I Love Mommy Porn!

Did I Say Mommy Porn?

Ok, I probably went a bit over the top with my post title, and even sacrificed my UK English spelling in the process, but as a die hard self-publisher, I have to say that self-publishing has succeeded on the back of daring new genres, and especially new romance genres. Every author who is now self-publishing should be very thankful for the inroads, smashed down doors and the whole new reading market that these books have created for us all.

No publisher in the world would have touched Fifty Shades of Grey if it weren’t for self-publishing making it a success. Paranormal romance would hardly get a mention, and well, hot monster romance? Um, forget it.

Yet still, every day I read literary articles bemoaning these new genres as crap, garbage, an affront to literature, and that they should have at best, stayed buried at the bottom of the slush pile. The description of ‘mommy porn’ was probably coined initially by literary snobs as a denigrating insult, but instead, I think some writers would now wear it as a badge of honour. I doubt E L James would complain at all.

All I can say is that those who deride the undoubted success of self-publishing must also believe that the world is flat, as it is an attitude that completely and utterly ignores reality.

Sure, not all of us read hot, steamy paranormal romance, or buy books about ruggedly handsome and dominant billionaires, but those who have over the years, have probably told their friends, husbands, boyfriends, brothers, sisters and old aunts that ebook reading is cool! Self-publishing is probably not even mentioned, which is exactly why many new authors are enjoying immense success. To readers, I doubt many differentiate anymore.

On top of this, never forget that readers of hot romance read other genres too, so this opens the door for many other authors to be discovered. Some perhaps buy self-published science fiction, detective mysteries and thrillers. Then for others, a new wave of biographies and memoirs are to their reading tastes. No matter the genre, every single author has prospered from the barriers which were smashed down by daring self-published romance writers, and in doing so, they created a whole new reading and ebook buyer market.

So yes, when I see my ebook sales at the end of each week, I am very thankful to the writers of ‘mommy porn’ for opening up new opportunities and making it possible for me to find readers and make a little income as well. My only regret is that I couldn’t write ‘mommy porn’ to save my life, so I will just have to make the most out of my own more unexciting, and less profitable genres. But this is very fine with me.