This is copied from the second weblink you provided, and it states:

Links in the left sidebar lead to an eclectic mix of articles offering advice, insightful commentary, interviews, and information about erotica in the news and in society. Links in the right sidebar lead to a variety of book and movie reviews.

AJ is in the left sidebar and the posts are all about digital technology. And many of the articles on the left sidebar have nothing to do with erotica, per se. They are indeed an “eclectic mix” of articles dealing with a number of topics in the publishing world.

Now, I’m not an AJ cheerleader, but I certainly give her the right to squawk on this account. I call “bullshit”.

Woah! Shiloh, do you realize that romance publishers & editors are actively courting people who write “smut”?

Melissa, I think I made it pretty clear that I don’t consider romance “smut”. Nor do I consider erotic romance “smut”. I view the term “smut” as something that has little or no value, and that is certainly not how I view romance or erotic romance.

please note, I very clearly said:

However, I see smut as a far different cry from good romance or good erotic romance.

If I choose to get irritated over the term “smut”, it isn’t because I view “smut” as the same as erotic romance.

It isn’t. For me, the term “smut” is interchangeable with “trash.” And for me, the term “smut” is NOT interchangeable with “erotic romance HIM” or “romance”.

Don’t like smut? Don’t write for folks who ask for it and publish it.

I’ll write for whom I choose, thank you.

If EC, Samhain, Berkley and Ballnatine suddenly start putting out a call for “smut” versus “romance” or “erotic romance”, I may well reconsider who I write for. But they ask for romance or erotic romance, and that’s what I deliver.

If you view “smut” the same as “erotic romance”, that’s perfectly fine-I’m not say you have to see it the same way I do. But likewise, you also can’t tell me that I’m not entitled to view the issue exactly as I choose to.

I have to admit that when I think of the word “smut” I immediately go to my great-aunt and her mountains of Harlequin romances back in the early 80s. She’d read one a day and as she did so she would grumble about the amount of “smut” in them, yet she would keep reading. The word gives me the giggles and when I see it inspiring such heated debate I can’t help but chuckle.

The point I’m trying to make is that everyone’s definition of smut differs. I doubt that Harlequin, EC, Samhain, etc. would put themselves into the same slot as Hustler and other explicitly pornographic publisher, but when you get right down to it the two are diverging. Just as Playboy/Playgirl wouldn’t want to be painted with the same brush as Hustler, I can see why romance publishers would want to avoid being painted with the same brush as erotica.

However, there’s no getting away from it and there’s no denying that much of the content you find in erotica is the same content that you’d find in erotic romance and no single publisher can legitimately make the claim that they’re not dipping their toe into the same pool. I’ve gotten into heated debates with authors who tell me that what they write is romance and not erotica – and since the theme of the day seems to be to cite RR, the most lengthy discussion I had was with an RR author who loathed the smut/erotica label – and it’s too easy to cite publications from publishers who bill themselves as erotic romance yet manage to “out-smut” with their content. RR is not alone in publishing explicit material – they’re just the most referenced because they are so hated.

I’m one of the authors who comes from the “smut” side of the fence. After successfully publishing “smut” it was suggested to me that I start looking at romance publishers and when I did I found little difference between the two. With very few adjustments and by tacking on a HEA I was able to submit a manuscript to one of the bigger-named romance e-publishers and get published on the first try. From where I sit the grass is the same shade of green on both sides.

Btw, love how you skipped over the part of my post where I linked James’s willing contribution to the site as a columnist. Wouldn’t want to burst any bubbles, now, would we? Why don’t you ask her about the time she was forced at gunpoint to become a contributer? I’m sure she sits around gnashing her teeth about how she was wronged and heaven-forbid anybody find out about that and accused her of being a smut-peddler.

Nothing nefarious in my contributions there. They approached me about doing a series of articles for their visitors on digital publishing. Since I’m pretty passionate about evangelizing the word of digital publishing (that was tongue-in-cheek, btw) I was happy to. I hadn’t heard of the website before that, I’m still not very familiar with it, so I can’t speak to what they do or say about romance or erotic romance. I don’t think my articles there can be construed as support of their opinions, whatever they may be, any more than my presence at RWA presenting a workshop or at NINC doing the same can be construed as supporting all of their beliefs or policies. The articles and workshops are the only opinions I’ll own as mine, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

There are even more that come out weeks before the call even goes up on the publisher’s website and sometimes it doesn’t even appear on their website but comes exclusively down the pipe with a request that the information not be posted elsewhere. “Smut” didn’t go knocking on romance’s door – romance came knocking on smut’s door. I can’t imagine why they chose not to share with with their readers. Heard it was something about a giant stick and needing colorectal surgery …

Btw, love how you skipped over the part of my post where I linked James’s willing contribution to the site as a columnist. Wouldn’t want to burst any bubbles, now, would we? Why don’t you ask her about the time she was forced at gunpoint to become a contributer? I’m sure she sits around gnashing her teeth about how she was wronged and heaven-forbid anybody find out about that and accused her of being a smut-peddler.

Just like the pubs have no idea where their calls are going.

Not.

I think you could argue that there’s a difference between an official call for submission and someone aggregating publishing opportunities for steamier works.

Not that I care all that much, just wanted to point that out.

http://www.erotica-readers.com/ERA/G/Call_For_Submissions.htm

Recognize any of the pubs on there? Right there alongside of Hustler Fantasies, Penthouse Variations, and Big Tools?

You can be as snobby as you want about it but that doesn’t make it any less true. Even Angela James, former HBIC at Samhain, has contributed some great articles to the ERWA site (which, if you look around, you’ll see proudly owns the word “smut”)

http://www.erotica-readers.com/ERA/Archive09/Archive_2009.htm

Azteclady, I assume then that you would *never ever* buy anything from the publishers on the link I posted up there. You can keep shrieking about RR all you want for being smut peddlers but the proof is right there, my dear. Whether you like it or not, these publishers clearly have no objection to being featured alongside of Larry Flynt’s flagship.