<Tr> <Th> ISBN </Th> <Td> 978 - 1 - 61213 - 028 - 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> OCLC </Th> <Td> 780307033 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Followed by </Th> <Td> Fifty Shades Darker </Td> </Tr> <P> Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E.L. James . It is the first instalment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey . It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage / discipline, dominance / submission, and sadism / masochism (BDSM). Originally self - published as an ebook and a print - on - demand, publishing rights were acquired by Vintage Books in March 2012 . </P>

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