Hi, my name is Isabella and I write lesbian romance. Sounds like a recovery meeting for romance writers. When I contacted KB about being part of this two-week adventure called Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event, my first question was: Is it open only to those that write F/F? She responded by saying that she wrote romance, and I responded by saying, I write romance too, but I am a lesbian who writes lesbian romance. “Is there a difference between F/F and lesbian romance?” I was asked. I wondered if this was similar to the fury over straight women writing gay romance or M/M. The subject of straight women writing lesbian romance is a hot topic even in lesbian circles. I think this is the elephant in the room and from each side comes some very different viewpoints, and neither is wrong, just different.
For my point of reference, the difference was pointed out to me about two years ago when I was in a lesbian romance chat with a few women. One of the women asked the group if they knew of any good F/F romance stories. I immediately offered up my favorite lesbian romance authors, a few of which have already been on this very blog tour. Almost immediately I was informed that she wasn’t looking for “lesbian” romance or polymorphism romance, because she wasn’t a lesbian. She was looking for “hot girl on girl romance.” When I asked her what the difference was, she took the opportunity to school me on the difference.
An example of F/F would be: two femme women who walk into a bar with their boyfriends. The women find out they like each other, but not “in that way, you know they aren’t lesbians”, and throughout the night they tease, flirt or come on to one another. They adjourn to the bathroom to freshen up their makeup and find themselves having hot, nasty sex in the bathroom or in the back of the bar, [insert location here] and then go back out into the straight world and back to their boyfriends. At least that was how this woman who, was not a lesbian, explained it to me.
After researching a few of the erotic websites that claim to have lesbian stories, I find the call for “hot F/F, or girl on girl,” stories and the hotter the better. I also start to look at the bios of some authors who out themselves as being straight women who love to write steamy F/F action. Some also talk about how they write gay or M/M, M/M/F stories, and some say they do write lesbian romance as well. Now the wheels start to turn. Why do straight women and some men want to venture in to the lesbian romance market? Is it all about money? How do my fellow lesbian feel about the phenomenon? So I asked. I know how I feel about it, but their responses were as varied as the acronyms used to describe women who have sex with other women.
When presented with the question about the gender of the writers some said that as lesbians, they wanted an authentic lesbian experience and felt “ripped off” if they found out a man wrote the story. Others wondered why straight women would want to write lesbian romance and didn’t know there was a difference between lesbian and F/F stories. Other authors and readers thought that there is enough room for everyone and that good lesbian stories would rise to the top, gender didn’t matter. Many lesbians gave me what I call the Stephen King response. He isn’t a murderer, but he writes about murder because he does his research. True. I can’t argue with that statement. Therefore, many will assume that most straight women who write lesbian fiction have done their research into what it feels like to pleasure a woman orally—the taste, the texture, and the spontaneous combustion that happens when pleasured correctly. I know, I know women know what they like sexually, so some of this is said tongue firmly in cheek.
After my “schooling” I read F/F stories. I knew right away that I probably wasn’t the intended audience. Perhaps a few might, but lesbians rarely use terms like “gushing”, “fuck you out of those heels,” or “you’re gonna find Jesus tonight, baby”. I’ve read all of these in F/F stories. Sure they’re hot and if I was a guy I’d be swooping up this little erotic pearls and string a necklace around my…well I’d read them over and over again.
You can go to the Lesbian Erotic section on Amazon, read the first chapter on many of these stories and know if they’re for you. Is there room for everyone? There’s room for good, storytelling. You as the reader have to decide what you like and don’t like and as for the gender or lifestyle of the author, again that is for you, the reader to decide. Having lived in the LGBT community and being a former President of a Pride organization, I can say that we are welcoming, almost to a fault. We encourage everyone to come, play, and have a good time, at least the majority of us. For some gender and lifestyle matter, but for others not so much. This article could go on with more anecdotal evidence to support either side of the coin. Should men teach women’s history, should someone other than an African American teach Black studies, and on and on. Ultimately, writers should do what they do best; write and readers will decide how they spend their money.
Happy Reading!
Isabella
2011 GLCS Traditional Contemporary Romance winnerAuthor of Always Faithful and Broken Shield
Sapphire Books Publishing
49 comments:
Wow, what a thought-provoking post. See, as a non-lesbian who wrote a story about two women, I'm not sure what to call it now : P I have been calling it F/F, for the most part, but I don't use any of the terms you quoted. Nothing "gushes" and no one finds Jesus : )
So, is it F/F or lesbian fiction? Help me, Isabella! : )
This is something that has definitely been bugging me - there definitely seems to be a category of straight-people-writing-lesbian-sex-books that... well, it's fair enough, but it's also the sort of stuff that makes it a pain searching for lesbian books on Amazon. Because I have to figure out whether it's 'lesbian as codeword for some level of porn' or 'lesbian because it's got lesbian characters in'.
Interesting post. As a reader I'm not sure what I feel. I've read books written by lesbians that were romances but sometimes I wonder why we need labels. I just finished She Came in a Flash by Mary Wings and it was labeled lesbian fiction because the main character is a lesbian but I thought to myself why was that important. There was no sex in the book. It was a murder mystery and all I could think was why are they calling this lesbian fiction? For me it was a mystery and that's where I'd shelf it if I owned a book store. Why is it necessary to label a book? Why can't we say a book is a romance or a mystery or a thriller? What does it matter what the sexual orientation of the main characters is? I'm confused as a reader. I don't care what any characters orientation is. I just want a good read. Is there something wrong with my thinking?
Why is it necessary to label a book? Why can't we say a book is a romance or a mystery or a thriller? What does it matter what the sexual orientation of the main characters is?
I've thought about this a lot on the romance section. About mystery, or thriller or such, it shouldn't matter although I read reviews of Laurie King's mysteries that feature a lesbian as a main character in which the reviewer bitched that if she knew the character was a lesbian she wouldn't have read it. So for some people it does matter.
On romance though I think it's a bit more taste specific. In romance you're talking about sexual/romantic attractions, which is more personal to the reader than a mystery or sci-fi or other genres. Many romance readers are reading based on their particular attractions. In that case labeling is important.
If you turn it around and look at it from the lesbian reader side, maybe they don't want to read about love and sex between a man and a woman and if the romance isn't labeled they could end up with that.
About the f/f vs. lesbian labeling I'll address that in another comment.
Another aspect of the f/f vs. lesbian labeling, which also ties into the issue of "why is sexual orientation important in these books," is that being lesbian isn't just about who you sleep with--it's about how you perceive the world. Lesbians are women who love women, and this has a bit impact on everyday life. You notice women, not men. Your crushes are women, not men. Any potential romantic interest is going to be a woman, not a man--and that's not necessarily to do with sex, it's also about the tingle of a hand or a glance held too long, and where you look when you first enter a room. There really is a difference, so if your primary character is a lesbian, that will affect her characterization in ways other than who is waiting in her bed.
Isabella, I loved this post from you. And I’m glad you brought up the definite elephant in the room. I’ve always been curious how lesbians felt about the real differences in what we’ve been calling f/f vs. lesbian.
When I started reading f/f it was from erotica initially. I had no idea I would like it and it was a shock to find that out. I kept trying to find it but at the time there weren’t many ebooks, which is what I wanted, that offered erotic f/f romances. My sister, who’s a lesbian, sent me some of her books and I gobbled them up. However, I didn’t really relate to the socio/political or lesbian specific (butch/femme/king) aspect of those stories. I could relate to the love and sex part though. But I felt more attracted to the bi or curious or first time experience character and story.
There were a few of us at the time when lots of discussion went on that were insisting that we wanted f/f vs. lesbian and many didn’t get why there should be or if there was a difference. Our argument was that if something is labeled lesbian, then the straight reader who wants to read the bi or curious character wouldn’t buy it. And if something is labeled f/f that a lesbian would be pissed if the character is basically straight or bi but has a sexual relationship with a woman. And to be clear, I do get that a lot of “f/f” is basically written for male titillation and that’s not what I’m talking about for me. I’m talking about f/f that is romance and HEA oriented.
Author Kirsten Saell, who is a bisexual and has written f/f, f/f/m explains the difference in a more articulate way than I could.
http://www.goodreads.com/group/comments/23238.F_F_Romance_Erotica?user_id=2708346-kirsten-saell
In the meantime, due to a lack of “f/f” I have read a lot of lesbian romance written by lesbian authors and I feel a lot more of a connection to them than I did when I first started reading f/f. At this point while intellectually I see a difference, on a personal level that boundary is not there anymore.
One thing I have noticed after having read quite a few lesbian romance books by lesbians vs. f/f or lesbian written by straight women is that sometimes I feel a lack of connectedness either on the sexual or romantic level in f/f. It’s a subtle thing. It’s not with all straight writers, but I notice it sometimes. But I’ve also read a few lesbian stories written by men that have been gorgeous. So there ya go.
At this point I don’t care about labeling. But there might be a lot of readers out there who were like me when I first starting reading who would like that distinction until maybe they reach a point where it doesn’t matter either.
Hi Cathy,
Hmmm, I think girl on girl or F/F has a certain feel to it, at least the ones I've read. I think if the main characters are identified as lesbian then calling it lesbian romance is good. If they're straight and have a one time thing, I think you're safe calling girl on girl or F/F, now if they decide their lesbians after the encounter, well you got me on that one. However, I think you are free to call your work anything you want. :)
Thanks for responding, I appreciate hearing all POV's.
Isabella
Cat,
Good point Lesbian is often used as a search word in the Amazon, B&N and other databases. It gets lots of hits and so using it puts lots of works into that category. Using girl on girl, gives it a different feel, a different taste, so to speak. Hey, I love some F/F stories, they are hot, well written and wet my appetite for other stuff.
I hope its easy to find a good lesbian romance, using the word lesbian, but it is definitely something the reader needs to think about. They might be disappointed if they get something they didn't want.
Thanks for responding Cat. I appreciate a great discussion.
Isabella
Hi She,
In a perfect world I think you might be right, it shouldn't matter, but this is the same world that still wants to regulate certain types of lifestyles. So having said that, there are those who don't want to read a book about a lesbian or by a lesbian. It has been that long since Patricia Cornwell came out officially.
Money is the driving factor, I think, in what people write, and read. If someone spends their hard earned money on something they didn't want, believe me, we authors hear about it. Loud and clear. So labeling has become a fact of life. Not to mention, I think the big New York publishing houses started the term bodice ripper to negate those that wrote in the romance genre.
Thanks for bringing a great point of view to the discussion.
Isabella
Well, my POV character would probably identify as bi, being attracted to men and women tho not having ever been with a woman before, and the other would identify as lesbian, if asked. But neither come out and say, "I'm ______." They do end up with each other in the end and are happy : )
Confused yet? : )
Thanks, Isabella!
Leah,
Thanks, I thing you did a great job of articulating what I was hoping the reader would take away from the article. There isn't anything wrong with F/F, its just different, at least for me. I like it and have a taste for it from time to time, but I love the lesbian author who gives me a flavor for what it's like to be a lesbian, to love a woman and their struggles to work through that love. Sometimes these struggles are reflected in the writing and speak to me as a lesbian. They add depth for me that sometimes only another lesbian can do. However, as you stated then there are those stories written by men and some straight women that just knock my socks off.
Thanks for letting me talk about the elephant in the room. It's a conversation that is being had, sometimes in the dark and we all know what grows in the dark.
Isabella
HI Cathy,
Nope, I think I know exactly what you mean so you might have to work a little harder to confuse me. WE could have a whole 'nother conversation about Bi/Lesbian relationships or the straight/lesbian relationship. It happens all the time in a lesbian's world. Sometimes it doesn't end in a HEA, but in our stories it can.
Isabella
Anonymous,
I couldn't leave your comment out of the responses. You know the look, when you get it. It happens in that crowd of people, from the woman you think might be a lesbian. Its the stolen wink between lesbians, or the smirk you get when being "made". Sometimes those are things we see in our writing that give us away as lesbians. The thought process connected with being a lesbian definitely shows up in our writing, but then sometimes it doesn't.
There are a few good straight writers out there and I applaud them for their authenticity when they are writing for us lesbians and they get it right.
So, I agree there is something about looking at a woman and getting a chill. :) Thanks for taking time to give us your perspective on the F/F and lesbian differences.
Isabella
great post Isabella. as for quality it definitely depends on the author, but i will admit when i see F/F i think it leans more to towards the les-curious straight girls getting it on type of plots. doesn't mean i wont read it, but if i see lesbian i'll assume that characters are in fact lesbians.
Isabella-
To be honest, I've been reading and reviewing f/f and lesbian since 2007 and my viewpoint has changed a lot over time. One thing that does bother me in this discussion of f/f vs. lesbian is that on some level I do feel very sensitive towards the lesbian community on the fact that I haven't had to deal with the daily struggles of being a GLBT person and that I can have my straight privilege while getting off on the sexuality and romance of a disenfranchised group.
I read it because I love to read about women falling in love with each other, but sometimes it feels like I have no right to review or judge it or even get off on it.
I didn't bother about bringing up that elephant over and over in the beginning, but for a while now I feel sometimes to do so is to erase the lesbian experience that is part of many lesbian romances, which I feel is not OK. But it is good to talk about.
@Cat- I discovered that if you type in lesbian the 1st several pages are mostly *cough* pr0nish *cough* stories. Unfortunately, to get to "real" lesbian you have to type in “lesbian romance” or “lesbian fiction.” Still a lot of the "f/f" books will show up first, but soon gets to "lesbian" romance.
LVLM(Leah) said: I haven't had to deal with the daily struggles of being a GLBT person and that I can have my straight privilege while getting off on the sexuality and romance of a disenfranchised group.
Thank you, because for me that's also an elephant in the room in this discussion. As a lesbian I cannot help sometimes seeing that erotica f/f authors are fetishing my life and they don't have to live with the downside. [For example, their own marriages are not put up for public vote, nor are the politicians on the national stage preaching their evil sins on the daily news.]
For me as a consumer, that is the critical difference between "lesbian" and "f/f". If it says "lesbian" I expect the mcs to be lesbians. If it says "f/f" then I understand there is a good chance they aren't. I say that as lesbian and realize that the labeling issue plays differently for everybody. Is there a right or wrong? Only in the eyes of the person who buys the book. *g*
As a publisher, the reader has the final say. We label books so that readers will buy what they want and not buy what they don't want. Everyone loses when a reader feels they were duped into buying a book.
Isabella wrote: Many lesbians gave me what I call the Stephen King response. He isn’t a murderer, but he writes about murder because he does his research.
While I agree in concept with his statement, what's also true is that most people reading Stephen King aren't murderers either. They don't know what a realistic murderer is, and the writer's skill is creating a shared world view so that the readers believe that the characters are what the writer describes them to be. So the analogy breaks down when the experience being written is one that members of the audience can share, like being a dancer, a chef, a person of color, or a lesbian. Any reader with specialized knowledge is going to question the characterization if some notes of it are off-key. And lesbians do mostly have specialized knowledge of sex between women as well as the day-to-day differences similarities inside a relationship between two women versus any other type of relationship.
Hi Rebekah,
Thanks for responding. I agree with your assessment that seeing F/F means something very different than seeing lesbian in the description. At least for me, I know what I expect when I read either of those stories. If they're label incorrectly, it isn't fair to the reader if they expected something different.
Thanks again for your response.
Isabella
HI Karin,
I couldn't agree with you more. I get this question often, so when I was presented with the opportunity talk about it here, I almost passed on it. It's a thorny issue and sometimes I get the impression that if I, as a lesbian, cry foul, I'm playing the victim or that I'm perceiving a slight where there isn't one.
I hadn't thought about the Stephen King issue in those terms. Thanks for enlightening me. That's why they call you the "Goddess of Lesbian Romance".
Isabella
Hi Leah,
You've hit the nail on the head for a lot of lesbian authors. There is a palpable tension when lesbian authors are asked about straight women and men writing with in the genre. The struggles for equality, the idea that someone who doesn't have the same experiences living the lifestyle couldn't understand the nuances is definitely an issue. I would assume these are the same issues for the gay and M/M genre as well.
A straight writer told me "we don't stop you from writing straight romance, why would you stop us from writing F/F, or lesbian romance?" I think she missed the point of the discussion. Perhaps she was looking at it from a sense of entitlement. She was entitled to write what she wanted and who was I to tell her she couldn't. I wasn't telling her she couldn't, just pointing out that her experiences were vastly different than mine.
I appreciate your reflections on the privilege many enjoy and recognize the struggles the lesbian community endures, even today. If the playing field were level this would be a different discussion. Thanks for posting and adding your voice to the discussion.
Isabella
Thanks for posting this Isabella - and for the comments by Karin. I think the issue for me is that I don't want to have my 'life' (not just who I sleep with) put in the same box as some 'erotic fantasy'. My life as an out lesbian is as much about my politics and my experience of walking through the world as 'obviously gay' as who I fancy or sleep with. I don't get turned on by stories about 'straight' women who have a momentary bi-sexual lapse... I want to read about women who either realise they are lesbians and come to terms with it or who are lesbians finding their soul-mate or solving some amazing crime etc. or if I want a dab of erotica I still want lesbians doing rather splendidly wonderful things with other lesbians - not two 'straight women having a steamy session...'
I have nothing against F/F -we are all on a spectrum and plenty of women who identify as straight may only be 70%, 80% or 90% straight) and F/F caters for their needs but I think it is correct that the distinction is made because when it says 'lesbian' I want it to cater for my needs as someone who feels 90% lesbian (well maybe 99 % ;-) ). So yes - lets all write and read and publish but also keep the difference in how we advertise these books as F/F and Lesbian - so they give us ALL what we need and we buy more of them. Nothing to stop any of us jumping the fence for a change in perspective - but I want to do that by choice not by mistake...
Thanks for this post, Isabella. Hot covers! I'll be checking out your books.
As far as ff vs. lesbian, I see a pretty clear distinction and authenticity is important to me. From my experience, the writing and characterizatons are better in lesbian romance. I like f/f, and even f/f/m, but can't find much quality (or romance) amongst the quickie get-off stuff.
Some m/m readers are calling any same-sex romance "gay romance," which kind of annoys me. Maybe the difference between m/m and gay isn't as marked, but lumping lesbian and f/f all together IMO dimishes the gay experience. It refuses to acknowledge that straight people aren't going to understand some things. Which is not to say that I haven't read some wonderful, authentic-seeming portrayals of lesbians by straights. But in a lot of f/f there is no attempt at accuracy because the focus is on girl/girl hotness for the straight (mostly male) gaze.
@CathyPegau
I think you could call Rulebreaker a lesbian romance. There are bi and straight characters in lesbian romance. Your book is sensual and well-written, but not erotic. The audience for f/f is looking for erotica, so you might do better to market to a different group.
Thanks again, great discussion. :)
Hi Isabella,
Thanks for this open and refreshing discussion. I agree with Anonymous and you regarding the real underlying difference between f/f and lesbian stories. Lesbian stories, while many times including sex, are portrayed through the lens of the lesbian experience. As women, we view the world differently from men and as lesbians our perspective differs from straight women as well. I think that comes out in the writing. It's very similar to watching an X-rated movie depicting what are supposedly "lesbians", when it is painfully obvious that the actors are straight and playing out a straight male fantasy.
So, for me there is a very important educational component in this discussion regarding the totality of the subject. F/F seems to focus on the sexual act, minus the emotional attachment. Lesbian fiction seeks to portray lesbian sex as a natural extension of the emotional experience. That's a critical difference.
Thanks for taking on this topic, Isabella. Great job.
LM
This has been an interesting and informative discussion. As I've thought about each comment, I had to ask myself "could I/would I write F/F or M/M, and if so...why would I do it and WHO would I be writing for?"
Right now, I want to write about authentic lesbian life drama--specifically for other women who will share my 'world view' and love my characters as much as I do.
Were I to pen a book about straight women (which is where I spent a large part of my life) I'm afraid, it would only to reach a different audience and only for the money.
That's just my two cents.
I write what I love.
Barrett
As a lesbian,I too want 'authentic' lesbian stories written by and for lesbians about 'authentic' lesbians. There is more to being a lesbian than sex. My feelings on this is it takes one who 'walks the walk' and 'talks the talk'to write a convincing lesbian character. Writing about two women having sex does not make it a lesbian story. I compare this to a white author writing a black character and calling it 'black literature.'
Let those who are not lesbians write f/f, nothing wrong with that. I know it isn't intended, but I find labeling this f/f sex, erotica, whatever,as lesbian to be insulting. Two women having sex doesn't make it lesbian sex or the women lesbians.
Interesting discussion. I agree that if a book is labeled as romance the reader does want to know what the pairing is. I'm still at a loss for why it matters in other genres. But that's my problem. I've read f/f and lesbian fiction and what I've found is first, I never pay attention to the author's orientation so I never knew whether she is straight or lesbian. For a story to be good I have to feel a connection to at least one character in the book. I have to be able to step into that character's role (books become movies in my head.) If I am able to do that then I'll love the book. If I cannot find that connection then it's just a so-so read. The author's writing is what sets up the connection. A well-written story is good reading no matter the genre or orientation. A poorly written, poorly edited story cannot be made better because it's labeled as a certain genre that just happens to be hot at the moment.
In answer to your question - 'She' - the reason why it matters to lesbians (on the whole) whether the characters even in non-romances are lesbians and the authors of lesbian books are lesbians is because we see ourselves so infrequently represented in other art forms and in general fiction and if we are there we are often 'misrepresented' even if that wasn't the author's intent. For years we were banned or marginalised or vilified. So when we have a representation that is 'authentic' it actually means a huge amount to a lot of us.
Straight people don't live with this lack of representation - they don't feel it. They don't sit down in front of the TV at night to find themselves absent on the screen or portrayed as an horrific stereotype. One of the most difficult things to explain to a liberal straight woman is WHY it is important to tell stories about lesbians by lesbians - because liberal straight women aren't prejudiced themselves and largely have friends who are equally liberal they don't see a 'problem' or a 'need'. They don't FEEL the lack either. But as a lesbian one walks through the world always being aware of not being straight. It is there in every moment, it is there every time you watch the TV or a film, every time you are at a non-gay gathering, every time you visit your family (even if they too are liberal). The lesbian author has that resonance in her work - even if it is there on an unconscious level. A straight person - as a rule - doesn't have that in their work however hard they try... it's not there. A straight reader won't notice it but a lesbian reader will. That is not to say that the straight author's book won't be any good or worth reading - but the 'resonance' will be missing in places, at least. It's just the way things are. (No offence - some of my best friends are liberal straight women... ;-D )
Hi Jill,
Thanks for adding to the discussion. I can't speak for the guys and gay romance vs. m/m, but I would imagine the idea is similar. Authenticity is important in any story and I think sometimes you can tell the writers who are faking it.
Again, thanks for adding to the discussion.
Isabella
Anonymous,
I agree with your perspective on the lesbian lifestyle. As an out lesbian, myself, I find myself reading lots of lesbian writing. I don't have lots of time so I want to spend it with people who matter to me, to include my reading. I want to spend my time with authors who know what it's like to be in my shoes or visa-versa.
I find it interesting that women are the only sex that says, "well I guess I'm attracted to women sometimes," but I never hear men say, "yeah, dude I guess I could see myself with a guy, no problem." Or the idea that a woman can be a little "gay" but men are never thought of that way. Maybe this is why straight women can find themselves writing F/F or lesbian romance, because of gender. Men writing lesbian romance, that's a different animal. They didn't respond to the question when it was posted in a few yahoo groups, and I know they were in there.
It's a topic that no one wants to talk about, because there are lots of women/lesbians who are very opinionated about the subject on both sides. An erotic conference I went to was interesting. Lots of straight people who wrote gay and lesbian, incest, twincest, non-com, sex with were-animals and other stories that I wouldn't even attempt, but that is just me. WE could talk about this for pages, and maybe it's worth a blog posting on my own blog. So watch for it.
Isabella
Lynette,
Thanks for taking time to post a response. I've read your book and you lend a great amount of authenticity to your work and I appreciate that.
I think you touch on the "gay for pay" when it comes to porn movies. Watching one you will instantly know if that actress is "yucking it up" or if she is really into women. I guess for enough money people will do anything. Epublishing has created a whole new industry and I think we are just at the tip of it. I don't think this is a topic that will go away soon.
Thanks again for posting.
Isabella
Barrett,
Interesting, you don't think you could write the straight romance and if you did it would only be for the money. Maybe, this is something that is happening in our own genre when those that aren't of our ilk do it.
Thanks for your posting and you write a great book.
Isabella
I support....,
"Two women having sex doesn't make it lesbian sex or the women lesbians." I couldn't agree more. Just as two women holding hands doesn't make them lesbians either. But do that in some parts of the U.S. and you could find yourself in a heap of trouble. An experience that our straight friends don't experience and lends to the argument about authenticity in any writing.
Thanks for posting.
Isabella
She
Well I agree. we lesbians are hot as a genre, but I think that epublishing has given more writers access to readers and their money than at any other time. Just look at all the online publishers that publish f/f, m/m, m/m/f and any other coupling you can think of. It has exploded in the last 5 years.
It has gotten to the point that the Lambda awards, an award that had in the past been open only to those who were LGBT and wrote LGBT books. The outrage that it wasn't open to straight writers cause such an uproar that the guidelines changed this year to accommodate ANYONE who writes these stories.
Ask any LGBT author how hard it is to win an award in other book awards. Many of these awards are run by straight individuals who come from middle America and have those values that might eliminate a great story because it is a lesbian story. In fact, I've seen contests call for judges that ask judges if they would read gay and lesbian stories. So there is a need for genre and not because I want it, but because others not of the LGBT community often call for it.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Isabella
The last Anonymous of the day,
I wake up everyday and kiss my wife good morning. I live in a straight world that reminds me constantly I am different. I live in a community were some have gone out of their way to make me worry about my own safety. I am an out lesbian and sometimes I need a story that is all about "me", the lesbian me. So I completely agree with what you've stated so succinctly about our lives in the world today.
Thanks for sharing your opinion with us.
Isabella
Great discussion. Simply amazing what is designated as Lesbian these days. Personally, I think calling this {2012 Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event} misleading, considering many of the examples I have read on this particular blog are apparently F/F and have nothing to do with lesbians.
As for awards, like Lambda and other supposedly Gay, and or Lesbian award groups letting straights enter, what is wrong with recognizing and celebrating our own writers who are GLBTQ?
Other awards groups are exclusive. Christian literature awards groups, Minority awards groups. etc. I would like to see awards just for those who identify as lesbian and who write about our lives as lesbians.
Isabella: Thanks for your post and the frank discussion. I wonder if the issue, like the difference in F/F and Lesbian is the same with M/M and Gay lit? I write Lesbian (or I guess for some, F/F) M/M and straight romance and I just want to write stories about all types of people and situations regardless of their genders and who they fall in love with.
Should it matter what the author's gender is as long as they write a great story? This has been an ongoing discussion, again in the M/M world about straight women writing M/M romance and some feel they shouldn't. Why shouldn't they? I also think back to my reading roots in the romance genre as a whole and the discussion about men writing romance that is a field heavily dominated by female authors. Most of these men had female pseudonyms such as Leigh Greenwood who writes Western romance. If an author is male and writes amazing love stories like Nicholas Sparks (even though he refuses to admit he writes romance), why should it matter?
Hi Linda,
Lucky for us we have the GCLS awards, but I agree on the Lammy's. They bowed to pressure and now it is a wide open field. Thanks for the responses, both here and on my facebook page and in the VLR. As you can see lots of people DON'T want to talk about this topic and those that do, do it from a point of authenticity and respect.
Isabella
KB,
I think this goes back to two things, the privilege of being straight and the authenticity that lesbians look for in a story. As I said in my article, one lesbian felt so strongly about the gender, that she felt duped when she found out a guy wrote the story. We are automatically considered second class citizens in a society that says it wants equality for everyone, just not equality me or my sisters. Our struggles come through in our writing, sometimes. As Karin said, she feels that some fetish our lifestyle and don't have to live with the downside of being a lesbian. WE are judged by who we love and how we live. Now that F/F and lesbian sex is perceived to be hot, everyone wants to jump on the train. People who live the LGBT lifestyle can lose their jobs, be arrested or beaten for doing what you get to do everyday, love your husband or boyfriend.
I'm not saying you can't write what you want, but you should be prepared to be judged for it, just like we are judged for our lifestyles. The struggles we live everyday will become a similar struggles you will face because you chose to write what you like. That's where the privilege ends for straight people I guess.
Thanks again for the opportunity to post a fiery topic here.
Isabella
Isabella-
Do you have a link for your blog? I tried googling you and I went to the publisher link here, but I couldn't find any blog and the publisher link it's not a personal blog. I'd like to follow some of those discussions about this and other topics. I think it's good to talk about difficult topics. Or at least to read other points of view.
I've been mulling how to write this comment and nothing seems to "read" right in my head, but I feel like I need to justify my writing. I know, I can write whatever I want, call it whatever I want. I'm not trying to win a prize or the undying gratitude of lesbians everywhere for my stuff. I'm not trying to jump on any band wagon or market trend. I'm not trying to write stories that titillate for the mere fact there are two women having sex. I just want to tell a story. Hopefully a good story with characters readers will like.
No, I don't know what it's like to be a lesbian, to live in a world where who I love matters to anyone OTHER than that person. I can't identify with the issues faced every waking moment by lesbian friends, family, and strangers. But I can support you to the best of my ability, and that is, in part, what I hope to do with my writing. Showing two women falling in love as normal and beautiful. Because those are the lesbian relationships I've been exposed to all my life.
Being a non-lesbian writing lesbian and bi characters, I always wonder how my book will be received. I knew there would be some unhappiness about the idea, but I sure as heck didn't want to offend anyone.
Thanks for cluing me in and for letting me sort of explain myself.
Leah,
Sapphire Books just changed their blog location. You can find it here:
http://www.sapphirebooks.com/blog/
Feel free to leave a comment and check back soon. I'll be posting on more lesbian topics, I'm sure a few will be like this one, fiery.
Isabella
Cathy,
I think if you write stories from your heart and you love the story and it speaks to you, chances are it will speak to the reader. Trust me, I've written stuff that a few readers hated, just hated, and then I get email from readers who read the same book and loved it.
This is a tough business and I've taken some criticism for this post alone, so see you can't please everyone, you just have to be true to who you are and write what inspires you. Readers will learn about you through your writing and you will develop that following, heck you probably already have a following, so what do I know.
Showing two women in a loving relationship is all most of us ask for. We love just like you do, we hurt just like you do and but most of all we just want to be who we are, just like you, only with a twist, we love women. Thanks for your support and I hope you have a great writing career in this business. Remember, the only person you really have to be true to is you.
Thanks for sharing your time with me a few other lesbians who read this post.
Best Wishes,
Isabella
Linda North:
I had the same reaction when I read some of the posts earlier in the week: why are you calling this a lesbian fiction appreciation event when these are primarily f/f, some who are mainly m/m and m/m/f writers, who don't write what I view as "lesbian fiction"? The only reason I read this particular post is that I was happy to see someone address that.
I am very frustrated that Lambda has chosen to stop recognizing GLBT writers with its awards. The Lammy shortlists used to be a way for me, as a lesbian, to find authentic lesbian-themed books. Now it seems they will be no more trustworthy than a Goodreads list of recommendations.
As far as the GCLS, well, they give awards to straight men, so that's not a whole lot better than the Lammys, IMHO.
Part of the problem, I think, it what the audience considers "a great story." To a lesbian audience, that means an authentic lesbian, or even bisexual, experience, not two straight or bi-curious girls who hook up but who don't identify as gay. But many who read f/f don't consider that as a necessary element to "a great story," because that's not what they're looking for, which is why I think that f/f and lesbian fiction really are two separate things.
KB/KT Grant:
A man writing a heterosexual romance--which is likely something he has experienced, albeit from the masculine side--is a bit different to a straight person writing a lesbian romance. Are the emotions the same? You bet. The experience of falling in love, of being in love, is the same. But living as a lesbian--being afraid to hold hands, to kiss, to express that love in public; having to constantly censor one's pronouns, one's use of a partner's name; being unable to participate in discussions about activities with one's partner--a whole lot of that is very difficult to write about without having experienced it. Even if the character is an openly out and proud lesbian, she's going to be aware that others might not be, and how she handles those interactions is going to be an important part if her character that readers will identify with.
There's so much more to being a lesbian than having hot sex, and f/f doesn't seem interested in that at all--which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just part of what makes it "not" lesbian fiction.
Anon: Then do you agree that the same rules apply with M/M romance/fiction?
I think the quality of an author's work should count, and not based on the author's gender, sexual orientation or race. It shouldn't matter who the author is, but the work they write. In a perfect world this would happen, but it doesn't.
If a straight woman writes an amazing M/M or F/F or even Lesbian book, why shouldn't they be allowed to submit to GLBT awards? I also feel that GLBT romance should be nominated in such organizations like RWA and even RT magazine, but it's not. Why? Because there's still this belief a romance novel is about the love between a man and a woman, which I find wrong in so many ways and so very insulting.
Lesbian romance is not about hot sex, just like straight or M/M romance is just not hot sex. It's about the journey of failing in love and accepting one another, faults and all, and the beauty of love. That is what I write regardless of the gender of my main couple.
KB/KT Grant
Just as there are awards for people of color (the Image Awards, the Alma Awards), the Lammys used to be awards for GLBT writers, which is not the same thing as writers of GLBT-themed fiction. As far as I know, it was the only award out there that did so. And I think it's too bad they've changed their policy, because now there is no major award for GLBT authors. Which I think is a shame.
Anon: I can see your point. But how do they ask an author's sexual orientation? How will they prove the author is telling the truth?
KB/KT Grant:
I'd like to believe that people would be honest if the criteria said the author needed to identify as GLBT. I personally think it would be horribly offensive for a straight person to fraudulently enter an award that specified it was for GLBT authors. Does an award really give an author satisfaction if it's won under false pretenses? I would hope not.
When asked to clarify whether the awards recognized the GLBT status of the author or the work, Lambda went with the work. I understand and respect that decision, yet still am disheartened by it.
Anon:
To a lesbian audience, that means an authentic lesbian, or even bisexual, experience, not two straight or bi-curious girls who hook up but who don't identify as gay. But many who read f/f don't consider that as a necessary element to "a great story," because that's not what they're looking for, which is why I think that f/f and lesbian fiction really are two separate things.
There is a difference between f/f and lesbian. As a reader of both, I know there is. But those who are looking for two straight chicks hooking up for steamy sex are looking for erotica, which is different than romance.
As far as I know, and I've been part of a small group of women who've been fighting for years for labeling and more exposure for f/f and lesbian on major romance blogs, we are not reading it for the sex only. We are reading it for the love story and it needs to have an HEA. The difference is usually the characters are a combination of bi/straight, bi/lesbian, lesbian/straight and usually a first time experience. But the ultimate outcome desired is that the women are falling in love.
I've even read tons of f/f erotica and almost always at least one character is bi or lesbian but it can be two straight women having a thing just for the sex. In erotica the focus is almost alway on sex and not the GLBT experience in love. So it will look more like fetishization of lesbian sexuality.
But I can see how for lesbians this is what you'd call f/f and it is. It's just not the f/f many of us on this blog are talking about.
As far as I know, it was the only award out there that did so. And I think it's too bad they've changed their policy, because now there is no major award for GLBT authors. Which I think is a shame.
I'm in total agreement with you. I think the Lammy's should have kept their policy of GLBT identified writers.
I do know though that the m/m writer crowd are loud and a lot of things got muddled in the argument because suddenly a lot of straight women were writing gay romance. But in that m/m writing crowd are, I know, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders. And I think the Lammys then had to start making distinctions because lesbians, female bisexuals and transgenders were writing m/m, which technically qualified them as members of the GLBT community. But I think in the past it was lesbians writing lesbian fiction and gays writing gay fiction? I don't know.
But I'm in your court on this one. As has been pointed out, in the straight romance community it's extremely hard if not impossible for a GLBT book to get judged. So the playing field is still very unequal.
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