It may surprise some people to learn that erotica books are a billion dollar industry. But, it turns out that there are plenty of people who are more than happy to purchase many stories that relate imaginary sexual encounters. In fact, some say this is the top genre in fiction, even when compared with thrillers.
Don’t Confuse Erotica with Erotic Romance
Erotica and Erotic Romance are only vaguely related. Erotic Romance is essentially a regular romance story but with more explicit sex scenes. Erotica is all about the sex, and it doesn’t always have a plot, although it can. The more addicting erotica stories will usually have a good plot. In fact, they need to in order to hold interest. The hotter the better when it comes to characters in erotica. Though, what’s hot varies by the reader. So this part can actually be pretty subjective, though there are certain types of characters that do better than others.
Erotica Has More Regular Releases
Because erotica is usually less plot driven than erotic romance, erotica authors often publish a new story every month or so. Erotic romance tends to be like regular novels and these stories are usually released less often. So, since erotica stories are released more often, there are more sales than the erotic romance books, which aren’t released as often. Also, with erotica being very fantasy-driven, this type of reader will be looking for something new pretty often.
People are Sexual by Nature
Because erotica is mostly about the sex, this caters to the natural human tendencies to fantasize. Humans are sexual creatures by nature. So it makes sense that people would want to read about it. People also often have fantasies they may not act upon in their waking lives. The erotica genre allows them a way to experience these fantasies without having to physically act upon them. For some people, the fantasy itself is hotter than actually participating in the act.
Hottest Topics in Erotica
While there are many different topics of erotica, there are a particular dozen hot subgenres of erotica that perform the best. These include:
- Billionaires
- Other “modern alpha males”
- Incest & Pseudo-Incest
- Shapeshifters
- Monsters
- Students and Teachers
- Gangbanging
- Cuckolding
- Gender Swapping
- Sleeping or unconscious sex
- Ménage à trois
- Cowboys
The bottom line is that erotica is most definitely a hot genre and isn’t going anywhere but up anytime soon. Whether you’re a writer deciding whether to pursue this genre or a reader who’s curious, this is a great time to jump into the erotica industry.
