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Should Novels Come with Explicit Content Labels?
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Justin
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Nov 06, 2013 09:03PM
Yeah the Advisory makes sense. Though like I said earlier it would have to pertain to new books and any future books that come out. If they ever did this theres no way they should slap a sticker onto every old book thats deemed violent or whatever else.
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Suddenly the library would have a new Explicit Content section
Gamal wrote: "Does that make sense?"Sure. Knowing what's in this one, I'd love to see what you come up with when you figure out what you're going to say. You might draw more of the 50 Shades audience than you bargained for. :-)
Lance wrote: "Gamal wrote: "Does that make sense?"Sure. Knowing what's in this one, I'd love to see what you come up with when you figure out what you're going to say. You might draw more of the 50 Shades audi..."
My plan was just to use the "Explicit content" sticker that I used on the top of my blog post, but if I can get even a fraction of the 50 Shades audience, I'll be sure to put in a strong warning in the blurb as well. :D
As a Christian fiction author and reader of other inspirational fiction, I do think they should come with warning explicit language labels for books because there are certain books by title and cover only which give the appearance of a particular genre which the reader may initially assume there is no explicit language yet when read there is plenty of harsh language that the reader may not have been prepared for. Many authors in this genre justify the inclusion of swear words in inspirational books by stating it's indicative in today's society and reflective of the character using the language, however I still believe the reader should be warned in advance if sharp language is used throughout a book that's generally categorized in the inspirational or Christian fiction genre.
I wonder if there were labels on books indicating explicitly in the novels, if that would up sales on some ? Sort of the idea that bad publicity is good publicity?
I predict that if you have an 'Explicit Content' section in a library, you won't be able to get to it for thirteen-year-old boys. In my library, when I was thirteen (!), the 'rude' books were behind the librarian's desk (or, more likely, in the stacks downstairs), and you had to ask for them. On the shelf itself there was a block of wood with the title on the 'spine'. I assume it worked, because I, at least, never had the nerve to ask the librarian for 'Body of Love', even though, at thirteen, I was intensely curious to know what it was like.
The point is that a ratings system may do more harm than good to some readers - those whose parents don't bother to monitor what their kids are reading - if it isn't enforced.
Before you authors put warning stickers on your books, maybe you should ask yourselves whether you may not simply be attracting some underage readers to read them. How many thirteen year olds are reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey?' Does anyone know? Has anyone even bothered to ask?
The point is that a ratings system may do more harm than good to some readers - those whose parents don't bother to monitor what their kids are reading - if it isn't enforced.
Before you authors put warning stickers on your books, maybe you should ask yourselves whether you may not simply be attracting some underage readers to read them. How many thirteen year olds are reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey?' Does anyone know? Has anyone even bothered to ask?
Shomeret wrote: "A.L. wrote: "Yes I have ticked the box for large print::) Smashwords has an adult filter. :)I think the problem is it's a matter of taste and of definition. What John may find explicit Jane may ..."
Shomeret I was thinking of Llamas...I apologise if I offended.
Being offended is subjective though, which is part of the problem. Someone can type or say something (especially type) not wishing to cause offence and doing so. What one finds offensive, another might not or even understand the offense caused.
As it happens I have great respect for the Dalai Lama and I've also read the Kama Sutra (I didn't know the meaning of the word 'sutra').
It is really hard to know WHAT to label books - mine contain sexual scenes although aren't strictly erotica, and they are quite violent. I just put an 18+ rating and a mention of sexual and violent scenes on the product info on Amazon.
I do find it a bit odd though, Create Space has a box for adult content Amazon doesn't.
For the record, when I typed 'lama sutra' it was a typeo because my phone auto corrects. Nemo, I was surprised by your post and I have wondered myself how many children have read 50 Shades.
I've never read Fifty Shades, and I don't expect I ever will. It sounds utterly tedious.
Andrew wrote: "Nope, and neither should music, movies, television or computer games. It's all creeping stealth censorship, IMO."This. I'll happily click a box that says that my work contains mature content, if such is the case ... and I limit that "click" to sex scenes, not language.
If someone else wants to put a label on their books, rock on. I won't.
Why is sex such an obsession? If we could label it then I would say 'a natural product'.
We all come from it. It is no secret and it has never been.
Maybe I should write a book trying to explain this obsession.
This is an idiotic idea. Tantamount to pseudo-censorship as who wold define what is acceptable and where to draw lines?Isn't it about time we let adults be adults and decide for themselves? Instead of these labels everywhere, people are quite able to walk out of theatres and stop playing video games if they think it goes too far.
surely for the most part the storyline itself is the giveaway?
Bravo Daniel. Censorship is useless. At best it makes the apple more desirable.
Censorship started our suffering. Before we were in paradise (at least Eva and Adam).
Things only need two labels - "intended for adults" "not intended for adults" - if you can't figure out that "erotica" may contain scenes of sex...you should stick to things "not intended for adults" good lord lets stop being so emotionally damaged, upset and offended over words and images.
Interesting views here. Just to avoid any unforeseen reader backlash, I have recently begun to include a "warning" within my novels that might warrant one and have tried to update my blurbs to that effect as well.
Humberto wrote: "Why is sex such an obsession? If we could label it then I would say 'a natural product'.
We all come from it. It is no secret and it has never been.
Maybe I should write a book trying to expla..."
One of the most popular essays deals with the subject of why sex is so taboo in entertainment while violence is all but ignored. You can take a look at it here if you want:
Erotica as a Literary Pariah: http://bit.ly/TYqIpN
Quite a few comments are equating a label with censorship. That was never the point of the original essay. Censorship involves the suppression of speech. A label simply informs a potential buyer what they might want to buy. Using my method, the book is still available for sale, whether people decide to read it or not.For example, if I want to buy a shirt, I probably need a medium. I go and look at shirts and pick up the medium. The last thing I want is for the store to sell shirts with no labels so I have to try on ten shirts before I find the right one. One size doesn't fit all.
Books are even more specific than shirts. A lot of people claim to like mysteries, but a Murder She Wrote cozy romance isn't the same as Seven. An explicit content label doesn't mean the book can't be sold. It means that people who are looking for that kind of book can find it and people who don't want that kind of book can move on. It's not an imposition by the government, by Amazon or anyone else. The writer and only the writer decides on whether to label or not, because one size doesn't fit all.
Vanessa wrote: "For the record, when I typed 'lama sutra' it was a typeo because my phone auto corrects. Nemo, I was surprised by your post and I have wondered myself how many children have read 50 Shades."
I think a "Llama Sutra" would be hilarious, with pictures of llamas demonstrating all the positions...
Sorry, saw something shiny, got distracted.
Nothing personal Gamal. Just that a label is too simplistic, there is a description in the cover and that can convey the message that the writer has in mind.
A label is too generic and conveys the idea of black and white instead of shadows of grey. Violence, military aggressiveness and other themes could be repugnant to some. So we would end with a large set of labels.
I insist -- children book, if not then explain the theme on the cover. Sex is not the only taboo.
Humberto wrote: "Nothing personal Gamal. Just that a label is too simplistic, there is a description in the cover and that can convey the message that the writer has in mind.
A label is too generic and conveys th..."
Not at all sir. It doesn't make sense for me to start a discussion and not be open to alternative points of view. I just want to make sure my initial point was clear.
I can agree that a label can't be the only information to give to a potential reader. It has to be used in conjunction with the cover, the blurb and the initial sample. My only caveat is that the label on the cover is an unambiguous signal that the potential reader can use as a red flag. The might be more inclined to pay attention to the cover image and the blurb once they see that generic image.
I can't agree that sex can be lumped together with other taboos. American society has an unhealthy love hate relationship with sexual expression. Entertainment that is explicit in its depiction of violence has always been more acceptable in the mainstream than explicit depictions of sex. You can see a dozen shows on prime time television that include people being shot, stabbed or bludgeoned to death before you see one cunnilingus scene. That is not a coincidence.
Obviously labelling isn't the same as censorship. You only label something if it's going to be made available to somebody, and if it's available, then clearly it hasn't been censored. Labelling is about restricting availability, not stopping it altogether.
It's all too easy, I think, for some people (especially writers, who have a vested interest) to cry 'censorship' if anyone suggests something that might restrict availability. It's also very easy to draw up battle-lines and take sides. We should try not to do that. There are extremists on both sides, but we should be aiming for something sensible in the middle ground.
It's all too easy, I think, for some people (especially writers, who have a vested interest) to cry 'censorship' if anyone suggests something that might restrict availability. It's also very easy to draw up battle-lines and take sides. We should try not to do that. There are extremists on both sides, but we should be aiming for something sensible in the middle ground.
to me when books are put into categories that is kind of the middle ground for labeling books explicit or not. I don't know, but if they do labor books I wont lose any sleep over it so long as I can read what I want when I want.
We can read labeled and unlabeled books, now. That is, until a conservative, religious or just stupid government official decides to ban them. Then we have already provided the tools and classification to do it. It has happened in the past. I don't see why it cannot happen in the future.
There is no mid position. If the question is labels or no labels, I will always say NO.
Because we regress into a less free society and we, the writers make it look as if we are guilty or ashamed of what we have written. It is a form of saying sorry.
Humberto wrote: That is, until a conservative, religious or just stupid government official decides to ban them. Then we have already provided the tools and classification to do it.
They would not use our tools and classifications; they would devise their own, using criteria different from ours.
If your argument were sound, it would mean that we all ought to support anarchy, because any kind of government structure can be misused. Of course it can, but that's what democracy is for - to stop that happening. Anarchy is not a solution: it is giving up on the problem.
They would not use our tools and classifications; they would devise their own, using criteria different from ours.
If your argument were sound, it would mean that we all ought to support anarchy, because any kind of government structure can be misused. Of course it can, but that's what democracy is for - to stop that happening. Anarchy is not a solution: it is giving up on the problem.
Gamal wrote: "Quite a few comments are equating a label with censorship. That was never the point of the original essay. Censorship involves the suppression of speech. A label simply informs a potential buyer wh..."Thanks for bringing up this fact, Gamal! Labeling does NOT equal censorship. Censorship is actual suppression of content.
I think of it this way. When I hit the grocery store, I want to keep my right to choose whether I want foods with trans fats (for example) or not. The label lets me know what the food contains, and the rest is up to me. Some people don't care, and they won't be effected by the label. But the people who would like to avoid certain contents are able to do so. Everybody's happy.
That said ... we DO have book categories, and book reviews are found all over the electronic world. If you want to avoid certain topics or the sight of the "f word", etc, simply don't look in the category called Erotica, and make sure you check reviews for comments about language. Whew! Everybody's happy. :-)
V.K. I had said almost the same thing about book categories and you are the only person I have seen, unless I missed someone, who had the same view. I totally agree with you.
Labeling would simply indicate that the content to which your reading would be explicit. They would only be telling you that the book contains strong violence, vulgarity, sex, etc. No it isn't censorship, censorship would be banning a book which has been done in certain places.
As a reader I would like to see a sticker on the cover of books that say mature content, I don't neccessarily need a rating system like with movies but it nice to know if you are picking up a book that has the steamy love scenes or not. Some book covers and descriptions make it obvious what you are going to get but not all of them do and some readers don't want to read books with very obvious sex scenes and I don't see what is bad about letting readers know up front what to expect from a book.
While using book categories is nice using book categories isn't always going to be enough, I have read plenty of books not categorized as Erotica that had plenty of it in there!
Putting a label that says it contains mature content is not censoring your book, it is simply informing your readers and potential readers what they are getting. As someone who is going to give you money for the privelidge of reading your book I am entitled to know what I am getting for my money.
V.K. wrote: "Gamal wrote: "Quite a few comments are equating a label with censorship. That was never the point of the original essay. Censorship involves the suppression of speech. A label simply informs a pote..."Your idea of looking to categories makes sense V.K. I wouldn't release a novel with an explicit content label because that would be redundant. But my next novel is going to be a criminal espionage thriller with several explicit sex scenes. My goal is to break some of the conventions of spy fiction, so a readers reliance on categories won't help them avoid things they are uncomfortable with. That's why I decided to go with the sticker. It will help readers know that this isn't a normal spy story.
Does that make sense?
Melissa wrote: "As a reader I would like to see a sticker on the cover of books that say mature content, I don't necessarily need a rating system like with movies but it nice to know if you are picking up a book..."Some book covers and book titles do make it obvious, but many don't. For example, Fifty Shades of Grey had a pair of handcuffs on the cover. Handcuffs have been used on the cover of countless police procedurals and mysteries over the years. The title in and of itself didn't scream erotica until it permeated the popular consciousness. If anyone wanted to avoid that book (although based on sales no one did) the title and the cover might not help. You could ask readers to make inferences based on font of the cover, but that seems to be pushing it.
The same thing could be said for Anne Rice's The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. Not only did the cover not give any hint of the contents of the book, the title was referential to a children's fairy tale. Of course, the reader can read the book blurb and the reviews, but both these popular examples wouldn't have been hurt with a content sticker.
I'd say my books are 'intended for mature audiences', but I think the title of my series says enough.If people can pick up your books by mistake and likely to be shocked by the content, or if your books glorify violence, I think an author might consider putting a disclaimer on their own books to avoid getting negative reviews.
I have violence in my books, but I don't glorify violence. Nothing is gratuitous. As to the sex scenes, the protagonists are adults having consensual sex, so I don't see a reason for a disclaimer.
Martyn wrote: "If people can pick up your books by mistake and likely to be shocked by the content, or if you..."Why would an author WANT to put up a disclaimer that would prevent people from buying their book? ;-) I suppose that's part of the problem with the "just look at the cover" scenario. Covers are marketing. Authors/publishers are doing what they can to get the books into the audience--whether the audience actually wants it is a different story!
So, agreeing with Gamal here--some covers and titles just don't make it obvious who the intended audience should be--and they don't necessarily want to.
Gamal wrote: "Your idea of looking to categories makes sense V.K. I wouldn't release a novel with an explicit content label because that would be redundant. But my next novel is going to be a criminal espionage thriller..."Not sure how explicit scenes is breaking convention with spy thrillers. ;-) But, yep, I see the point of the sticker for cases of non-convention. There would definitely be pros to the "labeling" concept, and, obligatorily, there would be cons. Personally, I think it would be more beneficial for readers (though, perhaps less so for authors--and therein lies the dilemma).
Gamal you are being ingenuous. If you put a label on a book, it will be reflected in how it is sold. What shelf in the shop, whether you can prove your age online or some click to prove you are over 13 box; and can you imagine the glory of people shouting about how many books with certain labels get more advertising than others? The bar charts to prove the publishing world is degrading society.I can see the feast of self-righteousness from this side of history.
The books would be available true, but labels are censorship. And I never equate maturity with age, but with intellectual curiosity. I have met 16 year olds with far deeper thoughts than some twenty year olds. With the mind to try to label it by age, is absurd.
V.K. wrote: "Why would an author WANT to put up a disclaimer that would prevent people from buying their book? ;-)"If the buying of the book results in a disgruntled reader who recommends his/her friends to stay way from your work...
V.K. wrote: "Gamal wrote: "Your idea of looking to categories makes sense V.K. I wouldn't release a novel with an explicit content label because that would be redundant. But my next novel is going to be a crimi..."I'm not trying to advocate any kind of mandatory labeling. I think authors who don't like the concept or don't find it helpful for their books would be better off avoiding it. That's why I tried to list both the pros and the cons of the idea in my essay.
If an author writes to sell then I would think labeling is okay. By stressing that it is 'hot' maybe will sell more. When writing to introduce new ideas and (hopefully) improve the world, as SF is supposed to do, then no labels. Let the reader decide, and suffer if the sex, ideas, scenarios, characters, or political viewpoint is not what the reader wants.
Gamal, I liked your article. Stand your ground. Be brave and don't yield to prude's pressure. Anyway, whatever you write about sex has been done (physically) in the past -- for thousands of years -- by our ancestors. That's why we are having this chat.
Sex is a relic, an antique and nobody can add anything new. We only write about it. The sin is doing it, not writing about it.
Ask your prude friends, "are you a virgin?"
Matthew wrote: I would never permit my work to be labeled, for my reason. If parents are concerned about giving their kids "inappropriate" books, then they should read the books they're thinking of giving their kids.
That's a morally indefensible position. It amounts to saying that a writer has zero moral responsibility for what they publish. That doesn't hold for other consumer goods, and it doesn't hold for writing, either.
That's a morally indefensible position. It amounts to saying that a writer has zero moral responsibility for what they publish. That doesn't hold for other consumer goods, and it doesn't hold for writing, either.
Memo: moral responsibility? And who is the moralist?
So what would you consider immoral?
Bad words.
Sex scenes.
Violence.
Atheism.
Saying that Obamacare is good.
Ogres and macabre scenes as in many children books.
What?
We would need a factory of labels. And I would not be able to sleep because I would be worried about my writer's morality.
Humberto wrote: "Memo: moral responsibility? @Humberto: unless you're making a memo to yourself, I think the name was Nemo.
I'm interested to know what other genres are represented here. I suspect authors are speaking from the viewpoint of their own genre here. If you write sci-fi, erotica, adult fantasy, well, there's not much reason for redundant labeling. But if you write somewhere between middle-grade and YA (for example), it becomes more important for your readers to be aware of what they're picking up.
Matthew wrote: "I would never permit my work to be labeled, for my reason. If parents are concerned about giving their kids "inappropriate" books, then they should read the books they're thinking of giving their k..."You assume that parents are the only ones handing books to kids.
Humberto wrote: "Gamal, I liked your article. Stand your ground. Be brave and don't yield to prude's pressure. Anyway, whatever you write about sex has been done (physically) in the past -- for thousands of years ..."
Thank you for the support sir. I'm glad you enjoyed the article.
I don't think anyone is pressuring me to label my book or alter the content. At this point, not enough people read my book to care about it one way or the other. ;-)
I also don't think the type of sex scenes I'm putting in my work are new, but they are rare. In many of the books I've read, the sex scenes are used to create emotional or erotic tension. Most of them don't characterize or define character. I try to do both by making the sex scene a source of internal or interpersonal conflict. My hope is that the reader understands more about the character and their motivations through their sexual expression.
Does that make sense?
I try to describe the largely untapped potential for sex scenes in my essay "Sex as a Window to the Soul" that you can find here if you're interested.
http://bit.ly/101uBzM
V.K. wrote: "Humberto wrote: "Memo: moral responsibility? @Humberto: unless you're making a memo to yourself, I think the name was Nemo.
I'm interested to know what other genres are represented here. I suspe..."
One of the reasons I decided to label was because I'm writing in a non-traditional genre for explicit sex. I'm writing crime and spy fiction and while sex is often hinted at in these genres (the passionate kiss with a cut scene to the characters waking up in bed the next morning) readers might not be prepared for something more detailed. The label can help them decide if they want to take that leap.
My first book in my Bounty's Retreat series is a little more...er...racy than the debut stand alone novel I wrote. I made a few of my readers email me and say -- hey... I had to close my eyes through that scene....LOL... Maybe for me there should be a sticker that says...watch out! Hot Stuff inside!
Sorry Nemo. But my argument stands.Gamal wrote: I also don't think the type of sex scenes I'm putting in my work are new, but they are rare. In many of the books I've read, the sex scenes are used to create emotional or erotic tension. Most of them don't characterize or define character. I try to do both by making the sex scene a source of internal or interpersonal conflict. My hope is that the reader understands more about the character and their motivations through their sexual expression.
I am doing a similar thing, only that in my books, -- almost free -- sex is used to support a utopia that has three basic assumptions:
1. No material needs.
2. Youthfulness for all and perfect heatlth.
3. Uninhibited young people having almost free sexual relationships. (Free sex).
You portay a character through sex, I portray a society. Anyway sex is an important part of civilization. We can see how Romans and Victorian England differ. And how puritanism and reality are at odds. How our present society tries to cover up for our sins.
Writing about sexual relationships and practices is an important part in the description of a scenario.
I believe that is up to us the writers to open the eyes of the readers and get them used to what is the real world. Either the one we live in or a future or fantasy society.
