Pot"boil`er (?), n. A term applied derisively to any literary or artistic work, and esp. a painting, done simply for money and the means of living. [Cant]

• A lurid or sensational work (usually of literature) produced for quick profit.
  

• (Mildly derogatory) A creative work (book, art, etc) produced merely to earn a living, as opposed to serious creative expression.