Romance stories - how explicit

[BobbyBrandt]

Be careful. I know romance writers that have worked with Harlequin. Their contracts are not writer friendly. One told of Harlequin republishing her stories in Russian when their rights were about to expire, just so they could prevent her from finally making some money on them. They evidently don't pay very well either. If your experience differs, please share.

I would view it as an entry-level mainstream publishing experience.

Giving them rights to a single story for publication might not net you a lot of money, but it would provide you with a publishing history that agents and other publishers would recognize for future works. Don't discount the value that being established can bring you when seeking a deal from someone else.

 

[iwatchus]

My most recent Romance had the most hardcore sex scene of any Romance I have written, although still on the tamer side compared to my original series. But that story is easily the highest rated of my Romances. If you expand to Romance adjacent, my Nude Day entry (in First Time) had numerous explicit scenes and was very well received.

I think the sex HAS to be be part of the romance, part of the story, not an ends unto itself. But I don't think the readers are at all squeamish about it being explicit when you bring them there. And here, they probably prefer an explicit payoff.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I would view it as an entry-level mainstream publishing experience.

Giving them rights to a single story for publication might not net you a lot of money, but it would provide you with a publishing history that agents and other publishers would recognize for future works. Don't discount the value that being established can bring you when seeking a deal from someone else.

And note, I didn’t say don’t do it, I said be careful.

 

[MiaBabe23]

Speaking as a reader, because I don’t write in this category, I would be be disappointed if there’s wasn’t some reasonably graphic and intense sex at some point; tasteful yes, but no need to be coy about it
If I wanted romance without the sex, I’d read elsewhere

 

[NaughteeDragon]

When I read stuff in the Romance category I want long, slow burn emotionally complex stories. But if I’m going to make that investment the sex scene better be worth it. I don’t need a description of every stroke and lick, but I want them to be present in the moment and their sex to be a manifestation of the emotions that have been building.

 

[Comshaw]

Hi,

Question for those who read and/or write in the Romance category.

How explicit can one get in this category without turning off the readers? Do they generally want the language to be softer, with more euphemisms, or is it like the rest of the categories, where it can be raunchy?

I have several in the romance category and all of them have explicit and graphically detailed sex scenes. They have done alright as far as score and I've never been slammed for the sex scenes. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they expect and want it, wrapped in and frosted with romance of course.

Comshaw

 

[MelissaBaby]

As someone who has had reasonable success in the category, my overall take on the subject is that the amount or intensity of sexual content is beside the point. Romance readers want emotional content, first and foremost. Stories packed with hot sex scenes and those that come with little more than a scent of eroticism will both do well, if they are well written and provide depth of characterization and emotion.

 

[dirk2024]

As someone who has had reasonable success in the category, my overall take on the subject is that the amount or intensity of sexual content is beside the point. Romance readers want emotional content, first and foremost. Stories packed with hot sex scenes and those that come with little more than a scent of eroticism will both do well, if they are well written and provide depth of characterization and emotion.

I have written one Romance and, admitedly, it was a quick (1 day) romance. I had a comment or two from Romance readers call me out on that and also tell me that Romance stories are better when the people get together, break-up, then get back together again at the end. Has that been your practice?

 

[MelissaBaby]

I have written one Romance and, admitedly, it was a quick (1 day) romance. I had a comment or two from Romance readers call me out on that and also tell me that Romance stories are better when the people get together, break-up, then get back together again at the end. Has that been your practice?

Not particularly, but I understand how readers would point to that as an ideal, because it's a narrative format that allows for a variety of emotional content. After all, it's one of the oldest literary tropes, isn't it? Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back...

My first submission in Romance took some hits because my main characters had sex on their first date. I had thought that, by having the female character say that she had never done anything like that before, it emphasized the intensity of their attraction. Some readers complained that the sex had been "rushed", and yet, the story did very well. (Current score 4.76)

I believe it was successful even with those objections because that scene was embedded in the midst of a lot of character development and an emphasis on their emotions, rather than the physical.

 

[iwatchus]

I have written one Romance and, admitedly, it was a quick (1 day) romance. I had a comment or two from Romance readers call me out on that and also tell me that Romance stories are better when the people get together, break-up, then get back together again at the end. Has that been your practice?

I got beat up in the comments in my first romance for it being too fast at 5 days. I can't imagine one day.

I think there needs to be some struggle in the romance and having a fight when they are starting to get together is an easy one to overcome. I have not done it in every one of my romances, but it is more common than not in mine.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I got beat up in the comments in my first romance for it being too fast at 5 days. I can't imagine one day.

I think there needs to be some struggle in the romance and having a fight when they are starting to get together is an easy one to overcome. I have not done it in every one of my romances, but it is more common than not in mine.

It would be extremely difficult to achieve the necessary level of emotion that Romance readers want, without a significant amount of conflict of some type.

 

[LargoKitt]

How explicit can one get in this category without turning off the readers? Do they generally want the language to be softer, with more euphemisms, or is it like the rest of the categories, where it can be raunchy?

Dirk,
I am currently writing the Diversity Twins series which is about the growing relationship between two female college roommates. I wanted it to be about them falling in love. And that's the key to romance, that you are playing with your characters' love for each other. I know that I have gone out of bounds for romance in this series because I have scenes that are too much about describing the dynamics of the sex. Romance needs lots of dialogue or internal monolog about how things are going. Also, pure raunch often builds right to the sex. Romance needs to have reversals, fights (often with oneself) and misunderstandings. It's good if there is a reason to cry here or there. It is also okay if they never hit the sack together; but that has to be a thing where they don't but they desperately want to.