Do Men By Erotica?

[roycorzine]

From where I stand the market seems so tilted towards women, are any men out there reading erotica? (straight, bisexual/homosexual seems to have ample representaiton). I'm just wondering if I'm all alone

 

[Axeltheswede]

Do Men Buy Erotica

The quick answer would have to be - depends on the category.

My personal experience writing in the "Loving Wives" category is that male readers are the large majority.

This must be true for commericial magazine erotica. There must be a thousand men's mags for every one aimed at women.

 

[Uther_Pendragon]

Do men buy erotica?

Well, I certainly read erotica.
And I read erotica aimed at women, "bodice-rippers."
I think that the term "erotica" might be a little broader
than what you wanted to ask.

 

[medjay]

I like to read all types of erotica. I've even gone to the store and bought a couple of the large collected volumes. By contrast, I don't own any skin mags. I think they're boring. I just like to read, really. Anything I can get my hands on. I can sample any category on this site as long as the story is well written. That's my only prerequisite.

 

[Coolville]

safe to say that all the men in this author's hangout more than likely read erotica.

but there may be a gap in the market. men are usually stuck with penthouse letters, whereas women get literary erotica in book form.

 

[Whispersecret]

but there may be a gap in the market. men are usually stuck with penthouse letters, whereas women get literary erotica in book form.

I don't quite understand this statement. People are free to buy whatever they like. Women can buy Penthouse and men can buy the novels. Now, if you're talking about how those particular formats are marketed, that's a different story.

I think you're seeing an upswing in sales of erotica for women because of many things. First, erotic books are appearing in more mainstream bookstores. This enables the shy woman to buy something without having to brave an adult bookstore where she might encounter any number of strange men in trenchcoats.

Second, the internet essentially allows the same thing. Women feel safer (at least I do) ordering their erotica online.

Finally, many women are still just becoming comfortable with their sexuality. The trend in the romance genre is toward steamier, hotter books. You'll actually occasionally see the word "cock" in romance novels now. As more and more women emerge from their Ozzie and Harriet cocoons, more of them will buy this type of book.

As a result, an increase in demand is going to tweak a publisher's desire to pump up the bottom line. If more women will buy it, more publishers will publish it and aim it toward that growing market.

But those are just my observations.

 

[millieteases]

Of course plenty of men are reading erotica. Check out your friends's bookshelves. I bet you see plenty of classic erotica - Anais Ninn, Pauline Reage, etc. The newer stuff may be marketed to women, but if you can buy it in a chain bookstore you can bet it's not just women reading it.

As for the more erotic "romance" novels, that's probably a little tougher for men. (At least the one's I know.) It's one thing to buy something that shows up in the erotic section, it's another to buy something with the latest incarnation of Fabio on the cover.

 

[Whispersecret]

As a romance writer, I shake my proverbial finger at any stereotypes, be they deserved or not, about Fabio-esque covers. Personally I hate the clinch covers, but apparently, according to the publishers, they sell. And selling is the bottom line.

For a while though, the amount of clinch covers has dwindled. Sometimes they appear in a step cover, where there's some other image on the cover, but a second cover reveals the more classic clinch.

But I digress.

Of the erotic romance coming out now, Harlequin Silhouette's BLAZE line usually has a realistic soft focus shot of a man and a woman in bed together. According to the editors, this is to advertise to readers what type of book they're buying.

Kensington has their BRAVA line, which has very innocuous covers, but that say "An Erotic Romance."

So, if men are squeamish, they can buy Brava books without looking like sissies. Or the Literotica Anthology is ON SALE NOW! LOL.

One last thing, it seems to me that most of the stuff revolving around sex caters to men, because men make up the majority of the audience.

 

[Coolville]

Now, if you're talking about how those particular formats are marketed, that's a different story.

that's what i meant. that was the jist of the orignal message.

 

[bigjacknyc]

Does erotica targeted to the female market differ from that for males? Does it include "fuck", "pussy", "cunt", "cock", etc. or is it a little more flowery? I"m sure that's a stupid question and I don't mean to sound sexist - I'm not - I just don't know if there's a difference.

I sent some female-targeted erotica (Black Lace series) to a girl I have a casual relationhip with and she really dug it. I ordered it online so I never got to actually see the content. I'd like to send her some other erotica - or even direct her here - but I'd hate to find out that the type of stories here are far more explicit than those I've sent her and that she was repulsed.

Totally in the dark.

Thanks.

 

[TheEarl]

Everyone reads erotica. I don't know about differences between "male" and "female" erotica. I have been told by a woman that one of my stories was "male" erotica and by a man that the same story was "female" erotica. Go figure.

The Earl

 

[bondage_philosopher]

I read erotica a lot. I never buy it when there are talented writers writing it for free at such a wonderful website as this.

 

[curious2c]

erotica,erotica, erotica, where art my erotica?

I think that mostly men read the 'penthouse letters' type of erotica, while most women get their brand of erotica from 'romance novels'. I know that my wife won't read the 'harder' stuff. She prefers to have the usual, 'his maleness was warm, throbbing with desire...' type.
Me on the other hand, well, read some of my stuff and you might get an idea of where I am reading at.
Call it the 'hustler/playboy" difference if you want.
IMHO

 

[Guest]

Erotica vs Porn

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but from this thread, some people are confusing erotica with porn here.

 

[JAYCE73]

men and erotica

Now you know that most men, do not have the atention spand to read about sex. Being a man, I know. It hit me one day I was at a news stand in Manhattan, looking at Penthouse, when this beautiful, well dressed woman walks over and picks up the Penthouse Forum magazine.
So were as men, are stimulated by sight,(most) woman pretty much are stimulated by other scenses, like, oh idon't know BY IMAGINATION! something we as men should think about. To make a woman fall in love with you Talk, Wright a love story or poem.
That's why erotica is geared towards women, because most of it written by women, who know what other women want.

Jayce73

 

[AdamsOffOx]

I tend to be aroused more by stories written by women than those by men, which tend to be one-dimensional. Blah-blah big tits, blah-blah so hot, bang, zoom, end of story.

I own several of the Susie Bright anthologies and a couple of "Best Women's Erotica 199x".

 

[Ulyssa]

Whisper-sweetheart

As a romance writer, I shake my proverbial finger at any stereotypes, be they deserved or not...
One last thing, it seems to me that most of the stuff revolving around sex caters to men, because men make up the majority of the audience.

I'm not sure if we can compare the "men's magazine" figures of a high circulation periodical which essentially markets pictures and visuals to the sensual romance which a woman may purchase. I can't think of a single woman (with the exception of his mother) who purchases a romance novel just for Fabio's picture.

I will admit that since I have had the internet, I no longer purchase Playgirl for the visuals. There are better places on the net to find what I might be looking for and I pay the same price for free pics as I do for my e-mail. As my husband says--"Let's face it, Lyss, you can be a stingy bitch."

But I'll read your work anytime.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

I have in the past, but let's face it, why buy when it's free here?

 

[spankableBelle]

From where I stand the market seems so tilted towards women, are any men out there reading erotica? (straight, bisexual/homosexual seems to have ample representaiton). I'm just wondering if I'm all alone

The feedback that i get on my stories is primarily from males and the requests i get for more of what i write, comes from males. There are only a handful of female responses that i have gotten. Just my two cents worth. ~smile~

belle

 

[takingchances42]

Re: Re: Do Men By Erotica?

The feedback that i get on my stories is primarily from males and the requests i get for more of what i write, comes from males. There are only a handful of female responses that i have gotten. Just my two cents worth. ~smile~

belle

I think it probably depends on the "genre" of the story, and perhaps somewhat on the gender of the author as well. I would say about 80% of the feedback that I get, as well as the letters requesting that I get off my butt and write more stories, comes from females. I always do appreciate those letters, it is good to hear that people enjoy my writing.

I don't remember the exact percentage, but I am pretty sure that over 2/3 of all adult fiction readers in general, maybe even 3/4, are women. Romance fiction, which is erotica in a way, is almost exclusively read by women. Men tend to prefer to get their erotic stimulation visually, by photos and videos -- which are overwhelmingly done for a male audience. Women like the written format. I don't think that the boards in literotica are a representative sample of the population as a whole, reading erotic fiction seems much more common with women than men...

Just my two cents worth...

 

[spankableBelle]

Re: Re: Re: Do Men By Erotica?

I think it probably depends on the "genre" of the story, and perhaps somewhat on the gender of the author as well. I would say about 80% of the feedback that I get, as well as the letters requesting that I get off my butt and write more stories, comes from females. I always do appreciate those letters, it is good to hear that people enjoy my writing.

Just my two cents worth...

i happen to love Your two cents worth...

And i would tend to agree with this...i was only relating my own experiences with what i write. i can't answer for the male population as a whole...nor was i trying to. i think perhaps a good deal has to do with the gender of the author...You're a man, You get most of Your feedback from women...i'm a woman and get most of my feedback from men...go figure!

 

[takingchances42]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Do Men By Erotica?

i happen to love Your two cents worth...

And i would tend to agree with this...i was only relating my own experiences with what i write. i can't answer for the male population as a whole...nor was i trying to. i think perhaps a good deal has to do with the gender of the author...You're a man, You get most of Your feedback from women...i'm a woman and get most of my feedback from men...go figure!

S
peaking of feedback, I've got some I would love to give you, Belle...

 

[spankableBelle]

Well, part of that goes to motivation behind the response. Are they really just writing to say, "hey, good job, I loved your story"? Or, do they potentially want to open up a dialogue, and include an e-mail address for your convenience? I'm going to guess, guys being guys, that most of the male feedback you get is complete with e-mail for your response. In my case, about half is completely anonymous, with no e-mail address and no interest in a dialogue, just wanting to say how much they enjoyed the story. And the anonymous responses are almost all female. So the type of story does matter, every bit as much as author gender. Which I appreciate every bit as much, sure it is great fun to talk with readers, but I also very much enjoy getting the ones where I know the motivation is purely that they really liked the writing.

And speaking of feedback, I've got some I would love to give you, Belle...

About half of the feedback i get is with an email address provided ...the handful of female responses i get, have always come with email addresses and i have become friends with some of them...the men, no friendships really develop for one reason or another...i always respond though when a means is provided, with sincere gratitude for the time that a person took to not only read but then to comment upon the story...

And i always welcome feedback, Sir, so please feel free to impart Yours...

 

[takingchances42]

Re: Re: Do Men By Erotica?

About half of the feedback i get is with an email address provided ...the handful of female responses i get, have always come with email addresses and i have become friends with some of them...the men, no friendships really develop for one reason or another...i always respond though when a means is provided, with sincere gratitude for the time that a person took to not only read but then to comment upon the story...

And i always welcome feedback, Sir, so please feel free to impart Yours...

Interesting and informative. I guess I was projecting there. I've never responded without including an e-mail address, as I am always open to dialogue with another author about stories and writing... and assumed other males were the same way. Given that men tend to be more aggressive, and women often don't want that, I had assumed the anonymous e-mails from women readers meant that they didn't want to encourage a possible cyber-stalker, LOL. Which would fit with your different kind of responses from women.

My feedback is that you are an uncommonly hot and sexy author...

 

[luvcurious]

Absolutely!

I love erotic stories!

I'm into the gay, bi and group stories. I've posted two stories and it's great to get the feedback, escpecially from men.