When you’re writing a romance novel, at some point you have to decide how you’re going to deal with the physical side of the love story. Is your couple going to have sex? If so, are you going to write a sex scene or is the action going to take place off the page?
My advice is to write what you’re comfortable reading. If you like detailed love scenes and have been dying to write about a ‘throbbing member’, then go ahead. If the thought of that makes you blush, then keep the action focused on the emotional side.
Whatever you decide to do, don’t worry, there’s an audience for it. The genre ranges from books with longing gazes and a chaste kiss at the end, to books where the main characters are between the sheets by chapter two. But not everyone wants to read the full range. So, when it comes to marketing your book, you need to know where it fits in the scheme of things.
Clean romances are what you can consider PG romances. Perhaps a little hands-free kissing, but no other physical intimacy on or off the page. This is a sex-free zone. It even has a category of its own on Amazon. This is the one level that you have to be careful about using, because reader reviews can be vicious if there’s any unexpected physical intimacy in this category.
Sweet romances go a little further. Kisses are often described from an emotional viewpoint, so your main characters can be dizzy with emotion, but not dizzy with lust. There can be sex, but it’s usually off the page, and mostly described euphemistically. In the US, ‘sweet’ is often part of the title
Sensual romances step up the heat level a little further. You’ll find longer, more descriptive sex scenes, but they are there to further the love story. The emphasis is very much on describing the emotional side of sex.
Sexy romances are still all about the romance but have a lot of sex in them, and sex may be plot device—think friends-with-benefits set ups. The sex is sizzling, but the romantic side of the story is well developed and has a satisfying ending. Excuse the pun.
Erotic romances use sex as a central plot device—but as part of the characters’ journey towards love and their happily ever after. The sex scenes are long and detailed and focus on physical pleasure.
In the UK, these levels are fairly interchangeable, but if you’re writing for the US market, it’s good to have an idea of where the boundaries lie.
Just one final tip: the best way to learn about what works is to analyze books you like to read. Pay attention to the sex scenes and decide what it is you like most about them. Notice the details; the point of view, how long it is, how explicit the language is.
Happy writing!