It’s all about location, location, location!
Have you ever heard that term in real estate? It’s basically a saying where housing prices are heavily dependent on where the home is…is the neighborhood good or bad? Is there a good school district around…etc.
Well, when it comes to selling erotica, it’s all about the niches. If you pick a bad niche, you will likely not be successful.
I’m not saying it’s impossible. However, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.
However, if you pick a good niche, it will be 100x easier to make money selling erotica.
A few things to keep in mind about erotica niches
1. Niches change over time depending on trends:
Like fashion trends, some niches are more prone to changes in preferences in tastes. While the gay/lesbian erotica niche is likely going to stay in the long-run, gay prison stories might be hot this year, but cool down next year.
It’s important to realize that niches have ups and downs. If you see a niche on the decline it may be smart to switch to another genre.
2. Small niches are fine…sometimes
Some authors like to focus on small niches where there isn’t a lot of competition. I have seen some authors do this and really dominate a category.
Basically, they become the author everyone wants to read. While this is possible, it will take a lot of patience because you’ll have to consistently put out great content to get repeat readers.
As a result, your sales royalties in the beginning might be a bit slow.
3. Keywords are important too
Often times new authors will focus entirely on finding the best niche, but ignore keyword research as well.
Keyword research is incredibly important to make sure your books pop up first in Amazon’s search results. Don’t throw out the importance of keyword research as it is equally as critical for success.
What makes an erotica niche “good”?
So, what makes a niche great? Well, a great niche has a lot of hungry readers ready to devour any book out there. A great niche will have a balance between the number of writers and the number of readers.
The last thing you want to do is write in a niche that is oversaturated with books. Your book will likely just get lost in the search results.
In general, good niches will have between 5,000 and 10,000 books in the search results. This ensures there is a fair amount of interest, but there isn’t too much competition as well.
The 4 best erotica niches
A niche is basically a small genre within the erotica category that attracts a certain type of reader. Each niche caters to a different fetish. For example, a lot of erotica authors write in the gay cowboy niche.
I have been writing and selling erotica on Amazon Kindle for over two years now. I have read (and written) books in dozens of different niches.
Here are four really great niches that are perfect for beginners:
1. Billionaire BDSM
This category has been highly popularized by 50 Shades of Grey. As a result, the market is a little bit more competitive. However, it’s still a very good niche to write in.
The main thing about billionaire BDSM is domination and control. It usually involves a rugged and “bad boy” billionaire boss seducing and dominating one of his employees.
2. Age play
Age play is a smaller niche, but equally as lucrative. This involves partners with a wide (20+) age difference.
This includes an older woman (MILF) and a younger man. Or it can be an older man and a younger woman. In my experience, the former case sells better.
One thing to make sure is that both partners are of legal age (18+) or Amazon may block or dungeon your book.
3. Cuckold/hotwife
Cuckold/hotwife is another hot selling category. It’s basically when a woman cheats on her husband/boyfriend.
Her significant other can be present during the actual sex or he can be away (i.e. on vacation or something like that).
4. Lesbian/Gay
Obviously, lesbian/gay is a really big category. However, there is a lot to work with from here. Gay prison stories, sorority school girls, and gay cowboys are all very popular sub-niches in this genre.
I know a lot of people who have been successful in this category.
How to research an erotica niche
After you have identified which niche to write in, the next step is actually researching the niche. You will likely have no idea how the niche appeals to the audience.
As a result, you need to read a ton of books in the genre. I would highly recommend reading at least 12+ books before you start writing your own.
Start by finding the 5 best authors in that niche. Then, borrow their books with Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle Unlimited is basically Netflix for books and allows you to borrow an unlimited amount of books for $9.99 a month. It is a very powerful research tool.
Click here to sign up for a FREE trial of Kindle Unlimited.
Here’s what you need to look for when you’re reading these books:
1. Common themes
What are the common themes in the book? Each specific erotica niche will have common and recurring themes across multiple authors.
This may be something like a damsel in distress or it could be a sexual position.
2. Writing style
How does the author write his story? Are there any unique phrases he/she uses? Learning from a better author’s writing style is the best way to improve the quality of your stories.
3. Story structure
How is the story structured? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? How long are his/her stories?
Analyzing the story structure will give you an idea on how to start your own book.
Final thoughts on the best erotica niches
Picking a good niche is really important to have good sales. If you pick a bad niche, you may be fighting an uphill battle.
However, even after selecting a good erotica niche, you still need to spend time researching the genre. This means actually reading other successful author’s books!
Less than 80% of new erotica authors are willing to do this. If you do this step, you will be way ahead of the curve.