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Today's Zulkey.com interviewee is a very sweet, smart, professional erotica author and writer--so, if you're not in the mood to read about such things, come back on Tuesday (Zulkey.com is taking Monday off to celebrate someone's birthday on the 15th.) Anyway, back to our interviewee: she's a very busy lady, with many projects under her belt. Currently, she's promoting her twin anthologies She's on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission and He's on Top: Erotic Stories of Male Dominance and Female Submission, as well as her New York In the Flesh reading series. You may have known her as the Village Voice's Lusty Lady columnist, too, or for her many, many other publications and projects. She's hot stuff! (Oh, and she's a Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, too).

The Rachel Kramer Bussel Interview: Just Under Twenty Questions

So tell us about your latest anthologies. Who should buy them?
He’s on Top and She’s on Top both feature erotica centered around dominance and submission, but from there they take very twisted paths. I tried to push the envelope about what being “on top” means and also explore the mindset of those who like to inflict erotic pain and wield power. On one level, I’m trying to prove that “sadistic” isn’t such a bad thing to be, at least in the context of consensual BDSM. On the other, I really just wanted to find red-hot stories that would turn people on. Though some of the stories are more intensely kinky, I think anyone looking for some smut to read and jerk off to will like the books. Those don’t have to be your particular fetishes for you to get into the stories and not everyone here is wearing leather or latex or using whips and chains (in fact, they’re probably in the minority in these books). And I’m not saying that to denigrate that part of the kinky community at all, but to point out that very regular, so-called “vanilla” people are as likely to enjoy these books as the more dedicated scenesters, in my opinion.

What was the first erotic story you ever wrote?
It was called “Monica and Me” and was for an anthology edited by Shar Rednour called Starf*cker. We had to pick a celebrity and write about them and at the time I was totally obsessed with Monica Lewinsky so I basically wrote out this fantasy I had about coming to a booksigning of hers…and then going back to a hotel room with her. It’s not online (though I’ll be adding it to my website soon) but I pretty much threw everything I could think of into the story. Looking back, I still like it but I think my work has definitely improved. I was worried at the time about the potential legal ramifications even though the publisher of Starf*cker, which had stories about various celebs from Marilyn Monroe and Elvis to Whoopi Goldberg, Mötley Crüe (written by Michelle Tea) and Dan Quayle (written by Susie Bright), assured me they’d assume responsibility. Later, Monica heard about the story through a girl I was dating and said she hadn’t heard about it before but wasn’t worried. Now I see it as an artifact of a specific time and place in my life--I was in law school when I wrote it, and never imagined that smut writing would go on to become a large part of my career.

For you, when is the best time/place to read erotic writing?
For me, it’s curled up in bed, under the covers, late at night. I know some people who read erotica on the train (some disguise it and some boldly flash their books at strangers) but I feel uncomfortable reading erotica in public. To me, it lessens the experience because I feel like if I squirm or blush or even just silently, invisibly get turned on, people might know, and I’m not an exhibitionist in that way. So for me, it’s alone, and hopefully this isn’t TMI, but at a certain point, if the book/story are really good, I’ll put it down and let my own fantasies come into play. Sometimes this means actually masturbating, and sometimes just lying there thinking about an erotic memory the story evoked or a place it took me or a fantasy or inspiration it invoked in me. Some of my favorite stories are about fetishes I don’t personally have…but they’re so good I go there in my mind nonetheless.

What is the key to doing a good job editing erotic anthologies? How do you keep a good editorial eye while keeping the content steamy?
Making sure there’s variety in both content and style, pacing and making sure that each story stands on its own but also fits well within the book. I usually order the book somewhat in my head over the months I’m reading the stories. There are always some standout stories that I know, no matter what, must go in the book. One of my favorite writers, Stan Kent, usually sends me ones like that, ones that are so good I wish I could published several of his in one book. So I’ll gather up those and then see what else has come in; the trickiest part of editing an anthology, for me, is when the submissions I receive don’t match up in quality to what I’d envisioned in my head. But usually I get too many good ones and have to reject some, and at the very tail end of the process I’m looking for those last few that will perfectly round out the collection, and sometimes if they’re not there, I’ll write them myself.

If a writer was going to make his or her first real attempt at writing about sex (either fiction or nonfiction), what would be your advice about how best to go about it?Write in the style that’s most natural to you. If you are comfortable using words, do so, but if you’re not, use whatever words sound good to you. You don’t need every other word to be “cock” or “pussy” to make it hot, and in fact, sometimes the slightly more coy tone works (though I’m not a fan of outrageously zany words or too much silliness). Don’t try to imitate something you’ve read or what you think *should* turn you on; write about what’s real, and that might mean awkwardness or sadness or anger. It doesn’t have to be all happy smiling multiple orgasms every second. I was grateful while writing my Village Voice Lusty Lady column that I got to explore the ups and downs of sex, the moments when it’s truly ecstatic and the moments that really suck or are lonely or confusing. To me, it’s all part of sex. Of course in erotica most of the time things are going to be rosier, but there can also be dark erotica that explores all kinds of emotions. As with anything, I’d say write about what’s most pressing in your mind right now.

Have you ever had second thoughts about something you'd published, thinking "Maybe that was too personal," or something along those lines?
Yes, often, but I try to banish those right away, because I think the inspiration for the writing and the actual writing are a very different thing from the published final outcome and one’s feelings afterwards. I may use that as a guide for next time but while I’m writing I try to focus on whatever it was that compelled me to race to my keyboard, and not on what might happen afterward. The most painful things for me to write are often also the most cathartic and for whatever reason, writing about my personal life, including my sex life, comes pretty naturally to me. That being said, not everything gets written or blogged about, hard as that may be for some people to believe.

Which have been some of the favorite interviews that you've conducted, for Gothamist or otherwise?
Definitely Jeannette Walls. I had read and loved her memoir The Glass Castle and arranged to interview her, then ran into her at a party a few days earlier. I wound up going to her apartment and we talked for over two hours, giving me way more than I could possibly use, and we just had a really wonderful, cathartic, intense talk. I do a lot of my interviews via email to save time and also because I get really nervous and stammer and I like to give people time to consider and respond. But talking to her was so wonderful even though I wound up asking her some tough questions.

Kate Bornstein was a real inspiration.

I do lots of interviews for my cupcake blog, and usually they’re with bakery owners or cupcake fans, but I did one with Rejuvenile author Christopher Noxon that was a lot of fun.

And some of my Gothamist interviews have spawned friendships, such as my interview with Kemp Powers, author of The Shooting: A Memoir  and one that garnered me an email from a New York Times Book Review editor and was the most fun of all (of someone who is very much loved and hated), Jessica Cutler .

Which of the erotic books that you've worked on have done the best, sale-wise, thus far? Why do you think that is?
I don’t have sales figures on everything, but I think my first anthology, Up All Night: Adventures in Lesbian Sex had sold about 8,000 copies on BookScan last I checked. Sadly, and I would caution anyone editing or writing a book not to do this, I signed a contract where I don’t get royalties on that one. It’s a long story but the point is, it’s still doing well three years after publication and was a Lambda Literary Award finalist and I don’t see any of that reward. I’d much rather take a smaller advance (and it was still tiny for that one) and get a stake in the royalties.

Who are some of your favorite sexy writers? ("Sexy" can apply to either the writing or the writers.)
This could get me in trouble! In terms of sex and culture, I’m a huge fan of Susie Bright and Tristan Taormino, who’ve both been inspirations and mentors and editors of mine and who I think are just on the pulse of sex and politics in such a major way. Violet Blue’s blog is a must-read of mine and her podcast, Open Source Sex, is one of the few I listen to--she read a story of mine recently (“Animals”) and I swear made it sound way hotter than it was on the page. Way, way hotter.

I love memoirs that take me into the author’s mind in a way that just melts me. I have a blog crush on Rebecca Woolf of the blog Girl’s Gone Child. Her writing is so powerful and intimate and immediate and while she largely writes about being a mom, I think so much of it is so universal.

Based on your experiences, what tips would you give someone who was about to have some boudoir photos taken of them?
I would, very cryptically, say have a bit of an idea of what you want to do in the shoot in your mind but then be open to suggestion. My main advice is to work with a photographer you feel comfortable with, one you’d feel okay about saying no to and one you trust to take fabulously hot, beautiful photographs of you. That’s the biggest thing; if you love their work and trust that they will give you a say in the final outcome of what gets seen or not seen and that they are there to make you look good, you will relax and be able to deliver. The less self-conscious you are about your body, the better. I’ve been in situations where I felt great about the photographer and ones where I didn’t, and I think it shows, and how I feel about the photos also varies depending on my comfort level. And your favorite “sexy” clothes always help, and again, like with the erotic writing, this doesn’t have to mean Victoria’s secret. It could be white cotton panties and a soft white t-shirt, or anything really. Sexiness is about the model’s attitude and that can be shown wearing anything (or nothing).

What made you decide to put the sexy photos of yourself online?
I think a writer’s website should show a little bit about their non-writing life, and for me those photos capture me in a sexy, fun mood. My relationship with them is different than other people’s; I know, because I’ve been told, that people jerk off to them, and I just don’t think about that aspect. For me, I have them there to boost my mood when I feel down about my body and just to remind me of that sexy feeling. I have them in a gallery on my site alongside photos of me and babies and me and my grandmother; it’s all part of my life. And I really admire any photographer who can capture those sexy poses, who can bring something out in me that’s not there in daily life necessarily.

Do you get a lot of nervous readers at the In the Flesh reading series? Who end up being the most popular/successful readers?
It’s different every time, and I never know who will wow the crowd and who will turn them on and who might not. Gael Greene really stole the show in January at my erotic memoir night; she read with such sensuality and passion and she clearly loved the crowd and ate up their adoration. Sometimes the shy people or ones who seem nervous at first them bust out with really powerful sound effects and hotness--Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE did that. And sometimes stories that are really sweet, like Andrew Boyd’s “How to Cuddle,” take a turn for the really arousing and I love that, when readers sneak up on me like that with their sexiness.

Are you allowed to discuss your feelings of the pluses and minuses of Penthouse vs. Playboy or do professional obligations prevent that?
To be honest, I don’t really read Playboy and not for any professional reasons, I just haven’t lately, though I do read and really like their blog. As for any comparisons, I’ll stay safe and skip that but I will just say that I’m now editing our books section at Penthouse and that’s a lot of fun. It also means my desk is practically caving in under all the books I get sent, but that’s just the way I like it. You can never have too many books!

What magazines do you subscribe to?
I used to subscribe to a lot more. I love magazines! Seriously, at the airport, I always buy several. But lately my subscriptions have dwindled. No more Us Weekly, alas. I do get Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Reason, Bitch, O., Cookie (I’m not a mom but definitely a mom wannabe) and probably a few others I’m blanking on now. Sometimes I forget what I’ve subscribed to and then wind up with two of the same issue.

What's been the sexiest thing you've seen or read of late that WASN'T erotica?
Probably watching my friend Allison eat a cupcake. Well, I may have prompted her to eat it in a “sexy” way but damn, that’s hot to me.

What are some of the common incorrect assumptions your readers make about you before meeting you in person? Is there a difference between guys' and girls'?
I think some people think I’m up for sex anytime, anywhere, with anyone when in fact since I’ve gotten more into writing about sex, I’m much more cautious and picky about it. I’m not really sure what people expect or assume, but anyone who knows me knows that my daily uniform usually involves at least two huge bulging and very non-sexy bags. I don’t know that I get differing reactions from guys or girls, but I know I have a lot of readers of all genders. Guys tend to be more flirty while with girls it’s a bonding thing, like “oh, I’ve done that/thought that too.”

Do you vanity google? What have been some of the most interesting things you've seen written about yourself online?
Omg, do I! And technorati and icerocket and anything else I can manage to find. It’s a compulsive, dangerous addiction. I think the most memorable and therefore, I guess, most interesting things are usually really mean. After a SXSW panel I was on called “Do You Blog on the First Date?” this year a blogger started a blog inspired by our panel that said I “thought WAY too much about everything (and prided herself on that character flaw) and is the kind of feminist that gives other feminists a bad name. And who wonders why she’s single.”

I think the funniest thing was that after the Monica Lewinsky story came out someone wrote that my story was so realistic, the person though it might be true! I was flattered but really, if I’d slept with Monica Lewinsky, I wouldn’t be writing an erotica story about it.

How does it feel to be the 179th person interviewed for Zulkey.com?
Very excited! Really. I’ve been reading your interviews for years and I especially love how varied they are.

More interviews here.