For the past 3 years, I have been living a bit of a sheltered life when it comes to reading. After my mammoth crush on Robert Pattinson began, and Twilight being my main source of finding the goods on him, I stumbled across fanfiction. Twilight fanfiction, for the most part, though I have read some Rob stories as well. The first I read were good, fairly tame in the sex department. I have been reading romance novels since a teenager, when I would pilfer my mom’s Harelquin’s and historical romances…so while these were thrilling for me because it was Edward engaging in some naughty deeds, it was par for the course.
The further I delved into fanfiction, I began seeing comments on some blog threads about some of the more “hot and steamy” fics out there, so I went to check them out. I remember reading some of these fics on my computer at home, with my sister and niece and my 18month old daughter in the room…my face burning, my heart pounding…hoping my sister wouldn’t notice and ask me what I was reading.
The thing was, it’s not like I hadn’t been exposed to this level of erotica before. However, they had been obtained through friends when I was younger…the books passed around so many times they were falling apart. They were also relegated to reading in private…not wanting anyone to see the cover. Now I had an almost unlimited supply of erotic fanfiction, no cover to worry about anyone seeing and a whole community of women I could speak with openly about these fics.
Last fall I came crawling out of my sheltered fanfiction existence, only to find that there seemed to be a turn in the tide…and thanks to books like Fifty, more women are openly reading what is considered erotica. Yay for us, right? Erotica. Raise your hand if it still feels like a dirty word. *eyeballs those of you with hands raised* Seems we have some work to do…
Erotic fiction has become a HUGE market thanks to the invention of ereaders. According to cbsnews.com, ”the average ebook power-buyer is a 44-year-old female purchasing romance/erotica books.” Downloading our naughty stories is becoming increasingly popular with women because there is still anonymity. I wonder how many women would be willing to put their big girl panties on and buy their saucy stories face to face with the knowing eyes of the cashier on them at the bookstore?
I do get it though. As a mother, I don’t always want to advertise what I’m reading. Also, if no one can tell what I’m reading on my Kobo, it means I can read erotic fiction anywhere I want without inevitable questioning looks and fear of embarrassment. Though I’m still convinced people know what I’m reading on the subway by my flushed cheeks…
As many times I’ve seen women in my city with a paper copy of one of these racy novels clutched in their hands, I know that where is WAY more women who are reading them on their ereaders or iPads. Classical romance and the as of late popular subsection Erotica… have long been a favourite for women. We all know that men are generally happy with their porn, being that visual stimuli is what gets them going. Women, however, much prefer the detailed descriptions offered by literature. For me, the biggest plus to reading my porn rather than watching it, is the inner dialogue. Hearing and knowing exactly how each partner feels about what is being done to them? Muy caliente…si?
Another genre that is picking up steam in the mainstream? Slash fiction (male-on-male romance/erotica). I recently had a conversation with my aunt who is a prolific buyer (and yes, she fits the power-buyer study to a T) and though she’s not a fan of it herself, she was quite helpful in informing me of the growing collection the publishers offer. I have yet to purchase one, my exposure to slash has been through fanfiction. I was skeptical at first that I would enjoy it…but holy moly…did I! I used to wonder what the appeal was, but really, it’s not that difficult to ascertain. Very simply, we enjoy two men together for the same reason men enjoy two women together. You get to see two of the opposite sex in a dynamic that you can only enjoy vicariously. It’s not for everyone, but don’t knock it until you try it. You may be surprised.
So what else is going on as a result of all this steamy fanfic and erotica that women are eating up as fast as they can their hands on it? Ideas that never before crossed our minds are having us thinking about sex in ways we always considered taboo. These ideas, even if they only remain fantasies, are a healthy escape from our everyday lives…whether you are single or in a relationship. Fantasizing is normal, and there is far too much shame associated with such thoughts. The largest sex organ is the brain. Use it! And embrace whatever it is that turns you on. If you do have a partner, from what I have heard from my married friends? Your husband will thank you.
I would like to pose a question to you. If ereaders were suddenly defunct, would it change what you are reading? Would you embrace your inner perv or retreat behind our latent fifties-housewife personas and go back to your socially acceptable vanilla romances and Harlequin books?
In case you were wondering…this is my opinion on it…*grins*
Gina
Although I wouldn’t particularly want my teenage son knowing what I’m reading – mainly because he’s embarrassed about anything I do so I’m sure he would disown me over this lol – It wouldn’t bother me if others saw… though admittedly I wouldn’t carry a book around with a picture of a big dick on it!
Bwaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahaha! I wouldnt carry one either.
Ok, I admit it. I don’t tell everyone what I read. Most of the romance I read is paranormal so it really surprised me when all these people that I tend to hide my love of these books from started talking about 50 Shades… like, it REALLY surprised me. I suddenly realized that my reading tastes weren’t so different from there’s after all. Although, I still love my romance (or erotica) laced with paranormal. Not sure why, but that is just where my preference lies. I doubt if I ever fall on the 50 Shades band wagon, but you never know. As for hiding what I read. Yeah, there are still people that I am never gonna confess to that I have a soft spot for those blatantly sexy alpha males. (I’ve been known to put a temporary book cover on a paper back – my daughter found that extremely comical BTW.) However, there are just as many people out there that I can’t wait to share the next one with.
Great post, thanks for sharing.
I was surprised when you mentioned the male on male trending.. LOL I have been reading some of these and find them very, ummmm yep… good. Glad to know I am not the only one.. Thank goodness for the Nook and no cover to worry about in all the books I read… I carry my “library” with me everywhere… *smile* Reading is like a life blood for me.
I do love my Kobo and I do love reading erotica. I too was in, what I call, fanfiction hell for almost three years (it took the Black Dagger Brotherhood series to pull me out). I suspect that I loved fanfiction because of the “lemons” and of course because of Rob…I mean Edward (yes! I know they are two separate entities). It wasn’t until just recently that I realized how accessible and widespread the genre is and I’M LOVING IT!!!!
Would I still read it if I didn’t have the privacy of my Kobo? OH HELL YEAH!!!!
Great post Gina!!!! Loved it!!!
T, are you sure we’re not separated at birth. I thought steph and i were twins but you’re the triplet. Lol seriously, your comment is my comment.
There is only 1person i hide my porn from and that is my sis in law. Dont get me wrong she knows what a perv i am but she has no clue at what extent. Lol She is interested in 50 and read the 1st 3 chapters. But she wont read the full story. I told her how graphic it is. She thinks porn is disgusting.
But other than her, i dont give a shit who knows what i read. My mother knows and im sure she prays for me every saturday.
Im glad for my nook. I bought it solely for the purpose of downloading all my fanfic because it cost too much for pc ink and paper. Lol yes, i printed it out and i’d put it in a cute girly binder to read where ever i went.
The books i do buy on nook, i usually buy the hard copy. I was never a big reader cuz i found it boring. But now i MUST have smut in it to read. Fanfic has ruined me. Actually twific.
if there was never an ereader, id still buy trashy novels. I just wouldnt read it in public.
I am not a fan of slash. I cant bring myself to read it. The only story i will read is what Ward writes in her bdb and fallen angels series. Its because ive grown to love the characters from the beginning. I cannot wait for Lover At Last.
I absolutely love reading erotica for the same reason you posted about {the inner dialog of the characters}. I believe I would definitely by my books and stories from a store- Hell, I bought ‘Fifty’ twice in the store and they weren’t even for me! [Im a good friend aren't I ?
] Even though series isn’t as hXc as everyone is making it out to be, I wasn’t ashamed/worried. Is it naughty? Definitely! And I still have soft spot for my C. Grey, but that is neither here nor there-Back to the subject..
I would absolutely love, love, love [!] to have some of my stort stories/ Amazon erotica stories in print. There is nothing compared to having my books proudly displayed on my bookshelf and the characters/stories that I have fallen in love with.
Shoot, even if some of the stories that are so short that a ‘book’ set up wasn’t worth it, I would even love to have them printed on plain copy paper and I would be happy.
I can’t read fan fic {especially if it has anything to do with Robbie Rob} due to the simple fact that I know I would be addicted and consumed! Mr. Deliciously Naughty would make it hard for me to concentrate for the months to come {just because I know I have that many stories to catch up on} Ay dios mio!
My question is : What is Kobo?
I think its an ereader like the nook or kindle. If not an actual ereader, its an account to buy ebooks for your ereader. My friend has an kobo account and a nook.
I hope that helps.
it is an ereader, not as good as kindle however in my lowly opinion, can get them in stores that sell ereaders
Reblogged this on In Stefter's Humble Opinion and commented:
Great Post!!!
Love it! I embrace my inner perv daily! Great post
At christmas my Daughter returned home from London, the shake up in this house hold since, incredibly made major changes in all our lives. She had me buy a kindle and then 50 shades, I already knew about fan fiction (she made me read it when I visited her in Melbourne 2-3 years ago), but she suggested further ff I might be interested in, she tried to have 50 shades placed on a walkman so my 92 year old Mum could listen to 50 down in her Nursing Home. She bought the books for my husband who now has a better idea on how a woman thinks, she had a twitter account made out for me and I’ve been introduced to a new world including the world of books, those of which I have never imagined I would ever read. Next she will have me reading same gender erotica and other book types, so I sit here in anticipation and hang onto my hat….