The dangerous things that can arise from self publishing

[Ann]

So... Someone has just linked me the dinoerotica that I've been trying not to comment on.

Whats the weirdest self published book you've come across?

[J. David]

That Dinoerotica just about takes the cake. A twitter friend and I were joking just about a week ago that we were afraid to google dragon porn for fear that it actually exists, and the dino erotica confirms that fear in grand fashion. People are WEIRD.

[G.G.]

Zombie romance! I mean I get the vampire and all, but rotten corpses?! NO WAY!

And it exists!

[Ann]

When I first heard of it I thought it was a Furry thing. That I can understand, I mean we grew up with anthropomorphic characters in cartoons so I can see affection towards such characters. But actual dinosaurs? Nah. Thats extremely odd.

I thought that about that teenage zombie movie. Wouldn't he stink and be covered in dried body fluids?

Nothing gets past us dark fiction writers lol

[G.G.]

Now I am feeling sick!

Although it exists... can you say necrophilia?

[Ann]

Ahh bit earlier on a friday night than usual I see :p

[Stephanie]

I don't know, I mean I read a lot and it's hard to pin down the weirdest thing I've ever read.

BUT I would have to go with any of the fiction that corrupts my childhood memories.

Like dinoerotica, it puts a whole 'nother spin on the tv show "Dinosaurs!" from when I was little.

[Kandie]

Well, if you ever was "forced" to read "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner for a class, necrophilia has been in for a LONG TIME. And his short story has rotten, stinking corpses that the whole neighborhood smelled, but didn't realize the extent of "Rose's" condition until they burst into her home to find a "surprise" LOL

[Ann]

Sometimes you read a book a realise if the subject was in any other media the creator would be in a mental institution.

The wonders of literature.

[Marilynn]

IKR? Diana Gabaldon once said that there are some [dark fiction] authors she wouldn't want to have dinner with, let alone meet in a dark alley!

[Ann]

I wouldn't want them to put me in their book incase they do something to me.

You never know, that might be how we exist after death lol

[Michael]

I read an interview recently (I think in Forbes?) with the two women basically responsible for the dinoporn genre. It left me simultaneously depressed about the future of literature and the human race, and wishing I had come up with the idea myself.

If I really wanted to stay ahead of the curve, I'd get started on some amoebic dysentery erotica right now, but I just can't.

[Ann]

To be perfectly honest I think everythings been done before if you go on the right forum. They were just clever enough to market it. I started this thread after I was contacted by some people marketing it.

I upsets me alittle because I feel like self publishing is hard to explain to people anyway. Its like, "You weren't good enough for a big publisher?" Not realising that publishing is as hard to get into as the music business.

Now its just as if, "Oh, you write werid porn?"

And the MOST depressing part is the bit I was sent was better written that 50shades rofl.

[Michael]

Yeah, judging from their interview they work very hard. They're also making more money than their friends with engineering degrees. It may have been this article, or it may have been somewhere else, but some people who are taking this writing game seriously have started to call it "independent publishing" rather than "self publishing" to avoid that whole not-good-enough/amateur conversation.

[Claire]

The problem with self-publishing is that anyone can do it. I agree that everyone has a story in them, but IMHO not every story needs to be written down and shared in book form. I've read some self-published books that made me cringe. And when I did, I totally understood the stigma that people have towards self-published books.

[Victoria]

It's true. The worst book I've ever read was self-published. On the other hand, several of my all time favorite books were also self-published.

[Ann]

I've read some really crap mainstream books. I just worry if self publishing gets abused too much its going to lose all credibility, if ya know what I mean, lol.

[Victoria]

I have those worries too. And I've more than once picked up a mainstream book and wondered how on earth it ever got picked up by a publisher. Maybe it really relies on the personal tastes of the reader. Overall, I've found great enjoyment in discovering self-published books!

[Brian]

The strangest stuff I have read is written by Chuck Palahniuk. I try to stay away from the dark corners of self published erotica. Also some of those crappy mainstream books are published solely because of the following the writer has. If all a publisher has to do is put it out there and make money, they're going to do it. That's why just about any celebrity can get published without much effort on their part.

[Claire]

I definitely was't saying that traditional publishing publishes only the good stuff, but unfortunately there is a whole lot more of the bad stuff in self-publishing.

[Jonah]

Dinoerotica - Sharknado - putting two disparate things together to create something more appealing than the sum of its parts. I can't imagine that dinoerotica is the least bit titillating, and Sharknado has to be too hilarious to be even a little scary. These things are made for commercial rather than artistic reasons, and they succeed when you buy them, not when you are entertained. I suspect most people that pay the freight, do so more out of curiosity about the weirdness rather than any genuine interest in the subject matter. I guess this is the dark side of removing the barriers to publishing. The bright side is of course all the great stories now available that would not otherwise see the light of day. The problem, as always, is distinguishing the gems from the crap.

[Victoria]

I kind enjoy digging for gems, whether indie or published. There is something exciting in discovering a new story that has the ability to lure you completely into its world.