The Good, The Bad and The Unread

Erotic Romance, Erotica and or Romantica, no matter what you label it or how you define it, you can't argue that it is a hot market right now.

HOT is an understatement, it has exploded and just about every publisher is coming out with a line or buying books to fit this

market. It has been talked about, blogged about, printed in newspapers, made a talk show or two and now even has its own idiot's Guide.

Since this is Avon Red Week, figured we would start with... WHAT THE HELL is erotic romance, erotica and/or romantica. In the interest of time (raining! make the rain go away!) we will retro post... because as I said, this has been blogged about before *g*.

BUT first... Avon Red
Where do you see this fitting? I think/thought it was Erotic Romance but the site at Harper (not updated and rather on the eh side of websites , sez I) says:

In today's marketplace, Erotica is one of the fastest-growing segments of women's fiction. Avon Red is committed to providing the best, most sophisticated erotic fiction available in the industry, written by the most talented authors. With our striking cover designs and steamy narratives, Avon Red is in a class by itself.

Erotica... is that a lack of understanding in the difference or could Avon be taking the opposite (and much better) approach of Aphordisia and marketing its books as erotica and allowing for a HEA or not.

I could not find submissions guidelines for Avon Red but there was this note on Karen Fox's site:

May Chen oversees the Avon Red (erotica) lines. They will put out one book a month in trade size starting September 2006. This is very hot but emotional sex. It can be historical, contemporary, time-travel, paranormal, urban fantasy, and short story or full length. She recommends you query her first. Send the query to (go look it up). If she requests you to snail mail the manuscript, be sure to include a copy of her email. Follow up with her if you haven't heard anything in a month.

Maybe one of the Avon Red Authors will chime in and let us know if these are HEA only or not.

Fever isn't such a new scene

First Posted February 10, 2006:

Helenkay blogged For Further Confusion regarding the March Romantic Times trying to, as Aliso n Kent sez: Define Eroticism .

I happen to agree there is no right or wrong. But as I sit here trying to assign sensuality rating, the question is running through my head. I have read books recently that are called hot, hot baby but seem very mild to me. I am missing something? LOL or just too jaded and on romantic erotica overload ;).

1. How do you define erotic vs erotic romance in your personal reading or reviews?

2. Do you have any personal examples of authors you feel fit the two?

3. Where do you feel romantica fits in between erotic vs erotic romance?

4. Is the sensuality rating something you even pay attention to before you read a novel? Or do you look after? Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing?

5. If you do look at the ratings before - you are looking for hotter stories? Or are you looking for the sweeter ones?

6. If you write, is the level or page amount focused on sex something you even think of when you plot out a story (if you outline) or do you just 'let the characters lead?'?

7. Do you think we are flooding the market with too many hotter books? Or are you happy to see so many new erotica lines?

8. Where does BRAVA fit in with erotic vs erotic romance?

lots of questions... and I have more! readers and/or authors answers as many as you want or not ;)

ETA: Cindy's answers

[note: beta blogger is being goofy if you have issues posting use the option 'other' and type in your name... if you use anon, make sure you type your name in the post]

Labels: Avon Red, Erotic Romance, Erotica, Labels, Romantica

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