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Umm. Is cussing a no-no in blurbs?
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message 51:
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Hester
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Jun 27, 2016 10:42AM
If it's in a blurb, I'd assume it's in the book, so would avoid reading it. Same with any books I review. Life is too short. There are just so many great books out there, beckoning me, that don't contain swearing or blasphemy.
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Hester wrote: "If it's in a blurb, I'd assume it's in the book, so would avoid reading it. Same with any books I review. Life is too short. There are just so many great books out there, beckoning me, that don't contain swearing or blasphemy."Ooooh, thank you oodles for your input! And, yes, in this case, that would certainly be a smart assumption XP
It didn't even cross my mind to purposely include a curse word in the blurb as a "warning" to readers who would be put off by that. Now I'm wondering if I should do that in the first one too. Hmm. Decisions, decisions...
*holds head in pain* (Totes kidding, I feel fine. Crazy, but fine.)
Thanks again for the help, Hester!!
Hugs,
Ann
EDIT: Yeah, I HAD to add an extra line to the blurb for book one. I would feel terrible if a "clean" reader picked up the book and was like "What the fluff???" haha
I know I'm late to this party, but I think it's a great blurb! I'm honestly still confused as to why there are people who think some words are bad and some words aren't, it's never seemed to make any sense to me. All words are just words! To me, not using certain words is just limiting one's vocabulary - and, especially as a writer, limiting your vocab is the worst thing you can do. Loved your blurb lots. Don't change a thing. Unless you want to. Um.
Mat wrote: "I know I'm late to this party, but I think it's a great blurb!"Hmphf! *taps foot impatiently* Where have you, Mr Mat??
I jest, I jest! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, good sir! I'm glad you dig my blurb! *victorious fist pump* After Hester's much-appreciated input, I actually went back and added a cuss word to my first book's blurb too hahaha. But, yep. Much appreciated!!
Hugs,
Ann
P.S. - I have a buddy named Mat with one T. When I met him, he told me, "Just think doormat". Ummm. Okay, if you insist... *smirks*
If I know there is going to be cuss words in a book, I certainly would not read it. It's just like being warned about a movie what rating it is. So, go ahead with what suits you. Some readers will go for your book, and some may not.
What the fluff? Oh! I'm totally stealing that for my great collection of innocent swears!
Christina wrote: "What the fluff? Oh! I'm totally stealing that for my great collection of innocent swears!"May I suggest the following:
Oh, Mother Hubbard!
Son of a Biscuit!
What the France!
That guy/gal is a JackHole! (I made up this one in the interest of brevity.) } D
Tony wrote: "If I know there is going to be cuss words in a book, I certainly would not read it. It's just like being warned about a movie what rating it is."Thank you so much for this bit of insight, Tony! It definitely reaffirms that I made the right decision in using my blurb as a "rating system". No chance of unintentionally misleading readers then XD
Christina: Hey! That's actually how I speak in real life!! I'm not innocent...am I...? *smirks*
Sue: JackHole LOL Mickey would totally say that *jots down notes*
Hugs all weirdos,
Ann
Annie wrote: "Sue: JackHole LOL Mickey would totally say that *jots down notes*..."Hey! I was going to use that. Can we share?
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Annie wrote: "Sue: JackHole LOL Mickey would totally say that *jots down notes*..."Hey! I was going to use that. Can we share?"
Hahahaha Miss Sue! It was your idea!! I should be asking you: Can we share? XD
Ack, woman, I effin' adore you!!
Hugs,
Ann
Of course we can share! Me verbage, su verbage. : DRight back at ya babe!! Hugs, Sue
Christina wrote: "What the fluff? Oh! I'm totally stealing that for my great collection of innocent swears!"I feel duty bound to point out the "fluff" is not always innocent. "What the fluff" is great, and I'm a bit sorry you stole it before me. ;-)
LOL! I missed these replies somehow. Sue, I actually start a chapter of one of my books with someone yelling "Son of a biscuit!" And later calling them worthless monkey scat. ;P
OMG. Miss. Christina. You. Are. Effin. Awesome. Sauce.EDIT: Oh, for fluff's sake, Owen! Who told you that I wasn't perfectly innocent?? I'll kill em...
ROFL! Someone has been watching XXX movies, eh? :P
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I HAVE to read this book. Which one is it? :)
Sweary Blurbs!I don't know! The world is going to the f*ing dogs!
;P
LMAO!! Mr Anthony, this is the first time I'm seeing you pop up and that's what you choose to say???Yeah, okay. I dig it. XD
Hugs all,
Ann
Anthony wrote: "Sweary Blurbs!I don't know! The world is going to the f*ing dogs!
;P"
Anthony, We have several dogs. I'll pass that along. They'll be happy to know this. : )
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "I must add that I've seen the "F" word in a book title."A funny anecdote about Fuckness (which I highly recommend, especially if you've successfully escaped the midwest,) When I went to leave a glowing review of it on amazon, I couldn't use the title, or any conjugation of "fuck", which I found exceptionally annoying. So I added some extra blue into my goodreads review to balance the foul mouthed karma.
So to the OP, if you cuss in the blurb, you risk being perceived as an elitist who is somehow above the law; or maybe that badass in the back of the bar who's successfully found a way not to care, even a little, about the Man even as you find a way around his fascist propriety rules. But I totally landed on that first perception of Andersen Prunty as I resubmitted my review, over and over, to amazon, unable to comprehend how the book's title couldn't be used in its own review.
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Anthony wrote: "Sweary Blurbs!I don't know! The world is going to the f*ing dogs!
;P"
Anthony, We have several dogs. I'll pass that along. They'll be happy to know this. : )"
Lol, Sue. Don't be fooled by the lolling tongues and wagging tails, they know already! They know!
I drop the f-bomb 70+ times in my first book, probably a dozen in the prologue alone...but I personally wouldn't put it in my blurb.I probably used the dreaded c-word a dozen times over the course of the book too.
I found it interesting so.... *places on to read pile*I think it gives the atmosphere to your book and found nothing wrong with your blurb. But most won't go for it.
I have a similar issue with my writing in general. You would never be able to tell with my blurbs however lolz. Basically i hear that there should be no cursing at all in books for teens. Yes i write for that market and yes the kids curse and sales stall because folks get super mad about it. >_>
but your stuff is for adults, right? *devils advocate mode* Meh run with it.
K.P. wrote: "Basically i hear that there should be no cursing at all in books for teens"That's why I was reading shit like VC Andrews and Dean Koontz when I was 14.
Charles wrote: "K.P. wrote: "Basically i hear that there should be no cursing at all in books for teens"That's why I was reading shit like VC Andrews and Dean Koontz when I was 14."
lolz same here when I was 12 lolz. My mother banned books so I would actually skip school to secretly read adult books (truant officers had no problems finding me lolz). Hence my writing was already skewed by the time I was 14 & i always had issues when I wanted to write for a living at 16. I feel better now :D
Mod
K.P. wrote: "Hence my writing was already Fixed it for ya ^_~
Hugs rebels,
Ann
lol the look on my mom's face when she saw me reading her copy of Flowers in the Attic at 12-13 years old. I could tell she wanted to say something to me about it, but to her credit, she let me keep on reading it and never mentioned it.
Dwayne wrote: "When I was about fourteen, my dad forbid me from reading The Godfather. Guess what I read as soon as I could sneak it off his book shelf?"Ha Ha! Dwayne He might just as well have said, "Read this book at the first opportunity - just don't get caught! "
Annie wrote: "K.P. wrote: "Hence my writing was already skewed effin' awesome by the time I was 14"Fixed it for ya ^_~
Hugs rebels,
Ann"
Aww thanx! I've been around "polite company" too long. They damn near got me into a conformed automaton! Can't have that...
Dwayne wrote: "When I was about fourteen, my dad forbid me from reading The Godfather. Guess what I read as soon as I could sneak it off his book shelf?"
Lolz I did the same with my older brother's Donald goines books. That opened my mind to urban fiction lolz. I also read a lot of pulp blue covers and a bunch of stuff by this particular pulp publisher (had black and white covers). Never knew what erotica was lolz.
I read a lot of freaky ish as a kid. Its a wonder I turned out halfway decent XD
Mod
He came close to doing something like that. He read aloud to me the scene where the movie producer finds the horse's head in his bed. I guess that was supposed to... scare me or something? It just got me more fascinated.
Mod
It made me realize that books with, even a little, "dirt" were so much more interesting to me than the stuff I'd read as a kid.
Dwayne wrote: "Anthony wrote: "Ha Ha! Dwayne He might just as well have said, "Read this book at the first opportunity - just don't get caught! " "He came close to doing something like that. He read aloud to me the scene where the movie producer finds the horse's head in his bed. I guess that was supposed to... scare me or something? It just got me more fascinated. "
Lol. Compounding mistakes! Maybe he wanted you to read it?
@Dwayne - right. Books for teens were always whitewashed and sterile af. I might as well have been reading Christian fiction lolz.i try not to sweat sweat the blurbs so much overall. Its a snapshot of what the book is like, right? My only concern is how to overcome the stiffs freaking out what they thought versus what they got. I'm not as in your face as fellow author imowen lodestone ... I don't like censorship but I self censor too much to the point I doubt the point of even trying anymore...
K.P. wrote: "My only concern is how to overcome the stiffs freaking out what they thought versus what they got."Yeppers!! I totally agree!!!
My original question was whether having a cuss word in my blurb would turn certain people off from reading. But after some of the answers in here...I realized that I want to turn those people off from reading. Pretty sure they appreciate the "warning", eh?
Hugs,
Ann
@Annie - right, focus on grabbing the readers you want for your books. Those who shy away won't be the ones you're going for anyway.
K.P. wrote: "@Annie - right, focus on grabbing the readers you want for your books. Those who shy away won't be the ones you're going for anyway."Truly said. Also if there is swearing and maybe sex in your book it's no good pretending there ain't. That way lies offended readers. And they will make your life hell...
I cannot wait for the day some concerned mother catches her lawnmowered kid reading my books.That way lies free publicity.
Jane wrote: "Also if there is swearing and maybe sex in your book it's no good pretending there ain't. That way lies offended readers. And they will make your life hell... "Oh, totally, eh? I'm intentionally adding "f*ck" to all the blurbs for this series just to be on the safe side.
Hugs,
Ann
#transparent (sorry, I only got Twitter a couple weeks ago...so...yeah *giggles*)
