Satin Musings

Satin Musings

Monday, February 27, 2012

Changes~A question for Mark Coker and other Ebook Selling Sites

Changes happen. It's a fact of life. People change. Things change. Situations changes. And, that's what is occurring with me right at this moment, things and situations are changing with me, my novels, and my relationships with some of the sites that are selling some of my books. I think that Smashwords, ARe, and BookStrand are turning their backs on erotica authors. They can deny it all they want, but that's exactly what they are doing. I'm told by some, that this is just the beginning, that if we sit back and do nothing or say nothing then we are as bad as they are, at killing our rights. I'm not sure. These individual people own these companies, and so do they not have the right to choose and pick what sort of literature they want to sell? They don't have to sell erotica at all. Do they? So, in reality, are they really breaking the First Amendment right? I just don't know where the fine line is between right and wrong, and where exactly the moral line should be. I write erotica. I write about sex, I write about rape, I write about step-relations having sex, a step-father having sex with his eighteen year old step-daughter, or the step-brother having sex with his step-sister. I have written about an uncle having sex with his niece, blood niece. Some would want to take me to the stake and burn me for such stories. I even got a bad review for Riding Uncle Jesse, by one reader because she said, "I didn't think that Uncle Jesse was a real blood uncle." What did you think you might be reading if you are browsing through the erotic section of Smashwords and come across a book titled, "Riding Uncle Jesse." ? I have only crossed the 'blood' line once in my writings, and thought nothing of it as I wrote Riding Uncle Jesse, but this reader wanted me to know that she was not happy with my choice to make him a 'blood' relative. I'm not upset with this reader, I in fact thank her for sharing with me her unhappiness over the story. She implied that she liked the story, up until the part where she realized he was an 'blood' uncle. Most of my readers have been okay with the fact that I write step-relation stories, they are in fact, my best sellers, and I'll continue writing them but just not for Smashwords, All Romance, or Book Strand. As I thought, there are other places on the net that will accept books such as mine, and gladly sell the material.  I still have books at Smashwords, and ARe, and will continue to write the material suited for them, as long as they accept erotica. Am I wrong to submit to their threats, and publish their kind of material that they find suited? Probably. But, the bottom line is money, and that is the bottom line for us all, you, me, and them, and each one of us will do what we need to do, to make a little of the green.
I would never write about bestiality, but I'm not going to judge those who write it. It's their First Amendment rights. However, I'm changing my thoughts on Smashwords and ARe's and BookStrand's decision, too.  I have lost respect for these companies because they've made this decision, but I understand their decision, I think. Paypal is the entity behind these sites decisions to rid their sites of certain kinds of erotica. The problem is, they will again cave the next time, when Paypal decides they don't want any erotica on the sites.  So, I end this post with one question to Mark Coker, a man whom I've admired up to this point. I still admire him, but I've lost some admiration for him, (though I'm sure what I think of  him, doesn't really mean a hill of beans to him, after all, I'm just one of those erotica authors. )
Here's my question, Mr. Coker, and others who own the other sites that's banning the erotica.
You're listed as the Owner and Operator of Smashwords, but DO YOU REALLY OWN IT?

4 comments:

  1. Good point, Gwendolyn - people are free to decide what they will or will not sell - but are they really free if a payment processor is dictating their choices. Most of the books in question (probably 99.5%) would pass the obscenity tests used for print books - why should there be a different standard for the same material in a different form?

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  2. Sessha, thank you for replying. You are the one who lit the fire under me to get me involved in this debate. I thank you for that. Sometimes, we just have to take a stand for fairness. I know that it would be a pain in the ass for Mark Coker to change his practices of using Paypal, and switching to another means of paying, and getting paid, but I am itching to know, just how much money Mr. Coker and smashwords will be losing by dropping those that have made money there. I for one, have made most of my earnings from Smashwords in my erotic writings, and I'm just one author, how many more authors like me were there at Smashwords that will be losing money, thus, Mr. Coker losing that money off these best seller? I still have books that are there, but as hard as I promoted for my best sellers there, I'll promote just as hard now for Amazon, and the other sites that are still allowing Daddy's Darling, Swinging with Daddy, Riding Uncle Jesse, Love and Hate, and The Possession of Sonja.

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  3. I'm sorry to see stories from you that I already consider "classic erotica", ie, Riding Uncle Jesse, The Possession of Sonja, Swinging with Daddy, etc, stop being offered for sale at these places. Sure, I understand what has happened with Smashwords and PayPal (nasty word I hate to even speak any longer). Many of my own books have bit the dust the same way and all from that same single bullet (damn PP, anyway) that took out your titles. All any of us as erotica authors can do is move forward and write new stories that hopefully will be accepted by these venues. Still, I hate to see my rights as an author trampled on in such a cavalier manner. I hope one day the truly honorable venues will revolt against PP and their evil practices and revert to offering the types of stories that the readership wants to buy.

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  4. I think that you are correct, Whiskey. We need to move on by writing fresh stories as well as continuing writing for the new sites that will accept our works, if we so choose. Thanks.

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