Though there are a number of porn sites for women out there, visual porn isn't for everyone. Between the jackhammering, fake orgasms, clunky storylines, and lube deserts, the exaggerated visuals of porn aren't always enjoyable (and might even be distracting) for viewers. That's where erotic lit comes in: that steamy masturbation material that leaves a little more up to the imagination.
For those uninitiated in the world of adult stories, erotica is pretty much any literature or art made with the intention of arousing sexual desire. Some of the more popular books in the erotic fiction category include "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "After," both famous for their many graphic sex scenes. But the erotica category is expansive, and includes works that are a little more subtle or structurally different.
For example, erotic stories come in all different lengths. Depending on your mood, you can reach for erotic short stories, entire erotic books, or sexy little snippets. And, like any porn, there are genres to choose from. Whether you're looking for sapphic literature, straight up romance, or stories about threesomes, fetishes, or BDSM, erotic lit has got it all.
If you're someone who prefers erotic reading to an adult film, take a look at this list of the best erotic lit available online, below.
The Best Erotic Reading Sites
- Literotica: The website most well-known for its erotic stories, Literotica has been around since 1998 when founders Laurel and Manu realized "there was a shortage of quality stories sites." According to the website, they created this platform in hopes that it would "bring together those who enjoy reading original erotic fiction and those who like to write it." The erotic stories on the website are 100 percent sourced from author submissions, and if you're interested in submitting your own, all you have to do is be at least 18 and sign up for a free Literotica account. If you're interested in reading a story, under their "stories and pics" site index, they offer more than 30 genres you can select depending on how you're feeling, including fetish, first time, sci-fi and fantasy, group sex, toys and masturbation, and more. The best part? Literotica is completely free.
- Novel Trove: Novel Trove is a combination of the sites above, with a mix of erotic reading fiction, erotic reading romance, and personal accounts. Choose from over 30 categories, including adventure and group. Yes, Noveltrove is completely free for you to use and, as the site says, "always will be."
- Bellesa: Quality over quantity applies to this site, but the best part is that the erotic stories focus on the female perspective. For $20 a month (originally $50 a month), you can sign up for a membership to gain access to Bellesa's premium video content in addition to its already-free erotic stories.
- BDSM Cafe: Whether you're a "Fifty Shades of Grey" fan, a kink pro, or someone who's curious about this world, BDSM Cafe has everything from adult novels and poetry to BDSM safety tips for free.
- Lush Stories: This site offers free erotica and chat rooms, so you can read, talk, and watch, depending on what you like. There are countless stories from a wide range of authors complete with plot lines from college sex to historical affairs and everything in between.
- Kinkly: Looking for an expansive website with vast amounts of information on pretty much any sex topic you could think of at no cost at all? Kinkly checks those boxes, with steamy short stories that'll keep you on edge.
- Nifty: With a wide array of user-contributed stories that span the kink spectrum, Nifty boasts a hefty archive of erotica, all from an LGBTQ+ lens, as well as new stories contributed regularly. Oh yes, and it's completely free, too.
— Additional reporting by Taylor Andrews
Nicole Yi is the former associate editor at PS.
Taylor Andrews is a balance editor at POPSUGAR who specializes in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, and more. In her six years working in editorial, she's written about how semen is digested, why sex aftercare is the move, and how the overturn of Roe killed situationships.