Support for Indie Authors discussion
Ebook Publishing
>
Book Ratings and/or Additional Warning for Readers
The only time I put a warning in my books was "The Body Guy" where I let an F-bomb loose. Since I don't usually use this word, I thought it was fair to include a warning up front. I think as far as the warning you used, if the writing is good, they will understand that. I have read books by well-known writers where it is clear they are using the characters to rant. Boring, even if I agreed with some of them. I think the trick is to not paint your characters black-and-white. For example, if you're progressive, give your conservative characters some likable traits. See their point of view. And vise-versa. If you're religious and can't see the atheist point of view, then find an atheist and talk to them. Your character will hopefully reflect a layered person.
Mod
What I'll do for sure is to detailed mention of possibly offensive content on my website where I list the work-in-progress books. By "detailed mention" I mean something like a list of this kind:
15+ recommended
cursing: minimal
nudity/sexual content: a few explicit scenes
drug use: none
(how it'll actually look is what I'll decide over time)
Since I'm writing fantasy, I think it's obvious to be pure fiction.
Great advice, Jacqueline. The sexual material in the story, even though non-graphic has apparently bothered more than one reader, so I felt I should include a warning. The characters who have offended readers are atheistic characters, but there were actually only 2 or 3 references to religion in the whole book. Two were inner dialogue and feelings about humanity and the universe, and the other was a conversation between characters: a 3000-plus-year-old vampire claimed to have existed when the biblical stories were written and shared that religious histories were written by man. My book has both a philosophical and scientific tone, so moderate thoughts and dialogue about religion were important to the story. However, I’ve noticed that when vampire stories are based on religious ideas, like biblical stories, there isn’t many complaints.
Tomas, that sounds like a good idea, too. I think I only dropped the f bomb once, so the R rated mention would include that I guess lol. I intentionally didn’t make my sex scenes graphic, so that even late teens could read it.
I've considered warning readers that my book does not contain paranormal romance... just to make it clear. :-).
Another one of the offensive thoughts about religion was regarding the concept of divine right, which has been a recurring phenomenon throughout human history. It’s even in history books I think, but if the idea offends some, that’s another reason I should give some kind of warning I think. There’s always something that will be offensive to someone no matter what, but when it comes to politics and religion, a warning may be appreciated.
Graeme, you mean in case they didn’t want to read any romance at all?
Leah wrote: "Great advice, Jacqueline. The sexual material in the story, even though non-graphic has apparently bothered more than one reader, so I felt I should include a warning. The characters who have offen..."Sounds as if the readers simply didn't agree with the point-of-view of a 3,000-year-old, fictional Vampire, in which case, I wouldn't bother with the warning. Vampire fiction tends to be sexual, so if the reader wanted to skip over that part, they could have. I, personally, don't see a need for a warning except possibly grouping this as Adult Fiction. There needs to be some responsibility on the part of the reader. If I pick up a book and it goes somewhere I don't want to follow, I put it down. I don't blame the writer. (Now, if your cover looked like a cozy, that might be misleading.) :)
Leah wrote: "Graeme, you mean in case they didn’t want to read any romance at all?"Indeed. I'm basically writing in the Urban Fantasy genre, but the genre is quite swamped with paranormal romance - especially the vampire sub-genre...
For the last year or so, I've been working to shift my books to related genres like Dark Fantasy that don't attract PNR.
I concerned about picking up readers that expect romance based on the genre and get something else entirely.
I've seen successful authors put warnings in the product blurb along the lines of..."**Please note, as mentioned in a review, there is flagrantly foul language in these novels. The main character does not have a problem with cussing, just uninspired cussing."
Jacqueline, lol perhaps. My book is well-written, but I’ve noticed some of the negative feedback is politically or religiously motivated. I think some of my 1-Star ratings are too. I know every book gets 1 star ratings no matter what, but I thought maybe a warning would at least give the religious folks a heads up that some character thoughts on religion may be offensive. I don’t know; maybe you’re right though. It is clearly a vampire fantasy regardless of the tone. I do actually mention in the description already that the story is philosophically and scientifically themed.
Do any of you include your book rating or warnings to readers as part of your book description?I just put 'PG18' on the cover.
Mod
I have, but I don't any longer. I don't like doing it. For one, it's tough to do without giving spoilers. For another, I write for adults and I assume most adults can handle most anything and if they can't, they don't have to keep reading.
I love books that are boldly written and authors who don't apologize for writing that way.
Also, with some of my work if I started giving warnings of what might offend someone, I wouldn't know where to stop.
I think a lot of this extends from my teenage years when the PMRC was discussing putting warning labels on records, which always seemed so weak and stupid to me. The only good thing that came of it was Frank Zappa, Dee Snyder, and John Denver forming a weird alliance against the same cause.
Dwane, I also don’t think we should apologize for our writing, unless it’s hateful or something. These were just recurring mentions by readers I wondered if I should address. I liked the idea of at least mentioning Adult Fiction at the bottom of my blurb. I get that many vampire stories don’t include explicit sexual content, so that they are appropriate for under-age readers too. I’ve had people ask me of my book is appropriate for their young teenagers. I usually tell them it’s probably not.
Alex, I know, but there’s a huge market right now for all-age-appropriate vampire romance. Many people have become accustomed to these long drawn out love stories that end in a sweet kiss or sometimes the insinuation of sex haha. I think that’s why a few of my readers weren’t expecting the explicit sex in my story. I’ve given them no warning lol!
I think therein lies a dilemma of whether you want to write your own story or write for a particular market. I agree with several points above and wouldn't add a warning as it can be a bit of a spoiler but also, in my opinion, makes it clear this is a self-published book as many mainstream novels don't have warnings. This is part of the job of keywords etc used during publication to place the book in the correct area (as well as things like cover design). I understand how you've come to ask the question, but you'll never be able to make every reader happy and there will always be someone who doesn't see the warning or takes no notice and then complains. If you were happy with it before the comments, and others have read and enjoyed it, then I'd go with it as is.
White Diamond Editing, thank you for the advice. Yes, the one thing I do know is that there will always be people who both like and dislike a book, sometimes no matter how good it is.
I think it is a good idea to warn folks regarding adult content, simply because it makes it easier for parents and prudes to avoid content they find objectionable. I put the following on the title page of my latest book, Playing Faith: PARENTAL ADVISORY:
The main character in this book experiences some intense
and adult situations, including graphic violence, attempted rape, sex between consenting adults, torture, and child abuse.
Also, a dog gets hurt (not intentionally, though).
It may not be suitable for all readers.
P.E., lol parenting and prudes. That’s funny. I think, especially for your book, as it has rape, child abuse, and torture, it’s a good idea. I know many people who would want to know before picking up a book, some because of past childhood traumas. My book actually has a non-explicit rape scene when a character was talking about her past rape, but I figure it falls under moderate violence that I mentioned in the warning.
I don't write for any specific readership. I do similar to what PE suggested above. I don't do it for all my books, only a few where there are certain controversial issues. Example:DISCLAIMER
The author wishes to make it clear that she does not condone racism, homophobia or any of the other deplorable and controversial behaviours and attitudes described in this story. These are character traits and do not reflect the views of the author.
I did put a warning on the back of my second book. It said: "This book contains adult language and situations." below the blurb. From there, I left it up to the buyer to determine if they wanted to read it. I don't apologize for what I wrote but didn't want someone who would be offended with the language and situations to buy the book and then be ticked off because it was a gritty PI book.
Xanxa, I totally understand why you displayed that disclaimer. I probably would too.
My novel deals heavily with suicide. I did not include that fact in my blurb/description, but I wrote an "Author's Note" which appears in the very beginning of the book and which is included as part of the "Look Inside" and sample. I literally wrote, "If you're the type of reader who despises spoilers of any kind, skip ahead. For those of you who prefer a content warning before delving into a novel..." and then I went on to explain that the book deals heavily with mental illness and suicide, and some readers might find certain scenes upsetting. Certain subject matter probably does warrant a content warning. Examples would be suicide, rape, torture, child abuse, and domestic violence. Those are topics which can be potentially very upsetting, especially for people who have experienced them firsthand. I don't think readers really *need *to be warned about profanity or sex, even explicit sex, unless those things would be really out of place in that genre. That said, by placing a content warning, you're letting the reader decide, which I think is the right way to handle it.
Leah, Xanxa, J. R., you all have some great reasons for warning the reader ahead of time. I put mine on the title page simply because a lot of folks won't read author notes or forewards. I also think that the warning might make the book more appealing to those readers who are looking for heavy hitting, realistic content that doesn't pull punches. Sort of like how the Parental Advisory stickers on rap CD's made them more desirable to their core audience.
It is all about finding the right audience for your work and keeping those who don't appreciate that from wasting their time on it, and potentially giving you a poor review because they were a bad fit.
As a side note, as a former law enforcement officer at a detention facility who was tasked with keeping inappropriate books from 13-16 year-olds, I would have loved having something like my Parental Advisory on the title page, so I didn't have to skim through everything folks brought for the kids during visits.
P.E., wow, sounds like you’ve had some rewarding experiences. And I agree with you entirely.
JR, you beautifully explained why I put my warning on my book. It deals with kidnapping, the sex trade and the results a survivor has to deal with after being rescued. Personally, I like the warning of explicit sex, language or situations which are unsuitable for some audiences. Depending on what I read in the blurb and first few pages will determine if I get the book.
Yes, the one thing I do know is that there will always be people who both like and dislike a book, sometimes no matter how good it is.Indeed! I have always disliked Jane Austen's works and fail to see why she is so appreciated. Currently reading this year's Mann Booker prizewinner, Milkman. How on Earth did it win?
and then I went on to explain that the book deals heavily with mental illness and suicide, and some readers might find certain scenes upsetting.Don't recall any warnings on the cover of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar
Dwayne wrote: "...I don't like doing it. For one, it's tough to do without giving spoilers. For another, I write for adults and I assume most adults can handle most anything and if they can't, they don't have to keep reading..."Ditto.
Although after reading through this thread I'm tempted to add the following to all my books:
CONTENT WARNING: This book contains stuff. If any of it offends you, that's your problem, not mine. Let's be adult about it and move on with our lives, yeah? Or, give me a 1-star review if that makes you feel better. That would be fine.
Well ... OK, I won't do that.
After reading a 1-star review of someone else's book that essentially said "I loved this book but it has the F word in it and takes the name of my Lord in vain, so I'm giving it only one star," I started a story that dropped the F-bomb in the first sentence. That way if anyone complained of something similar I could just go, "Hey, I dropped the F-bomb in the first sentence which you would have known about if you had bothered reading the Look Inside sample. That's what you get when you're not paying attention."
But I get so few reviews I've never gotten a 1-star. Oh well, that's the price of obscurity!
Mod
CONTENT WARNING: This book contains stuff. If any of it offends you, that's your problem, not mine. Let's be adult about it and move on with our lives, yeah? Or, give me a 1-star review if that makes you feel better. That would be fine."
I very nearly put a satirical warning on my second novel. It's got about everything you'd expect to upset people: swearing, sexual abuse, child abuse, violence, etc. I don't seem to have a copy of that satirical warning anymore, but it ran something like, "This book contains many teenagers working in the hot sun, making them smell terrible. It contains scenes of people wasting food. Some of the characters utter impolite things like, 'shut up' and 'you're so dumb'..." and so on. If the book were meant more as a comedy, I might have gone with it, but it's meant to be more of a tragedy.
I hear ya on the "Look Inside" thing. You can get a pretty good idea of the tone of a book in the first few pages.
This has been an interesting conversation and I am wondering what divides us, making us feel the need to add a warning, or feel that it's absolutely not necessary. For me, it could be partly due to my age and the fact that I've been reading "adult" books since I was pretty young and I don't recall any of those books having warnings of any kind in them.
Which reminds me of a slightly amusing story. My parents were overly protective of me as a child and I was not allowed to watch certain shows or movies. I could read pretty much anything I wanted, however, except one book. My dad caught me with his copy of The Godfather and told me "not until you're older". I was probably thirteen or fourteen at the time. He didn't leave it at that, though. He said, "There's a scene in there where a man cuts the head off a horse and puts it in another man's bed. Do you think you should be reading something like that?" And then he proceeded to read me the passage he was referring to. A few weeks later, I snuck the book back off his shelf. As it was now forbidden territory, I couldn't wait to explore it.
Dwayne wrote: "...I am wondering what divides us, making us feel the need to add a warning, or feel that it's absolutely not necessary. For me, it could be partly due to my age and the fact that I've been reading "adult" books since I was pretty young..."I started reading Kurt Vonnegut at age 13, including Breakfast of Champions with its comically simplistic but not very PG drawings. I'm sure if my parents had seen what was in it they would have taken it away from me, but the only harm Vonnegut ever did to me was to give me an appreciation of satire and unapologetically frank discourse on how absurd the adult world really is.
There's never been anything I've read that hurt me, no matter how many bad words or how much gratuitous violence or sex were in them. I, too, was "overly" protected as a child as far as what movies and TV I was allowed to watch. However, I know why my parents did that and it wasn't to protect me from harmful influences. It was because my mother believed that children grow up too quickly "these days" (we're talking the late 50s on through the mid-70s) and she wanted us to have the chance to be kids and have innocent fun before the world caught up to us.
I think I even understood that back then, and appreciated it. Being a kid was a dream. All the adult stuff would come when it came, but I'm glad she allowed us to live that dream as long as she did. So the coddling wasn't to save us from bad influences, but rather to save us for a while from the stress and worry that not being a kid carries with it.
On the whole, though, I think a lot of people today underestimate the ability of kids to process and understand what they see/read in fiction. I mean, look at The Hobbit. Definitely a book written for a younger audience, yet he deals with a lot of very serious and disturbing things ... including talks of torture and devices of war (the goblin section). Fiction written for younger audiences should, I think, be a place to safely discuss some of the horrible things life will throw at you. Or at least I feel that doing so causes no harm.
Dwayne, I love your satirical warning too!
Micah, I agree with you about coddling. The only thing I worry about when it comes to sex and kids, is what our oversexed society may do to them. In certain European countries, sex isn’t made into this huge ordeal (topless beaches are a norm). The over-coddling in our country may be what’s causing the oversexed dilema.
I included a warning on the first book of a possible series(?) because I had received complaints about its graphic sexual content, violence, and profanity (and there is a passing mention of a child abuse survivor who, as an adult, is being further abused, which earned me a one-star from a reader). I did not put a disclaimer on the second book and have received no complaints. I plan to relaunch the first book with a new cover and will not include a disclaimer. I figure we're all adults here, and if someone has a problem with the content, they can always return the book for a refund.
Roxanne, thank you for adding to the conversation. It’s hard not to agree with everyone. In the end, I guess it’s a matter of preference.
Mod
It is. It's one of those things where there's no right way or wrong way and I'm guessing is largely determined by the genre you write and the kinds of books you prefer.
In this age of the overly sensitive who get upset when you pattern an ethnic character on a real person and those of that ethnicity get upset....well I'm over it. It is now recommended to have 'sensitivity readers' so you aren't offending anyone. My thought is sort of like Dwayne's and Micah's...get over it already. It's fiction.I put a the simplistic warning there so the overly sensitive put it back and move on to the next book. I honestly don't give a hoot what they think of the 'offensive' way I have characterized some people or the language or situations. The warning (Which Dwayne and Micah agree we shouldn't need) is my concession to the %%%%% who can't see the forest for the trees.
B.A., that may be a whole other story, and depends on the context of the patterning. If we’re patterning a particular ethnicity during a time when the issues at hand are still affecting them and there’s lots of embodied pain involved, then I understand the sensitivity. If it’s just an individual personality you’re painting and it’s important to the story but not a reflection of a whole people who are still living through certain traumas, then I’d agree with you. Of course, we should always put ourself in the shoes of others when we’re writing non-fiction. I think our writing speaks for itself when it comes to if we truly empathize or relate with a particular people.
Roxanne wrote: "I included a warning on the first book of a possible series(?) because I had received complaints about its graphic sexual content, violence, and profanity (and there is a passing mention of a child..."This thread is an eye-opener to me. My series is about two sisters who are sexual abuse survivors and their journey out of that horrible lifestyle. In the first book, the older sister kills their father, the abuser. I have never seen the need to include a warning, neither have I received any negative reviews about the content. But as someone said, I don't have that many reviews anyway.
Angela, does the blurb include anything about sexual abuse?
I tend to agree with White Diamond Editing's post about warnings making it more obvious a book is self-published. In my genre (psychological thrillers) it is fairly common I think for books to be about abusive relationships, so my psychological thrillers do not include warnings in the blurb. For my psychological novel about a sexual abuse survivor I have used the books subtitle to give a hint of what readers might expect, the subtitle is "a psychological page turner with a shocking and heartbreaking family secret". Subtitles are really common in my genre. I also have links to organisations offering support at the back of my books.
L.k., thanks for sharing. Yes, sexual abuse seems to be the common factor for including some kind of warning.
Leah wrote: "Angela, does the blurb include anything about sexual abuse?"The blurb doesn't say anything about sexual abuse. In fact, the focus of the book is the psychological effects of the abuse, primarily difficulty forming relationships, so it's not in the blurb. However, my tagline is similar to L.K's: a young woman's turbulent journey out of childhood abuse.
I’m thinking about adding an R rating to my description, because a few readers have been insulted by the explicit but non-graphic sexual material.
I’m also thinking about including the additional message below, as some readers are offended by the beliefs of some of the vampires in the story.
“Note: Though some of the characters and scenes are based on real people and events, this is still a fictional vampire story. Any religious or political beliefs of the characters are a product of the fictional story.”
What do you guys feel about this method?