Erotic romance took off a few years ago and grew to support several ebook publishers like Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing and Total-E-Bound just to name a few. I also think it led the way to more epublishing in the romance genre in general.

Erotic Romance, coined Erotica by Ellora’s Cave aka Jasmine Jade Publishing, also opened up new subgenres for mainstream publishers like Harlequin which offers the Spice Imprint and the Harlequin Blaze category romance stories. (Additionally, if you like getting something for free, check out the free romance books and offerings with Harlequin’s Freebie Friday.)

If you enjoy reading and writing steamy sex scenes then Erotic romance may be the genre for you. It also mixes quite well with other genres like suspense, paranormal and of course contemporary.

However, writing a good erotic romance isn’t just about being able to write sex scenes. The genre is still quite popular and there’s a lot of competition. You need to be able to craft a compelling plot and enjoyable characters and then add the steamy sex where it’s appropriate.

One of the stumbles for many aspiring erotic writers is knowing when and where a sex scene is appropriate. The author’s info packet at Ellora’s Cave summarizes it best.

  • “The sexual relationship must be integral to and an important element of the storyline and the character development. Sex scenes should contribute to furthering the plot or affecting the development of the romantic relationship or the growth of the characters.
  • The story must include abundant and explicit sex and sexual tension, starting early and continuing throughout. Sex scenes must be described in graphic detail and explicit wording, not delicate euphemisms or purple prose.
  • The story must meet the definition of a romance novel: the primary focus must be on the development of a romantic relationship, and there must be an emotionally satisfying committed ending for the main characters.”

You can find and download the author info packet at http://www.jasminejade.com/docs/AuthorInfo.pdf

If you’re interested in writing erotic romance one of the major advantages is that there doesn’t seem to be a single word count requirement. Most epublishers have a number of offerings varying from shorts, only a few thousand words, to extra long novels which run into the hundred thousand words or more. This gives you plenty of leeway to write your best story.

Have fun and check out the online erotic romance chapter of RWA – www.passionateink.org.

Happy writing!

Also check out:

and

Both are great books that are on my shelves and dogeared!