I was reading a manuscript of an erotica book that someone was pitching to me. I was about thirty pages into the manuscript when I suddenly realized, there's no erotica in my erotica. I was mildly interested in the characters to that point. Yes, ONLY mildly. So I decided this particular book wasn't for me.
But it led me to think about writing, storytelling, and most importantly, genre expectations. If that book had not been pitched to me as erotica, would I have kept reading? Now I was only mildly interested, as I have said, so this example is not perfect, but how do we temper what we EXPECT from a novel with the actual experience of reading it? There are definitely many wonderful novels written that don't fall into any genre, actually some of the very best. We lump them in together and call them 'fiction.' Even though all novels are fiction. When there is no other genre label to plaster across their spine ("ebooks have no spine"), we call it fiction or literary fiction. That's fine. But I'm talking about a novel that HAS been labeled with a genre. Mystery. Romance. Science Fiction. Fantasy. Erotica. Thriller. Espionage.
Genre writing suffers from low self-esteem. I've always loved mystery authors who do not want their novels defined as mystery. I know of a few national bestsellers who hate being labeled as 'romance' or 'mystery.' But I won't name names. But let's talk about the question: is there anything worse than a mystery novel in which no one dies; a romance novel in which the main character doesn't fall in love; and to me, most importantly: an erotica novel with no sex in it!
Yes, from my original example, if I were far more than just mildly interested in the characters, I would have kept reading. And maybe I would have even considered publishing it. But I would not put it on my list where customers come expecting erotica. That might be a great novel to be published by someone (even the author themselves, these days!) but not by Insatiable Press.
When you have a list of book, a source for buying books, or an imprint into which you promise to publish a particular type of book, then suddenly a great book is not a great book -- unless it fits there. Yes, genre labels are limiting. To the writer and publisher. Yes, we've pigeon-holed books into them, and their rules are measuring sticks against which we judge novels. I know writers always want to snub their noses at them and complain about them and feel greater and bigger and better than them. Rather than snub your nose, I'd recommend a different approach: shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes and say, 'Oh well.'
Because the real secret is this: genre labels are for the consumer not the writer. Consumers like to be roped in and corralled. Or to put it another way: consumers like some form of promise of what they're getting before they buy (or by into) something. If I buy a mystery novel, I know that I'm buying a book in which someone is going to die or be kidnapped or held hostage, and I the reader am going to follow the story through the eyes of the character who figures out the murder or saves the day. Maybe there will be a subplot of romance, that never hurts. But by the end of the novel, the mystery will be solved, and I will have been along for the ride of figuring it out. If you don't want to write mystery, don't write mystery. I can rewrite this paragraph for every genre.
So back to erotica. Plot, characters, setting, yes, these are all still very important. But the number one expectation of the genre is the description of sexual situations. So don't skimp on me. No, an erotica novel should not be a neverending slog from one sexcapade to the next; there has to be plot and characters to care about. But when you put that amazingly hot torso shot of a ridiculously gorgeous man on the front cover, your readers is expecting to find out what's behind those low-rise jeans.
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