A number of digital publishers attending the Frankfurt Book Fair noted that the rise of eBooks has led to an increase in sales of erotic fiction, Business Insider reported.

The news source noted that many different publishers featured erotic fiction on their tables and displays at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest publishing event in the world.

Speaking to the news source, Peter Ferris explained that erotic fiction is ideal for eBooks, as many bookstores are not comfortable carrying printed copies of these works. 

According to Ferris, who serves as non-executive director for Accent Press, a large part of boost enjoyed by erotic eBooks can be traced to E.L. James's "Fifty Shades of Grey." This novel, which soon became a trilogy, began as an independently published eBook. It was eventually published in print by Vintage Books and soon became the fastest-selling paperback book of all time, surpassing J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Ferris explained that the popularity enjoyed by "Fifty Shades of Grey" led to a significant increase in the public's awareness of erotica, making it a more socially acceptable form of entertainment.

Accent Press imprint Xcite is the U.K.'s biggest publisher of erotic fiction. According to the news source, Xcite anticipates that its eBook sales this year will be three times higher than its printed book sales from 2011.

Jolanta Gatzanis, editor in charge of erotic literature at Gatzanis, told Business Insider that one of the most surprising aspects of erotic eBook publishing has been how well the titles are selling with minimal promotion.

"We sold a lot of electronic books this year without doing much publicity. That really surprised us," Gatzanis explained, according to the news source.