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What is
erotic romance? How does it differ from sexy romance or
erotica? Award-winning author Denise Rossetti tells us the
who’s and whys of this growing subgenre of romance.
Myth 1:
I won’t sell if I don’t write hot. Everyone’s doing it
Forget about hot for a minute and bear with me. You’re writing
genre fiction, aren’t you? The first requirement is to entertain
the reader. If you can’t do that, you won’t sell. So it’s
essential to write a good story - packed with excitement,
sensuality and emotion. Not even wall-to-wall sex will save a
badly written book.
And if you
aren’t comfortable writing sex, it will show! More about that
later.
But it’s
certainly true that the market is changing. Sex has always sold,
but now more and more books are being labeled “erotic”. However,
writing sex is not obligatory and neither is reading it. Bear in
mind that many readers don’t want their romance sexually
explicit. Romance Writers of Australia has many wonderful
writers whose books are “sweet”, but also extremely sensual.
Readers love ‘em! And then there’s the other booming market,
especially in the USA – for Inspirational Romance.
The print
publishers have watched while the small presses went online and
created a market for erotic books. Now they’ve jumped on the
bandwagon in a big way, causing a considerable degree of
confusion about terminology. Which brings me to Myth Two…
Myth 2:
It’s only porn for women
Opinions about sex are so extraordinarily personal, that it’s
difficult to arrive at a consensus about definitions. For what
it’s worth, here’s my thinking, together with some others. I see
a continuum, something like this…
In any
romance, the author takes the reader along on every emotional
step of the relationship journey. The HEA is obligatory. In a
"hot romance", we have all this, but the sexual action is pretty
explicit as well. In general though, the vocabulary is
relatively discreet (no Anglo-Saxon words) and the sex isn’t
kinky. In fact, the sex could be toned down without damaging the
storyline.
Next is
“erotic romance”, where a romantic relationship develops between
characters and is expressed through sexual interaction. With a
Happy Ending. Angela Knight defined it this way: “Erotic
romances are romances in which the focus of the story is on the
growth of a loving relationship between at least two characters
which ends in a permanent commitment between them. Sexual
encounters play such an important role in the development of the
romance that if the love scenes were removed, key plot events
would be missing and the story would collapse.”
Joey W.
Hill, who writes extraordinarily powerful books about BDSM
(bondage and discipline/domination and submission/sadism and
masochism) relationships, says, “The central theme to all of my
work is what unconditional love means. The power it holds to
heal, to sacrifice, to strive to be better than we thought we
could be, and take the risk to give everything to another
person.”
Toni Blake
(who writes erotic books as Lacey Alexander) describes erotica
as being more about the sexual journey of the characters and
romance may, or may not develop. The HEA is not an intrinsic
part of erotica, though it may be included. Pornography, on
the other hand, doesn’t require characterisation, emotional
involvement or even much of a plot. These stories are written
primarily to sexually arouse the reader and nothing else.
As for “Romantica”,
this is a term trademarked by Ellora’s Cave. Former editor
Heather Osborne has said, “The very word shows where the
importance lies. Romance first, erotica second. Ideally the
whole story – and all of the sex therein – should help progress
the romance between the characters.”
Myth 3:
I’ll have to use those crude words that make me squirm
Well, then don’t! Explicit does not equal crude. And crude most
definitely does not equal erotic. The writing of Emma Holly is a
case in point. It’s lyrical, sensual and complex. Incredibly
erotic, but not overburdened with “those” words.
Myth 4:
Come to think of it, there are a few sex acts that make me
really uncomfortable. And they’re part of the genre
Erotic Romance and Erotica may include ménages, same sex
encounters, sex with aliens, BDSM and anal sex. Or they may not.
We are all affected differently and not everyone shares the same
fantasies. As Shelley Bradley points out, “One reader's
revulsion may be another reader's ultimate act of surrender or
provide amazing power.”
Joey W.
Hill has said, “To me there is nothing profane or ‘dirty’ about
sex in its many positive and amazing forms – in fact it is an
act laden with the sacred and magical. It keeps us in touch with
our most primal and most spiritual natures at once, and there is
so much room along the spectrum to be emotionally moved,
changed, physically delighted and pleasured.”
In the
final analysis, it’s up to you. And the judgment call is a
simple one to make.
If it
makes you uncomfortable, DON’T WRITE IT! A reader who loves
erotic romance can tell immediately if you’re self-conscious,
but writing it anyway. Concentrate on the other things you’re
good at.
Myth 5:
I won’t need to concentrate so much on characterisation if
there’s enough hot sex
Hullo?
No one
will care about who’s doing what to whom if your people are
cardboard cut-outs living boring lives. Don't they say the most
important erogenous zone is the one the between the ears?
Especially for women. Page after page of docking procedure
leaves me cold.
Good
storytelling is good storytelling. Sex should never be
gratuitous, even in an Erotic Romance. Sensuality, on the other
hand, is obligatory. And good sex is overwhelmingly sensual. How
to be sensual? Surely you can guess!
Character,
character, character. Deep, deep POV. It's the only way to go.
Doesn't matter if it's a male, an alien with nifty tentacles or
a virgin bride. Empathise, use your imagination. Your characters
possess all the usual senses (and possibly more). How does it
feel, physically and emotionally to be that person? Use every
possible yummy sensual word at your disposal and make sure you
get the right one. Do you mean sticky or sweaty, or both?
Myth 6:
I’ll make a lot of money
Most erotic romance is still published by online publishers like
Ellora’s Cave, Loose ID, Samhain and a host of others. At the
bigger e-publishers, you can make a steady living provided you
keep the momentum going. This means producing something like
four books or more a year. It’s important to keep building your
backlist and increasing your fan base.
You won’t
sell as many copies as you would with a big print publisher, but
you will receive 35% to 40% of the retail price in royalties.
Electronic publishers also tend to pay more regularly than the
big print houses!
If you can
secure a contract with a print publisher, then the same rules of
thumb apply as with any kind of romance.
Myth 7:
I won’t make any money at all
If you write for a small and/or new electronic publisher, you
won’t make anywhere near as much. In fact, if you aren’t
careful, you may end up spending more on promotion than you make
in royalties! But you will make something, even if it’s only
pocket money.
Myth 8:
People will think I’m weird
Yes, they might, but it’s up to you whether to tell them and how
much detail to go into, particularly your nearest and dearest.
As Joey W. Hill points out, “Family is usually the last group to
take you seriously. I mean, they’re the ones who have seen you
do some of the stupidest things you’ll ever do in your life.”
In my
experience, women are either immediately supportive or simply
disregard that part of the conversation. Either reaction is fine
with me. Men are different, but they don’t think I’m weird!
Whenever I’ve told a man, any man, that I write Erotic Romance,
it’s only the first word that seems to register. The eyes go all
bright and beady. It’s so predictable, it’s almost cute.
Whatever
the situation, stay calm and don’t get defensive. Radiating
quiet self-assurance works wonders.
So there
you have it, eight myths about erotic romance. Write it only if
you feel you really want to and remember that no amount of sex
can compensate for banal plots, pedestrian writing and weak
characterisation. So you know what to do, don’t you? Write a
great story and if it has explicit and meaningful sex in it,
well, fine! But if it doesn’t, that’s fine too.
People and
resources consulted
Toni Blake. Erotic Romance Vs. Erotica: What are the Differences
and Why is it Important? RWR: Romance Writers’ Report Vol 27
(6), June, 2007, pp.9-13
Shelley Bradley. Yes, Erotic Romance is Still Romance
http://tinyurl.com/32pr67
Joey. W. Hill.
www.storywitch.com
Sasha White. What is the difference between Erotica and Erotic
Romance?
http://tinyurl.com/2te3g6 Y
Award-winning Aussie author Denise Rossetti writes for Ellora’s
Cave and has been contracted with Berkley Ace for a four-book
series. Her first release, Gift of the Goddess, is now
available in print. Visit her at
www.deniserossetti.com
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