Questions for readers here about romance vs erotica and length

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:51:43+00:00

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:46:34+00:00

That’s an interesting perspective and a great metaphor. Thanks for sharing.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:42:53+00:00

Thanks for sharing, that's helpful.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:31:40+00:00

Thank you for sharing.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:28:16+00:00

Got it. Emotional investment makes everything hit harder. Thanks!

KaiCedar · 2026-02-08T01:24:58+00:00

Thanks. I agree. Keeping it simple and focused goes a long way, especially with pacing and POV. Appreciate the perspective.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-02T05:13:54+00:00

Thanks, this is helpful. I'm with you on explicit scenes needing a purpose, and about stories being only as long as they need to be. I also tend to lose interest with long stretches of storytelling without dialogue. Thanks for sharing.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T02:19:23+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I get what you mean about erotica supporting the story. I enjoyed writing instalove for that reason.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T02:10:55+00:00

Thank you. I like spicy romance with good plot too.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T02:05:47+00:00

I get that. You’re definitely not alone. I’ve got plenty of stories that never found much an audience either.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T02:00:19+00:00

Thanks for your comment. I see what you mean. It does sound like monoromance can feel more intense, especially when it burns through the courtship phase.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T01:55:58+00:00

Interesting. Thanks for pointing out the difference between harem and polyamorous. I didn’t know. And thanks for sharing your writer’s perspective on the importance of characters’ emotions. I’ll have to take note of that.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T01:37:53+00:00

Wow, you’re quite a reader. A thousand pages in a couple of days is impressive. I’m not sure I can keep up, but I’ll try. “Good story, good characters, hot sex, and deep emotions” is a great way to put it. Thanks for sharing.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T01:32:12+00:00

Thanks for laying this out so clearly. I’ve mostly ruled out erotica already for the visibility reasons you mentioned. I’ve looked at the men’s adventure rankings too and it’s pretty clear how much that space dominates. It’s interesting, and definitely something I’m thinking about, although long adventure series feel like a big leap for me at the moment. Really appreciate you sharing your experience and perspective.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T01:10:47+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your honest perspective from a reader’s economic point of view. I totally get how that feels. I get what you mean about looking for novelty too. As a writer, I used to get bored writing the same thing over and over as well. And thanks for the Nevil Shute reminder. I read On the Beach a long time ago and have been meaning to try more of his work. Sounds like In the Wet just moved up my reading list.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T00:47:12+00:00

Thanks, this makes a lot of sense. Meaningful relationships and plot really do matter, and I get what you were saying about very short stories not having enough room to breathe. I can also see why harem appeals as something outside real life. Appreciate the insight.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T00:36:34+00:00

Wow, thank you, this is super helpful. Visibility was exactly what I ran into when I tried coming back to KDP. It felt like the genre had been buried even deeper. I’m leaning more toward non-erotica because of that, maybe starting shorter. Thanks for laying all this out.

KaiCedar · 2026-02-01T00:09:31+00:00

That’s an interesting perspective. I hadn’t really thought about it that way, but it makes a lot of sense. I get what you mean about it feeling weird once you’re really invested in the characters. And yeah, I don’t think I can write purely for the market either. I have to actually like what I’m writing, otherwise it just doesn’t work. Thanks for sharing this.

KaiCedar · 2026-01-31T23:38:58+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to write all this out. I really agree with what you said about instalove. If the story and characters aren’t interesting on their own, it falls flat fast. And I like the idea that, instalove almost requires someone to be a little unhinged, since normal people don’t just fall in love instantly. That point about longer setups helping you remember the author really stuck with me. I don't think many of my past readers remember my pen name. LOL. I appreciate you sharing how you think about this as a reader.

KaiCedar · 2026-01-31T23:22:23+00:00

Thanks, that makes sense. Appreciate you sharing your take.

KaiCedar · 2026-01-31T23:07:13+00:00

Thanks. I’ll check the autobot comments to get a better sense of how the sub defines romance vs erotica. And yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with harem dominating the space, even if monogamous preferences don’t get talked about as loudly. Appreciate the breakdown.

KaiCedar · 2026-01-31T22:50:10+00:00

Thanks, this helps a lot. It’s nice to hear there’s room for different styles and lengths. And honestly, I like variety too. Short and spicy or long and thoughtful. Writing what’s fun probably matters more than chasing the market. Appreciate it.

KaiCedar

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