What Exactly Defines Erotica?

Miss Vicky

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A little preface: I am not a published author and have only ever written for my own enjoyment, but I am considering pursuing self-publishing a completed novella. I'm not sure how I would categorize what I've written. My protagonist is a young man who turns to prostitution to survive and so, of course, sex is very much a part of his life and the story. Some of his encounters are meant to be quite arousing, but others are written to be frightening, sad, romantic, or even funny.

I know that the basic definition is literature that is intended to be sexually arousing, but does arousal need to be the focus of the entire piece for it to be categorized as erotica? Or does it simply need to contain scenes that are erotic?
 

Maryn

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Last fall, there was a good conversation about this very thing. Let me find you a link to it. People in that thread were more eloquent and had more insight than me.

Later: Here you go! https://absolutewrite.com/forums/sh...nce-steamy-romance-erotic-romance-and-erotica

I'm in agreement with the idea that erotica focuses on the sexual journey itself, while erotic hybrids (mostly erotic romance) would still have a story if the sex disappeared.

Maryn, hoping others will weigh in
 

dangerousbill

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Even a little bit of explicit sex moves your story into a foreign area. A single explicit sex scene makes your entire novel 'unsuitable for the vulnerable or sensitive' among us (whoever they are). Even experienced critics will home in on that one scene to the exclusion of all else in the novel, stories, characterization, everything. Your aging grandmother will have a heart attack and say, "I didn't know you were that kind of person."

I started out writing erotica with a fairly complex story, with perhaps a half-dozen explicit sex scenes peppered throughout. Three beta readers (none of who were shy about reading or writing erotica) all made the same comment, "Is it a sex novel or a novel about drug problems on Indian reservations?" In other words, the sex scenes, comprising about 3% of the novel, tilted the opinion of three experienced writers. Yet, as Maryn suggested, if the sex scenes were removed, there would still be a story.

My following two novels revolved around intense sexual relationships, which were unapologetically and inextricably woven into the plot. Those novels were published and sold reasonably well.

So I suppose the moral of my story is to either keep the sexual expression implicit, or to dive in head-first (sic). Moral #2: If you're going to write a sex novel with a nonsexual plot, ie, science fiction or a romance, plant an explicit sex scene early in the novel so readers know right aweay what kind of story it is, and aren't suddenly shocked halfway through. In my 'Lessons for a Dominant Woman', the first chapter sets the tone for the entire novel in its degree of explicitness.
 
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Miss Vicky

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So I suppose the moral of my story is to either keep the sexual expression implicit, or to dive in head-first (sic). Moral #2: If you're going to write a sex novel with a nonsexual plot, ie, science fiction or a romance, plant an explicit sex scene early in the novel so readers know right aweay what kind of story it is, and aren't suddenly shocked halfway through. In my 'Lessons for a Dominant Woman', the first chapter sets the tone for the entire novel in its degree of explicitness.

I get where you're coming from with that, but I don't think that switching to writing all of the scenes exclusively one way or another would suit this particular story. Each scene is written to fit with the relationship the MC has with the other person. Specifically, there are two people that most of the scenes center on. One of those people is a man with whom the MC is very much in love, so the sex between them is as much or more about bonding and comfort as it is about getting off. The other person is actually a violent and controlling p.o.s., but he's hot and the sex is hot - and so the scenes with him are designed as much to arouse the reader as to help them to understand why the MC is so drawn to this person despite the abuse.
 

veinglory

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There are plenty of books that just have sex scenes, erotic or not, wherever they need to be. It sounds like your primary genre is not erotica, so that is not a problem. People will know by reading the blurb that sex is likely to be part of the plot without needing to see it in chapter one.
 

triceretops

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I'm real new at this and just launched my first sexy romance. I call it that because, yeah, I'm confused as to whether it is an erotic romance or just a hot one. I've got four sex scenes in it that are pretty graphic. While doing my research, I found one example that defined an erotic novel, as one that has sexual activity or direct references to it, on every single page. I don't know how true that is. But three heads bashed into each other trying to define this book: My agent thought it was a romantic comedy; My publisher insisted that it was a romantic thriller. I believed it to be an erotic romance. It's possible that none of us are correct!

So I'll be watching this thread. (I'm wondering if I have written a romance with erotic elements).

Chris waves at veinglory
 
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veinglory

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I have had work published as erotic romance that had only 2-3 sex scenes in the entire thing. I think the living definition is that erotic romance is "whatever reputable erotic romance publishers think it is." That said I was towards the bottom of their heat range. It's probably a bit fuzzy, I have certainly read plain romance and plain fantasy books with more sex than some of my erotic romance works.
 

triceretops

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My publisher had three categories of heat level--white, pink and red. They do a ton of romance and erotica books (11 years). They tagged me as pink. I thought that was wrong, but decided they knew much better than I did about what they've seen and what they've published. I've read other heat ranges from other publishers that has five categories in them. Then I've seen four. Yes, I think it does depend upon the publisher's opinion, since they know their audience and what can be tolerated/expected for each level on the down the line.
 
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veinglory

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I should add that conventionally erotica as a genre, rather than just as an amount of sex, is defined as relating to a person's "sexual journey". In which case mine did qualify as the sex scenes related to changes in the role of sex (in general or with that person) in the character's life and identity.
 

triceretops

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I can understand how sex in and of itself can be the trope or tool used to bring out and explore and advance regular characterization. There was a movie staring Seth (whatever his last name is) that was named So and so (?) Make a Porn Movie. Sex was a vehicle for them, but it led to their eventual bond and love for each other. I don't know how accurate I am on that. Maybe even Pretty Woman, if really heated up to the erotic side, could also be sexual journey that leads to profound changes in the character's lives.
 

Lone Wolf

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I should add that conventionally erotica as a genre, rather than just as an amount of sex, is defined as relating to a person's "sexual journey". In which case mine did qualify as the sex scenes related to changes in the role of sex (in general or with that person) in the character's life and identity.

I have wondered whether my WIP could/would be classified as erotica. By the above definition it would be. The sexual journey is certainly pivotal to the story. Though there is romance too.
But I've heard the definition that in say Romance, the sex are plot points, whereas in Erotica the main purpose of the sex scenes is to titillate or arouse. Like the OP's story, not all my sex scenes are even meant to be hot and even the ones that certainly good for the MC at least, though ideally the reader would also find them hot, their main purpose is still to show the sexual and emotional journey. Titillation/arousal in the reader would be good in that it helps the reader join the journey and understand, and least importantly it's fun to read.
Does that exclude it from being erotica?
 

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My take is that this is similar to categorizing other works. What is the main focus of the story? Murder-mystery stories and spy-thrillers often have sex scenes. Many mainstream movies have nudity and/or sex scenes, but they are not classified as erotica or porn by most people. IMO, erotica is where the primary focus is on sexuality meant to arouse. I would also add that a book could focus on sex without being erotic--e.g. if the subject matter is about a clergyman abusing boys or a woman forced into prostitution, living in unpleasant conditions.
 

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I feel that “erotica” is on a spectrum spanning a few genres. What vampire movie would be complete without a pretty girl with luscious features? What’s that all about? Is sucking your blood a symbol for taking your virginity?

Then there are the Harelequin-genre romance novels. My mom read them by the shoppingbagfull. Sex and sexuality was hinted at; anything explicit would’ve been too jarring for my mother, but she was free to imagine all the details in the privacy of her own mind.

Then at the far end of the spectrum (not the bad end just the far end) are the stories that are down-n-dirty, explicit, often very kinky. They take you to a place you might already go to in your mind, but reading it tells you that at least one other person has these thoughts, too. If there’s one other person thinking those thoughts, there are probably lots of other people just like me. It’s the potential for a real-life connection that is an unspoken element in erotica. That’s why developed characters and plausible scenarios are key...it’s something that truly could happen to me (or you).