Tyler began writing professionally in the early 1990s selling stories to Penthouse Variations and Playgirl. Her first novel was published by Blue Moon when she was 23. Tyler went on to write twelve novels for Masquerade Books before moving to Virgin Books' Black Lace and Cheek imprints in 1999.

Her short story fiction appears in a range of anthologies, including titles edited by Violet Blue, Stephen Elliott, Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Tristan Taormino, Zane and Tyler herself. She has edited numerous erotic anthologies for Cleis Press and Pretty Things Press, the small publishing company Tyler runs.

Tyler writes in an intimate, semi-autobiographical style, focussing on themes of female submission, spanking, bondage, bi-sexuality and group sex. In August 2006, Tyler began blogging intensely about a former BDSM relationship, described by The Guardian as "a sulphurous personal memoir of past sexual activities which put Belle de Jour's timid exploits in the shade." Initially intending to write confessionally each day for a month, Tyler continued with her story for 16 months, gaining a broad and loyal daily readership.

Described as a "trollop with a laptop" by East Bay Express , Tyler continues to blog regularly and in 2008 established Trollop Salon, an online forum profiling authors and artists she admires.

Tyler's work has been translated into several languages and her short story fiction appears in her collections Blue Sky Sideways, Bad Girl and Exposed. Her non-fiction includes Never Have the Same Sex Twice: a Guide for Couples (forthcoming) and The Other Rules, an erotic parody of Fein and Schneider’s The Rules. In 2007, Tyler began editing a series of 26 alphabet-themed anthologies for Cleis Press, beginning with A is for Amour. The series is scheduled for completion in 2010 with Z is for Zippers.

Tyler is an upbeat supporter of non-mainstream sexualities, erotic fiction and pornography, asserting, "People try to make you feel bad by saying, 'You write porn.' But I won't feel bad for it."

Novels

• The Blue Rose, Rosebud Books, 1995, ISBN 1-56333-335-X
• Dark Room, Masquerade Books, 1995, ISBN 1563336146
• Dial L for Loveless, Masquerade Books, 1996,ISBN 1563333864
• Venus Online, Masquerade Books, 1997, ISBN 1563335212
• The Silver Key: Madame Victoria’s Finishing School, Masquerade Books, 1998, ISBN 1563336146
• Learning to Love It, Black Lace, 2000, ISBN 0-352-34149-1
• Strictly Confidential, Black Lace, 2001, ISBN 0352336242
• Blue Valentine, Magic Carpet Books, 2002, ISBN 0972633901
• The ESP Affair, Magic Carpet Books, 2002, ISBN 0-937609-45-5
• Sweet Thing, Black Lace, 2002, ISBN 035233682X
• Sticky Fingers, Black Lace, 2003, ISBN 0352337567
• Something About Workmen, Black Lace, 2003, ISBN 9780352338471
• Rumours, Cheek, 2005, ISBN 0352339608
• Tiffany Twisted, Cheek, 2006, ISBN 0352340398
• With or Without You, Cheek, 2006, ISBN 0352340657
• Melt With You, Cheek, 2008, ISBN 0352341661

Collections

• Blue Sky Sideways, Masquerade Books, 1996, ISBN 1563333945
• Bad Girl, Pretty Things Press, 2002, ISBN 1576121836
• Exposed: The Erotic Fiction of Alison Tyler, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1573442461

As Editor

• Naughty Stories from A to Z, Pretty Things Press, 2002, ISBN 1576121682
• Down and Dirty: 69 Super Sexy Short-Shorts, Pretty Things Press, 2003, ISBN 1576121909
• Hers: 30 Erotic Tales Written Just for Her, (co-edited with Thomas S Roche)

Pretty Things Press, 2003, ISBN 1576121852

• His: 30 Erotic Tales Written Just for Him, (co-edited with Thomas S Roche), Pretty Things Press, 2003, ISBN 1576121860
• Best Bondage Erotica, Cleis Press, 2003, ISBN 1573441732
• Naked Erotica, Pretty Things Press, 2004, ISBN 1576121976
• Luscious: Stories of Anal Eroticism, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1573442305
• Slave to Love: Sexy Tales of Erotic Restraint, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1573442348
• Caught Looking (co-edited with Rachel Kramer Bussel), Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1573442569
• Got a Minute?: Sixty Second Erotica, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1573442712
• Love at First Sting: Sexy Tales of Erotic Restraint, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 157344281X
• Hide and Seek (co-edited with Rachel Kramer Bussel), Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1573442917
• A Is for Amour, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1573442631
• B Is for Bondage, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 157344264X
• F Is for Fetish, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1573442844
• H Is for Hardcore, Cleis Press, 2007,ISBN 1573442860
• J is for Jealousy, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 1573443069
• K Is for Kinky, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 1573443077
• Open For Business: Tales of Office Sex, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 1573443115
• Frenzy: 60 Stories of Sudden Sex, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 157344331X
• Never Have The Same Sex Twice, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 1573443328