Though there are a number of porn sites for women out there, we completely understand if that’s just not your thing. Between the jackhammering, fake orgasms, unsexy storylines, and lack of lube, the visuals of porn aren’t exactly enjoyable (or really even realistic) for most people watching. Luckily, there is plenty of erotic reading online you can use for masturbating and achieving pleasure instead.
For those of you unfamiliar with what erotic reading looks like, erotica is defined as “literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire,” per the Oxford Dictionary. You might think of books like “Fifty Shades of Grey” or “After” as examples, since they contain many graphic sex scenes, but in reality, adult erotic literature can go much deeper than that.
For starters, the length of erotic stories you read can vary depending on what you’re in the mood for. This form of adult erotic literature offers everything from entire books to short stories or snippets of one sexual experience. And similar to porn, there are many genres to choose from, including threesomes, fetishes, lesbian sex, romance, anal sex, BDSM, and more.
In most online erotic literature, you will find a mix of stories written by both professional writers and nonprofessional writers who just want to share a POV from their own sex lives. How you submit these erotic stories greatly depends on the website itself, but many of them have a submission section or “submit” button somewhere on the site where anyone can take part in the fun.
If you’re one of the many people who prefer adult fiction over an adult film, keep reading to find the best erotic reading options online. And for another alternative to porn, don’t be afraid to check out these audio porn apps or list of erotic short stories as well.
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.