What makes a novel erotica?

Erotica, like porn, is just one of those things that you recognize when you read. I can't define it, but I can pick it out.

That's an interesting question. There are plenty of books, either romance or women's fiction, authors like Norah Roberts, Sandra Brown, Danielle Steele - they aren't erotica, but they have some incredibly hot, steamy sex scenes.

Where's the line?

All I know is I've never read anything that would be classified as erotica.

But I'm interested to see what the responses are here.

I think (and I could be wrong) that there are two different flavors that you're thinking of: erotica and erotic romance.

Erotic romance still has the standard romance tropes of happily ever after, etc. The steaminess of the plot is just extremely amped up.

Erotica itself is pretty much about the sex. It doesn't have to follow standard romance conventions at all. Anything goes.

That's a real brief nutshell, but I bet one of the erotica authors can explain it better.

The only solid definition I've ever heard is that, if you take the sex out of erotica and you still have a plot, it isn't erotica. I'm not an erotica reader, though.

I use a much broader definition than the industry does. I consider any fiction written primarily to sexually excite its audience to be erotica. All other fiction is not erotica.

Note that non-erotic fiction can still arouse its readers. The distinction is that in such cases, the author either didn't intend it or that it isn't the primary goal of the fiction.

I also use this term interchangeably with porn. Yeah, I'm aware of the negative connotation of the word porn, but the denotational identity overwhelms that negative connotation. Therefore, IMO, erotica = porn. Now I'm going to get shredded by the erotica writers

Mind you, I'm not knocking on erotica. I like porn. I hate the negative connotation of it, because a lot of people have and enjoy porn. We shouldn't be ashamed about what we enjoy, damnit.

I picked up a collection of erotic short stories once in a book shop. The plot pretty much revolved around sex, but it did have a plot. It used baser words (F, C - that kind of stuff)

I think the difference between porn and erotica is that erotica does have a plot. It may be a plot based very much on sex, but it still has a protagonist, an antagonist, and some sort of conclusion.

Not an expert, in any shape or form!

I always figured that the difference was erotica is porn with plot, porn is erotica without the plot. And that if you reduced the amount of sex in erotica, it could be placed in the regular romance section.

Branwyn said:

I would think the inclusion of certain sexual acts (oral sex for instance) in a book erotic. Traditionally, that area of sexual intimacy was usually omited in 'regular romance'. But has it become the norm? Genres are tricky.

Click to expand...

Well unless I’m reading an inspirational romance, oral sex seems to be a must in most romance (a must I do agree with). However, odds are good you won’t run across anal sex in most if any, erotic romance.
IMO erotic romance doesn’t purple prose sex, it explores sex and doesn’t gloss over it but rarely will you find a erotic romance that push sexual taboos. You rarely will see bdsm fully explored (although some may make reference to it) or it being acceptable to have a HEA with male-female-male.
Erotica is more explicit and a little edgier, sexual exploration is at the forefront but there is a driving plot to it. In erotica, things considered to be taboo (bdsm, orgies, anal sex, etc.) are acceptable to write about. And oh yeah,a good deal of sex scenes.

OK, I'm not great with genres, but I've always thought it was this:

In the same way that a romance story would have no plot without the romance, an erotica story would have no plot without the sex.

I think.

Romance: a love story with a happy ending
Erotica: scenes written to sexual arouse
Erotic Romance: a love story with a happy ending including scenes written to sexually arouse.

Erotic romance is erotica.

I certainly think so.

I'm working on writing a romance, and one of the things I read (can't remember where, sorry) was that one of the primary differences between erotica and erotic romance is the number of partners the MC can have. In erotic romance it's only okay for the MC to have sex with the one true love happily-ever-after person. Maybe an ex or something at the beginning, but even that is tricky. In erotica, it's okay for the MC to have multiple partners because the focus is more on the sex. At least, that's what this particular instructional book said, though it was more about the romance side than the erotica side.

Except erotic romance can include romantic units larger than two (3way or more), and at least one of mine is published as erotic romance and has a sex scene with another person, not an ex, right in the middle.

Maybe the writer meant just regular ole romance then? Or maybe she was just wrong? LOL

I'm writing my first, so I've just been trying to gather a lot of info. Some of it's been crap, and some of it's been good. Maybe that fell into the crap category.

You can definitely have oral sex in a regular ol' romance (no 'erotic' tag necessary).

For erotic romance, you can also have multiple partners. Emma Holly is a great example of this, and she sells about a bajillion books.

And erotic paranormal romance? Happens all the time - Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Larissa Ione's newest one... there are tons more but I'm drawing a blank at the moment (it's late). To be honest, a lot of paranormal romance definitely pushes the boundaries nowdays. I think it's an easier book to market (NY-wise) if it's sexier than if it's not.

Irysangel said:

You can definitely have oral sex in a regular ol' romance (no 'erotic' tag necessary).
.

Click to expand...

Yes, exactly. My Superromances are totally NOT erotic romances, or erotica, but my characters have been known to engage in the act listed above. <G> It's just not written to the degree of decription and focus required to push it over into erotic romance.

Susan G.

I agree. The sex needs to be described clearly and at length to the point were it is clealry meant to arouse.

erotic romance it's only okay for the MC to have sex with the one true love happily-ever-after person. Maybe an ex or something at the beginning, but even that is tricky.

Click to expand...

Oh crap. How about if a guy gets drunk and boinks the wrong person accidentally?

IdiotsRUs said:

Oh crap. How about if a guy gets drunk and boinks the wrong person accidentally?

Click to expand...

I think that's been pretty heartily and substantially rebuked here. Believe veinglory and Irysangel, not me! I'm totally new to this, and all of the subgenres of romance make me feel like I'm back in college cramming for finals. I'm just glad I can come here and get set straight.

Infidelity is a touchy subject to be romance, for sure. But not definitive.

I think that's been pretty heartily and substantially rebuked here.

Click to expand...

So it is getting drunk and having sex that is looked down upon, or using it as an excuse for WHY you had sex with the wrong person?

My MCs get dosed with a drug, beat the crap out of each other and end up in bed. Certainly not what they were expecting to do, but believe it or not, it moves the plot forward.