The most significant development in erotic publishing in recent years has been the arrival of lists aimed specifically at a female readership. Virgin Publishing’s Black Lace is the pioneer. Launched in 1993, it has become synonymous with the phrase ‘women’s erotica’. Its success has focused media attention on this area of publishing, undeniably altering public perception of erotica in general. If it’s OK for women to read dirty books, runs the thinking, then maybe they’re not so dirty after all. As a result, erotic writing for women has legitimised the market and has established a significant presence on the shelves.

In erotica from previous eras, the story is often told from a woman’s point-of-view but written by a man. Nowadays it is as likely that women will be doing the writing. In contemporary erotica, it is recognised that women have sexual needs as significant as men’s and that they can control their own sexual destiny. The female protagonists need no longer be whores or rich nymphomaniacs, they can now be anything they please. This is a welcome development for all erotic writers and its effects are not confined to the female lists.

What distinguishes women’s erotica from men’s?

In many respects, not much. The most significant difference is that erotic writing for women is an area off-limits to men - as creators, that is. No one knows how many men read the books which proudly proclaim that here is ‘erotic fiction written by women for women’ though it is fair to say that a line like this is guaranteed to pique male curiosity. However, if you are a man with aspirations to write for Black Lace or its sister lists you are out of luck - you are barred by reason of your gender.

Right or wrong, the assumption is that men write about sex differently to women; that they are obsessed with female bodies at the expense of feeling; that they conceive love-making in terms of conquest and possession; that location and ambience are not important to them. In other words, men are uncouth gluttons with eyes on the cheesecake even as they scoff the burger and fries. Women, on the other hand, are the true sensual gourmets with a style and a language capable of far greater subtlety...

The key to erotic writing for women - as in all erotica - is to invent a world in which your readers have permission to explore all their sexual desires, particularly those they would shrink from putting into practice.

If you want to try your hand at a woman’s erotic novel, you should:

• Be a woman yourself
• Use a predominately female viewpoint
• Create an adventurous heroine
• Describe detailed and inventive sex with emphasis on emotion as well as physical sensation
• Create a setting with scope for atmospheric description, especially of clothes.

Try your hand at erotic writing for women - enrol now