Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey (5 page)

LUCY FELTHOUSE

F
IFTY SHADES OF GREY
. It’s been called porn, erotica for women, and, more recently, mommy porn (or mummy porn, as we British would say). It’s also been called a lot worse, but I won’t get into that.

My opinion is that labels don’t matter. The media can give
Fifty Shades of Grey
whatever nickname they like. What does matter is the huge popularity of the book, and the fallout that is affecting the publishing industry, particularly in the romance and erotica sectors. As a UK writer, I’m going to give my perspective on the Fifty Shades trilogy and how it’s affected things here in author E. L. James’ home country.

Whether you love or hate the book, there’s no doubting that it’s been a game changer. Nielsen BookScan, a company that compiles official UK chart figures, released the information that the book is the fastest selling paperback since records began, outstripping J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown of
Harry Potter
and
The Da
Vinci Code
fame respectively. That’s a huge feat for any book, let alone one belonging to a genre that, up until recently, was pretty much confined to bedrooms and talked about only amongst the most open-minded of friends.

In the UK, certainly, very few bookstores stocked erotic fiction. Now they have tables full of stock of
Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker
, and
Fifty Shades Freed
. Even the supermarkets are stocking the trilogy, often as part of special promotions. If you want a copy of the books, then you don’t have to go very far—they’re everywhere. I’m half expecting to spot a copy in my local post office.

Even the UK media, previously so aloof toward erotic fiction, has gone crazy for it. E. L. James has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines and on national television, talking about the books, how they’ve taken off, and where her inspiration to write them came from. She comes across as quite surprised by the flare-up of interest and the resulting worldwide boom, but I’m sure that, despite her surprise, she’s happily counting her money. And I don’t blame her.

So, how has all this affected the other erotic writers out there? In a hugely positive light, in my opinion. E. L. James’ books have taken the erotica and erotic romance genres and thrust them into the limelight, making them more socially acceptable. The power of word of mouth has been colossal, and women are rushing out to buy the Fifty Shades books on the recommendation of their friends, or borrowing them from one another. You can scarcely have an hour pass by where the books aren’t mentioned on the various social media networks. This free publicity is backed up by a huge marketing campaign. For example, there are advertisements in the London Underground and on the sides of buses, which are seen by millions of people. I dread to think how much
that
has eaten into the publisher’s advertising budget. But I’m sure they’ll make it back many times over.

Of course, once readers have finished all three books, they’ll be looking for something else to read. And this is where writers
belonging to a genre largely ignored by the mainstream up until now come in. These writers and their books have always been there; it’s just that many people hadn’t noticed them before. Now, however, e-readers have really come into their own, and more and more people are happy to load up their devices with erotica and erotic romance, and read them in public, as well as in private. For the braver contingent, going into a bookstore and browsing the erotica section—if the store has one, of course—has become a much more acceptable thing to do, as has reading an erotic paperback on the Tube, bus, or train. The genre is no longer confined only to the privacy of homes and bedrooms.

Now that E. L. James is well and truly out there, the UK media are seeking out the next news article to ride the same wave. As a result, other erotic writers are being spotlighted.
Channel 5 News
did a segment on erotic fiction and the rise of e-readers, bringing in a popular erotic writer to give her opinion—and to plug her own books. The
Guardian
, the
Daily Express
, the
Independent
, the
Mail Online
, the
Huffington Post
(UK), and several regional newspapers have all published pieces on erotic writers and erotic fiction. The writers included have all benefited greatly from the publicity, and although they may not yet be counting their millions, it is having a very positive effect on sales for them and for the genre as a whole.

These writers are also taking matters into their own hands. Realizing that the reading public is now hungry for erotic fiction, particularly in the BDSM subgenre, they’re promoting their books with a vengeance. There are pages on Facebook, hashtags on Twitter, groups on Goodreads, and boards on Pinterest dedicated to recommending books to read after
Fifty Shades of Grey
. Articles and blog posts with the theme “If you liked
Fifty Shades of Grey
, you’ll love this” are springing up all over the web. Whether they love or hate—or haven’t read—the book that started it all, writers are taking advantage of the sudden popularity of the genre. And why shouldn’t they? Like E. L. James, they’ve worked hard to write these books, so it’s only fair
that they should get some recognition for it, and hopefully gain lots more new readers.

Publishers have jumped on the bandwagon, too. Erotica had already been experiencing a rise in popularity due to the increasing sales of e-readers, but following the
Fifty Shades of Grey
media furor, publishers are seeing huge increases in sales of erotica, so naturally they want more of it. Companies that already published erotica are desperate for their writers to pen more of it—particularly if it’s BDSM—and several publishers that didn’t have an erotica list have now started one. Black Lace, one of the earliest—and arguably still the most popular—erotica imprints, stopped commissioning new content back in 2009, much to the dismay of readers and writers alike. However, the veteran erotica imprint is reopening its doors. June 2012 saw the rerelease of an older title with a redesigned cover bearing no imagery and few colors, aimed at the
Fifty Shades of Grey
readership. A bright pink flash on the cover proclaims, “If you like
Fifty Shades of Grey
you’ll LOVE this!” Many popular titles are being given new covers, and a peek at Amazon reveals that brand-new erotica and erotic romance titles from Black Lace can be expected starting September 2012.

So, in my opinion, particularly as an erotic writer, this is good news all round. It doesn’t matter what labels are being given to
Fifty Shades of Grey
and other books in the erotica and erotic romance genres. What matters is the amount of publicity and increased sales and readership that have come from the media uproar. Personally, if I were selling millions of copies of my books, the media could label it anything they wanted, and I wouldn’t care. I would simply laugh all the way to the bank, and I know many writers that feel exactly the same way.

RACHEL KENLEY

H
AVE YOU READ …”

And then there’s a pause. There’s always a pause and once I hear it, I know what they are going to say.

“
Fifty Shades of Grey?
” I finish for them.

There’s a sigh of relief, followed by, “Yes, how did you know?”

The pause told me. Even though women are reading it, they still aren’t completely sure about admitting to anyone they are reading it. With me, however, they know they are safe. In fact, the next sentence is frequently, “But of course
you’ve
read it.”

It’s been over five years since my first published fiction was released. Not just fiction—an erotic romance e-book. I don’t know which confused people more back in 2007: the fact that the book was only available for download or that I wrote something erotic.

For some reason, most people weren’t able to bring themselves to ask me much about my books. “Erotic romance? So that means it’s … ” More unfinished sentences.

Yes, it’s a romance where the number of sex scenes is higher than the average book and the descriptions of what happens in those scenes are hotter and more graphically described.

If there’s another question, it’s usually, “What made you decide to write
that
kind of book?” There’s an emphasis placed on the word “that.” If I were writing about murder or horror, no one would ask, but for most of my peers they seemed to have trouble thinking about either reading or talking about sex in this way.

The truth is, most people who knew me weren’t terribly surprised by the genre I chose, just somewhat uncomfortable with it. I love romance and relationships and the things someone can discover about herself within a relationship. Genre romance books focus on this. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’ve always found merit, strong writing, and great characters in these books. While at college, during long conversations about guys, friends would ask, “This isn’t going to end up in one of your books one day, is it?” I would answer with a smile. No sense in lying.

In nearly each decade of my life I’ve discovered something new to read in the erotic/romantic genre—and I’m getting progressively spicier and more discriminating in my tastes. What pleases me most is when I look back I can see that I have also learned something lasting and important to my personal and sexual awareness from these books.

I read my first romance at fourteen when my mother gave me Kathleen Woodiwiss’
The Wolf and the Dove
. Woodiwiss was credited with “opening the bedroom door” in romance. Thanks to the book’s historical setting, I knew more about 1066 and the Norman conquests than any of my friends. I also came to believe deeply in the existence of strong alpha males who knew how to cherish those they loved, something that came in handy after a series of horrible relationships.

In my midtwenties I found the Beauty books by A.N. Roquelaure. My copies are so old, Anne Rice’s name isn’t on
the cover. This was the first time I’d read anything in the BDSM realm or a M/M sex scene. I loved the entire series, and, more importantly, discovered I wasn’t alone regarding some of the sexual fantasies and fascinations I had (have!). It gave me the courage to go to clubs and meet others with similar interests in power exchange relationships. It is something that has informed my writing and my life. What relationship isn’t an exchange of power?

When I reached thirty, I discovered the Black Lace book imprint—erotica written for women. I was—and still am—hooked on many of the books and authors from this publisher, several of whom now write for mainstream houses. Here I found nearly every relationship combination and setting imaginable, past, present, and fantasy all presented in a way that involved love, character development, and a powerful conclusion. This was when I first started to consider writing erotic romance rather than more traditional romance. It was also when I was truly able to embrace how important sexual power is for a woman who wants to be completely powerful. It’s a lesson I practice frequently and is, I think, part of the reason women ask me the questions they do.

I am now in my forties and was published not long after my fortieth birthday. My tastes haven’t really changed, but they are more refined. I want something new, more gripping, more imaginative. Something that pushes the envelope, broadens my thoughts and my fantasies. When I read the first book in Laura Antoniou’s Marketplace series, I knew I’d found what I wanted to read next. These books are beautifully written with love, sex, passion, and intellect combined—it’s magic. In the more traditional romance genre, I discovered Joey W. Hill, who brings a level of both sensuality and sexuality throughout her books that is breathtaking. In these two women, and a few others, I found writers who inspire me to create books that are more erotic and populated with vivid characters on deep emotional journeys. It’s going to be a lifelong journey.

So what does this mean for the married suburban mom and erotic romance writer I’ve become? Because I am fortunate to have friends to whom I can tell what I write, I have become the go-to person on questions of romance and sex. “Talk to Rachel. She’s comfortable with these things.” “I know you won’t be offended if I ask … ” “Have you ever heard of … ” “What do you think it means if he … ”

And now, “Have you read … ”

It doesn’t matter to them what I answer or what I thought of
Fifty Shades of Grey
. They simply want to be able to talk about it. What it made them think, what it made them feel. And what should they read next. Suddenly I’m the local X-rated librarian.

So then I have a question for them. “What did you like most about the book?”

The pause returns.

I find it curious that even though they’ve read the book and, more often than not, liked it, they still can’t tell me why. I am saddened to realize that even though they are thrilled—and titillated—to have read something in “my” genre, they haven’t let it touch them. They still don’t know what they like.

The good news is, I think thanks to
Fifty Shades of Grey
more of my acquaintances have respect for and an interest in what I write. There is less judgment all around. Not that they pause any less when they talk about it with me or others, but that is their sexual issue, not mine. They realize that the genre doesn’t deserve to be stereotyped or automatically discounted. There is more to it than they thought, and it has become something they are willing to enjoy now that they’ve opened themselves up to the possibility. Perhaps soon they will even be proud to read the books that I, and other erotica and erotic romance authors, write.

Still, their continued shyness makes me wonder what they are like—and what they are missing—in their current sexual relationships. And once I start thinking about that … I end up having the beginning of a new manuscript.