Recently, a friend and I were discussing trends in the romance industry. She would like to see an upswing in historicals, specifically, Victorian-set historicals. “But,†she says, “historicals seem to have gone either super-sweet, or super-erotic. I want something in the middle, like they used to be.â€
Well, maybe eventually…
“No,†she said. “Because erotic romance is here to stay. No matter what people say, it’s NOT a trend.â€
Now, people have been talking about how erotic romance is nothing but a fad. A trend that will eventually fade away. And in a way, I guess I thought the same thing. Until she got me thinking by saying this:
“Erotic romance is addictive. It’s like a drug. Or adrenaline rushes. Once you start reading it, it’s hard to go back to sweet,†she says. “Like in high school health class, where the teacher tells you that once you go all the way with a boy, there’s no going back to holding hands, or even heavy petting.â€
Er…great. Thanks for taking me back to the trauma of co-ed sex education with the creepy lech of a teacher.
Anyway, I scoffed. And then I started thinking about my reading preferences. And you know…while I don’t necessarily agree with the “addictive drug†thing, I suspect there might be something to the “it’s hard to go back to sweet†thing. Because I’ve been gravitating toward more sensual, sexier stories, and now, if I read a “tamer†book, I get antsy, wondering where the sex scene is and wanting the hero and heroine to jump into bed already.
Is it possible that the “high†we get from reading erotic romance has changed our preferences for content…permanently?
Now, before you freak out and start screaming, “OMG, Larissa Ione just said that erotica is like heroin!†that’s not what I’m saying.
I’m saying that reading or watching sensual material does cause physiological reactions. Our breathing and heart rate increases. Our pupils dilate. Blood pressure shoots up. We experience a rush of endorphins. In essence, we feel good. (Conjuring Dr. Ruth here – “If it feels good, do it!â€) These are the same responses that lead adrenaline junkies to higher mountains. Steeper ski slopes. Scarier movies.
Think about it. Once someone has climbed Mt. Everest, hiking Nobb Hill out behind the house just isn’t going to do it for him anymore – at least, not in the same way. Fans of horror movies laugh at films that scared the crap out of people in the 50’s. They want more. More gore. Higher body count. More creative ways to die. Which isn’t to say they can’t appreciate old horror and suspense, but it no longer scares them. They don’t get that “high.â€
Maybe romance has taken the same permanent turn. Fans of erotic romance want more. They might be able to enjoy and appreciate milder stuff, but maybe they aren’t getting that “rush†from it anymore. (Note that I say “fans†because not everyone who reads an erotic romance likes them and is instantly “addicted.†Some people, like my friend, for example, are uncomfortable with the way graphic material makes them feel – much like the way skydiving makes me uncomfortable. Adrenalin rush? Try mind-numbing terror that isn’t pleasant AT ALL. She doesn’t get erotic romance, I don’t get jumping out of planes for fun. Different strokes, and all that.)
Let me be clear though; I still get the warm fuzzies and a certain rush from the romance element alone – I need the emotions and relationships that are the backbone of the romance genre. I still need to fall in love with the hero. But I’ve noticed that the more I read, the more I want a very sexy story to accompany the romance.
And again, I can appreciate a less-sexy book on its other merits, and some of my favorite books contain no sex at all. But I would still say that 80% of my romance reading material is of the steamier variety, which is a big change from just a year or two ago.
So the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that erotic romance is here to stay, that it’s not a trend that’s going away. In fact, the only changes I can see happening is that eventually some erotic lines/imprints will fold, that maybe some publishers will slow down their production — but not because people are burnt out. If erotic romance slows down, it’ll be because readers will grow tired of the same old, same old. They’ll want more creativity. Edgier sex. Better marketing. Better writing. Basically, higher mountains, steeper slopes, and faster cars. And the publishers and authors who give them that will stay strong.
But truly, I think we’re on an erotic ride that won’t be coming to a stop anytime soon, if ever.
Trend? Maybe. But I don’t think so.
What do you think? Fade away or here to stay?
No related posts.
I think the erotic stuff is here to stay, just not at the warp speed it’s currently at. I myself read a lot of it. Like anything, I go in cycles: historicals, contemps, paranormals, erotic romances…so eventually I find my way back to it.
I prefer the erotic “romance” because I need the HEA, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be scorching hot. As long as there is a romance and a plot, the hotter the better. It’s exciting stuff LOL.
Everyone has their own comfort level, and I’m pretty open, though more of a traditionalist, preferring one man/one woman, but I can be a little open-minded about it. I’m just not into the bsdm stories. They don’t do anything for me.
So no, I don’t see erotic stuff fading into the night. I think a lot of readers have found a voice for their own fantasies, and there’s nothing wrong with that, which is very empowering. I just don’t think it’s going to be as booming as it is now. It’s having it’s time in the sun, and eventually will need to drop back for something else, but it won’t disappear.
I completely agree with you, Stacy! I think the warp speed thing (*g*) will slow down, but that erotic romance has made its mark and it’s here to stay, which is good, since it’s what I like to write and read!
Re: publishing houses folding. If they do, there’s always the online houses. Because I have to admit, I get most of the truly sexy stuff (including m/m) online at Ellora’s Cave, Torquere Press, Whiskey Creek Press, or Loose Id. I don’t trust to “real” books to get me the high I want from my erotica. And I think the online houses are/will be much further away from folding than “real” book houses.
Think it’s here to stay, because sex and erotica are a necessary part of whole characters, no matter the historical period.
I think it’s here to stay, although I think with all the new lines there’s bound to be fluctuation in authors/lines/imprints.
It’s my reading/writing preference, too, but I do demand a good story. That’s part of the rush! The relationship, the emotions, the happy ending. To me, erotic romance is romance with MORE.
Sarah, I have a feeling that e-pubs will always have a strong foothold on the erotic market, for a couple of reasons…one being that they can afford to take bigger risks with content.
Bernita…that’s an interesting take on it. That sex (and how they approach it, think about it, and do it
) is an important part of any character and relationship. Sex plays such a huge role in our lives — and it IS perhaps the most important part of any species’ survival in that without babies, we die — so maybe a lot of readers get the feeling that they are missing something when the sex doesn’t play a role in a building relationship? Must think on this.
I’m with you, Charlene! The story must be there, and the writing needs to be good. I’ve tried to read straight erotica, and it just doesn’t do it for me. I need a very strong story and romance to go with the sex. As long as that’s there, then the erotic elements can go as far as the author wants to take them!
Great post, Larissa! I agree. I think that it is here to stay but we will see a thinning out of some of the lines. I love the way you describe the rush some readers get from reading spicier romances. That’s the perfect description. I find myself wondering when the characters are going to hook up when I’m reading non-erotic romances too. But a good romantic story still gets me every time, even when they don’t have sex until page 200. LOL.
I read a lot across the board. I prefer erotic romance over erotica because I need the HEA. But I also read a lot of paranormals, romantic suspense, mysteries, sci-fi. You name it. I get most of my erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave, but I have been trying the new lines from various NY houses. Aphrodesia has some interesting things coming out of it.
Thanks for the great post!
Gwyneth
I agree with Stacy; erotica may slow down a bit but it will stay around.
I suppose what I really object to is the word “sweet.” Can we consider a romance to be mature, thoughtful and exciting if there are no explicit sex scenes? Calling them sweet makes me think of Sweet Valley High.
Oh, erotic romance will fade from being the hottest trend in the market. That’s just the natural way of things — we just don’t know what trend will take it’s place. It’s not, however, going away because there is clearly a strong market for it.
I think the readers are ultimately drawn to the story. Fans of erotic romance may not want to go back to books that don’t have that quotient because they’re missing a story element that set of fans are looking for. For others, there may be other story elements that draw them and they won’t necessarily miss the erotic content.
Here to stay for sure.
Given the choice, and assuming that both books are of equal standard, I’d take an erotic romance as opposed to a non-erotic romance. No doubt of that for me.
Nothing against non-erotic romances but like you said, Larissa, it’s not the same kind of high. It doesn’t have the same kind of impact.
Thanks Robyn, for pointing that out. I don’t do explicit, but I hope my writing isn’t “sweet” (aka insipid).
As for the adrenaline rush/addictive side of romance–that’s exactly why I gave up reading the heavier stuff. Made me very uncomfortable (like your friend).
I think it’s here to stay, and there are a couple of reasons I don’t like that. A minor one and a major one.
First — and minorly — as a reader and writer. Having read several in the course of doing my romance homework, I’ve decided I don’t like to read it and I’m not going to write it. (And here I’m speaking of the explicit, mechanically detailed sort.) So — even though I *know* the publishing industry doesn’t work that way — when I see an erotic in the store, I think: “There’s a piece of shelf space that could have gone to something I like. Or better yet, something I’ve written.”
Second, and more importantly, as a guy. Every man on the planet knows that if the woman in his life is reading erotic romances, his chances of any real romance are completely shot. A guy can compete with anyone in the real world — we’ve all got our strengths. But against the incredibly rich and talented physically perfect — not to mention tireless — Adonis who knows a dozen perfect ways to express his adoration, always knows what to do when, never accidentally puts his weight on her hair and does not have to be reminded to roll the trash can to the curb every Tuesday night? Forget it.
If, at the end of a ten hour work day … (And remember, after surviving in the jungle, scaling mountains, braving raging infernos or whatever derring do the story requires, the Adonis engulfs her senses with his “powerful masculine scent,” which on you — after doing the yard — would be “stinking with sweat.”) Where was I? Oh, yeah: If, after ten hours of having your personality ground down in your middle management job, the best you can offer is dinner at Outback and a discussion of how you might be able to tweak the family budget and afford a real vacation this year, you know the evening is going to end with her upstairs reading an erotic romance and dreaming of how things ought to be and you downstairs watching X-Files reruns and remembering the way you thought it was going to be.
So as a writer and as a guy, I have to say there is no upside to this erotic romance phenomenon.
It’s here to stay and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
Kevin, you’re not giving women enough credit. We’re perfectly capable of separating the “fantasy” within the pages of a book and real life. I doubt many of us are expecting our men to live up to the heroes found within romance, regular or erotic
Personally, while I like to READ it, I’d laugh my ass off if my husband ever turned romance hero. I might hurt myself.
Larissa, great post. I do think erotic romance is here to stay, but perhaps not in its current popularity. What I think will happen is that there will be natural selection. The strong will survive and the weak will be weeded out (as with any romance genre)
The authors that give readers more than just sex, that is, a wonderful, emotional story within the realm of erotic romance will no doubt enjoy a healthy career. I think the number of authors who write erotic romance will eventually dwindle as readers get more selective and seek out stories that aren’t more of the same.
KeVin-
Don’t worry dude, after having HER personality ground down at the job all day, she’s not up to much either. That’s why you’re watching X-Files reruns and googling at Gillian Anderson. You take your real life romance where you find it!
Cheers,
Abby
also not an erotic romance fan
Every man on the planet knows that if the woman in his life is reading erotic romances, his chances of any real romance are completely shot.
Sorry, but I have to say you must know the wrong women. I’ve heard from plenty of women who read a particularly spicy scene and their man benefits.
Heh. My husband might argue with you about that one.
I think they’re here to stay, mostly because I see the lines blurring between “erotic romance” and mainstream romance. But I’m hoping that the pressure will ease up some soon. I hate seeing a good story interrupted by what seem to be obligatory sex scenes, and I hate even more the thought that some good stories might not end up on my bookstore’s shelves because of a lack of them.
I think it’s here to stay too, though I agree that it’ll slow down soon. Personally, I don’t read a lot of sweet romance BUT I tend to pick up a lot of romantic suspsense or chick lit so there’s typically not a lot of on-screen sex in them. So they’re not sweet but they’re not erotica either
I don’t think erotic romance as a whole will fade away, but I think, or hope, that the poorest written examples will go away as the market continues to define itself. I’ve read some superbly written erotic romances and I’ve read some that were absolute, throw-against-the-wall crap. (Yes, I know the same can be said for other sub-genres.)
My personal preference for any romance — full blown erotic, sort of hot, to sweeter, is that I still want to see the relationship and romance develop along with the plot/story and along with the sexual relationship. I recently read an erotic romance where the sex scenes were extremely well written but the rest of the book didn’t deliver on the story arcs or character development so I totally didn’t buy the sudden “I love you, I love you, too” proclamations at the end. All the great sex in the world couldn’t save that book for me.
Thanks, Gwyneth! And I agree, a good romance always gets me, even if no sex happens until page 200! *g* Yes, in general, I prefer more than that, but the romance is ALWAYS more important to me than the sex. I just want a happy medium!
Robyn, I hadn’t thought about “sweet” not meaning mature or thoughtful…I didn’t use the term, but now I’ll make sure I don’t!
Agreed, Caro! I kinda have the feeling that it will no longer even be considered a “trend” to fade or grow stronger, because I think it’s going to simply become a permanent part of romance. If that makes sense…
May, I’m with ya. Give me two books of equal standard, and I’ll probably pick the hotter one. There are other factors, of course…my favorite author might write something really tame and I’ll pick that over the steamier version by an author I don’t know, but in general, gimme steamy.
Nessili, you definitely are not alone! My friend won’t even read my stuff because it is just not to her taste!
Kevin, while I respect your opinion, I think you aren’t giving women OR men enough credit. I can’t tell you how many of my female friends tell me how their husbands LOVE IT when they are reading an erotic romance, because it “gets them in the mood.” TMI here, but my husband always knows when I’ve been writing or reading steamy love scenes.
A lot of women and men report that their sex lives have IMPROVED thanks to romance.
Women read romance to enhance their lives…not replace it. It’s a getaway, much like watching a movie is. When my husband is reading a Tom Clancy novel, I certainly don’t think, “omg, he wishes he was a spy who was blowing up ships and living on the edge, and he thinks I’m boring and he wishes he hadn’t met me!”
I’m just happy he’s reading and relaxing.
When I drown myself in romance, I fall in love with the characters just like I fall in love with the characters in a fantasy novel. Doesn’t mean I want my husband learning how to behead a dragon with a sword.
He’s just a sexy when he’s out mowing the lawn — the way he moves, the way his muscles roll and flex under his skin — and if I’ve just read a nice, steamy love scene, so much the better. For him. Just ask. He’ll tell you!
Sharon, you said in a couple of sentences what my whole post didn’t say!
Abby–LOL!
Ditto, Emma!
Darla, I completely agree! When I say I like steamy romance, I mean that I like WELL-WRITTEN material that enhances the romance and doesn’t take away from it by just adding sex. I want the sex, but I want it there for a reason.
Cece, you know, I used to read a lot of RS, but I’ve sort of gotten to where I want it steamier! Though I do still enjoy some of my favorite RS authors I cut my teeth on!:grin:
Mary Stella, I completely agree!
I disagree. I read sweet romance and erotic romance in pretty equal measures, and I can’t say I prefer one to the other, or that I spend a lot of time saying, ooh, this sweet YA I’m reading would be so much more romantic with a little more sex!
I don’t view erotic romance as going “farther” as in the “Mt. Everest” comparison, because, to me, a good erotic romance is not merely a sweet romance with sex scenes thrown in. NO, a good erotic romance has eroticism woven in on the atomic level. The exteneded hot sex scenes belong in an erotic romance the way they do not in a sweet romance. They are completely different flavors of read, even without the sex scenes. (Read ASK FOR IT by Sylvia Day, and how the hero’s sexual desire for the heroine permeates every scene and every conflict.)
If I were to make it into a metaphor, I’d say that a sweet romance would be like having a hot fudge sundae whereas an erotic romance would be like having a spicy noodle dish. Both are delicious, but the spicy chili peppers in the noodle dish don’t belong on my hot fudge sundae. But without the chili peppers, the noddles would have soemthing missing. That’s what I feel when there is all indication that the romance SHOULD be spicy and then it’s not.
But sometimes I WANT a sundae. No spice and shouldn’t be.
“NO, a good erotic romance has eroticism woven in on the atomic level. The exteneded hot sex scenes belong in an erotic romance the way they do not in a sweet romance.”
Oh, I totally agree, Diana! I’m not talking about different flavors here…which is why I said that I can appreciate a non-erotic romance for what it is. And I like them! I can’t imagine wanting explicit sex in a book that isn’t set up for it. Which is why I can read books like Abigail’s Story or Harlequin Americans and enjoy them.
But what I’m talking about is reading a book that is already basically set up for hot sex…thanks to great sexual tension and/or gritty plot lines…but then not getting it.
You’re definitely talking about two different animals here. I’m talking about one. The mainstream romance that can handle a sexier plot but often doesn’t. Give me a choice between basically the same two stories, and chances are, I’ll pick the sexier one, if that makes sense!
think Mary Stella has it right – I actually WRITE erotic romance but I can still enjoy a sweet romance as much as I ever did–as long as I care about the characters and am interested in the plot. It’s the quality of the book that counts.
I recently blogged about my never-ending struggle to get my sexual content per page ratio up high enough to meet the standards my publisher sets. It’s like writing two books in parallel. Hmmm…I am supposed to turn in a “Valentine Vixens” novella at the end of October. I wonder if I COULD write two stories in parallel.! One will be a hot sex romp, one a romance. Then merge them after the fact. Sounds like fun in theory, but I would it really work?:roll:
Great post and I’ll jump on the bandwagon and agree that erotic romance isn’t going away. I also think it’s a good thing. (What isn’t quite so good is the pressure to write hot when it doesn’t serve the story, but I guess that’s another topic.)
As a reader, I haven’t read a ton of erotic romances and I mean to read more. (Faves for now: Emma Holly and Shelby Reed.)
But I have to admit I may not be the best erotic romance reader in the world. More than once I’ve been happily reading along and reach the third or fourth or more sex scene I think, oh no, not another sex scene now.
So, yeah, I sometimes find it too much sex for the story, but of course that varies from reader to reader, and book to book.
As a reader and aspiring writer whose preferences lie somewhere between the “sweet” (for lack of a better term) and the erotic, I share the worry of your friend in the first paragraph. It seems like the genre is rushing to either extreme, and I wonder if there’s going to be any shelf space left for the middle ground.
It’s not that I haven’t read and enjoyed super-hot books or kisses-only ones. I just don’t want to *write* them, and I don’t want them to be the only options open to me as a reader. I totally agree with Diana that “a good erotic romance has eroticism woven in on the atomic level,” and IMO that level of eroticism just doesn’t fit all stories or all writers’ voices. I honestly feel that if I tried to make the moderately sensual historical I’m currently trying to sell significantly more erotic, it’d ruin the book–it wouldn’t match my voice, and it would throw the plot elements and character development all out of balance. And trying to make it much sweeter would have the exact same effect.
I’m glad erotic romance is out there. I just hope it doesn’t become ALL that’s out there. I like VARIETY.
I don’t think erotic romance as a whole will fade away, but I think, or hope, that the poorest written examples will go away as the market continues to define itself. I’ve read some superbly written erotic romances and I’ve read some that were absolute, throw-against-the-wall crap. (Yes, I know the same can be said for other sub-genres.)
Mary, thank you, thank you, thank you. I was about to write basically the same thing.
I don’t think there’s a possibility that it will fade away, but it will eventually settle down to a dull roar like the rest of romances sub-genres, coming in and out of favor, taking it’s turn in the “what’s hot” cylce.
Ah, I see what you mean, Larissa. You’re talking about the bland noodle dish.
I do get frustrated when I’m all psyched up for the sex and then they close the bedroom door. But I got the impression that you thought that the trend would keep moving more and more to “hot sex OR kisses-only” dichotomy, and there would be less of the stuff in between. like once you push those limits you won’t go back to just *some* sex.
Am I confusing myself?
Folks, the essay on husband vs. erotic romance novel was meant to be humor. Honest. I expected a couple of ‘LOL’s in passing at most. Fear not! There are no Neanderthals in your midst. Or at least I’m not one of them.
(And for the record: I have never googled Gillian Anderson.)
I think erotic romances will always be around, as one of many subgenres/flavors, but maybe not always the main course. Which would be fine with me. Sex isn’t the reason I read romance — romance is. If sex is depicted, fine, if not, fine. Give me a fully realized romantic relationship, good characters, a well rendered historical setting, and I am quite happy. Some readers, like myself, don’t read all the sex scenes. Some do. I think Romance is wide enough that we can all be happy.
A rousing “me too” to Robyn and Cara’s posts above. I’ve had a problem with the term “sweet” for a long time, and do not use it myself. If a book closes the bedroom door, but otherwise has gritty content, mature themes, adult issues, that, for me, does not make it “sweet.” That, again, for me, brings up fluffy kitties and bunnies and babies in sunflower suits, not a riveting story of two adults choosing each other over every other person in the world.
I suppose it depends on why you’re reading non-explicit romances in the first place. I’m a cerebral person and I don’t read for physical thrills. In fact, I’m not capable of getting such a big kick from a book. Long, explicit sex scenes bore me to death. So I get a lot more real (mental) pleasure out of a well written “sweet” romance. But I suppose publishers will no longer want to cater to people like me because we’re in the minority.
I don’t think it’s a fad, but I don’t think we are stuck with only hot or “sweet” either. Tastes change.
Alice
I don’t mind erotic romance–I don’t seek it out as my sub-genre of choice, but if the premise sounds neat, I’ll look at it.
My main issue with erotic romance is that sexuality seems to be the only boundary the romance genre is willing to push. For the most part, in mainstream romance, the sensuality runs from warm to burning, but the characters, the settings, the plots, the premises remain stock, trite and cliched across the sensuality ratings. It seems that only an erotic historical can get away with being set outside of Regency-frickin-England(and even then, if you take the erotic content out, they’re still the same history-lite/cliched historicals as in mainstream), OR, only in erotic romance can the heroines be strong women unafraid of their sexuality. I’d love to see other risks being taken in the romance genre outside of its sensuality content (ie: characters, settings, premises,etc).
100% not true. I read them. I write them. And I think my man would laugh at the idea that he can’t please me in bed or out.
Also for “trend”, I think not, but I think some of the lesser quality books will be pared off. They’ve glutted the market with a “throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks” approach right now.
I don’t read or write erotic romance (although I don’t write “sweet” either [she said with a shudder]), but even though I’m sure the NUMBER of erotic romances will decline for all the reasons already mentioned, it’s not going to fade away. Once out of the closet and all that.
Erotica, of course, has always been around, even if not discussed in mainstream society. That it should meld with romance — which was becoming increasingly explicit, anyway, was a no-brainer.
But just as any trend reaches the saturation point where quantity trumps consistent quality (chick lit, anyone?), the same will happen with erotic romance. Now that it’s “out,” it’s not going to go away, but something else will come along and erotica will no longer be the “hot” (pun intended) thing. Some readers will want more and more (or at least more of the same); others will get their fill and move on. Or at least cut back on the number of erotic romances they’re reading.
For many readers, though, the market saturation with erotic romance must be like finding it’s all-you-can-eat day at Godiva!:lol:
I dunno. I guess I just don’t value the sex that much in the books that I read–and if it’s pointless to the story, it annoys the heck out of me.
There are a few hot authors whose books I adore. But most sex scenes of most authors I skip. They bore me if they aren’t more than positions manuals. I just can’t find it in myself to care.
So I can read either, and if there are fewer pages of meaningless boinking, I’m happier, whether than means that there’s just as much sex but it has a POINT or if it means that there isn’t much sex (or any) at all.
Yeah. It’s here to stay. For my own part, however, sometimes I want something steamy, but mostly I really just want to know that the H/H have a satisfying sex life. It’s an important part of the HEA for me. Sometimes in the sweeter romances, I worry that they don’t know enough, and aren’t too weighed down by the social ideas about sex from their time, to really hit each other’s hot spots. For instance, I *know* that Darcy and Elizabeth are going to blow the tops of each other’s heads, but as much as I like Jane and Bingley, I think they’re probably doomed to boring sex. Poor kids. And that negatively effects my love of their story, really. But I don’t have to see the sex. I just have to know it’s good. Last night I was reading a book that did this really well. Magen Whalen Turner’s King of Attolia and, unlike the prior book where the main couple got together, it’s written from an outside perspective. It’s a YA, so that really was to be expected, but I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see how their beautifully fraught relationship would work itself out in such an emotional, raw experience as sex. However, the author included this absolutely gorgeous scene where they dance. The heroine starts out aloof(she’s naturally reserved), and as they move together, she warms up. He warms her up; everytime they go through a turn, he sneaks one of her hairpins out while her back is to him, so that at the end they’re spinning together, their faces flushed, their bodies in synch, and her glorious hair down.
It really gets the point across. That’s what they’re like in bed, I thought. And I was happy for them.
er, that should be: “worry that they don’t know enough, or are too weighed down by the social ideas about sex from their time”
I do demand a good story. It’s my reading/writing preference, too, but that’s part of the rush! The relationship, the emotions, the happy ending. To me, erotic romance is romance with MORE.
Gah–apologies…I meant to come back and answer some of these comments, but I’ve been sick, so I’ve been napping all day. I’ll comment later, I promise!
Diana, am thinking on your question…
Kevin, I see now…sorry I took what you said in the wrong way!
KeVin, I had to wonder why a guy would complain about a woman reading the really hot stuff! LOL. Guess we were on a roll defending our stand on this topic because, and I quote (Michelle Buonfiglio), “Is is an anecdotal fact that women who read romances have more and better sex”.
Doesn’t sound like a bad plan for anyone
I certainly think the erotic romance genre is here to stay, yes. But I don’t think the market can support the number of authors currently writing it.
Readers are going to latch on to a few favorites and the rest of the authors will either migrate to a larger market, or stop selling. The quantity of titles releasing monthly will diminish greatly.
There will still be ER books on the shelves, there will just be a lot less of them.
IMHO
COming in late here, as always, but I think I have the same opinion as Sylvia. Yeah, those who enjoy erotic romance aren’t going to stop liking them, in my opinion.
They may gravitate towards a certain author and chances are it’s going to be one that tells a super hot sexy story that every bit as romantic as it is sexy, The story will have to be there.
Of course, considering what I write, I certainly hope ER is here to stay, and that I’m one of those authors that will hang around a while.
Just speaking for myself–I used to really love the hot stuff. But now I’m much more selective. Honestly, I think I reached my saturation point. All the love scenes started to sound the same and I found myself skimming them. I can still appreciate a really well-done love scene if it’s in the context of a good story, but I read more for the story than the hot sex!
And Kevin–They’ve done studies that prove women who read romance have better sex lives. I assume that includes erotic romance.
I think the whole ‘hotter love scenes’ that comes from erotic romance will stay around. But the actual ‘heroine’s gone wild’ books where there’s more love scenes then you can count on one hand, I think that will die down.
What I think will happen, and already is happening, is that all genres basically will have these great plots and storylines, and still one or two loves scenes. But the love scenes will be a lot hotter than they used to be. You keep the intensity of an erotic romance in those couple scenes.
Just my take on it. It’s what I’m more likely to read now days. I seek those books and authors out.
It’s here to stay! Woooohooo!
jan, happily addicted to erotic romances