specifically, yaoi means romantic / sexual relationships between two guys; also known as boy love, and homoerotica. Yai is usually graphic and explicit, whereas the genre shounen-ai, often confused with yaoi, does not. These have a wide range of media, from manga to movies. This particular fanlisting however, deals with yaoi doujinshi.

Doujinshi on the other hand, are self-published Japanese works, that can range from manga, to novels, to even artworks. Majority of doujinshika (doujinshi creators) are amateurs, although professionals have been known to release their own doujinshi as promotion. A popular example of this would be Maki Murakami, of the popular Gravitation series.

Doujinshis can be both original creations of the doujinshika, and doujinshi based off an existing manga / anime / games series by another creator, although the doujinshika of this latter category limit their circulation to avoid litigation. This is why some popular doujinshi based off existing series can be highly valued and considered collectors' items.

There are also doujinshi conventions such as Comiket (the largest convention in Japan) held in the winter and summer.

Examples of popular mangaka who started out as doujinshika:



x.x.x.x.x
Nissie is all that stands between humanity and the slowly thriving power-hungry dolphin Nazi population under the sea. give crack! love!

MANGAKA	POPULAR MANGA
Minekura Kazuya	Gensomaden Saiyuki, Saiyuki Gaiden, Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock
Kurono Nanae	Peacemaker Kurogane
CLAMP	Chobits, X, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, XXXholic, Magic Knight Rayearth, Clover
Kousaka Tooru	Okane ga Nai [yaoi]
Fumi Yoshinaga	Antique Bakery, Gerard and Jacques [yaoi], Solfege [yaoi]
Tsuchiya Kyouko	Weiss Kreuz
Yasuhiro Nightow	Trigun
Maki Murakami	Gravitation [yaoi]