. While we love praise as much as the next person, actually the reviews with constructive criticism are our favorites. We’re well aware we can’t please everyone, and we write in a certain way and tone and have our pet peeves, but we try to learn from critiques and think we improve with every book.
Orgasms LOL
No, really! It’s very hard to write orgasms if you want them to be realistic - and not the mind-altering starburst sensation - for your own sex. The opposite sex is even harder. Believe me, I’ve asked my husband some pretty invasive questions.
The trigger was a text message from the American half to the European one, but we had been talking about the lack of mature characters in our favorite genre (BDSM Romance) and how tired we were of billionaires and virgins. We have been writing professionally since October 2018.
Get a good (support) team. It starts with your home support team, they are your ‘first responders’, your emergency team so to say. They know you the best and – hopefully – act when (or before) you stress. You also need a good editorial team, beta readers, editor, publisher, cover artist – each of them forms a vital element in your writing success. Finally, you need a street/launch team. Other authors have been of the utmost importance to us from the beginning, also ARC readers and social influencers.
Create a routine and stick to it. Don’t pull all-nighters three days in a row, and then not write for several days. Writing should be part of your normal routine.
Doodle and write down ideas as soon as you get them. Carry a small notebook with you or use the notes app on your phone or send a friend a text. Small ideas can become books – it happened to us twice (Trapped and Cherished).
