What does smut mean in books?

First of all, let’s get the etymology out of the way (because I’m a nerd and that’s how we roll here). The term “smut” has a long history in the English language, and its meaning and usage have evolved over time. I’ve argued before that Shakespeare was the OG smut peddler, because he knew how to sell his plays, and I stand by that.

The word “smut” can be traced back to late Middle English, where it originally meant “defile, corrupt, make obscene”. By the 17th century, “smut” began to be used in literature to describe obscene or indecent content, particularly in written or printed materials. It was used as a colloquial term for sexually explicit material.

Today, “smut” is commonly used to refer to explicitly sexual or heavily sexually suggestive content in various forms of media, including books, films, and online content. It typically implies content that is considered adult or mature in content, offensive to some (often the very people who use smut as a derogatory term).

There has been a movement to reclaim the word from religious puritans by romance readers, who often refer to themselves as smut readers.

Erotica is not porn. So, what is it?

In order to understand the genre of erotica, we must first ask the question: what is eroticism?

Eroticism is an aesthetic focus on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. It is not only the state of arousal and anticipation, but also the attempt through whatever means of representation to incite those feelings.

— Wikipedia

In literature, erotica is a widely misunderstood genre that focuses on sexually explicit or sensually arousing content.

Unlike pornography, which primarily aims to depict sexual acts explicitly and often lacks substantial plot or character development, erotica places a greater emphasis on the artistic and emotional aspects of human sexuality.

Erotica often explores the sensual and emotional aspects of sexual relationships, including the desires, fantasies, kinks, and passions of the characters involved. In longer works, characters tend to be well-developed individuals with their own motivations and personal histories. Their emotional connection is an essential element of the story.

Short-form erotica usually has less time to explore the characters deeply, but as it’s a literary form, there still needs to be some substance to the characters or it becomes meaningless.

Erotic fan fiction bypasses the need to develop a character by utilising already existing characters and settings.

Erotica typically has a narrative structure and plot, which provides a context for the sexual encounters depicted.

The story will often also involve romance, love, desire, and personal growth. And no matter how much it gets looked down on in literary circles—”it’s just porn for women” (and also, is porn for women a bad thing??) erotica is a form of artistic expression that seeks to evoke a range of emotions and sensations in the reader.

Erotica encompasses a wide range of sexual orientations, preferences, and scenarios. It can include heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and other forms of sexual expression, as well as various fetishes and kinks.

It can and does vary widely in terms of explicitness.

Some works contain only mild sexual content, focusing more on the emotional and psychological side of sex (the purpose/origins of desire, power dynamics etc.), while others may be very explicit and detailed in the act itself.

While erotica is intended to be sexually arousing, it also aims to engage the you on an intellectual and emotional level, exploring the complexities of human sexuality in a way that goes beyond mere titillation.

Erotica is not typically written with the sole intent of describing the mechanics of sex itself. To simply describe an act of sex can be argued is pornographic, but the purpose of erotica is to articulate why sex is powerful and should be approached with reverence.

In erotica, unlike in porn, the anticipation of and build-up to the sexual encounter is also important.

What’s the difference between sex, spice and smut in books?

Romance novels prioritise the development of emotional connections between characters.

While they may include sexual elements, the primary focus is on the characters’ feelings, personal growth, and the evolution of their relationships.

Smut, on the other hand, often emphasises physical desire over emotional connection.

You can have sex in a book without the book being a romance book, and there are lots of books that do this. They can even have explicit sex scenes, yet not be erotica.

Often, a story just happens to contain sex (which isn’t very unusual when speaking of relationships).

The romance genre has some genre expectations that need to be met in order for a book to be classified as romance.

Within the romance genre, you then find many sub genres, like dark romance, sweet or fade-to-black romance, monster romance etc. which all have their own distinct characteristics.

A fade-to-black romance book is a romance genre novel that doesn’t have explicit sex on the page, and prefers to “fade to black” after the initial kiss like in movies.

Sex still exists in a fade-to-black romance, it’s just not a part of the reading experience.

Spicy novels typically incorporate explicit or passionate scenes within the broader context of a romantic story. While they may contain steamy moments, these scenes are not the sole focus of the narrative.

Instead, spicy novels aim to strike a balance between romance, emotional connection, and sensuality, offering readers a blend of love and desire within a compelling storyline.

If you read book reviews or browse BookTok, Bookstagram, BookTube or any other book place, you’ll often see reviewers rating spice levels in romance books.

There are no general guidelines for what this rating system is, so it’s very subjective to each reviewer.

Lower spice ratings usually mean things like kissing, partial nudity, maybe some heavy petting, intimate moments between characters, or provocative language or behaviour designed to elicit strong emotions in the reader.

Higher spice ratings can mean explicit sex and even that exists on a spectrum.

At higher spice levels, smut and spice are often used interchangeably.

I have noticed a general trend, that readers who want to and are okay reading very explicit books tend to refer to themselves as smut readers more often.

They also tend to lean more into things like dark romance, monster romance, and even non-con and dub-con.

Readers who can read and enjoy a book with a high spice rating, but aren’t heavy users, aren’t necessarily into the darker, heavier themes.

But, this is just empirical observation, not based on any data, so don’t come for me if this doesn’t precisely describe you.

Smutty books are characterised by their focus on sexual desire and passion, sometimes at the expense of a deeper emotional connection or plot development, but this isn’t always the case. You can also have a stronger focus on romance and still have a plot that’s a complete mess.

Typically though, the further along you move on the spectrum from a sweet romance to erotica and dark romance, the heavier and more explicit the stories tend to get.

While all romance novels explore themes of love and desire, they differ in their emphasis on emotional depth, plot complexity, and the intensity of sexual content.

Understanding these distinctions can help you navigate the diverse world of romance literature and choose books that align with your preferences for sensuality and storytelling.

I write erotic fantasy, meaning that the sex is explicit, but not the point, and I put a lot of effort into the story otherwise (because as much as I love erotica, I get bored of reading it too quickly).

For me, the sex has to be there for a purpose and have an emotional connection to mean something (slow burn is one of my fave tropes).

If you want to know more about this subject, try: A short history of smut and What is the purpose of smut?

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