Why lesbians don’t write more for lesbians though is something very interesting to me.

They do. Just not for epubs.

I will agree with Kirsten in that it’s all about the story and how an author presents things. I have read some f/f that definitely was a turn off. And I will also agree with her that for some straight women it’s probably uncomfortable to read f/f because there still is an ingrained taboo about loving one own sex romantically and sexually, even if one is very open and has no judgments about it on the surface. It might be a scary place to go for many straight women.

And I will agree with Anne D as well, in that maybe because f/f love has been more acceptable and maybe because in every day life women can be more affectionate and intimate with each other without it being sexual is why it’s not that interesting for straight women to read f/f. One can feel more comfortable with one’s own sex and allow more intimate forms of affection because there isn’t the threat of sexual overtures. So maybe it is kind of boring for straight women to read it. Who knows really? Since it’s not really that popular, it doesn’t seem to be that big of an issue for most people.

Why lesbians don’t write more for lesbians though is something very interesting to me.

I also wonder if the concept in general of women loving women has been more socially acceptable over the ages (especially when viewed from the men are the superior sex standpoint), whereas men loving men has until just recently been tarred with a much darker brush than their sapphic opposites?

That could be the case. A large part of the thrill I get from a lot of erotica/romantica is the taboo factor, and lesbians just aren’t so much. But as I’ve said here and elsewhere, as long as I like the story and the characters, I don’t care who’s doing what to whom.

I also wonder if the concept in general of women loving women has been more socially acceptable over the ages (especially when viewed from the men are the superior sex standpoint), whereas men loving men has until just recently been tarred with a much darker brush than their sapphic opposites? So, although it might not be concious choice, women find the concept of two men intriguing because in the past the concept has been very well hidden, whereas a ff relationship has been more than just a fantasy for men for a long time now and is more of a staple and has reached a level of acceptance?

There are also other reasons to read m/m besides “hey, *two* hot men!”, and they tend to favour m/m rather than f/f, even for bi and lesbian women. I’ve got a draft essay on my LiveJournal that summarised a long discussion from an sf writer’s group about this. The comment thread expands on the original post, with some comments specifically on lesbian women and straight men who enjoy m/m fanfiction.

Which doesn’t mean that I won’t read books about a lesbian couple. It’s just that if the point of the book is erotic romance, there are going to be a lot of pages I’ll find deeply, deeply boring to read.

I’ve read f/f and while I can appreciate the writing and the relationship, as romance, it doesn’t appeal, which isn’t surprising. I wish I could offer some solace, but I can’t.

We will happily review f/f at Uniquely Pleasurable, as well as bi or trans stories, but we just never seem to get sent them.

I know a few ramrod straight women who enjoy f/f, and a lot of women who would consider themselves bi-curious who read it. But this whole phenomenon of popularity with m/m is intriguing to me. Is it because it (m/m for straight women) was virtually unknown before? Is f/f simply passe, and will possibly one day enjoy a resurgence of popularity, like skinny jeans and wedge heels? Or is this the beginning of the end forever?

I really like f/f, and have a growing affection for m/m, and variations on the two. But I have noticed it’s the story, the characters, the author’s voice and treatment of relationships and sex, that makes me love a book. If you give me that, I don’t much care which tab is going into which slot.

I find it odd, though, that GLBT seems to be all about the G these days, and the LBT get kinda forgotten. Is that because lesbian and bi material is generally seen as more “mundane”, for lack of a better word, than the m/m stuff, whereas the trans is still waiting for its heyday? I mean, if we’re talking about m/m, why are we still labelling it GLBT?

That’s the point I was trying to make, at least with regard to epublishers. While there is a growing GB presence, the LT presence is negligible, and the few epublishers who used to publish f/f are no longer accepting those stories. The straight female readership is behind this, I’m sure; they’re far more likely to buy ebooks than lesbian readers seem to be. Most of the so-called GLBT ebooks I see reviewed are written by straight women for straight women, which is why it’s all about the boys.

Obviously I can’t speak to anyone’s experience but my own, but nearly all the fan mail I get is from gay male readers.

Maybe they’re more appreciative of how you get it right. There’s plenty out there that appeals to a straight female readership, but if the choices for gay men are more limited as far as what they want in a story, they would probably be more demonstrative in their praise.

I find it odd, though, that GLBT seems to be all about the G these days, and the LBT get kinda forgotten. Is that because lesbian and bi material is generally seen as more “mundane”, for lack of a better word, than the m/m stuff, whereas the trans is still waiting for its heyday? I mean, if we’re talking about m/m, why are we still labelling it GLBT?

I’m sure some of the gay male readers and writers DO resent us females writing “their” books. But it’s encouraging how many gay men have shown enormous support to myself and many other female authors of gay romance. Certainly more support than existed a few short years ago. There seem to be a lot of gay men out there looking for romance in their fiction, and at this point in time women seem to write more romance than men, whatever the genre. I think that is changing, and will continue to change. At least I hope so. I think it’s wonderful to see more integration in ALL genres. More men are writing straight romance now. That, to me, is just fantastic :)