Digimonkey Tips: The Difference Between Erotica and Erotic Romance

Some of you may have noticed a recent change in one of the Categories on the All Romance website.  Where once there was one, now there are two!

The Erotica category has been split into two distinct categories: Erotica and Erotic Romance.  This split is designed to help customers find the books they want without wading through the ones they don’t.

So what will you find in each?  Well, there are some official definitions for publishers, which Digi will insert at the end of this post, but Digi can also tell you what she thinks it boils down to from the perspective of a reader. The key difference between an Erotica book and an Erotic Romance is that the focus of an Erotic Romance is the developing romantic relationship between the main characters, while Erotica titles are focused on the sexual relationship of the characters, not a developing romance. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t find some romance in an Erotica book or some hot monkey-business happening between the sheets in an Erotic Romance.

It’s important to keep in mind that Erotic Romance is a sub-genre of Romance, while Erotica is it’s own genre. Because Erotic Romance is at its core a romance, you will also be able to locate these titles when you search under the other romance category subgenres, such as Interracial, Contemporary, and Suspense/Mystery. Erotica titles are not romances, so they will only be found in the Erotica category, not in any of the romance subgenres.

So what if you want to find specific subgenres within the Erotica category?  At the moment, this is accomplished with the use of a tag search.  If you want to find an Erotica book that involves vampires you would use the Advanced Search feature to look for all books in the Erotica category that have the tag “Vampire”.  You can learn more about the Advanced Search option in Digi’s Café post on that topic.

Tags can be added to book listings by the publisher or by anyone with an All Romance account, so you can help your fellow customers find the Erotica books they’re seeking by adding tags to the book listings for books you’ve read.  These tags will also help the All Romance staff to determine which Erotica subgenres might need a permanent subcategory.  You can learn more about adding Tags here.

Another change that has been made to the Erotica category is that these book listings can only be viewed when you are signed into your All Romance account.  If you’re not signed in, you’ll see the “You must be logged in to view results” message if you click on the Erotica category,

and a “You must be logged in to view this result” message in a general Search listing.

One of the main reasons for this change is that it keeps these listings out of the view of minors.

And now Digi will share those official definitions she mentioned for Erotic Romance and Erotica on All Romance.

Erotic romance is a Romance containing frequent, sexually explicit love scenes. The main plot centers on two or more people falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. The love scenes are a natural part of the romance and described using graphic and frank language. Typically these stories have an HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) ending.

Erotica is a sexually explicit story, which explores and focuses on a character’s sexual journey rather than an emphasis on a developing romantic relationship. While such an erotic story may have elements of romance, it is the sex that primarily drives the story.

So whether you enjoy Erotica, Erotic Romance, both or neither, this change should make it easier to find the books that will make your book-loving heart go “thumpety, thump”. And on that note, Digi wishes happy shopping to one and all!

 

Filed Under: DigiMonkey eBook Tips

Tagged: digimonkey, eBook tips, erotic romance, erotica