I’m all about sex positivity and I’m tired of the narrative that sex and sexual pleasure should be shamed. So I’ve dove head first into women-run companies that prioritize the pleasure of other women. Wouldn’t you know it I found Quinn Audio! And let me tell you–you being book babes, smut readers, or anyone attracted to the idea of actually finding pleasure in a relationship or on your own–I’m the biggest advocate for Quinn. So let’s talk Quinn–the app for audio erotica.
This is your one and only warning that some of this article may not be suitable for readers of all ages. Your media consumption is your own responsibility.
Do you remember when we were all excited about Don’t Worry Darling because it was marketed as a movie that was putting women’s pleasure at the forefront of the story? I don’t know if any of you actually watched that movie, but that was a damn lie. There were maybe one or two scenes that can be twisted to fit that narrative. For the most part, though, that movie was about a man who kidnapped his girlfriend for his own pleasure. Isn’t this type of storytelling boring anyone else yet?
I don’t know about you guys, but I read romance. Oh yeah, by the way, it’s the Resident Romance Redneck again–and I’m back on my bullshit. I’ve never really talked about why I prefer reading romance over other genres–at least, not explained it too much. The plain and simple explanation is that I read romance books because the women get theirs.
The men in these novels are written in a way that makes them the perfect–albeit sometimes flawed–partners. And while I do realize expecting your partner to be perfect all the time is unrealistic and possibly damaging to the relationship, I also recognize my worth as a human with human needs. Human needs that Quinn Audio satisfies.
You might be wondering why book lovers–smut lovers, in particular–should be on the edge of their seats. You’re thinking, “what does this have to do with the bookish community that Bookstr hosts?” The answer is in the Bookworm Playlist. But before I get to that, let me lay down some definitions that might help you understand where I’m coming from.
Romance vs. Erotica vs. Porn
It’s no surprise to anyone that all three of these are imbued with tropes that they can’t escape–not that they really want to. I believe the troped-up nature of these storylines is one of the only similarities between the three. I will say there is a clear line in the sand–for me–about the differences between romance, erotica, and porn. It might be blurred for some people, so I’m going to specify what the lines are for me.
Romance Novels, Movies, Writing, etc.
Romance has an endgame other than just sexual satisfaction. Romance–like that found in novels or movies–is driven by plot. It’s driven by storytelling. There’s an underlying problem that the characters will need to solve before they can admit their attraction to one another. A good example of romance is Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren. Lauren explores the second chance romance of childhood best friends–Macy and Elliot–while writing a singular POV story over a wide range of years.
Not only that but there are elements of this book that are predictable, they follow the formulaic principles set out by other romance novels like it. But the characters are what drives the story. They have to overcome their issues–in this case, it’s their current relationships with different partners–to find their way to their romance.
Erotica, Erotic Novels, Movies, Writing, etc.
Erotica is for women, it’s for the girls, and by the girls, it’s a woman thing. Erotica is the middle ground between romance and porn. While it’s still very much trope driven, it’s also dependent on the reader’s–or listeners’–ability to suspend belief about what they’re reading or listening to. It’s not just mindless smut, well sometimes it is, but that’s usually labeled Porn Without Plot or Plot? What Plot? Erotica still takes into consideration the feelings of the characters, they aren’t acting without cause.
It’s important to not limit erotica in what it can do. Boundaries are still enforced in each individual story, but the inhibition level between romance writing and erotic writing is significantly lower. Audio Erotica as defined by Quinn is:
Audio erotica can be a lot of things: spicy audio stories, guided masturbation, dirty talk, and more! Our audios are designed to help you get there, but they also involve fun drama and interesting plots.
Conventional Porn
The target audience for most traditional, visual porn is men. You can tell this based on the type of content that you find on your average porn site. It’s not typically appealing to a women or gender-non-conforming viewer base. According to Pornhub’s 2022 Insights, while women viewers had about a four percent growth rate, men still made up the majority of their viewership. Overwhelmingly dominated by men, in the US alone the percentages were 71% men to 29% women.
The Bookworm Playlist
I guess we’re being really open and honest at the gig today! Look here, the Bookworm playlist has everything that a romance novel has. There’s a reason why the Resident Romance Redneck is yelling at you right now–oh yeah if you didn’t know I’m currently screaming.
The Bookworm playlist is almost five glorious hours of audio erotica that is just the right niche for all book lovers everywhere. And just like romance books, Quinn has subgenres of their audios that their creators are able to categorize their work as!
Bookworm Categories (all of which make me weAK IN THE KNEES)
The Boyfriend audios are giving the vibes of Adam Carlsen from The Love Hypothesis. They’re good until they’re good. If I could add the eyes emoji in this, I would because you know what I’m talking about! Quinn Voices Anonyfun, Bad Influence, and ButterscotchPirate contribute to this category for the Bookworm playlist and every single one of them is currently in my favorite audio.
Strangers to Lovers is an interesting concept. We’re all strangers at one point, it’s just in these audios the “get to know you” awkward phase is skipped because who needs it? Billie (female) and Naudio have taken up the strangers to lovers mantle and they wear it so well.
Teacher + Student. The forbidden, almost taboo nature of teacher/student relationships has been done so many times in romance novels–and pornos–and most of the time it’s done with either the most nuance that you don’t even blink twice or absolutely no subtly or care about accuracy. Can you tell which art form does which type? Anonyfun, Orcus Auditory, and cowman contribute to my depraved needs for this category.
In Public…I feel like in real life, like actual real life, this happens way less than pornos and erotic novels lead us to believe. That being said, it’s hot–if you know me in person, NO YOU DON’T. No anyone who really knows me knows that I’ve far surpassed the shame stage of my sexuality. THAT being said, no one speak to me for three to five business days after this article publishes. Quinn Voices Best Kept Secret and Teddy make the in-public trope work so well.
More Bookworm Categories (that make me shaKE IN MY BOOTS)
Friends to Lovers is probably one of my top three favorite tropes, in reading, in erotica, and in life–just kidding, there’s no romance happening in my life at the moment. But that’s okay because I can supplement my love life with Quinn audio. I really want you to think about the friends-to-lovers pipeline though like it’s so organic and something so authentic that it just fits. Bad Influence (hi sir, big fan) is the only contributor for this particular playlist but there’s a multitude of friends-to-lovers audios on Quinn.
Girlfriend is for those who are WLW, or who just prefer a bit of a feminine sweetheart. This is the yang to the yin of the boyfriend audios. I don’t think I have to explain why this will appeal to some Quinn users, but I WILL. It’s women. That’s the appeal. Girl In Dungarees is the only Quinn Voice in this Bookworm playlist, but check out the girlfriend category if this is your vibe.
MDom I love to read about dominant men, I like the dom!man trope, and I like the energy that I receive. Would I pick a dom!man in real life? We’ll have to wait and see. When it comes to content like Quinn offers, MDom is nice because these men know what they want, and you’re going to give it (with full consent, always). Hydrated Baritone is such a good listen, if you have the time–or even if you don’t, you should figure out how to make the time–you definitely need to give his audio a listen.
Older Man equals experience, equals stamina, equals a good time for those of you at home. Similar to MDom, older men–typically–know what they want and are good at drawing it out of you. I don’t have daddy issues, I have a very good relationship with my father and all father figures in my life. My issue–without the consultation of a therapist–is that I have authority issues and that always leads to a good time. Feel-Good Filth could read me to the ground and I would probably thank him, so that’s where I’m at in life.
Vital Concepts for the Romance, Erotica, Porn Debate
It’s not even just the fact that Quinn understands what people want out of their erotica. It’s that they actually deliver. Romance novels are good because you know that you’re going to be reading a romance. They’re formulaic in a way that makes them predictable and easy to consume. Sometimes they get fancy with subgenres that can venture into the outlandish, but it’s still romance.
There’s an important factor that I have yet to introduce to the conversation, but it needs to be considered. There’s a reason why women are drawn to audio erotica and men are drawn toward visual porn. There are two types of sex drives: responsive desire and spontaneous drive. Depending on which part of your body gets aroused first makes a great difference in the level of satisfaction you gain from any sexual stimulation.
Spontaneous Drive
Let’s take the latter first. Those who have a spontaneous sex drive are going to lead with their head. These types of people can become aroused easily. There’s been extensive research done on the topic, but the last numerical figures I can find to explain this is from 2018. Dr. Emily Nagoski, author of Come As You Are, notes that around 75% of men and 15% of women lean toward a spontaneous sex drive. More recently, Dr. Patricia Love coined spontaneous drive as “sexy-body” because of the ease of conjuring desire.
Responsive Desire
Dr. Love calls it “sexy-mind” and rightfully so. Responsive desire is the arousal of the body upon stimulation of the mind. Now that might just sound like someone could charm your pants off with a witty tongue-twister, but that’s not quite it. This type of sex drive is triggered more by the “context of a sexual experience/interaction” to reach that state of peak arousal. Dr. Nagoski reports that around 5% of men and 30% of women experience responsive desire.
Smutty Book Lover Take Away from Quinn
The way this applies to the romance, erotica, or porn debate is quite simple. Romance and erotica allow for the connection to the characters, and give the reader/listener the ability to imagine themselves in such a situation–or predicament, depending on your preference. Porn, especially traditional and visual, doesn’t have an allowance for that same type of connection.
As sexual beings, humans crave this desire of any kind. The way that Quinn fits into all of this is that they’re one of the few companies putting women’s pleasure at the forefront of their company. They are a “place to get to know yourself outside of conventional pornography.”
Apps like Quinn offer a safe space for women, gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, and anyone else who wants to be there. They allow you to explore kinks, tropes, dynamics, and sexualities all in the comfort of your own home–or outside of it if you’re crazy like me.
When it comes to book lovers, we’ve had a space like that for a while. We’ve found solace in romance books and erotic books that afford us the same privilege in a different format. The only difference is now you can listen to a Scottish man speak absolutely filthy things as you wash the dishes and able to lock your phone while doing so.
If you want more romance content from your favorite–only–Resident Romance Redneck, click here!