The documentary Naughty Books follows three such women: an Air Force veteran, a telemarketing consultant and a hospital administrator who became millionaires in less than a year by selling erotica online under pseudonyms. They gained thousands of fans and secured lucrative book deals with major publishers. However, the market quickly became saturated, with hundreds of romance novels being published each month, making sustained success difficult.

Anaïs Nin is often hailed by critics as one of the finest writers of female erotica. She was the first prominent author in the modern West to devote herself entirely to the field of erotica. Nin initially viewed the characters in her erotic works as extreme caricatures and never intended to publish the works, but changed her mind in the early 1970s. Due to financial constraints, she had the works published under the titles Delta of Venus and Little Birds. Her timeless collection of lurid stories is guaranteed to seduce anyone. It’s no surprise that Nin’s work directly inspired Madonna when she wrote the text for her 1992 photo book Sex.

Two books whose covers are as eye-catching as their content are Tampa by Alissa Nutting (2013) and Inside Madeleine by Paula Bomer (2014). Nutting’s controversial book is about a pedophile – a teacher who seduces an underage student. But what makes Tampa so compelling is its sharply observed portrayal of intense female obsession, a brilliant take on Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert. Bomer’s stories are honest and fearless.

From sexual fetishes to the power of menstruation, the author delves deep into the human body and all the pleasures and pains it holds. Other contemporary erotic bestsellers include Audrey Carlan’s Calendar Girl and Trinity series, Anna Todd’s After series, and Sylvia Day’s Crossfire novels. I remember reading pirated copies of Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden in college – an analysis of the sexual fantasies of women and men in the ’70s and ’80s. Now I’m excited to read Gillian Anderson’s Want, a collection of anonymous sexual fantasies from women around the world!

A recent study on the motivations of readers of this genre cites erotic pleasure, sexual arousal, and the joy of engaging with other readers online. According to Sarah Jane, a psychologist and sex educator, reading sexy books or arousing material can help transform stress or anxiety into positive emotions, such as excitement and heat rather than fear or overwhelm. I’m no expert in this genre, but I admit that I’ve read some quality erotica over the years!

(The author’s views are personal)