Sales of the Erotic Review have soared by 600 per cent in the past 18 months to 25,000 copies a month. And a massive quarter of each edition are bought by woman employed in advertising, teaching and publishing.

Editor Rowan Pelling puts success down to her unique female formula and a sense of humour. She said: This is the first magazine that is edited by a woman and is selling because it gives women what they want from an erotic magazine. There have been so-called women's magazines before featuring full frontal naked photographs of men but women don't find that sexy. That is the male way. That is about men assuming women want the same as men.

Like men, women do want to read sensual magazines but there is a difference between what women and men find sexy. That is what I have realised. I've found women are much more turned on by eroticism rather than simple pornography. Women respond sensually to the written word, which is why the Black Lace novels sell so well. They like to use their imagination. Women like looking at pictures which show men and women together in erotic embraces which are loving and sexy. But they prefer illustrations and drawings rather than the too realistic photograph. So we use artwork because it is more erotic.

The success of the formula has surprised her. I thought there would be a backlash from some women but this hasn't happened. Young women these days are open about sex and can admit they like reading about it, doing it or looking at pictures.

Rowan has found humour is also a magic sales ingredient. She said: In surveys women always put a sense of humour at the top of their list when it comes to male qualities. The biggest response, I've ever known to a private advert was when a women wrote she loved laughing in bed.

Rowan has strong views about pornography and has become an expert on British sex laws. She is furious that WH Smith has banned her magazine - whose writers include the likes of Auberon Waugh - because of illustrations of aroused, naked men. When you look at some of the stuff that is on the top shelf, I can't believe they've taken offence at our magazine. The cover is discreet and the magazine is sold wrapped in polythene so children can't open it. We are a sophisticated society and I can't understand why it's all right to have images of women in your shop but not of men. This is not equality. The way I look at pornography it is anything that is all right between two consenting adults that does not affect anyone else. Like most normal people I object to the use of violence, children and animals. If you want to buy erotic magazines and videos you should be allowed to. British sex laws should be relaxed so the police can concentrate on what is really dangerous and evil - when it involves children and violence.