Book launch event December 7 for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7

I'm very happy to share that the official book launch event for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 will take place on the release day, Tuesday, December 7, at 5-6 pm ET, 8-9 pm PT with The Ripped Bodice bookstore! You can watch free on The Ripped Bodice Facebook page and can RSVP here (optional). Joining me will be contributors Adriana Herrera, Lucy Eden, Corrina Lawson, Angelina M. Lopez, Holley Trent, and Erin McLellan, sharing a range of hot pansexual stories and talking about their writing process. Ask us anything! You can pre-orer the book from The Ripped Bodice and when you watch on the 7th you'll get a 15% off discount code for any books on their site.



In the meantime, a reminder that you have until this Friday, October 15, to enter to win Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 on Goodreads!

Watch me interview Joanna Angel on Tuesday, February 9

At the start of 2021, I made some professional goals for myself, and one was to be asked to do an "in conversation with" interview with an author for a bookstore. I had been asked once over the last few years, but it was in New York and would have required five hours of bus travel, and that didn't really make sense for my schedule. But with the rise of virtual book events, I'm thrilled to say that on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, from 8-9 p.m. ET (5-6 p.m. PT), I'll be interviewing the amazing Joanna Angel of Burning Angel fame about her new choose-your-own erotic fantasy novel Club 42 for Culvery City, California romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice. Click their name to RSVP; the event is free. And I guess I manifested really well because I'm actually going two interviews in February. My next interview will take place on 22 at 5 pm EST, not for a bookstore but for the amazing women over 40 community The Woolfer. I'll be interviewing Tracy Clark-Flory, whose journalism you probably know from Jezebel or other outlets, about her debut memoir, Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey Into the Heart of Desire for The Woolfer TV. You can watch it live or it'll be recorded for their site and YouTube channel.



Club 42 will be published that day from Cleis Press, as will my kinky anthology, Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2. Joanna contributed her super sexy story "One Last Gangbang" to my anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, and all those books will be for sale from The Ripped Bodice that night (or are available for pre-order or order now), including copies of Club 42 signed by Joanna as well as my Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5. You can also pick up her first choose-your-own eortic fantasy novel Night Shift from The Ripped Bodice. Here's more detail about what to expect from Club 42.

Naomi, a proud Brooklyn hipster, finds her life is forever changed when she gets fired from her barista job and wanders into a strip club called Club 42. On a whim, Naomi auditions to become a dancer and what happens next . . . is up to you!

Join Naomi as she works the day shift at a Manhattan club where patrons sip on carrot juice instead of beer. From learning the art of the lap dance to giving her ex the “extras” in the VIP room, there’s more to learn here than she ever learned in college. Should she tell her partner—the dreamy, broke musician who is unofficially squatting in her apartment—about her job, or should she learn to lead a double life between two boroughs? Should she experiment with moonlighting as a Dominatrix, or stay in the strip club and submit to her newest crush, exploring her sexuality and her newfound love for exhibitionism as she twerks her way into a new tax bracket? It’s all up to YOU, so grab your stilettos, turn up the early-2000s dance hits, and guide Naomi through this nonstop naked adventure in the city that never sleeps!

The Great Big Romance Read is reading Pride by Ibi Zoboi in December

For Forbes online, I wrote about The Great Big Romance Read, a month-long worldwide event in December where in-person and online book groups are meeting to discuss Pride by Ibi Zoboi, a Pride and Prejudice remix (it even says so on the cover). You can even join yourself. Book groups are happening at events such as bookstores and libraries and elsewhere, and online book discussion groups, podcasts and YouTube channels are participating, which is one of the things that drew my attention.

The event was organized by romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice and you can learn more in my article. I happened to buy a copy for a teenage cousin of mine before I'd heard about The Great Big Romance Read and since I won't be seeing her until January, I'm hoping to read it myself this month, although sadly, with all my writing about books and some other new assignments, I haven't had as much time to read. I'm hoping I'll have some more time this month.

My new book is in Cosmopolitan!

I'm so thrilled that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 gets this amazing shoutout in the May 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan, all thanks to Bea and Leah Koch, the owners of amazing romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California. I wish I lived closer to their store because it's so amazing, so the admiration is mutual. Check out Volume 1 and Volume 2 and stay tuned, because Volume 3 hits stores in December.

Los Angeles loves erotica - see you tonight 1/31 at Skylight Books for my book tour kickoff!

Firstly, tonight is the kickoff of our Best Women's Erotica of the Year book tour at Skylight Books in Los Angeles at 7:30 pm (1818 North Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz).



I hope you can make it, or else let someone in the LA area who might be interested know. I've heard through the grapevine that some cool folks will be in the audience and I and my authors Jocelyn Bringas, Melina Greenport and Jade A. Waters are all going to read you very sexy stories and answer your questions and sign books! If you want to invite friends easily, here's the Facebook event page. It's free and we will be sharing behind the scenes secrets as well as our hot words. And a special shoutout to Skylight because they treat their authors so well - the book is in the store window, in a special display with other upcoming authors and in the area where we're going to read! Plus they have a beautiful tree in the middle of the store.





I'll do a fuller recap when I'm home but I also got to visit two other amazing bookstores. On Sunday, I taught a wonderful, enthusiastic and smart group at romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice in Culver City. Their store is a treasure trove of sexy books, cards, lingerie and other cool items and they have this amazing personal touch. They recommended a book by a new to me author, Tamsen Parker, that I'm enjoying (Craving Flight, about a woman who converts to Orthodox Judaism and is kinky). They also have an utterly adorable bookstore dog named Fitzwilliam Waffles, who even has his own Instagram account. I highly recommend the store and they also host lots of cool events, like Romantic Comedy (comedy night) and movie nights and book events and such. Oh, and they have book art hanging in the air (my photo doesn't really do it justice because when you are standing in front of it, they're just right there), book pages as wallpaper and just a generally beautiful design, including couches to sit on and read! They also have fiction and memoir and YA and various genres, and romance subgenres by category, like Cowboys and I Love Rock N Roll. Perhaps coolest of all, their bathroom has tons of books you can read and a Post-It wall where you can write whatever you want, and one on the mirror saying "Nasty Women Read." Indeed!







I visited Pasadena for the first time and the first thing I saw after getting out of my Lyft car was this free speech art, which seemed quite apt.



Then I promptly fell in love with Vroman's Bookstore and pretty much want to move in there. I wandered around and pretty much swooned over their displays. I love that they have an erotica section, that they are playful and political and had four amazing signs about writing that encouraged me to get back to it. They also have fun book-themed pillows and mugs and other items and it's a bookstore you can get lost in and wander for hours.





To recap, I hope you'll come out to our Skylight Books reading tonight and tell your friends, and if you're in LA or will be, all three of these stores are amazing and there's lots to see in the surrounding neighborhoods as well (I may have bought some crystals at the store next to Skylight, because I feel like I need all the help I can get these days).

My Los Angeles and LitReactor erotica classes are almost sold out

January 20 update: The 4-6 pm erotica writing class on January 29 is now sold out BUT The Ripped Bodice has added a waiting list for those interested in a class that day from 1 pm to 3 pm. Pre-registration is required and if enough people sign up, we will hold a second class. If they don't, you will receive a refund. Call the store at 424-603-4776 if you have any questions. Also, they will have both volumes of Best Women's Erotica of the Year in stock, along with several of my other titles, and the books I recommend in my handout for the class. Looking forward to it!

A heads up that my upcoming in-person erotica writing class at romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California (Los Angeles) area and my 4-week online erotica writing class for LitReactor are almost sold out. As of this posting, on January 19, there is one spot left in The Ripped Bodice class (out of 20 - we can't add more due to space) and four in the LitReactor class, which is capped at 16 to make sure everyone gets the individual attention they deserve. The LitReactor class can be taken by anyone anywhere in the world, on your schedule. You log in whenever you want and read the daily posts and weekly lectures and assignments, and give and get feedback on your work. Plus you retain access to those materials forever on the site and get an invitation to my private online group for students to continue the conversation, find beta readers and stay informed of publishing news. If you've been considering these, please act fast! I won't be teaching the LitReactor class again due to changes in my schedule.

And if you don't make it into The Ripped Bodice class, feel free to ask me anything about writing, publishing and the erotic genre during the Q&A at our free, no-RSVP-required Best Women's Erotica of the Year reading on January 31 at 7:30 pm at Skylight Books in LA (Los Feliz). If you have questions about either class, email me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with "Ripped Bodice" or "LitReactor" in the subject line and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Class details:

January 29, 4-6 pm
Erotica Writing 101 workshop Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 60 erotica anthologies, including Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 and 2, Begging for It: Erotic Fantasies for Women, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, The Big Book of Orgasms, Fast Girls, Gotta Have It, and more, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, experiment on the page and write from various viewpoints. You'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios, settings and objects as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular publications including magazines and anthologies. She'll also talk about submitting your work, selecting a pseudonym, building your author brand and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. Please bring paper or writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. $25/person. Limited to 20 people. Contact The Ripped Bodice at 424-603-4776 if you have any questions. Advance registration at erotica101rippedbodice.brownpapertickets.com required. $25/person
The Ripped Bodice, 3806 Main Street, Culver City, CA, 90232, 424-603-4776



Online only class limited to 16 people; attend any time, using any username you desire (you can be anonymous) and get critiqued by me and fellow students and receive guidance about publishing your work. You'll learn how to draw on your surroundings, incorporate humor and heartache, approach stories from multiple POVs and heighten the erotic tension in your work. You'll also get access to exactly what editors and publishers are currently looking for based on my research, as well as additional information on publishing short story collections, editing anthologies and self-publishing. Click through for more details about class assignments and goals. $375/person. This class is likely to sell out.

Early bird pricing for my LitReactor online erotica writing class ends Tuesday, January 10

My final LitReactor online Between the Sheets erotica writing class, which takes place entirely online from February 7-March 7, is starting soon and if you register by Tuesday, January 10th, you save $25 on the price. Starting January 11th, the price goes up to $375, so if you're planning to take the class, act fast to get the early bird price.



In this class, which you can learn more about by clicking above, I offer weekly written lectures, daily postings with more in depth material as well as exclusive to the class Q&As with erotica publishers, editors, literary agents and successful authors (both self-published and traditionally published), weekly homework assignments with line-by-line critiques (plus you will give and get critiques from fellow students) and the chance to ask all the questions you want, as well as an invitation to my private online group for alumni to continue the conversations started in class. Since it's only four weeks, we do work hard and if you want to get the most out of the class, you should be prepared to do each homework assignment and spend at least five hours a week working on it. You will retain access to the classroom materials forever. It's basically an immersion into the genre and thinking about the world around you with an erotic writing lens, as well as motivation to submit your work and guidance on how to position yourself for success when trying to get published. That's not the only reason people take the class, but it is something I strongly encourage as a way to complete work and be ready if you do want to take that step.

Why is this my last time teaching a class I developed in 2014 that has been a wonderful success? Time. I spend at least 20 hours a week, often more, on the class, which gets daily input and postings from me in addition to detailed critiques on all homework assignments. For most of the last few years, I've worked entirely from home, but now that I'm employed again, my time is more limited, and I wouldn't want to offer this class unless I could truly immerse myself in it and be available to my students the way they deserve.

I really love the camaraderie and community that has developed out of this class, with students keeping in touch, taking part in my private online group for alumni and continuing to work on their writing, submit stories, get published and grow and learn. Whether or not you take the class, I strongly encourage you to bookmark LitReactor and take advantage of all the resources and information and variety the site offers. I am honored that they asked me to teach the class and that I was able to develop my in person workshop into one that translated online.



Speaking of in person, I'll be teaching what's probably my only in person erotica writing workshop very soon, three weeks from today, on Sunday, January 29 from 4-6 pm at romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California (they also have an extensive erotica section, which is more than most U.S. bookstores, many of which have a few or even zero copies of erotic books). It's $25 and the official description is belowIt's limited to 20 people and is such a wonderful setting for the class. You can register at erotica101rippedbodice.brownpapertickets.com. If you are nearby or know anyone who is who wants to get their 2017 in gear with their writing, please let them know.

Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 60 erotica anthologies, including Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1 and 2, Begging for It: Erotic Fantasies for Women, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, The Big Book of Orgasms, Fast Girls, Gotta Have It, and more, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, experiment on the page and write from various viewpoints. You'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios, settings and objects as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular publications including magazines and anthologies. She'll also talk about submitting your work, selecting a pseudonym, building your author brand and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. Please bring paper or writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. $25/person. Limited to 20 people. Contact The Ripped Bodice at 424-603-4776 if you have any questions.

Lastly, if you are looking for feedback on your erotica writing or private consultation, you can visit my website Erotica Writing 101 to get more information about the service I offer.

My 2017 events: LA, Baltimore, NYC, Jersey City and final LitReactor class

I'm gearing up for a busy start to 2017, and hope you can either attend one of my events or pass on the info to your friends in those areas. Barring some unexpected opportunity, these will be my only events until 2018, as I embrace my words of the year: nest and save. Yes, gallivanting about on a book tour is the opposite of nesting and saving, but it's part of my value system when it comes to doing everything I can for my Best Women's Erotica of the Year series and my hope is that it helps boost the visibility of my books and keeps them in stock (and maybe encourages stores that don't carry any erotica to do so).

I believe it's worth it, not necessarily in dollars (I will lose money between missing work/lost wages during the days I'm traveling, travel costs for myself and paying authors who are traveling to readings, buying and mailing book postcards to send to stores, etc.), but to show the universe that I'm willing to invest in myself and this new book, and to support independent bookstores and sex toy stores and to give my authors what I believe they deserve: a live audience. It's one of the umpteen calculations I do in terms of what's worthwhile/what's wasteful in the seemingly endless land of book promotion. I also on a personal level love getting to meet my authors in person, because even when I interview them and hear the origins of their incredible stories, for me, nothing beats hearing them read their work live in a room with an audience hungry for those words. I feel proud that stores that don't often (or maybe ever) hold erotica events are doing so because I was proactive and asked. That's something I'm willing to spend my money on, in the hopes that it will help both my book, and pave the way for future erotica events. Images for all the events are coming soon, so stay tuned to @bweoftheyear and our Facebook page and if you want to help support me/my books/these incredible independent stores, please spread the word! My website will be updated soon with all the info too.

I'm especially excited to teach at romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice, which has a whole erotica section you will not find at many (possibly any) other bookstores in this country. That class is already starting to sell and is limited to 20 people due to space so if you're thinking of taking it, I would sign up sooner rather than later. I'm also thrilled to be doing what I'm almost certain is my first reading in my home state of New Jersey. Yes, after all these years of events across the country and in Canada and the UK, I've never done an event in the state where I grew up and now live, so this Jersey girl is very excited to do an event a WORD in Jersey City, a town where I used to live (I have done events at the WORD in Greenpoint, Brooklyn).

This will be my final LitReactor class due to my new work schedule and will probably sell out as most others have, so if you're interested, I would sign up sooner rather than later. It's a wonderful class, especially if you take the time to devote yourself to it (I recommend setting aside at least five hours a week for homework assignments and critiques). In addition to the details listed on the site, the class also contains exclusive interviews I've conducted with publishers, editors, literary agents and authors, both self-published and traditionally published, and you can ask me anything that month about writing, publishing, social media for authors, etc. You retain access to the classroom materials forever so can log in and look at everything any time, but it works best if you keep up as the class is going on. I've loved teaching this class and my students have had great things to say about it. I will certainly mis teaching it but am honored to have gotten to work with so many students and can't wait to make this final class the very best one yet! You can also learn about the student writing success stories and why I encourage my students to submit their work. Those who take The Ripped Bodice or LitReactor classes will also be invited to join my private online group for erotica writing student alumni to keep in touch and share news/questions with me and fellow writers.

Erotica readings

Los Angeles
January 31, 2017, 7 pm Best Women's Erotica of the Year reading
Join Best Women's Erotica of the Year series editor Rachel Kramer Bussel for a rousing reading from Volumes 1 and 2, featuring Jocelyn Bringas, Melina Greenport and Jade A. Waters. Q&A and book signing to follow. Free. Wheelchair accessible.
Facebook event page (RSVP not required)
Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, 323-660-1175

Baltimore
February 9, 2017, 6:30 pm
Best Women's Erotica of the Year reading
Join Best Women's Erotica of the Year series editor Rachel Kramer Bussel along with contributors to Volumes 1 and 2 including Abigail Ekue, Annabeth Leong, Jordan Monroe, and D.R. Slaten for a rousing reading, followed by a Q&A and book signing. You'll hear some of the sexiest stories around starring women characters who travel the world in search of satisfaction, and find out what it takes to be successful in the thriving erotica genre. Light refreshments will be served. Free. Wheelchair accessible.
Facebook event page (RSVP not required)
Sugar, 1001 W. 36th Street, Baltimore (Hampden), 410-467-2632

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​ New York City
February 11, 2017, 7 pm
Join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and contributors Ella Dawson, Abigail Ekue, Annabeth Leong, Stella Watts Kelley and Vierra Lai for a rousing reading from hot new anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2. The authors will participate in a Q&A and book signing immediately following the reading. Wheelchair accessible. Free. Wheelchair accessible.
Facebook event page
Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002, 212-777-6028
Nearest subways: F to 2nd Avenue, J/M/Z to Essex Street, B/D to Grand Street ​

Jersey City, NJ
February 13, 2017, 6:30 pm
Join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 contributors Abigail Ekue, Stella Watts Kelley, Vierra Lai, and Annabeth Leong for a fun Galentine's Day panel on erotica, writing and culture.
WORD, 123 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ, 07302, 201-763-6611

Erotica writing workshops

Culver City, CA
January 29, 4-6 pm
Erotica Writing 101 live workshop
Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 60 erotica anthologies, including Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1 and 2, Begging for It: Erotic Fantasies for Women, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, The Big Book of Orgasms, Fast Girls, Gotta Have It, and more, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, experiment on the page and write from various viewpoints. You'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios, settings and objects as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular publications including magazines and anthologies. She'll also talk about submitting your work, selecting a pseudonym, building your author brand and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. Please bring paper or writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. $25/person. Limited to 20 people. Contact The Ripped Bodice at 424-603-4776 if you have any questions.

Rachel has been writing erotica for 17 years. Her books have won 8 IPPY (Independent Publisher) Awards, and she has been quoted about erotica everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to The Globe and Mail and Glamour.com. Her own erotic stories have been published in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006 and Zane's bestselling anthologies Succulent: Chocolate Flava II and Purple Panties. She's taught erotica writing workshops across the U.S. and online at LitReactor.

About the venue: The Ripped Bodice is the only exclusively romance bookstore in the United States. The mission behind the store is simple: women should profit from their creative output. We feature as diverse a selection of romance as we can get our hands on, as well as jewelry, stationery and beauty products.
The Ripped Bodice, 3806 Main Street Culver City, CA
Register at Eventbrite

February 7-March 7 my final LitReactor Between the Sheets erotica writing class
Online only class limited to 16 people; attend any time, using any username you desire (you can be anonymous) and get critiqued by me and fellow students and receive guidance about publishing your work. You'll learn how to draw on your surroundings, incorporate humor and heartache, approach stories from multiple POVs and heighten the erotic tension in your work. You'll also get access to exactly what editors and publishers are currently looking for based on my research, as well as additional information on publishing short story collections, editing anthologies and self-publishing. Click through for more details about class assignments and goals. $375/person.