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This is probably a question that has been on the minds of many people. Many people seem to confuse Erotic with Erotica. Some even seem to call it written porn. Whatever people think it may be, it's usually thought about in a negative light by people who don't understand it, know about it or even attempt to learn about it. So, I thought that I would shed some light on the topic so that everyone can have a better understanding.
The funny thing is that romance is largely popular in the publishing industry. No matter what the sub-genre may be, if the main genre is romance, it will usually have a good head start in becoming well-liked by the public. Even erotic romance, even when it's not well understood.
From reading many forums and articles, I see that erotic romance writers receive negative reviews even from other writers. The writers receive a backlash from their own peers or professional colleagues, why? This is because they too feel that erotic romance is just porn. Anything that involves sexual aspects explained in details is considered porn. Personally, I believe this is terrible, especially since these writers are just trying to make a living just like any other writer.
So, from the help of the internet, I have found the perfect explanations to show you the difference between mature romances.
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Written Porn: These are stories that are written purely for the goal of sexual fulfillment. There is no plot, no back story, no emotions, and no characters to fall in love with. These stories are only created to rouse the reader, nothing more, nothing less.
Erotica: These stories are about a sexual journey of the writer's character(s). The writer will focus on how the character follows their sexual journey and the plot will only follow their growth on a sexual level. The romance is not required for the character as they explore, it can be added but it is not needed and neither is a happy ending.
Erotic Romance: These are stories that are written with a romantic relationship that develops as usual but with sexual interactions as well. This means that the sexual aspect will play a part in the plot, character growth, and overall relationship development. The sexual aspect of these stories cannot be removed, if they are, it will damage the story overall. Among the publishing industry, a happy ending is a requirement for these types of stories.
Sexy Romance: These stories are about the progress of a romantic relationship that just happens to have more explicit sex. The sex is not a natural part of the story, character growth, or relationship development, and could easily be removed or "toned down" without damaging the storyline.
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I hope that this clears up some confusion for you. If not, I recommend reading some published books from each section above so that you may see the difference for yourself. Maybe even email the author and see what they say about what is said about erotic romance. They may even answer and if they do, let us know! We would love to read what they say.
I would also like for you to write in the comments below on which section does your story fall into and why. I would say that mine falls into the erotic romance category, the reason being that although there are sexual scenes, it's only a part of a much larger plot of my character's personal growth.
