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Non-romance erotica?

Thread starter veinglory
Start date Feb 9, 2007

veinglory

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Feb 9, 2007

#1

I must admit that I read relatively little non-romance erotica these days. I used to pick up anthologies like the Susie Bright ones, but it was largely for the m/m which I can now get more efficiently elsewhere. I also read Black Lace but the gender roles never made me terribly happy.

I do wonder, however, if the growth--online especially--of erotic romance has started to unhealthily dominate the rest of the genre. It has almost become like all the erotica I hear about is romantica these days?

Last edited: Feb 9, 2007

Marlys

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Feb 9, 2007

#2

I suppose it's because romantic erotica is selling these days. There still seems to be plenty of non-romantic m/m erotica out there--check out ADL's site if you're looking.

veinglory

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Feb 9, 2007

#3

Yes, I still stroll by the gay and lesbian area--but what happened to anthologies whose theme was being erotic in general. Are they still out there and I'm just not looking for them any more?

I was flipping through Caramel Flava and wondering why there aren;t more like that...

Marlys

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Feb 9, 2007

#4

veinglory said:
Yes, I still stroll by the gay and lesbian area--but what happened to anthologies whose theme was being erotic in general. Are they still out there and I'm just not looking for them any more?

I was flipping through Caramel Flava and wondering why there aren;t more like that...

I don't know what the market used to be like, but there are plenty of anthologies listed on Amazon.

The_Grand_Duchess

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Feb 9, 2007

#5

There are a few websites that cater to non-romance erotica. You know just erotic for the sake of the erotic. Actully one of them had a submissions call posted today on craigslist I think.

I have noticed that there doesn't seem to be as much non-romance erotica out as one would think. Well not as much good stuff anyway. I think its becuase there's more call for story and I think people have an easier time writing a romance story with erotic overtones than say a horror one

marifree

Feb 10, 2007

#6

The_Grand_Duchess said:
There are a few websites that cater to non-romance erotica. You know just erotic for the sake of the erotic. Actully one of them had a submissions call posted today on craigslist I think.

Can you list a couple of the websites that cater to the non-romantic??
I've not found too many.

kristie911

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Feb 11, 2007

#7

I agree that it seems most of the erotica that I've found has been romantica. However, I see that Ellora's Cave has started a new line called Exotica. It seems to be a bit more hard core and has sex just for the sake of sex...not necessarily headed for the HEA ending. Unfortunately it currently only has four books listed.

Marlys

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Feb 11, 2007

#8

marifree said:
Can you list a couple of the websites that cater to the non-romantic??
I've not found too many.

The Alt Sex Stories Text Repository*should keep you busy for a while. Uh, reading, I mean.

*Link goes to the warning page, so I assume it's okay to post.

Dusk

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May 6, 2007

#9

I stumbled across this thread while doing a Web search for forums where one could discuss writing non-romance erotica.

In the GLBT field, there's a lot of non-romance erotica being sold by publishers such as Suspect Thoughts Press, STARbooks, Alyson Books, Cleis Press, and many others. But I cannot for the life of me figure out where the authors of these stories are networking (other than those who also write romance). Does anybody have any idea?

Dusk (who writes erotica centered on friendship, among other things)

Stacia Kane

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May 7, 2007

#10

kristie911 said:
I agree that it seems most of the erotica that I've found has been romantica. However, I see that Ellora's Cave has started a new line called Exotica. It seems to be a bit more hard core and has sex just for the sake of sex...not necessarily headed for the HEA ending. Unfortunately it currently only has four books listed.

My crit partner just sold a book to that line, so there's one more!

beatkay

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May 7, 2007

#11

Dusk said:
I stumbled across this thread while doing a Web search for forums where one could discuss writing non-romance erotica.

In the GLBT field, there's a lot of non-romance erotica being sold by publishers such as Suspect Thoughts Press, STARbooks, Alyson Books, Cleis Press, and many others. But I cannot for the life of me figure out where the authors of these stories are networking (other than those who also write romance). Does anybody have any idea?

Dusk (who writes erotica centered on friendship, among other things)

Many print authors don't seem to network at all on the web from what I've seen. I've got my feet in both worlds, to a small extent, but some authors in the anthologies by presses you mentioned show up with very little on Google or other searches. I've got stories print published by those presses and have never once gotten information or suggestions on marketing or networking online. I even wrote one of them, asking for freebies or promo items to take to booksignings and they said flat out, they don't do that.

The authors may be using pen names or they may just not want to bother with the 'net world. Two print authors I solicited for Animal Attraction were gracious enough to say yes and they're both be making a e-book debut when it's published in August. Kinda fun to sweep them into the fold

.

Dusk

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May 7, 2007

#12

"Many print authors don't seem to network at all on the web from what I've seen."

Ah, I hadn't thought of that. Makes sense; not everyone's Net-connected.

I've resorted to following links on the LiveJournal profile pages of gay erotica authors I know, to see whether they're linked to other authors who are hanging out in some mysterious Super-Secret LiveJournal Community I don't know about. Or have a Website that links to that Super-Secret Community. Because I read the news put out by e-zines where these authors post, and I look at the way they word their links pages, and it's clear they know each other from somewhere. (I don't quite have the nerve to write to these authors and just beg them to point me to the club door.)

Oh, well, perhaps I'll stumble across Shangri-La some day.

veinglory

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May 7, 2007

#13

If you build it, they will come

Dusk

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May 8, 2007

#14

Well, I started an e-mail list for the Erotic Authors Association. All the erotic romance writers rushed to join it.

Seriously, I notice that a new review site, Erotica Revealed, has just opened. It says on its home page, "Erotica Revealed is not a Romance review site." The fact that it would feel the need to say this (rather than saying, "We are not a mystery review site" or any other genre) says something, I think, about how romance has come to dominate the erotic fiction field.

I write erotic love stories myself, as you know. But there ought to be spaces where discussion of non-romantic erotic fiction can take place at length.

Has anybody joined the Erotica Readers & Writers Association list? If so, what's it like?

NealeSourna

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May 18, 2007

#15

Haven't read a Bright or other lately but my "Steve's Monkey's Paw and MORE" is avail online and off. Not to plug, but I found that when I wanted good hardcore romantic erotica or just good hardcore with a soul and depth I couldn't find it, so I write and publish it. Or rather, more modestly, I love it enough to read my own for fun, and that warm, yummy, and satisfied feeling the dumb or shallow stuff doesn't give me.

--Neale Sourna
Project Keanu

dub

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May 18, 2007

#16

My Professor's Chronicles has very little romance, mostly just hard core; first draft of chapter 1 is posted on the protected site. Pretty matter of fact. One person who read some of the individual scenes asked me if it was a true diary - I should be so lucky. I am 30K into the WIP, with about 40K to go. Each chapter is a new incident with an overlay of a continious encounter. The key scenes were each first introduced in an erotic writing contest, none won individually, but I was advised to collect them, make transitions, and run the book.

Calmuse

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Nov 7, 2008

#17

Again, I do have some information that will shed light on issues raised by an old thread--and at this point feel safe in sharing it.

Suspect Thoughts and STARBooks are pretty good places for LGBT writers or other alternative-fiction writers to submit their work. Both small publishers were borne out of the LGBT and alternative publishing meltdown of the 2000s and have focused on particular niches within those readerships with some such success. I recommend both.

And, yes, many "legitimate" writers publish gay-male erotica under pen names. One of the more prolific writers in this genre is actually a straight woman in late middle age who lives in an East Bay suburb of San Francisco–Oakland. She has at least three pen names of which I'm aware.

MargueriteMing

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Nov 7, 2008

#18

When did EC start accepting stuff without an HEA?

veinglory

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Nov 10, 2008

#19

I know that EC's inprint Exotica (is that the right name?) is for non-romance erotica--it has been around a year or two as I recall.

cameronknight

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Nov 13, 2008

#20

Question from the cheap seats: what exactly constitutes "non-romance erotica"? Is it just the absence of a HEA or HFN ending, or is there something particular that's required? I'm assuming the stories actually do have a plot, i.e. they're not just reams of porn.

The reason I'm intrigued is because frankly, I'm getting a little bored with writing romance, and feel the itch to branch out into something more experimental in style and with more of a focus on the erotic for its own sake, rather than as a vehicle for romantic expression.

'splain please, Lucy ...

A.J.

veinglory

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Nov 13, 2008

#21

It really just means the book doesnlt meet the requirements of genre romance. It may be any other kind of erotica across the whole range--so yes, it can be plot-what-plot, or literary, or poetry, or a murder mystery, or anything. It can vene be a love story but have themes genre romance typically rejects like a tragic ending.

cameronknight

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Nov 14, 2008

#22

Okay, thanks Emily. I was browsing my local bookstore yesterday and noticed that there seems to be little difference between the books on the "romance" shelves and the ones on the "erotica" shelves; in fact, some seem to be placed in both sections. I did notice, however, what was NOT placed in the "romance" section was anything same-sex. All of the same-sex books, even the obviously HEA romance ones, were on the "erotica" shelves.

As well, I was surprised to see mainstream authors (Anne Rice, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nora Roberts) in the erotica section! does this mean that you can crossover ... i.e. i am currently an erotica writer ... can i successfully publish a mainstream novel without being chastised (i.e. OMG ! AJWilde also writes m/m erotica!! Don't buy her het book!)

jennontheisland

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Nov 14, 2008

#23

AJWilde said:
As well, I was surprised to see mainstream authors (Anne Rice, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nora Roberts) in the erotica section! does this mean that you can crossover ... i.e. i am currently an erotica writer ... can i successfully publish a mainstream novel without being chastised (i.e. OMG ! AJWilde also writes m/m erotica!! Don't buy her het book!)

Nora in erotica? I think that's more the publisher asking to be shelved in both places. I can't think of anything of hers I'd consider erotica.

cameronknight

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Nov 17, 2008

#24

jennontheisland said:
Nora in erotica? I think that's more the publisher asking to be shelved in both places. I can't think of anything of hers I'd consider erotica.

Possibly more a question of "what's the difference between erotica and romance with hot sex"? The Anne Rice books were listed under "Anne Rampling" by the way. I really don't know what booksellers and/or publishers consider to be the defining quality that sets "erotica" apart from "red-hot romance". Like I said, the only difference in my local bookseller seems to be that anything same-sex (whether romance or not) gets filed under erotica.

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