Romance is the most profitable fiction genre. Because of this, many writers hope to break into the market. It is also the easiest genre in which to become a traditionally published author because publishing companies know romances always sell. However, erotica does not sell as well as regular romance novels. This means fewer publishing companies accept erotica submissions. You may be wondering what exactly is the difference between the two.

In some cases, erotica novels do not have a plot. They become one descriptively written sex scene after another. For this reason, erotica is considered easier to write than romance novels. The best erotica novels, the ones that sell for the highest per-book rates, must have at least a minimal plot. The key to the plot is that the attraction between the main characters (and in erotica, there may be more than two) is purely sexual. The pleasure they experience comes from the sex they share. In between the sex scenes, the plot is moved forward by the need to get to the next sex scene. Usually, erotica contains “kinky” sex scenes, and these scenes last for many pages. 

On the contrary, romance, even the spiciest romance, must have some emotional connection between the two main characters that goes beyond sex. For this reason, some romance novels do not contain any sex scenes. The main characters must be well-developed, three-dimensional characters. They have a background that may or may not be told in detail depending on the story, they are flawed, and their actions have motivation behind them. Unlike erotica, where sex scenes can be between a variety of characters, in a romance, the sex scenes may only be between the two main characters. 

Similarly, the plot must drive the story forward as opposed to the sex scenes driving it forward. In other words, if you take out all the sex scenes the book should still make a coherent story that is interesting to read. The spiciest romance novels have between three and five sex scenes. However, the sex scenes should occur at logical points during the plot. For example, a scene with two characters walking down the street who suddenly must copulate and run into the nearest public restroom to do so does not drive the plot forward. On the other hand, if the two characters just apprehended a murderer or found a missing diamond ring, they may kiss in celebration and that kiss may turn into a sex scene that drives the plot forward. This sex scene would support the story, but it could be removed and still leave a coherent story behind. 

Why is it important to know whether you are writing erotica or a romance novel? When you market your book if you label it “romance” and it is really erotica or vice versa, you will end up with bad reviews. If one of your goals in writing is to make money, you need to build your audience. Trying to sell your book to the wrong audience will only shrink your bottom line and stop people from buying other books from you in the future. If you try to submit erotica to a publishing company that does not publish the genre, they will turn you down. Likewise, submitting a romance novel to a publishing company that only produces erotica will cause your book to be rejected.