Thanks to book-sized digital screen books called eReaders there has been a sharp increase in sales of erotica novels. Conventional books are history and soon-to-join typewriters and 45rpm records in the skips.

There have been surprising bonuses to the digital reading revolution. More people are reading eBooks; buyers have a far greater choice, and prices a fraction of hard-copy books.

Authors, especially new authors benefit because they can now self-publish. They no longer need to knock on countless publishing house doors in the forlorn hope of being accepted.

A 30 per cent increase in sales of erotic novels or mummy porn is mainly thanks to female readers. There is no embarrassment of putting one’s reading choice past a cashier under the amused eyes of other customers.

No one knows what the ladies are reading; their hair might curl if they did; Miss Marple isn’t quite as Women’s Institute we thought she was.

At one time it was thought book publishers Mills & Boon, famous for their inexpensive and titillating romantic novels, might be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Since the company added erotic fiction to LULU and Amazon-Kindle they have seen sales rise faster than one can say Viagra. Director Tim Cooper says ‘sales are growing at a staggering rate.’

According to one male reader, who didn’t wish to be identified, men need not be too concerned. Apparently, the storylines are as fanciful as ever. That is a relief. Unwilling to be in the closet any longer other publishers are keen to add a little spice to readers’ lives. Harper Collins is launching Mischief Books, a range of erotic eBooks.

Publisher Caroline Ridding told The Guardian, ‘erotic fiction has an ‘enormous global online constituency driven almost exclusively by female readers.’

There have been changes to the methods of marketing. Failing to be up to the minute on new techniques can mean the difference between success and failure. Simply downloading a new book on LULU or Amazon Kindle invites disappointment. It is like dipping one’s frying pan in the river and expecting results.

The book’s cover is key; it really has to stand out. Equally essential is the title, which has to grab attention and be search engine friendly. The book’s content needs to be evident in its title; anticipate the words readers search for and build them into the title.

Potential buyers can read the first two chapters what they read must get them salivating. It all takes a little while but when readers begin to post positive reader reviews, and other books ‘readers bought’ appear, there is a far better chance of lying by the pool while readers lie by theirs reading your book.

There have been many remarkable successes experienced by first-time writers so the chances of becoming a millionaire are higher than buying lottery tickets. Then there is the kudos of seeing one’s name in print. You can share this story on social media:

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