Volume

Reflection on Smut Lovers Conference 2026 

Sep 27, 2026

TLDR

The writing track at the Smut Lovers Conference gave me a lot to think about. I’d already thought of it (the advice is in my book), but I really do need to apply it.

Aforementioned advice: “If you’re in it, be in it. Be uncomfortable. Be worried. But don’t flinch. Okay? Buck up, buttercup,” as recalled by Marc Acosta (Garnet, 2026, 133). 

Writing Track Thoughts

At this time last week, I was getting on a plan, my mind still reeling at the barrage of feelings and thoughts that I hadn’t processed all the way. Given a few days, this is what I’ve come up with: If I want to write smut as a hobby, I can take another 20 years to write a book. Unless that book is transcendent, if I want to do this to make money, I need to work on volume, in all its forms.

Merriam-Webster (n.d.), paraphrased below, gives the following definitions for volume as a noun: 

1. the degree of loudness or the intensity of a sound

2. The measured amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object as measured in cubic units (such as quarts or liters)

3. The amount of a substance

4. A series of issues of a periodical

I realized at the conference that I need to work on all of these:

1. Loudness: My natural instinct is to hide myself and to separate myself from the work. I feel like it should speak for itself, which is fine, but there’s a limit to how much that will serve me. It’s fine to keep the idea that a book doesn’t need a backstory or explanatory text. It’s not okay to stick to the idea that I don’t need to put myself out there as a creator. I created it. I am the author. I need to stop flinching from it

2. Amount of Space: In order to measure volume, you need instruments. I need to make writing time official and structured for myself since that’s how I thrive. I also need to be mindful of when a story has scope creep and keep the plot in mind at all times.

3. Amount: Similar to the idea of not flinching, I need to promote it. Yes, my publisher can do some of that for the book, but I need to take up space where it matters, aka online, in spaces where my readers will find it. 

4. A series: I love knowing exactly how an event went so that I know my character’s motivations for why they’re acting a certain way years later, thinking about it. That’s super cute. That’s a short story. It’s okay to have short stories.

In addition to these takeaways, I learned a lot about BDSM, the importance of sex education, and I met a ton of new and established authors. More reflections to come, but since I went there as a writer, this is where I wanted to start because this is why I went. 

References

• Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Volume. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 27, 2026, from merriam-webster.com.

• Garnet, S.P. (2026). Reimagining Us. Sage Press