My MS Word arrived today and I can’t tell you how happy that made me. 
Tomorrow I can get to work in earnest. Part of my mind is also thinking of columns for RTB. I’ve got two written so far, but I’m not sure I want to use either one. I’m thinking of something else entirely…
Jordan and Alison have been discussing rating books for language and sexual explicitness to gain a broader demographic, perhaps reaching audiences through larger retailers with the alteration of key phrasing. I don’t have much to add, so I won’t *g*, but I can say that I’m grateful to write sexually explicit stories in a sub-genre sadly lacking in them. I hope achieving a large sales volume can come as much from tapping a hungry market as it can from placement in WalMart. My experience with editing sexual explicitness in my Black Lace story was not all that pleasant. I felt the requested wording changes really altered the tone until it no longer sounded like me. As part of my efforts at wordsmithing, my love scenes are poured over with an eye on the overall effect. I choose my words carefully and they really aren’t interchangeable.
But… I have written stories that aren’t erotic romance and they maintain their heat through dialogue and sexual tension, not from graphic descriptions of the sexual act itself. I think it depends on the tale being told. That being said, I maintain that while I could easily up the heat in my mainstream work, I couldn’t lower the heat in my erotic works. The language and detail in the erotic works are not there gratuitously, they’re there because they are necessary to the story. Otherwise I wouldn’t have written it that way.
I think you’re right that it depends on the tale being told. The sex has to come naturally, and be a part of the growth of the characters and their relationship. I just can’t get into books that are sex for the sake of sex. There has to be more to it to make me happy as a reader. As far as ratings…I dunno if I agree with that. I think if the book has EROTIC ROMANCE stamped on it, that should give the reader a clue!
by Cheyenne McCray March 1st, 2005 at 7:20 amNo, no, no! :):):) I don’t think key phrasing has ANYTHING to do with ANYTHING, LOL! If there is an explicit act happening, it’s happening no matter how it’s written. And those who object to sexual content, are going to object to sexual content no matter how it’s written.
As I said in my own comments:
To me, content means all of it. Not just language, but the action, how explicit it is - because it can be X-rated without ever using a single raw or foul word simply because of the acts being described!
by Alison March 1st, 2005 at 9:15 amAlison,
by SylviaI swear, one of these days we’ll agree on something. *g*
Oh, but our different perspectives are so much fun!!! I seriously love hearing how others view things.
by Alison March 1st, 2005 at 10:22 amI REALLY shouldn’t have brought this subject up.:shock::lol::oops:
Alison, after re-reading the article, I agree that ANY explicit sexual content no matter how it was described would warrant a warning/strong rating. Pity really.
by Jordan March 1st, 2005 at 5:08 pmOh, don’t be sorry Jordan. It’s great discussion! Seriously!!
by Alison March 1st, 2005 at 7:44 pmtest
by Sylvia