Do women like books about lesbians?

Why wouldn't they? For that matter, why does it matter? If you write stories about lesbians, write the story. People who like to read about lesbians will buy it. People who don't won't. it's simple really.

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. A book is either well written, or badly written. That is all."
-- Oscar Wilde

As a character in a story, meh, who cares. If I'm to be treated to a ladies only sex scene, however, I'll pass. If the sex were kept behind doors, I'd probably be okay with it though I'll always prefer a M/W relationship in my stories.

The audience of a lesbian romance would be mostly men and lesbians/bi women, I would think. I don't really understand why you'd expect or want straight women to be particularly interested in it. No book is going to be everyone's cup of tea, probably you should concentrate on pleasing people who already like your core subject matter.

a book written and set about 1992 by Rita Mae Brown says that men don't like the idea of women sleeping together without them.

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That is one heck of a sweeping generalisation. I know some men who feel like that, some who are quite interested and some who would SO be there, like a shot. With a video camera.

It's all going to depend on the reader - you'll get as many different answers as people answering. As a general rule, I'm not into F/F. I like men, not girls. I don't even like girly looking men lol. But I have read some pretty darn amazing F/F scenes. They didn't 'do' anything for me, but still, they were pretty darn amazing nonetheless. Having a lesbian scene wouldn't put me off, if I liked the story and it was well written.

sunandshadow said:

The audience of a lesbian romance would be mostly men and lesbians/bi women, I would think. I don't really understand why you'd expect or want straight women to be particularly interested in it. No book is going to be everyone's cup of tea, probably you should concentrate on pleasing people who already like your core subject matter.

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Um...because it would be a well-written novel, hopefully?

I don't give a damn about characters' sexual orientation. If the book's well-written, that's all I care about. Lesbians, dwarves, soldiers, pieces of toast and broken-down cars all incidental.

sunandshadow said:

probably you should concentrate on pleasing people who already like your core subject matter.

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Could you define that, please? 'Cause mine is an emotional journey between two individuals, with a happy ever after.

In other words, only lesbians read about lesbians.

Yes, I know, but I was curious whether her views about a "core subject matter" extend to m/m, m/f/m, etc. As in, is it all ok as long as there's a penis in the equasion somewhere? Or more like one part per gender?

Hell, I'm a...well, mostly heterosexual woman and I read books about characters of all sexualities.

But then, as I've said before, I prefer to judge on how well-written a book is, rather than where the characters put their ding-a-lings.

Regardless of how well written, it's unlikely straight women will want to read it. I write some f/f/m and it's one of the hardest sells in the romance genre. Most epublishers (my target) won't take it. Ellora's Cave actually included f/f content as a warning on one book I bought from them. They have, however, recently opened up to submissions with that kind of content. A friend of mine was invited to submit before the call went public. She runs a blog about f/f fiction directed at straight women. It has book reviews and commentary on the sub-genre and how it's perceived by most typical romance readers.

Loving Venus Loving Mars

jennontheisland said:

Regardless of how well written, it's unlikely straight women will want to read it.

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Someone should tell Sarah Waters.

Yes, the same Sarah Waters who's been longlisted for this year's Booker.

It's hard to generalize that "all" women will like books about lesbians. Some will, some won't. I'm straight and I don't like all books with guys and girls and will skip over the sex scenes in those stories as often as not.

As people have said--make it a good read and you'll get people interested. If they skip over the sex scenes, it's their problem, not yours.

It seems a useless thing to worry about. Write your book -- whatever it may be. Find an agent or publisher who represents the kind of book it is if you want to get it published.
Let them worry about the audience.


The only bit of the process you can control is making it a good book - regardless of subject matter.

scarletpeaches said:

Someone should tell Sarah Waters.

Yes, the same Sarah Waters who's been longlisted for this year's Booker.

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Didn't know who she was until I googled her, but it looks like she's not writing genre romance. Those are the readers I was referring to. I've seen more than one discussion in another forum (populated by romance readers and writers) in which I was one of only a handfull who didn't think it was icky to read about girls playing with other girl bits.

Aye, sorry, I keep forgetting when I'm in genre forums and in places like Roundtable and whatnot!

I guess fans of genre romance know what they want and stick to it, but there's a market for anything out there.

Even if you write something featuring lesbians (and they're everywhere these days) you don't have to think, "Genre." There's always taking the agent/mainstream publisher route.

If it's good, it'll sell. To someone.

And when you're in P&CE.

Romance fans definitely know what they like, but I'm optimistic with EC's call for f/f. Me, I've never understood the appeal of m/m so I suppose I can understand another person's dislike of f/f.

I never used to like m/m either...well, it wasn't so much a dislike as a 'meh'. Until I read tt42's stuff of course. I'm a convert.

For me, it's just a matter of believing that these two people fancy each other. I don't have to fancy either one of them, but they do. If the writer convinces me of that, I'll read what they have.

jennontheisland said:

Me, I've never understood the appeal of m/m so I suppose I can understand another person's dislike of f/f.

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I do. I mean, if you like man bits there's more man bits in an m/m story than in an m/f story--and you don't have to worry about hating the heroine and wanted the hero to do much better than her.

Manectric said:

The thing is, almost everything I write either has lesbians or something else I better not mention here in it.. And it came into my head one day to wonder if women even like lesbians in their books.

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Looking at different aspects of the question:

Q: 'Can f/f sell as Romance or Women's Fiction?'

A: Probably not.

We're talking about marketing categories here.
(That is, where do the books go on a bookstore shelf.)

Going by what I see on the shelves, f/f love stories are not going to be marketed as Romance or as straightforward 'woman's fiction'.


Q: 'Can f/f sell as erotica?'

A: Yes.

We got erotica folks here who can give you a better take on the erotica market. But I've seen excellent print collections of f/f erotica, so f/f is out there.

Search erotica / Lesbian at Amazon and see who's publishing them.


Q: Can f/f sell in other genres?

A: Without doubt.

Marketing Categories like Mystery, Horror, S.F. General Fiction, Literary Fiction sometimes have Lesbian protagonists.

In these case, the core of the book is not the love story but the mystery, horror plot, alien society, etc. An f/f love story can be a major part of the book, however.


Q: Do women like to read stories about Lesbians? Do men?

A: *shrug*

In spite of all the glossy covers on the magazines at the check-out line, it is impossible to make meaningful generalizations about, 'what men like' or 'what women like'.

Talking market -- a writer doesn't need universal popular appeal. She just needs a readership.


Q: What about selling 'something else I better not mention here'?

A: Wildly guessing here at what you might be talking about-- and assuming it's not political or something -- then I'd say -- limited.

Specialized kinks like water sports, SM, incest, and beastiality are going to be a small part of the erotica market. If you write it, you probably already know where it sells.

No. You can't sell them as genre Romance of Women's Fiction.

DeleyanLee said:

I do. I mean, if you like man bits there's more man bits in an m/m story than in an m/f story--and you don't have to worry about hating the heroine and wanted the hero to do much better than her.

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I'm quite fond of manbits, a well known poultry enthusiast in some quarters in fact, but I've never had any interest in there being multiples in one story. What little I've read has done absolutely nothing for me. For me, the correlation between more cocks and more fun reading is a negative one.

I realize this makes me somewhat of an atypical erotic romance reader since just about every woman I know enjoys the huge volume of m/m written by women for women that is available at most publishers. I don't like shapeshifters either for the most part.

I'm a freak, I know.

just about every woman I know enjoys the huge volume of m/m written by women for women

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while I wouldn't put a well written story down because of a m/m scene, it does nowt for me, same as f/f. If it's essential to the plot of a good story I won't skip it. But I won't be having a hot flush either. It definitely isn't something I go looking for when I fancy having a good old escapist 'ooh I need a fictional character to swoon over'

As for the 'more bits to play with' well yes. But if they're gay I'm not going to get any am I?

Probably why I really dig bi-guys, in fiction and real life.

Much of the m/m by women out there is shit. It really is. I've said before, and I've said again - they're female fantasies of what gay men are like. Any more hormones and they'd start fucking menstruating. Chicks with dicks, that's all they are.

There are very few women who write gay men well.

For the record, yes, yes, yes, I include tt42 in that.