Book Nook: Best Women's Erotica of the Year (Editor Interview)

Cleis Press recently published BEST WOMEN'S EROTICA OF THE YEAR, VOLUME 3 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussell. 

This book will be of interest to:

• Anyone who appreciates great writing, amazing storytelling, and impressive editing skills.
• Readers and audiences who are in desperate need for some "me" time 
• People who need a break from the monotony of the holiday madness
• And... most importantly...women who appreciate bold and daring women who are not afraid to take control and express their sexual sides!

I had a chance to interview Rachel to learn more.

Why can erotica be a good read for women?

Erotica lets readers use their imaginations and discover new fantasies and ways of thinking about sex. Whether or not you'd really want to try something in real life, you can still get aroused thinking about it. So even if you haven't made a sex tape or been tied up or seduced a stranger or hired a dominant or role-played, you can live vicariously through the characters; the women in Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, do all those things. While these stories are fiction, I believe they also have enough realness that readers, men and women, can see elements of themselves in them. For many people, reading or listening to erotica is a form of foreplay, a way to shift from their everyday lives and concerns into their sexual, passionate self.

How are selections chosen?

I put out a public call for short stories and writers from around the world submit. I do my best to reach out to both the erotic writing community as well as authors in other genres and newcomers to erotica for the most well-rounded books I can produce. Then I go about selecting the stories that I think will speak most to readers and that also feature characters that are varied in terms of sexual orientation, setting, race, age, etc. I aim for stories that speak to readers who've never read erotica and those who read it nonstop.

Why shouldn't it be taboo to read erotic stories?

In a nutshell, because they're fantasy. Erotica exists to turn readers on; that's it's main function. What could be taboo about that? Readers are often surprised at which stories arouse them the most, because of the way the stories unfurl on the page. You may not think you'll find a tale of a bisexual open marriage your thing until you get sucked unto the story (and for others, that's exactly what they're looking for). Erotica may inspire people to try new things in the bedroom (or out of it), but you can enjoy all sorts of sexy scenarios on the page and keep them as fantasies in your mind.