Saturday, July 28, 2012

Am I hot, or am I not?

Many of you know I write both erotic romance and mainstream. So far the difference has boiled down to 1 word. You may have heard of the 3 C's. Some erotica reviewers scan for them and if they don't find all 3 (cock, clit, and cunt) they won't read and review the book.

Now, I have to say I absolutely HATE that third C. To me it's not erotic. It's the most derogatory word in the English language. I refuse to use it and if reviewers don't want to read my books because of that, so be it.

Now, shifting to mainstream...my readers are used to my graphic language. My old mainstream editors had no problem with it. Now that I have a new set of editors, it seems as if euphemisms are preferred. I wonder if my readers will notice? If they do, I wonder if they'll care?

This is my first mainstream book complete with graphic language and 2 of the 3 C's. I had no complaints. Book 2 in the series was even more graphic, because werewolves are animalistic and ruled by instinct. I did receive a couple criticisms from shocked readers.
 Have any of you been writing different heat levels for different publishers? How's that workin' for ya?


5 comments:

Wynter said...

I hate that third C word, too. I've never used it in any of my books. I haven't had any issues with any of my publishers objecting to any explicit words I used, but for one of my recent books, my editor told me the copy editor wanted me to go a little more explicit. So I switched a few words and all was fine.

Jacki C. said...

yeah - I don't care much for that last "c" word.

Jacki

Hot Ash Romance Novels said...

I wonder how it ever got used in the first place? And who thought it was a good idea?

Maggie Nash said...

I am so with you there Ash. It's a horrible word and to me it is a word that is used to denigrate and degrade women....and not ever in a nice way. I don't understand how some people can possibly find it sexy.

Having said that, I have had editors ask me to include MORE graphic language, and I found that quite confronting - but I managed LOL. Still I never used that third c. Actually, I think I might have once. But only when the editor insisted. In my Victorian era story I have used the olde fashioned cunny but for some reason that doesn't have the same connotations for me and it was never used the same way as an insulting term..

Hot Ash Romance Novels said...

Cunny is almost "cute" when I read it, Mags. You're right. It's never used as an insult.