by Michelle Douglas
The Chocolate Box authors are holding a Spring Blog Hop Giveaway. Just look at this box of goodies that's up for grabs! To enter see the link below.
So in honour of the Spring Blog Hop, today I'm hosting fellow Sweet Romance author, Barbara Wallace, with her take on how BDSM and Sweet Romances are connected. :-) Take it away, Barb...
Recently Esquire Magazine published an essay by Stephen Marche entitled, “The Sex Scene is Dead” in which he noted that graphic movie sex had become old hat. This got me thinking, would the same thing happen with romance novels? Is it happening already?
When Fifty Shades of Gray first came out, the romance writing world went crazy. Granted, erotica had been around for a while, but suddenly, there was real money to be made in pushing the envelope. Grab your leather and whip, baby, because BDSM was where it was at. You couldn’t log onto Facebook or Twitter without seeing at least one reference to domination.
Lately, however, I’ve suspected readers might be becoming less enthusiastic then they were two years ago. Like with the actual Shades of Gray books, BDSM books have gotten repetitive. I saw one tweet the other day chuckling over how the characters in a book were shocked by sexual activities that she considered ‘been there, done that’. And on some message boards, a few readers have complained about BDSM and erotica creeping into their romances. (Thus denoting an important difference between romance and erotic romance, btw.) To me, these are subtle signs of reader fatigue. I predict that, in another couple of years, the erotica boom will decline. Will it disappear? Never. Subgenres might shrink, but they never truly dry up. But the wagon jumpers – the writers who piled on because there was money to be made – they’ll start to depart, leaving the dedicated erotica writers – the ones who were there all along – to satisfy their readers.
So, why do I, a sweet romance writer, care about the BDSM trend? Because, my friends, the pendulum swings both ways. You know how, when you’ve had too much candy, you suddenly want something healthy? Well, that’s how it works with romance novels too. After awhile, readers want something different. At conference this fall, a well known contemporary author commented that she saw a growing interest in sweet romances. A new trend is coming, and for once, I might actually be ahead of the curve. I’m looking forward to it.
What about you? Do you think the erotica craze is slowing down? Do you even care? Do you think readers will be looking for sweeter, gentler romance?
I still prefer hot books to sweet books, because that will always be my taste. What I don't like is gratuitous sex or sex that's just included because it's "trendy" -- and I think that might sell some books for a while, riding on coat tails of something like 50 Shades, but that's a completely different issue.
ReplyDeleteBut sex on its way out? No, I don't think so. I think good, quality erotic romance will always have its audience, just as sweet romance will.
I know a lot of sweet authors who enjoy writing erotica as well... so it does swing both ways, which makes sure there's a lot of variety for all of us! :)
Sam
Hi All
ReplyDeleteI read across all of the romance genres and really do enjoy them I usually choose the next book I am reading depending on the what I feel like reading whether it be sweet or paranormal etc or if a favourite author has a new book out, I am not a fan of BDSM and will steer clear of those types. I thinky the hype for erotic has slowed doen a bit but Id don't think it will ever not be popular and I do enjoy a good hot romance as well as a sweet romance as long as I have a HEA and the story draws me in I enjoy :)
Have Fun
Helen
Sam and Helen: You echo my sentiments. I think the BDSM for BDSM's sake will die down soon - people get bored with reading the same old thing. On the other hand, the market for a good strong story (hot or sweet) will never go out of style
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the LoveCats, Barbara! Lovely to have you visit!
ReplyDeleteI think you've made an interesting observation about a romance pendulum! So the key is to resist wagon-jumping (which I think would get exhausting and frustrating and I can imagine missing the tailgate and falling splat on the cobbles) and keep writing what we love to write!
Exactly Sharon. You nailed it. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's lovely to be here.
ReplyDeleteI read everything from sweet to hot. I read a book for the story, not the sex, and there will always be readers for good books.
ReplyDeleteMarcy Shuler
I read and write all types of romance. Given the choice, I would rather have the candy than the 'healthy' any day, however, it is the ROMANCE that is important to me and to be honest, I find it very odd that there is an obsessional focus on the level of sex or type of sex in novels. So I really hope erotica and BDSM don't go out of fashion because there are some brilliant authors out there which is why you will find everything from Katie Fforde and Jane Austen on my shelves, to El James, Portia da Costa and Justine Elyot. I shall continue to write BDSM too, alongside hot romance.
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha, I also know sweet ..and some literary authors who write some eye watering erotica under other names, because they enjoy and don't want to alienate readers who would rather not know what their favourite nice author gets up to under other names...
ReplyDeleteI think there is room for both. Not everyone has the same taste in reading.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
It's funny this subject just came up. I was complaining on twitter the other day about spanking. I had just read three different contemporary romances which had spanking. These were not erotica, BDSM or fetish books but mainstream category and novella's and were all well written. The first time I twitched the corner of my mouth, the second time I snorted. But the third time I was...spanking...again...ennui. I hope this trend peaks quickly and then goes quietly back to normal programming. It was cute the first time but... I like em sexy, I like em sweet, but I read so much that I notice trends very quickly. Like a couple of years ago when every heroine and her dog had cancer. And the series of pregnant heroine's who suddenly found a new man while carrying the results of their recent failed relationship. There is nothing new under the sun...but there are definite ebbs and flows in trope's and trends.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the lovely Susan Stephens included some very mild spanking in a Harlequin about 5 years ago, causing outrage on a Harlequin reader forum. I think one woman said she should not be allowed to care for her children, or something like that - I instantly went out and bought the book!
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha, I think you're on to something with this. Personally I don't try to follow that particular trend as there are readers for all levels of sexual content in our stories. I prefer to write the stories I love.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the LoveCats, Barb! It's lovely to have you here.
ReplyDeleteYou know, while I do find the trends interesting I don't try to follow them -- not in my writing or in my reading. I think good books will always find a home whether they're hot or sweet or something in between. I do love books that push the boundaries of the genre, though, and try to do something a bit…more (not sure that's the right word).In recent books, I thought Kelly Hunter's 'The One That Got Away' and Anna Cowan's 'Untamed' were doing interesting things.
I think it's wonderful that the romance genre can be so fluid and varied. :-)
The delicious assortment of romance genres available to readers today is as tempting as an outrageously oversized and indulgent box of chocolates. I can't resist--sometimes I am nice, but sometimes I am a little naughty. Whether you search for the familiar or the exotic, chaste love or deep sensuality, you will find it all in “romance novels”. Dark chocolate is divine. Artisan chocolates with unique, unexpected ingredients are an adventure for the appetite. When all is said and done, however, nothing beats the satisfaction of a pure milk chocolate Hershey bar. It's a brief interlude of indescribable pleasure--just like the best of romance reads!
ReplyDeletePerfectly put, Virginia C!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the LoveCats, Barbara. What a great title for a post. That hooked me immediately.
ReplyDeleteI can't really venture an opinion on how popular erotica is at the moment but I've seen the phenomenon you mention before - where something is the latest trend then wanes for a while. There will always be readers who love a particular style of story but I do think trends wax and wane. Thank goodness for variety in our romances! I'd hate to be locked into reading just one type.