New posts

Erotic Romance with Dominant Heroines

Thread starter AnneMarble
Start date Dec 30, 2006

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan

Super Member

Registered

Dec 30, 2006

#1

What are the best markets for erotic romance with dominant heroines? I'm asking as both a writer and a reader.

For one thing, I'm so tired of the women being tied up all the time. (OK, if they want to be tied up, fine, but why don't the men in those stories hardly ever want to be tied up?) So I'd like to know where to find that sort of story, and where to send them when I finish mine.

And I'm not looking for something where the heroine is just an alpha heel with ovaries. I started reading one of those, and... blech. :tongue

:tongue

In the story I started (and want to get back to when I can fix the plot), the heroine was kinder and gentler. If I hadn't been writing it, I would have wanted to buy a copy for myself.

(And when I have a better idea what to do with the plot, I'll ask about that, too.

)

JanDarby

Super Member

Registered

Dec 30, 2006

#2

It's my understanding that the erotica/erotic-romance market (which is predominantly female) tends to prefer male-dom stories to female-dom stories, and the sales figures reflect that preference. It's not so much that publishers don't want the topic, per se, but that they're aware it sells fewer copies.

That's not meant to discourage you or change what you write, but you should just be aware of the facts, so you can make your decisions accordingly. And, of course, really stellar writing/storytelling trumps everything else, so your story could be the one that changes the market's preferences.

FWIW, Liquid Silver tends to be less short-term, market-driven than some publishers, and have taken the position that they'll publish "good books," regardless of trends and market demands, on the theory that good books will find their market over the long run.

I don't know what your word count is, but if it falls within one of Liquid Silver's ranges, it's a place to consider.

JD, who should mention, in the interest of full disclosure, that she's an LSB author, with one novella out now and another one coming in the next couple months, and -- sigh -- neither one of them falls into a category that's generally considered a bigseller, but LSB has been supportive and encouraging.

Elodie-Caroline

Banned

Flounced

Dec 30, 2006

#3

Let's face it -- In real life, it's us ladies who are the most dominant of the species and who wear the trousers in the house; so it's rather nice to escape into a fantasy world and let the men do all the work and think they've taken over LOL

Ellie

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Self-Ban

Registered

Dec 30, 2006

#4

All I can say is that if you put out a romance with and alpha female and a not-spha male I would love you forever. But I can't help because outside of BDSM I can't find this sort of romance, and me and my debit card are so looking for it.

Giles English

Eroticist for hire

Super Member

Registered

Dec 31, 2006

#5

Try Aphrodite Unlaced

I had a chat with one of their editors last year (05). She seemed interested in the concept of a femdom romance, but - greatly simplifying what she said - wanted them to have sex and a vanilla HEA.

Since I write male chastity belt fiction, I could supply neither! Your ideas might better fit the bill. Why don't you query them?

Giles English

Eroticist for hire

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#6

Or Loose ID

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=364

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Absolute Sage

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#7

JanDarby said:
It's my understanding that the erotica/erotic-romance market (which is predominantly female) tends to prefer male-dom stories to female-dom stories, and the sales figures reflect that preference. It's not so much that publishers don't want the topic, per se, but that they're aware it sells fewer copies.

.

An Ellora's Cave editor who spoke at a conference I attended in November said exactly that. The femdom stuff doesn't sell that well, so they're not really looking for that. Because, of course, they want to sell as many books as possible.

Susan G.

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Self-Ban

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#8

Yes, but where is the concept outside 'Dom' terms? After all the rampant alpha male stories aren't maledom, that is just one small subgenre. Sometime the female is just the proactive one in a relationship, I would prefer to read those kinds of story, if they existed. I think their lack of existence is one reason I got into m/m instead.

Giles English

Eroticist for hire

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#9

veinglory said:
Yes, but where is the concept outside 'Dom' terms? After all the rampant alpha male stories aren't maledom, that is just one small subgenre. Sometime the female is just the proactive one in a relationship, I would prefer to read those kinds of story, if they existed. I think their lack of existence is one reason I got into m/m instead.

Ah. Gotcha.
I would guess it would be easier to sell proactive female to a female audience, than straight femdom.

If I were to attempt it, I might start with a non-alpha female protag, and have her gradually break out of her shell in the course of an escalating pursuit of an elusive delicate male.

JanDarby

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#10

For me, at least, the problem with writing the proactive female (romantically speaking only, not in other roles), is the long and painful history in tv/books/theatre of presenting the proactive female as both comic and pitiful. You know -- the Annie Oakley character who thinks she can get a man by threatening to shoot him. Or, usually it's the frumpy sidekick who's madly in love with the hero and is throwing herself at him, while he is either unaware of her or he's disgusted by her.

So, when I see a proactive heroine in a romance, I'm socially trained to interpret it as "throwing herself at him," throwing herself at an uninterested/unwilling partner, and it just squicks me out.

Which isn't to say I like wimpy heroines; I expect them to have goals and be pursuing them and not waiting around for someone to rescue them, etc., but -- and this may be just me, but I suspect it's a widespread fact of society today -- I still cringe when a female is aggressively pursuing a male romantically, unless it's handled just right, and if it's just the least little bit off, it brings back the stereotypes of the desperate female.

So, I think it can be done, but the BDSM background probably makes it more palatable and easier to get around old stereotypes, b/c there's no remote possiblity of the heroine being "desperate" and pitiful. Writing that sort of story without either BDSM or a more traditional fantasy background that would take the place of the BDSM world is going to tread too close to some really painful stereotypes, at least for me, and presumably for many other women who've lived through decades of the purported freedom/equality in western society that neverless has a strong undercurrent that says strong women are pitiful and ridiculous.

JD

Giles English

Eroticist for hire

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#11

JanDarby said:
For me, at least, the problem with writing the proactive female (romantically speaking only, not in other roles), is the long and painful history in tv/books/theatre of presenting the proactive female as both comic and pitiful. You know -- the Annie Oakley character who thinks she can get a man by threatening to shoot him. Or, usually it's the frumpy sidekick who's madly in love with the hero and is throwing herself at him, while he is either unaware of her or he's disgusted by her.

So, when I see a proactive heroine in a romance, I'm socially trained to interpret it as "throwing herself at him," throwing herself at an uninterested/unwilling partner, and it just squicks me out.

Which isn't to say I like wimpy heroines; I expect them to have goals and be pursuing them and not waiting around for someone to rescue them, etc., but -- and this may be just me, but I suspect it's a widespread fact of society today -- I still cringe when a female is aggressively pursuing a male romantically, unless it's handled just right, and if it's just the least little bit off, it brings back the stereotypes of the desperate female.

So, I think it can be done, but the BDSM background probably makes it more palatable and easier to get around old stereotypes, b/c there's no remote possiblity of the heroine being "desperate" and pitiful. Writing that sort of story without either BDSM or a more traditional fantasy background that would take the place of the BDSM world is going to tread too close to some really painful stereotypes, at least for me, and presumably for many other women who've lived through decades of the purported freedom/equality in western society that neverless has a strong undercurrent that says strong women are pitiful and ridiculous.

JD

What if proactive girl were acting out of character because she's on a rescue mission? Perhaps he's emotionally damaged in a heroic way which renders him passive. Or perhaps she has to seduce him before evil vamp bitch does.

LilaDubois

Super Member

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#12

Well the e-book I wrote has both strong female and male characters but the premise of the story is more 'femdom.'

Liquid Silver took it but I have no idea if it is selling well. (it just came out on monday)

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Self-Ban

Registered

Jan 4, 2007

#13

I think there would be ways of making the proactive female an alpha rather than desperate. But as my extensive search over decades has found only one example of a mainstream romance-type story where the female was alpha and the male was not, I guess there isn't much of a market.

I do, however, have plans to write one but probably not until after 4-5 other ideas. It's a historical that will be called 'The Chatelaine'. I may be the only person who likes the end result, but what the hey.

Giles English

Eroticist for hire

Super Member

Registered

Jan 5, 2007

#14

LilaDubois said:
Well the e-book I wrote has both strong female and male characters but the premise of the story is more 'femdom.'

Liquid Silver took it but I have no idea if it is selling well. (it just came out on monday)

"Content: M-M-M-M-M-F..."

Fantastic.

LilaDubois

Super Member

Registered

Jan 5, 2007

#15

Giles English said:
"Content: M-M-M-M-M-F..."

Fantastic.

Thanks, came up with that one all one my own.

You must log in or register to reply here.

Share:

Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Link

This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.

Accept Learn more…