Unless you’ve been living under a rock
recently, you will be aware of the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon. In fact, even
if you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of it. I tried that,
didn’t work.
Love it or hate it, 50 Shades has affected
the face of both romance and erotica. It’s opened people (women mostly) up to
the idea of reading erotica for enjoyment (not that just that kind of enjoyment) but for a bit more than just getting your
kicks! It’s also allowed people to explore a whole different side of themselves.
Ann Summers have reported a huge boost in their sales of bondage gear since its
release.
However, I’ve noticed a worrying rise in
the number of reviews that well-established BDSM authors are receiving,
complaining that their writing is nothing like 50 Shades. It’s not romantic
enough, or it was too hard-core. This is where 50 Shades has muddied the waters
slightly. See, 50 Shades is not really a story about a BDSM relationship. In
reality, a true sub/dom relationship is nothing like this. There’s a distinct
element of control, but it’s also about respect, and what many don’t understand
is that it’s a very caring relationship. It’s about the trust that lies between
the sub and the dom. Do I know this from experience? No, but I’ve read enough
good quality erotica to understand it and have several friends who know this
world far better than I and are very willing to share their thoughts.
So there lies the fact is that if you
enjoyed 50 Shades, you may not enjoy
true BDSM erotica. This is no bad thing, but should be taken into consideration
before jumping into the fire. And should certainly be taken into consideration
before leaving a scathing review. If it’s not your sort of thing, fine, but please,
I beg of you, don’t state that you were disappointed because it wasn’t like 50
Shades! Take a moment to look at the quality of the writing and see around the
elements you disliked. And if you loved it - hurray - you’ve discovered a whole
world of amazing erotica.
I’ve also mentioned that it’s muddied the
waters when it comes to the romance genre too. Personally, it’s had little
effect on me as readers tend to understand what they’re getting with my
historical romances. A little history, a little romance and some sensual
content - much like it has always been with this genre. But 50 Shades bridges
this gap between romance and erotica, creating more of an awareness of this
cross-genre. Classic romance books will have erotic content but written in the
most beautiful way possible or will have none at all. 50 Shades is neither of
these and is considered romantic erotica. The issue is that people get confused
and no longer know what to expect. It’s become necessary for romantic authors
to be more explicit in their descriptions to ensure that readers know exactly
what they’re getting. On the plus side, this has opened up a new demand for
romantic erotica, with a whole stream of very well written (and not so well)
books following the 50 Shades style.
Now, is it a bad thing that women are more
open minded and willing to talk openly about sex? No, of course not. Anything
that gets people reading and discussing something that has long been considered
taboo, in my mind, cannot be a bad thing. And like many fads, things come and
go. It won’t be long until we see the next big thing and who knows; hopefully
this time it may be something that can be considered a classic in the future.
The fact is that 50 Shades will not be something that we share with our
grandchildren but Pride and Prejudice still will be. So, for the moment, us
romantic writers have nothing to fear and erotica writers will weather the
storm and enjoy the increase in sales while it lasts, along with the
unfortunate reviews, comforted by the knowledge that we are lucky to have some
wonderful, loyal readers who will always stick with us, whether we are the ‘in’
thing or not!
***
Samantha Holt is the author of several
medieval romances including the bestseller, The Crimson Castle, and a series of
historical erotic shorts. She lives in Warwickshire, England with her twin
girls and occasionally her husband, who works abroad. She credits her ability
to write about romance to his long absences! You can follow Samantha on
Facebook for new releases, free stories and giveaways.
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Her latest book, The Angel’s Assassin, is
available to download for free on Amazon
on the 31st October - 1st November.
As a
rebellion sweeps England, Lady Annabel finds her home overrun by rebels. Much
to her relief, a dark knight comes to her rescue, claiming to have been sent to
protect her by her uncle.
But
Nicholas holds a secret about the job he was sent to do and it is a far cry
from what Annabel believes it to be. As the attraction between them grows,
Nicholas begins to question the dark life he has lived. But is it enough to
change him and will Annabel ever trust again after learning the true nature of
his sinful duty?
2 comments:
I remember when 50 first came out, and a few of my erotic writer friends were overjoyed. "This," they said, "will open doors for us. Now WE will be legitimate." The first thing I asked was, 'Have you read 50?" I knew this would happen, as anyone who read 50 and writes erotic romance did: 50 will only serve to confuse people because it is not in any way like true BDSM. Is it the end of the world? Of course not. It will get sorted out soon enough. 50 has been a phenomenal hit for the author and it has opened the minds of otherwise timid souls. It's all good, but yes, the typical BDSM/erotica writer will suffer a few misunderstood reviews as a result. Buck up and write another. And don't change. 50 is 50. You are you.
Don't change is excellent advice, Jade! There are too many people trying to emulate the success of 50 shades. Eventually the buzz will die down and thankfully loyal fans will remain just that...loyal.
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