Don't White Women Read?

I am new to this site. I found it while doing some research for a line of erotic romance and erotica I have published as ebooks. When I started to write, I tried to imagine what niche would have a real appeal. I saw that there was precious little written about white women and black men. There's plenty if you reverse it.

I've had a frustrating beginning. If you search Amazon for (in quotes) "white woman black man" you get 17 results. I'm puzzled. If you search for porn on the net you get a ton. This would indicate that black men (because men consume far more visual porn than women) fantasize about white women in huge numbers. However, I had always believed (maybe because of my own fantasies) that large numbers of white women (the overwhelming buyers of written erotica and erotic romance) would be interested in WWBM stories. If my sales (and the other authors on this subject as well) are any indication, this is not the case.

Obviously, I should have done more homework before embarking on the work that went into my tales, but that's hindsight. I am now writing plain vanilla stuff.

So, I came here to ask, do you read erotica or erotic romance? Have you ever searched for stories that specifically address this?

 

Ever heard if a lil book called "50 shades of grey?"

 

Exactly Tarshi, but that was about a white man and white woman. What I'm trying to figure out is, if women have such an appetite for erotica, why is the theme of black men with white women so, well, neglected?

 

To sell an IR romance novel between a BM/WW, I think it needs to come into the story as a secondary plot line, not the main narrative.
I don't know why but it's still a titillating taboo that can be a bridge too far for many White folk.

It's weird because I think in the late '60s and '70s this was a storyline that was explored more in pop culture, but now people seem less openly interested in it.
If IMO you can sell the story based on the premise these two people should absolutely be together regardless of skin color, I think that works better.

Kind of like in The Bodyguard.

If the story breaks down to their attraction is only stereotypical I think most romance readers aren't gonna bite.

Or you could split the difference and make the male protagonist biracial, which is hardly controversial at all anymore.lol

 

That's very thoughtful, thank you. I think my stories are kind of all over the map. Sometimes it comes as a surprise to the H/h that they are attracted to each other, sometimes it's purely a side note. In the more raunchy erotic stories, as opposed to the romances with happy ever after endings, I admit there is some stereotyping going on in that the heroine is specifically curious about having sex with a black man.

Your point about a bridge too far made me laugh. Who'd have thought we'd still be there?

I don't write long novels, more like lunchtime reads. They won't win the Pulitzer prize. They're meant to be fantasy and entertainment. There's nothing much in the way of 'social commentary' going on in them.

 

Erotica v. romance novels.
In erotica, anything goes. I'm surprised if there isn't a market for IR erotica novels.

 

Here's a thread I had made of ww-bm romance/erotica books that are available...


http://www.whitewomenblackmen.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20939


Hope it helps. :smt061

 

It's quite simply, people want something they can relate to.

 

I'm guessing the majority of female readers of erotica/romance novels are married women, and I think it would 'stress' many WW/WM marriages if the wife is reading a book in bed at night about Louise getting ravaged by Tyrone in the poolhouse with the setting sunlight glistening off his strong, sweaty shoulders.lol

 

I personally find erotic stories/novels (and romance novels) boring as hell. I'd never even think to search for it. I'd rather either watch porn, have my own fantasies or enjoy the reality of my own life. I really just don't see the attraction of erotic stories.

 

LOL. I prefer moving pictures too, or doing it IRL.

 

If we are going onto the subject of movies, I just dont know if a main plot ir romance will be a blockbuster. When you look at successful romance films the couples are same race.

 

I think it could be a success, but it would depend on how good the film actually was. Just having an IR couple at the centre of the film is not enough, for example, to get me to go and see it.

Porn, on the other hand, is a different story altogether. :smt043

 

I read a lot. Gimmie a novel, and a free day, I'll have it done before I head to sleep. If there's one type of writing I'd have to read for the rest of my life, I'd want it to be erotica or romance (or a combination of them both).

I've started noticing though, that often in the books the man's often muscular, tanned, etc. Quite a few times in books I've read, the description shows a color difference, even if he's just more tan than her. It could almost sound like it's WW/BM... if you don't look at the book's cover first and see that the man is obviously white, lol.

 

True it would need a rich story, and good actors to pull it off. Also a excellent composer for the score

 

No. WW dont read.

 

Yes, I believe I've asked about this very thing here before. There is a severe lack of good WWBM erotica. There is plenty of raunchy crap, but no good erotica.

Of course, to me, the best WWBM erotica would read just like WWWM or BWBM erotica. You'd only know the characters' races when you briefly mention something about how rock awesome their skin contrast is in the heat of the moment. :heart:

 

Thank you so much, Bliss, for sending this thread. If I can figure out how to get a decent sized picture in a thread, I will start putting my books on there. Actually not "books". They're short stories and novellas.

 

It's very hard to judge the raunch factor. I've had complaints on both sides--too much, not enough. I guess it is personal opinion. As far as the role race plays in my stories, I just realized--not a great deal. It took me all of fifteen minutes to change my latest story from WWBM to WWWM. Sadly, I think that's the way all my babies are going to go. A girl's gotta eat...

 

One of things that I have heard said and have said myself about WW/BM is the skin contrast which is something that is best seen, I'm sure a very talented writer could express that very well in a novel.

My guess is though that any woman who really really wants a BM to play with already has one so perhaps not too many of them would bother reading a fantasy erotica that is their real life. Despite what I think it would still be great though to have at some in print.

I would however like to see much better and different types of IR porn and erotic films, stuff like what x-art do and Tinto Brass.