Erotica, mainstream Mainstream Romance
Stumbled upon the latest book by Erica Jung at the airport bookstore yesterday. It led me to a section on erotica. Erotic romance has inched forward since the day I first read about Jung (Fear of Flying) during my varsity days.
Evidently, erotic romance has become the next big thing in women's fiction -- mainstream romance novels are now grandmothers' stories. Reason: Big publishers are doing it big time to cash in big money in the US.
Those uninitiated may like ot ask for the difference between mainstream romance, erotic romance and erotica. Also happened to read about it yesterday.
The focus of erotica is sex. Suffice to quote Stephen Elliott, creative writing lecturer at Stanford University and author of the erotica novel "My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up", due to be published by Cleis in September.
Other publishers are not standing still. Harlequin is launching Spice Books, its new erotica imprint, in May. Kensington introduced its erotic romance line Aphrodisia in January, while Berkley launched Heat last May. HarperCollins will follow next with Avon Red books, which are scheduled to hit stores in June.
Nicole Kennedy, spokeswoman for the Romance Writers of America, a professional writers organization based in Houston with about 9,500 published and unpublished authors nationwide. says:
"It's been an evolution. It's a niche that began publication with smaller presses and e-publishers who were willing to try something new. Now that the big publishers see there's a real market for it, they are willing to try it as well.''
Borders, the bookstore chain, says erotic romance titles has seen double digit sales growth it began carrying novels in the sub-genre in 2004. Th genre is now shelved in the same section as mainstream romance because it attracts the same readers, and the company says the genre 'is definitely a strong category that continues to grow'. Read San Jose Mercury News on this.
Here's a recommended list of romance writers if you haven't already known them:
- Judith McNaught (contemporary) - www.judithmcnaught.com
- Nora Roberts aka JD Robb (futuristic) - www.noraroberts.com
- Christine Feehari (paranormal) - www.christinefeehan.com
And the erotic romance writers:
If you are adventurous, try Google Bella Andre. Her real name is Nyree Belleville, a Stanford University graduate. Her first book "Take Me" was a best-seller. In January 2007, Pocket Books will her next title, "Tempt Me, Touch Me, Taste Me".
It will be interesting to find out if you belong to the older generation trapped in the belief that romances are just frivolous reading.
Sex between the commas:
Mainstream romance: the traditional romance novel with a plot that follows a hero and a heroine in an emotionally invested relationship.
Erotic romance: considered an offshoot of mainstream romance. It tends to have more graphic sex scenes, and authors might take more liberty playing with the relationship between the hero and heroine.
Erotica's focus: the sex. It does not necessarily have stories that hinge on a relationship between two characters.
Comments
Long long way from Enid Blyton, Barbra Cartland to Harold Robbins, (and we had Lolita and Lady chaterly's Lover in between)...
Posted by: LC Teh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 08:20 AM
Otherwise from whence did we get our sex education?
Posted by: LC Teh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 08:24 AM
erotic books are a lot in Malaysia what, why go so far? One only needs to go to any mamak newsstand to find stories of guys rogolling hantus, desperate housewives having ultrasuperbingbang lust, etc etc. You know, those RM5 small2 books like Mastika la, etc etc...
Posted by: C-Fu![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 08:24 AM
Whats the marketing byline going to be? Promised hard ons from cover to cover maybe? Well, at least comfort yourself Jeff, we all wish you a safe and a happy flight back from SF. For such a long haul, I reckon you will need at least 3 books la!....Happy hard on man!!! I can already see you smiling from ear to ear!
JEFF OOI says: See, the red herring works. I ain't in SFO no more. I've gone into the arid land. Sex distracts. ;-)
Posted by: Observer![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 08:25 AM
Gosh Jeff...are you running out of reading materials? You can always read the local tabloids, wherever you are. Enough sleaze in there to give satisfy your lust, I'm sure. Unless your testosterone levels run higher than that of Mr Hefner's ;)
Posted by: Samarium![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 10:50 AM
wow jeff, didn't know you read romance! :D never yet found an "erotica" section in our bookstores....prob too hot for the "local climate". methinks jackie collins qualifies.
Posted by: jg![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 10:54 AM
bleargh jackie collins...
barbara cartland is quite tame, isn't she?
I like Judith McNaught... I can lend you some if you want :D
Posted by: suanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 03:42 PM
Talking about books, I'm a reader of comics a.k.a graphic novels. But I afraid if I elaborate, "JEFF OOI says" caption might comoe out to warn me outta topic.
But I gonna take my chance anyway coz I think is worth the read. Comics title like Kindom Come (DC Comics), Marvels (Marvel Comics), Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics) are good read and makes you think.
Posted by: durkheim1![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 21, 2006 08:41 PM