Women Erotic Readers

[R. Richard]

An interesting look at erotic fiction buyers, from the Sun. Comment?

Erotic readers
Women boost sales of saucy fiction in secret downloads

HANDY eReaders are going eRotic with risqué novels selling up to 50 per cent more downloads than physical copies. 3 commentsRelated Stories
1/3 of books sold are e-books

MORE than one in three books sold by Amazon are now ebooks, firm claims
Apple launches new iPad A novel idea for romantics Sales of erotic fiction have rocketed by 30 per cent overall as women download saucy tales on to their eReaders — safe in the knowledge nobody knows what they are reading.

E L James, a little-known British author, shot to the top of the New York Times Combined Print And eBook Fiction bestsellers list and the eBook Fiction chart with naughty novel Fifty Shades Of Grey.

The surprise success, written by the mum-of-two from west London, has sold 250,000 copies in eBook and paperback editions, with eBook copies making up the bulk of the sales.

And it is not just the US market that has an appetite for digital desire — the author has been signed up for six-figures by UK publisher Century And Arrow.

The trilogy of stories — Fifty Shades Of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed — tells the tale of a steamy romance between "successful young entrepreneur" Christian Grey and "unworldly" literature student Anastasia Steele.

Steamy ... Fifty Shades of Grey is in the top five digital romances compiled by AmazonThe discretion eReaders provide appears to have liberated a suppressed erotic audience, previously too shy to buy or be seen reading a naughty novel.

Romance giants Mills & Boon have seen a huge spike in eBook sales. The 104-year-old publishing house pump out 100 eBooks each month, compared to 60 in print.

Tim Cooper, digital director for Mills & Boon, said: "eBooks are fantastic for our readers. The immediacy means the reader can go from one great story to the next without leaving the comfort of their home.

"Our stories are habitual in nature and eBooks are the perfect fix. Our digital sales are growing at a staggering rate." Mills & Boon author Sharon Kendrick added: "Mills & Boon are an intense reading experience and can be read quickly.

"People read four to five in a few days so that's a lot of books to carry around."

Avon Books — part of HarperCollins — have just launched Mischief Books, which are aimed at the digital erotica market.

One of Mischief's first signings is Primula Bond, once rejected by Mills & Boon because her stories were too explicit. She has written Sisters In Sin, a haunting and arousing story of one woman's trip to Venice.

She said: "I think erotica is doing so well at the moment because people's preconceptions of the genre have changed."


Top five digital romances

1. Mum On The Run, Fiona Gibson, 99p
2. The Legacy Of Eden, Nelle Davy, £4.85
3. Fifty Shades Of Grey (first of trilogy), E L James, £7.91
4. One Night Only, Sue Welfare, 99p
5. Fifty Shades Darker, E L James, £7.91

 

[Stella_Omega]

That's the Sun for you-- late to the party...

 

[Firebrain]

E.L. James isn't an "author." Fifty Shades is Twilight fanfic with new names. [Deep sigh]

 

[PennLady]

E.L. James isn't an "author." Fifty Shades is Twilight fanfic with new names. [Deep sigh]

So I've heard, and since I'm not all that anxious to read Twilight, I'm not exactly anxious to read this either.

 

[Firebrain]

So I've heard, and since I'm not all that anxious to read Twilight, I'm not exactly anxious to read this either.

You can still find the originals with Twilight names online. James basically used the people who liked the fanfic--a lot of them--to launch the book (ie sales=higher visibility on charts=more sales). But because it's making lots of money, big publishers seem to think this is okay. It's the most disheartening thing I've seen as an author in a long time.

 

[Stella_Omega]

There are fanfiction authors out there who are miles above most original writers.

Hell, there are fanfiction writers who's versions of the original are miles better than the original.

Since we are talking about Twilight in particular -- that isn't very difficult....

 

[Firebrain]

There are fanfiction authors out there who are miles above most original writers.

Hell, there are fanfiction writers who's versions of the original are miles better than the original.

Since we are talking about Twilight in particular -- that isn't very difficult....

I'm not a Twilight fan, but this isn't really the point. It's unethical to trade off another author's work/fanbase. Even works which re-work those in the public domain make the original work obvious (e.g. "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies.")

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm not a Twilight fan, but this isn't really the point. It's unethical to trade off another author's work/fanbase. Even works which re-work those in the public domain make the original work obvious (e.g. "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies.")

That's easy to say, but the truth is, we all of us end up piggybacking when we write genre.

I think it was unethical of her to use her fannish community's gifted labor the way she did-- the Twilight community gave her editing and built the website that she's using, as I understand it-- Other than that, the only reason her books have been linked with twilight is because of the gossip. She did a hella lot of reworking. Some people can still see the sparklyvampire in her first book-- most people cant, and after that first book, the plot goes completely elsewhere.

 

[Firebrain]

That's easy to say, but the truth is, we all of us end up piggybacking when we write genre.

I think it was unethical of her to use her fannish community's gifted labor the way she did-- the Twilight community gave her editing and built the website that she's using, as I understand it-- Other than that, the only reason her books have been linked with twilight is because of the gossip. She did a hella lot of reworking. Some people can still see the sparklyvampire in her first book-- most people cant, and after that first book, the plot goes completely elsewhere.

She didn't do a lot of reworking. The fanfic and published books are apparently 89% the same, according to comparison engines. And who cares if she reworked Meyer's plots? She traded on Meyer's work, her characters. A lot of the structure of the books is still actually the same, even if it doesn't seem so.

And the point is that the people who read her book initialliy, the people who went on to buy it initially and get it into the charts, were the Twilight fans. People who wouldn't have batted an eyelid at it otherwise.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I get that you're offended by her immorality and theft and the fact that she's seeing a lovely profit off of that.

But my original point is that she's still an author. She's an author who did something you don't approve of. But moral turpitude is not what makes someone an author.

 

[Firebrain]

An author owns a work. James' publisher evidently has it on decent authority that she owns it, but personally speaking, I can't say I believe that she does.

 

[lovecraft68]

She didn't do a lot of reworking. The fanfic and published books are apparently 89% the same, according to comparison engines. And who cares if she reworked Meyer's plots? She traded on Meyer's work, her characters. A lot of the structure of the books is still actually the same, even if it doesn't seem so.

And the point is that the people who read her book initialliy, the people who went on to buy it initially and get it into the charts, were the Twilight fans. People who wouldn't have batted an eyelid at it otherwise.

My daughter read, but wasn't a big fan of Twilight. She picked up 50 shades (Typical double standard I was appalled my daughter was reading BDSM, but she's 22 so what can I say?)

She said it screamed twilight and did not seem even remotely close to how I have described BDSM to her (I think she was lying and did not want to say "other things I have read")

My wife has not read Twilight but taken my younger daughter to all the movies. She started to read shades and didn't finish it, said it was watered down crap. She also claimed it "reeked" of Twilight.

I have not read it or Twilight myself, but for everybody to be making this much of a comparison there has to be something to it.

I guess it comes down to if it smells like fish, tastes like fish then....

 

[PennLady]

My daughter read, but wasn't a big fan of Twilight. She picked up 50 shades (Typical double standard I was appalled my daughter was reading BDSM, but she's 22 so what can I say?)

LC -- seriously? Really?

My wife has not read Twilight but taken my younger daughter to all the movies. She started to read shades and didn't finish it, said it was watered down crap. She also claimed it "reeked" of Twilight.

A Facebook friend of mine said she got the first chapter of the book from Amazon and couldn't get past the first two or three pages. Popular obviously (as, I almost hate to say JBJ noted) does not necessarily equal good or well-written.

 

[Stella_Omega]

An author owns a work. James' publisher evidently has it on decent authority that she owns it, but personally speaking, I can't say I believe that she does.

Belief is always a bit tricky.

 

[PennLady]

Belief is always a bit tricky.

It was a huge issue in the movie Serenity but I guess we shouldn't go dragging another source of fan fiction into this.

 

[lovecraft68]

LC -- seriously? Really?



A Facebook friend of mine said she got the first chapter of the book from Amazon and couldn't get past the first two or three pages. Popular obviously (as, I almost hate to say JBJ noted) does not necessarily equal good or well-written.

Seriously what? That I was appalled? I was, but also honest enough to say what a double standard it was to be appalled.

Let's face it guys, at a young age,(okay any age) want every girl to be a slut, then they have daughters and don't even want to think about it.

So it could be a bit disturbing to think of my daughter following in my footsteps in some degree.

 

[lovecraft68]

I get that you're offended by her immorality and theft and the fact that she's seeing a lovely profit off of that.

But my original point is that she's still an author. She's an author who did something you don't approve of. But moral turpitude is not what makes someone an author.

Personally I am not offended by what she did,.

What offends me is the mindless masses that suck this shit up, the same ones that will suck up the rip off of shades, and all the wave of bubblegum bondage that will be hitting the market soon.

The piper rarely offends me, it is usually the rats that follow.

 

[PennLady]

Seriously what? That I was appalled? I was, but also honest enough to say what a double standard it was to be appalled.

Let's face it guys, at a young age,(okay any age) want every girl to be a slut, then they have daughters and don't even want to think about it.

So it could be a bit disturbing to think of my daughter following in my footsteps in some degree.

I'm not sure how far it gets a person to admit they have a double standard if they don't try to get over it. I mean, your daughter is 22, right? Been to college? Probably read a lot of different stuff. I don't know, I may feel differently when my daughter is 22.

I think my experience with guys may be different from yours.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm not sure how far it gets a person to admit they have a double standard if they don't try to get over it. I mean, your daughter is 22, right? Been to college? Probably read a lot of different stuff. I don't know, I may feel differently when my daughter is 22.

I think my experience with guys may be different from yours.

You will feel differently because you're a woman. Guys spend their lives fantasizing about and in some cases getting their girlfriends/wives to do every x-rated act imaginable.

No guy is comfortable with the fact their daughter could be doing the same thing. It's like one of those "I'm not listening" things.

What she does she does, she's an adult, but I will not lie and say that dwelling on it does not disturb me.

It's also a far cry from acknowledging that your daughter has sex, to imagining her delving into the world of BDSM.

Just as it would disturb my daughters to read anything erotic I have written.

Or taking it further its that instant thought of "ugh" when picturing that you parents did it. You knew they did, but do you want details?

 

[Stella_Omega]

Lovecraft, you are a classic.

 

[lovecraft68]

Lovecraft, you are a classic.

Thanks Look, at least I can admit to a shortcoming.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Thanks Look, at least I can admit to a shortcoming.

Well, I can only quote PennLady on that;

I'm not sure how far it gets a person to admit they have a double standard if they don't try to get over it.

 

[beatrice_dreams]

Or taking it further its that instant thought of "ugh" when picturing that you parents did it. You knew they did, but do you want details?

Forget picturing it. I accidentally walked in on my parents. Twice.

First time I was too young to know what on earth they were doing. The second time, I was definitely old enough. I think my mental mantra was just 'Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew..." for about two days after that.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I dunno.

I understood from a very young age that grownups had sex, and that I would too when I became old enough. It never occurred to me to be squicked by the knowledge. (And I always knew better than to walk in on my parents, as a result)

And I've always understood that my children (who are separate beings from myself,by the way,) would also have sex in whatever flavor they desired, when they got old enough.

 

[R. Richard]

There has been some criticism that what E.L. James is writing is trash.
I would rather write well crafted stories than trash. However, if I can sell 200 copies of a well crafted story or 200,000 copies of trash, I'm willing to become a trash man. (I'm willling to sell out, not sell out cheap, but sell out.)