Welcome to another fantastic installment of RU’s yearlong series of lectures on different romance fiction sub-genres. Today’s post focuses on the erotic romance. Read on for author Eden Bradley’s insights and predictions on the erotic romance. Welcome, Eden!
Kelsey: What’s your opinion of the state of erotic romance today?
Eden: The market has been a bit glutted in the last few years, which happens when any new sub-genre is introduced and becomes popular. The same thing happened with chick lit a few years ago. Publishers are cutting production in response to tough economic times, and erotic romance has definitely taken a hit. But when the field narrows, the cream will rise to the top, and I believe the end result is that readers are getting higher quality fiction. Publishers are being very choosy in taking on new authors, and even an in-house author must write really amazing stories to get a new contract.
Kelsey: How do you think this sub-genre has changed in the last five years?
Eden: While the e-publishers have always been willing to take risks with more challenging material, New York has been slower to follow suit, for obvious reasons. Higher overhead means taking a risk can cost them a lot more money. But as publishers are coming to understand what readers are looking for in erotic romance, they are allowing writers to take more chances with their work, to approach more difficult subject matter. We’re seeing a lot of male/male erotic romance, ménage, and one of my last Bantam/Delta novels, A 21ST CENTURY COURTESAN, and my first Harlequin Spice novel, THE LOVERS, (out in January 2011), contain female/female scenes, which is something most New York publishers have shied away from in the past. Writers are getting to write more outside the box as publishers discover how open-minded readers are, and how interested they are in exploring sexual ideas in their reading they might not want to approach in real life.
Kelsey: What advice do you have for writers who want to break into this sub-genre? Any trends writers should avoid or embrace?
Eden: In years past I would have advised to write the book of your heart and find a market for it. But because of the economic climate in publishing right now, if you really want to get published, write to market. Find out what’s selling, and if it’s not completely outside of your comfort zone, give it a try. Get your foot in the door, then, when things calm down and business improves, you’ll have an established relationship with an editor and you’ll have more freedom to write that book of your heart.
As far as trends, understand that any book on the shelf was probably contracted one to two years earlier, so what was a trend then may have passed now. Pay attention to editor and agent blogs, go to writer’s conferences and hear what editors are asking for now. And talk to published authors when you can. Our editors and agents keep us current on market demands.
Again, e-publishers are a bit more flexible, and their production process is much faster, so in e-books, reading a publisher’s newest releases will give you a good idea of what’s selling-and what sells in e-books and New York are often two different things! Always do your research.
Kelsey: Do you have any insight on “erotic romance friendly” agents and publishers?
Eden: A
gain, writers should do their research, but the Internet makes that easy. Most agents will have their client list on their website, so you can see who they represent and what genres they sell in. Finding out which publishers deal with erotic romance is even easier. Just go to Amazon and look under erotic romance. Print books and many e-books are listed there, although there are a number of e-book publishers who aren’t on Amazon. But if you Google erotic romance you’ll get a ton of information.
Networking with other writers is probably the best way to get current information. For instance, if you look me up on Amazon you’ll find a number of erotic novels from Bantam/Delta, but they dropped erotica at the end of 2008, so the information has changed since those books were released. Other writers are also very willing to share information about things like calls for submissions. There are a number of ways to connect with writers online and in person, including joining Romance Writers of America, or places like Romance Divas, an amazing romance writer’s website and discussion forum with over 3,000 members.
Kelsey: What do you love about writing erotic romance and what do readers tell you they love about your books?
Eden: I love getting inside my character’s heads and seeing what makes them tick-that’s what fascinates me. And since people are their most vulnerable in intimate situations, sex is a great catalyst for self-discovery. Sexual chemistry is a crucial element to explore in a developing relationship, whether the sex scenes are on the page or behind closed doors. But so much happens between two people during sex that I think the reader misses important elements in the relationship arc if they don’t get to ‘see’ it happen. Plus, it’s just plain fun to write!
Readers have told me how a well-written sex scene can draw them into the story and 
into the character’s heads, making for deeper emotional impact, which is always the goal of a romance author. And I’ve had a lot of reader email that addresses how they love to sink into the sexual fantasies on the page, giving them a chance to explore things they wouldn’t dare to try themselves.
One of my favorite themes to explore is BDSM and other forms of ‘extreme’ sex. I think this just raises the emotional stakes and makes for greater depth of character. And it’s always a great seller. I’m working with Berkley Heat under my new pen name, Eve Berlin, and writing very romance-focused BDSM books for them. My first Eve book, PLEASURE’S EDGE, will be out in October 2010. Some of my most popular Eden books have always been BDSM-themed, and the Eve books are really written in direct response to reader demand.
Kelsey: What are your predictions for erotic romance in the next one to three years?
Eden: I think that as the economy recovers—I know I keep going back to that, but it’s had a huge impact on the publishing industry—we’ll see erotic romance lines expanding and producing more books, and New York publishers taking on more challenging themes. I don’t think this is the sort of trend that will disappear after readers have had their fill, as happens so often with other sub-genres. I truly believe that the blossoming of the erotic romance market is a direct reflection of modern women becoming more comfortable with sex and their perception of themselves as sexual beings. And that’s not going away any time soon.
***
So RU readers, what are your opinions of the state of the erotic romance? Would you like to see more? Who are your favorite authors in this sub-genre? Eden will stop by on and off today to answer questions.
Be sure to stop by Monday when author CJ Redwine provides another amazing query letter critique!
Eden’s Bio:
Eden Bradley writes dark, edgy and often romantic erotic fiction. The author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, Eden writes for Harlequin Spice, Bantam/Delta, Berkley Heat (as both Eden Bradley and Eve Berlin), Samhain Publishing and Phaze Publishing. Her novel FORBIDDEN FRUIT was profiled in Cosmopolitan magazine, and several of her books have been Romantic Times Top Picks. Her debut novel, THE DARK GARDEN, has been praised as ‘…the most beautifully written BDSM novel ever…’, and was a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee.
Eden appears regularly on Playboy Radio’s ‘Night Calls’, and conducts workshops on writing sex, writing craft and world building. When she’s not writing, you can find her wandering museums, shopping for shoes and reading everything she can get her hands on. A California native, Eden lives in Hollywood. You can visit her websites: http://www.edenbradley.com/ , http://www.eveberlin.com/ or her group blog: http://www.smutketeers.com/.
Carrie Spencer, writing romantic comedy and goofy middle-grade, personifies her alter-ego - 
Hi Eden,
Welcome to RU! When I first started writing a few years ago, I didn’t understand the difference between an erotic romance and a “sexy” one. At least not until I read one of Jess Michaels’ books.
Outside of the BDSM, M/M, F/F indicators, can you start us off by explaining to some of our new writers how you know you’re reading an erotic romance rather than a really sexy one?
Thanks, Tracey
Posted by TraceyDevlyn | April 2, 2010, 5:46 amHi Eden. Thank you for being here today. My question is along the same lines as Tracey’s. What is the difference between erotic and erotica? I’ve heard books referred to in both ways and I’m not sure what the distinction is.
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | April 2, 2010, 7:51 ammorning Eden!!
thanks for a very informative post! Do you think erotic romance is moving out of e-publishing? Or is it still mostly an e-pub area?
carrie
Posted by carrie | April 2, 2010, 8:12 amWelcome, Eden! Thanks so much for visiting RU.
I’m curious about your new psuedonym. If you’re already writing BDSM as Eden, why the new Eve Berlin persona? Also – I’d love to hear more about your role on the ‘Night Calls’ radio show. Do you respond to callers, give advice or something else?
The term ‘extreme sex’ was new to me. Made me wonder about the plot possibilities that might run parallel to the X Games
.
Best,
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | April 2, 2010, 8:51 amHello Eden,
I just visited one of your sites, what absolute fun. Where shall I dive into what you have conjured/written?
My imagination was once wildly erotic, not so much now. I wonder if I shall open that door again. Do you find that your relationships matter in terms of how deeply you let yourself explore erotica in your writing?
Thank you for sharing your worlds.
Which book of yours shall I begin with?
Scotland, Dark, Dangerous, Literary and Freeingly Wild is what I have in body/mind.
laurel aka drea
http://web.me.com/alchemymercury/SymbolicBridging/pointofview.html
Posted by Drea | April 2, 2010, 1:36 pmGood evening, everyone! My apologies for my late arrival-I had to work a long day at the day job (I teach Pilates).
Tracy:The difference between an erotic romance and a sexy one-or a well-written erotic romance, IMO-is that the sex itself is crucial to the story arc and character arc. Sex is such an intimate thing, and we tend to learn a lot about ourselves in those very vulnerable moments. In a well-written erotic romance, the sexual relationship is almost a sub-plot, always moving the story or character development forward, creating new obstacles, tapping into that character’s deepest fears and dreams. Okay-that should be true in any sex scene in any book, but particularly true in erotic romance. I think a real erotic romance could not happen without the sex scenes on the page.
Adrienne: The difference between erotica and erotic romance is that in erotic romance, the relationship development is a crucial part of the story, and will end in a HEA (happily ever after) or at the very least, a HFN (happily for now). In erotica, the story is more purely personal journey. Erotica can certainly have romantic elements, but it’s more about the protagonist’s development than relationship development.
Not sure how long my posts can be, so will start a new one to continue.
Posted by Eden Bradley | April 2, 2010, 10:25 pmCarrie: Erotic romance largely got it’s start in e-books, other than a small handful of publishers like Black Lace in the UK, and I think it will always remain there for the most part. New York publishers were more careful to become involved in ER, and I think they will continue to be careful. But part of the issue is that the print publishers can only put out so many books a month. Costs are simply too high, and book stores will only shelve so many books in any one genre, leaving only so much room to grow. So, while I do believe the New York publishers will continue to explore ER, there will always be far more available as e-books. It’s simply a matter of logistics and overhead costs.
Kelsey-Oooh-interesting questions! Eve Berlin came about for several reasons. One-I’d already sold to Harlequin Spice and am not allowed to write full-length erotic novels for anyone else as Eden Bradley. Also, Berkley Heat actually preferred to launch me under a new, fresh name. They’ve had great success in doing so with other authors, like Shayla Black (Shelley Bradley). And my writing voice for my Eve books is a bit different-a bit less gritty, more commercial.
Re: Playboy Radio’s Night Calls-I love going on the show! Adult superstar Christy Canyon has been the host since I first began a couple of years ago, and she’s a doll. We do all sorts of things on the show. Sometimes I read from my latest book, sometimes I help the hosts give sex advice to callers or simply answer questions-I never know what will happen there, but it’s always fun! Once my boyfriend was with me and Christy and co-host, adult star Niki Hunter, pulled him into the studio-let’s just say that he was not at all opposed…*G*
And now I’m thinking about your X-Games comment…hmm…
Posted by Eden Bradley | April 2, 2010, 10:36 pmEden -
You are certainly an interesting gal with some interesting experiences! I’m going to have to check out Night Calls now.
Thanks so much for taking the time to hang out with us at RU, especially on a holiday weekend!
K-
Posted by KelseyBrowning | April 3, 2010, 8:24 amDrea-
Relationships do matter, to some extent. In my current relationship, he is absolutely supportive of me. I’ve been in other relationships where my partner was suspicious of where I got my ideas, and was threatened by my work in other ways-not a great environment for any creative person. I still wrote, and I think, some good material, but it was harder.
Maybe reading some erotica/erotic romance would help to open that part of your creative mind…? Which one of mine to try…? I don’t have anything set in Scotland, but I do have dark and a bit dangerous and my book ‘A 21st Century Courtesan’ has been called literary in tone, so you might start there. I think the important thing is to find something you enjoy to read.
Posted by Eden Bradley | April 2, 2010, 10:42 pmI attended a talk by author Crystal Jordan who noted that the rising heat level across other sub-genres (spurred on by erotic romance) has perhaps reduced the demand for erotic romance. A victim of it’s own success. That why we may be seeing lines such as Black Lace close after years of success. Black Lace used to be one of the few places I could go to get erotica. *sadness*
I’m actually very picky about my erotic romance. Hot, explicit love scenes are pretty much the cost of entry. I don’t like the trend of having hotter and wilder variations for love scenes or mixing in paranormal so you can throw in more body parts and positions (though there’s nothing wrong with experimentation, of course). Rather, I prefer the deep psychological explorations as you mentioned Eden. (which is probably why you’re one of my favorites) I would like to see more authors in the space rather than narrowing down to a few A-list authors that survive the shake out. I’d love to see something move up to take the space that Black Lace used to fill – sort of an erotic category line with many authors. Perhaps Spice is that?
Oh, and an aside. I kind of liked feeling that I was being naughty by buying a Black Lace book with those dark, nebulous covers. Can we please, please, at least pretend to be subtle and subversive again? I want to celebrate sexuality while still getting to be a “bad girl”.
Posted by Jeannie Lin | April 3, 2010, 7:29 amJeannie -
I’m not familiar with the Black Lace covers you referenced. Now I’m rabidly curious about what dark and nebulous really means
. Any idea where I can find a picture of an Black Lace book? Are they still sold on sites like Half.com?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | April 3, 2010, 8:21 amFantastic interview-great site!
Posted by R.G. Alexander | April 3, 2010, 1:07 pmAw-thank you, Jeannie! Yes, Spice is filling the void left by the closing of Black Lace to some extent, although from what I know their intention is never to over-saturate the line, making their own authors compete too much for the reader’s dollar, so I wouldn’t expect a lot of expansion in that line.
I do think Crystal Jordan was correct in saying that the heat levels in other romance sub-genres has sort of edged out the demand for books that are true erotic romance. It’s the publishers-and the authors-fulfilling market demands, but I also think that too often the writers aren’t really comfortable with writing sex, and it always comes through in the quality of the sex/love scenes.
I love the same sort of covers, Jeannie-I think most of my Bantam covers are a good example, one of my favorites being THE DARKER SIDE OF PLEASURE. Subtle, but the insinuation of kink is clear upon closer inspection. And I agree that too often authors will throw in strange sexual positions or a shape shifter without any real explanation. But it does sell books, so I understand the temptation. And not every publisher wants the kind of psychological exploration in the ER they publish that I so love to write. But there’s something for everyone, which is a good thing.
Kelsey-If you Google Portia Da Costa, you’ll find some of her Black Lace covers on her site, as well as Amazon, I believe. And she’s a wonderful author! I’m not familiar with Half.com-must go look them up!
Posted by Eden Bradley | April 3, 2010, 4:03 pmHi Eden !
Great interview. I always love learning something new about my fellow chapter mates. I didn’t know you were on Playboy radio’s Night Calls.
Very cool! Wishing you continued success!
Posted by Charlene Sands | April 13, 2010, 4:10 pm