If you’re an erotica writer, you know that Amazon has a double standard. If you publish a title and put it into the “erotica” category, there are certain things that aren’t allowed in the title or on blurb. But if you put that same title and blurb into the “romance” category, it’s fine. Half-naked couples in a hot, torrid embrace… Read More
Banned (Erotic) Book Week 2014
It’s “banned books week” so of course I’m going to talk about banned books. Specifically, banned erotic books, since, that genre happens to be my bread and butter. Recently, Michelle Keep wrote a scathing (and oh-so-accurate) commentary about Amazon’s hypocritical stance on erotica. They advertised “banned books” in a public email, but behind the scenes, they continue to suppress erotica… Read More
Amazon at it Again – Blocking Pseudoincest and Monster Sex!
Amazon is at it again. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore when Amazon decides to change the rules of publishing erotica on their site, but there are days when I feel like my career in this genre is a little bit like playing Calvinball. (Anyone else remember Calvin and Hobbes?) The only rules are the ones Amazon makes up… Read More
Nanny State Gone Wild in the UK
Well it’s happened to our friends across the pond. The Prime Minister has made it official – pornography will be blocked by default on the Internet in the UK unless you choose to “opt in” to receive it. (And of course, if you do “opt in,” your name will be forwarded to a UK government agency in charge of overseeing citizens… Read More
Revisiting the Censorship of Erotica
Hey, does anyone remember when Amazon started banning erotic fiction? Or when Apple removed “certain” titles from their bestseller lists? Or when Paypal stopped paying for “certain types” of erotica? When Amazon began excluding books from its “all department” search? When Smashwords started cracking down on “nipples and floppy bits and dangly parts?“ When Apple began rejecting outright those books… Read More