Reviewed by Shanna Germain
(10/11/00)

Thanks to author Katy Terrega, I have decided to quit my day job. No more office work for me, thank you. I'm going to spend my days having sex on paper. Lots of sex. And I'm going to get paid for it.

What The Joy of Sex did for horny teenagers, Terrega's book It's a Dirty Job: Writing Porn for Fun and Profit! does for porn-writers: If you're new to the game, this book offers solid, step-by-step instruction on the basic tools and techniques and, more importantly, convinces you that all those wild yearnings are normal.

"It all boils down to a basic fact of life: Sex is sex; as old as life and just as compelling. We seem to be insatiable in our need to dissect it, to understand it, to revel in it. We like to read about it, think about it, and, as often as possible, do it. Whatever form it takes, whatever words we choose, sex is hot. And sex sells."

If you're a little more experienced and already know what goes where, then you'll find the clear, detailed advice on advanced techniques (such as fantasizing and submitting) especially helpful.

But It's a Dirty Job goes one step further than the basic how-to book. It also offers a look at the morality of writing sex scenes for a living. In her introduction, Terrega tells the reader a little about herself (wife, mother of two) and then touches upon some of her internal struggles as a porn writer. Is it okay to be a feminist and write porn? How will she tell her children what she does? Is there really a difference between porn and erotica?

Although Terrega doesn't offer any solid answers, she does ask thought provoking questions about getting into the porn-writing trade and invites readers to come to their own conclusions

"In order to write porn, you will, at some point, have to draw your own lines in the sand. Some of these may be obvious. Other can sometimes leave you wondering. For me, it ends up a balancing act, although occasionally it can feel more like a tightrope."

Then Terrega takes readers step-by-step through the porn writing process. From "researching" magazines to crafting a sentence to proofreading, Terrega makes it sound easy, even if your sex life is like mine (read: not half as exciting as you imagined it would be).

"You don't need to have participated in a three-way to write about a man and his wife having a spontaneous session in the hot tub with her best friend. But maybe you have a hot tub and know how good the water feels. Or maybe your friend has a hot tub and tells you about the time her friend started having sex with her boyfriend in said hot tub. It doesn't matter that your friend was terribly offended and told them both to leave, it only matters that a seed is planted in your brain."

Terrega also discusses plot, characterization and word choice, all with an eye toward creating hot-and-heavy action that readers will beg for.

"Hands moving down a body, for example, can alternately slither, slide and slip. Or they can snake, lazily trace or massage. Or, for a different feel altogether, they can manipulate or squeeze or pinch. Really feel what's happening to your characters and then explain those feelings to your reader in minute detail."

The final section of the book offers a list of markets, both paying and non-paying, with submission guidelines, contact information and email addresses. From Swank to Naughty Neighbor to Hustler's Leg World to Purely 18, there is sure to be a market for every writer's style and interest.

But the greatest trait of this book is Terrega's enthusiasm for what she does and her conviction that anyone, yes, even you or I, can write porn.

"Think about it. How hard is it to imagine your wildest fantasy, embellish it a little or a lot, write it down and get paid for it? How hard is it to peruse lingerie sites on your home computer in the middle of the afternoon? And how hard is it, really, to try out that taboo little sex act, the one you've always been curious about, all in the name of research?"

After reading Terrega's book, it doesn't seem to be very hard at all.

But once I sell my first piece of porn, I bet my readers won't be able to say the same.