Put simply, pornography is graphic/explicit sex strung loosely together by a weak or even non-existent storyline. It's sex for the purpose of sex and nothing more. Dictionary.com defines it as...
–nounErotica is a lot of sex, no doubt, and it is indeed graphic and explicit. Dictionary.com defines it as...
obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, especially those having little or no artistic merit.
–noun ( used with a singular or plural verbHowever, in the publishing industry--as far as I understand it--this definition is reserved more specifically for Erotic Romance (explained more below). Erotica doesn't necessarily have to involve love or an HEA (happily ever after) ending; nor does it mean the characters will be together forever. It IS a more cohesive and structured format that creates a story. It is literature, as I am referring to in this discussion. As with any literature, it should contain strong characters readers can relate to and an engaging storyline that has you wondering, "What happens next?")
literature or art dealing with sexual love.
Erotic Romance is erotica WITH the love-factor and usually has some focus on a romantic relationship with an HEA ending.
Another definition in the publishing industry is Sensual Romance, which is inexplicit sex--and still lots of it--but it's not as graphic as to mention body parts. So, lots of sex, but not lots of details about the sex.
If you disagree with the definitions above OR if this page helped you understand a little more about the art of erotic writing, I'd love for you to leave a comment.
