I am in quite a few different reader and writer Facebook groups which you can easily see on my profile. One of the most recurring questions I see is people asking what the difference is between certain Romance subgenres. Part of the reason things are getting a bit muddled is the surge of self-published authors. Some miscategorize their book and if they don’t ask for For readers and writers who DO know the subgenre differences, it can get confusing out there. So, whether you’re just a reader or are a fellow writer, here’s a helpful guide on a few different Romance subgenres as I learned them.
Sweet Romance
Sweet Romance is a book that has implied sex or a fade to black sex scene It means there is no sex read by the reader. The most you get is hand-holding and kisses that get heated. This doesn’t mean that there can’t be any angst or conflict, it just means that it’s a “clean” romance. Most, if not all, of the relationship-building scenes have nothing to do with sex. If you’re better with movie ratings, think G or PG. Here’s a link for an article on this specific term: What is a “Sweet or “Clean” Romance? | Authors of Main Street (wordpress.com)
Erotic Romance
It’s Sweet Romance’s steamier cousin. Since it’s a Romance, an HEA (happily ever after) or the newest HFN (happy for now) is required. So all the romantic relationship building that happens in a Sweet Romance is in an Erotic Romance. But in Erotic Romance, there are definitely graphic sex scenes and the heat level varies. Erotic Romance CAN have kink in it, kink not being present is a common misconception.
Another one of the big differences between Erotic Romance and Erotica is that in Erotic Romance if you take out the sex scenes, you’re still left with a strong storyline. There are still other relationship-building scenes that have nothing to do with sex between the characters. This would be PG-13 and R ratings depending on the heat level. Here’s a link for another author’s entry on this specific term: The Difference Between Romance, Erotic Romance, and Erotica ⋆ Candice Gilmer, Author of Fantastic Romance (candicegilmerauthor.com)
Erotica
These books are not required to have a HEA or HFN since they are NOT Romance. In Erotica, the books focus on sexual discovery for the main character, a transformation, regardless of length. Books like these have graphic sex scenes with a wide variety of heat levels and kink levels. If you take out the sex scenes, what’s left can’t stand by its own very well, if at all. You get to know the characters a bit outside of the sex scenes, but sex is the focal point of the story. It shows character change and the sex scenes are an important part of this growth. Here’s a link for a fellow writer’s thoughts on Erotica: You’re Probably Wrong About the Difference Between Romance & Erotica – C. A. Balkin (chloealicebalkin.com)
Smut
Smut and Erotica are often mixed up since they can both be the dirtiest of the dirty. But the main difference is that Smut is all about the sex however graphic and kinky it is regardless of book length. The main character isn’t undergoing some sexual discovery. The sex scenes are simply about the main character seeking pleasure. There’s no HEA or HFN required in this either since it’s not a Romance. Smut is when 80% or more of the book is sex. The storyline or narrative is not the focus of the book, the sex is. The heat levels are the highest of any Romance books that have graphic sex scenes. These are meant to be written for the enjoyment of the reader.
I hope this all helps anyone who needs clarification. Again, this is a description of each from what I learned about each subgenre before I began writing and since I started. The lines have become quite blurred in recent years so maybe this can help some confused readers and/or writers.