This Saturday kicks off my DIY, self-funded book tour, with free readings, erotica writing workshops, panels and my very first library talk at Portland Public Library in Portland, Maine. I hope some SheWrites writers can make some of these, and if you know anyone in these cities who is interested in erotica, please let them know! Thank you. Questions? You can reach me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com and please put "Tour" in the subject line.

I've tried to keep this short and sweet; full descriptions are on my website, or click on the underlined titles below to be taken to the official event site.

September 6, 3:30-4 pm
Free erotica reading in Seattle


Readings from The Big Book of Submission, The Big Book of Orgasms and Hungry for More with me and local contributors.
Center for Sex Positive Culture Annex, 1608 15th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119 

September 9, 7-9 pm
Erotica 101 writing workshop, Seattle
Professional erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 50 anthologies such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Flying Highand Best Bondage Erotica 2014, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing, from getting started, finding your voice, and incorporating your surroundings, pop culture, and personal experiences into your stories to crafting a range of characters and settings and submitting your work. In this supportive, welcoming workshop environment, you’ll learn how to write vividly about everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies, and make them fit for particular publications in the thriving erotica market. This workshop will address the recent boom in erotica inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey, provide examples of well written erotica, and will include multiple writing exercises. You’ll be given a handout listing major markets and further reading suggestions. No previous writing experience required. Please bring laptop or pen and paper. 18+ with ID. $30 at the door/$23 in advance. Get tickets at Stranger Tickets.
Center for Sex Positive Culture Annex, 1608 15th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119 

September 10, 7:30-9 pm
Free erotica reading, Portland, Oregon
Come listen to erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel reading from her latest anthologies, Hungry for More: Romantic Fantasies for Women and The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales. Joining her will be local contributors Tiffany Reisz, Stella Harris, Emily Bingham, Laurel Isaac and Marievie. Attendance is free, but it's requested that if you're attending you RSVP on Facebook.
She Bop, 909 N. Beech Street, Portland, Oregon, 503-473-8018 

September 12, 9:15 am-12:15 pm
Erotica 101 writing workshop, Los Angeles before CatalystCon
In this three hour workshop Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Cheeky Spanking Stories and Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You’ll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, and using social media to promote your work and do outreach. She’ll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market, including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites. Please bring paper and writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided. $45 (or $79 with pre-CataystCon Sex Writing 101, see below). 
The Westin Los Angeles Airport, 5400 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 

September 12, 1:30-4:30 pm
Sex Writing 101 workshop, Los Angeles before CatalystCon
In this three hour workshop, writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel will cover all you need to know about writing about sex, including blogging, first-person essays and journalism. You’ll learn how to ethically write about your love life, what editors are looking for, where to find experts on sexuality topics, and how to stay abreast of current sex news. Whether you’re looking to write a sex blog, column, articles or books, you’ll find out how to pitch, how much money you can expect to make, and how to maximize your editorial opportunities. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, using social media to promote your work and do outreach, and how to pitch stories. Rachel has been a sex columnist for The Village Voice, Penthouse and The Frisky, and has written about sexuality for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Glamour, Inked, Salon, xoJane and many other publications. A resource list covering markets for sex-related pieces will be provided. $45 (or $79 with pre-CatalystCon Erotica 101, see above)

**Attendees who would like the opportunity to get feedback from Rachel on one piece of their own writing (3,000 words or less), to be submitted prior to the workshop can purchase this as an add on to either of the above workshops. Fee: $20
The Westin Los Angeles Airport, 5400 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 

September 13, 9:30-10:40 am
Shameless Self-Promotion: Marketing 101 for Activists panel, CatalystCon
With Charlie Glickman, Cunning Minx, Reid Mihalko and me (follow along with the hashtag #cconself on Twitter)
Got a sex-positive cause you want to promote but remain unsure how to market yourself, your group or your organization effectively? Got the passion and drive but missing the marketing degree and the communication plan? Join this panel of expert sex-positive educators and activists as they share marketing tips designed to help you gain credibility, generate content and promote your ideas effectively. Attendees will learn how to use basic marketing tools such as speaking, blogging, social media and ebooks to build a following and promote themselves effectively.
The Westin Los Angeles Airport, 5400 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 

September 14, 12:30-1:40 pm
Moderating Envelope-Pushing Erotica panel, CatalystCon
Envelope-Pushing Erotica: How Sexy Stories Can Change The World (follow along with the hasthag #cconerotica on Twitter)
Erotica can be more than just entertainment and titillation; it can help redefine what’s considered sexy, give readers an expanded way of looking at sexuality and reach readers in ways nonfiction may not. Each of the authors on this panel approaches the topic from a different angle: Shawna Kenney, as editor of Book Lovers: Sexy Stories from Under the Covers, explores the depths of literary erotica, senior sex expert Joan Price, as editor of Ageless Erotica, demystifies sex over 50, and Rebekah Weatherspoon, whose tagline is “Where The Happily Ever Afters are Always In Color,” as author of BDSM-themed erotic novels such as At Her Feet and Blacker Than Blue. We will discuss what it means to push the boundaries of erotic fiction, the marketplace for erotic books, incorporating diverse types of stories and characters and the meaning of erotica in readers’ lives. Moderated by Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 50 anthologies including The Big Book of Orgasms and the Best Bondage Erotica series.
The Westin Los Angeles Airport, 5400 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 

September 15, 7 pm
Free erotica reading with Rose Caraway
Join Rose Caraway, editor of The Sexy Librarian's Big Book of Erotica, and contributor Rachel Kramer Bussel (The Big Book of Submission, Hungry for More) for a reading, discussion and book signing.
The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 415-863-8688 

September 18, 6-8pm
Erotica 101 writing workshop, Portland, Oregon
$25/person; register at Brown Paper Tickets.
Q Center, 4115 N. Mississippi Avenue, Portland, Oregon 

September 23, 7:30 pm
Erotica 101 Writing Workshop, Portland, Maine
$25/person. Seating is limited and we expect this workshop to fill up FAST! Call Nomia at 207-773-4774 or visit store to register. 
Nomia, 24 Exchange Street, Suite 215, Portland, Maine, 207-773-4774. 

September 24, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
The Guilty Pleasure of Erotic Literature, Portland, Maine
Join Gina O'Rourke, owner of Nomia, and Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of several erotica anthologies for a conversation about 50 Shades and other titles; the lines between romance, erotica and pornography; and recommended reads. #bannedbookweek
Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium, 5 Monument Way, Portland, Maine 

September 28, 6:30-8 pm
Erotica 101 writing workshop, Chicago
$20/person or $35/two people. Register online.
Early to Bed, 5044 North Clark Street, Chicago, 773-271-1219 

September 30, 8:30 pm
Erotica 101 writing workshop, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
$20/person; register online. Doors open at 8:15 pm.
The Tool Shed, 2427 N. Murray Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 414-906-5304 

October 24, 7:30-9 pm
Writing Erotica for Pleasure and Money, New York City (for New York Academy of Sex Education)
The Pleasure Chest, 1150 Second Avenue, New York City (Upper East Side, accessible by 4/5/6/N/R/F trains), 646-470-5129 


I'm teaching this online erotica writing class with LitReactor for four weeks starting October 16. The great thing about it is that you can take it from anywhere in the world, on your schedule (it's not live), get feedback from me and other attendees, use any name you like as your username, letting you remain anonymous, and dive in-depth into the world of erotica. This is great for fiction writers who want to amp up their sex scenes, those who have an idea of what kind of erotica or erotic romance or sexy fiction they want to write but don't know where to submit it, and those just started out who want guidance as to how to make erotica come alive on the page. I've been asked often if I'm going to teach my erotica writing workshops in various cities, and since I can't travel everywhere, this class is a way that I can do so virtually.