A 'Warning'

I have seen that sort of thing once or twice (as well as the reverse, statement declaring fcition to be true). But, frankly, a group fundamental enough to burn Harry Potter is hardly going to care--whilst your readers might well be put off by the insult implied (that they might be too dumb to know that novels are fictional and that blurbs indicate what books are about so you can avoid content you don't like).

E.G., by flagging with a "warning" on your book, you've only drawn cross-hairs on it for the very people you're trying to avoid. Of course, you'll also flag it people prowling bookstores for graphic novels, themes for "mature audiences," and the mildly curious. I also think Vein is right about the blurb. If your intent is to merely warn potential buyers of moderate violence and supernatural content, a simple blurb describing the theme will likely solve your problem.

I also think your publisher may weigh in on any decision to place a "warning" label on your book. They may object to such a precedence. If you thought the music industry fought like hell to keep warnings off jewel cases, wait until that same battle comes to the print media.

Ask your publisher to lace the pages with gunpowder so that if anyone ever tries using it in a book burning, they get Author's Wrath in the face.

People who go book burning should have EXACTLY NO EFFECT on what you write. They're morons. Idiots. Fools. They speak for a vocal minority that will never buy you anyway, and draw their conclusions from a whole other planet entirely. You cannot pacify them, you cannot mollify them; all you can do is hope they're too prudish to breed.

Ugh, don't get me started on those idiots. I love the one guy who said that because HP included witchcraft and Wicca was a recognized religion, the book couldn't be in public schools. LOL. If he had done his research, he would know the only thing even close to real craft was the name.

Everytime I hear of one of those book burning incidents, I can't help but think "Sieg Heil!"

E.G. Gammon said:

I was just a little put off by the Harry Potter book burning incident.

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So what’s wrong with burning books? They bought them, didn’t they? Let them buy a million books and make a bonfire!



At least it will keep them off the used market.

E.G. Gammon said:

I had heard of those book burning incidents but I never really took them seriously until they actually happened in my home town. It was kind of a wake-up call. Those "God Hates F(a)gs" people went through my town, too and my book has a bisexual character. I may get hassled by THEM, too.

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Haha, you must be talking about Fred Phelps. I'm from Kansas, where Phelps is from, so we often times get our wonderful dose of his ignorant bullshit. Right now I live in Salina, and he doesn't really come here too often, but come January I'm moving to Lawerance, Kansas (A town with a very hefty gay community. Where KU college is), and Phelps loves to protest there. People know him most for his gay hating, but he has some ignorant views you wouldn't believe. For instance, he hates anyone who is Swedish... He also has a big thing against Canadians. The guy has some serious angst, and should seriously clean up those tears of his, because his cult army isn't doing much to change America, except for more people coming out and protecting the gay community. Phelps is losing his war at an incredible rate. I can't wait for gay marriage to pass one day, so this guy cries a river and hopefully drowns in it.

On to the book burnings... I don't know why they worry you so much. I live by the theory "Any publicity is good publicity." Man, if I published something and people protested it and even went so far as to BURN my creation, I would sit back and enjoy every second. Infact, I would try my best to attend the protest and watch the action first hand. When people do things like this, it only proves how much YOU'VE won. Your book affected people's lives, so much so, that it caused so much anger in certain people they decided to commit acts of violence (Yes, burning books is a violent act, even if nobody is being hurt.) Look at the profit Harry Potter has turned over... Do you honestly think Harry Potter lost? No way. It won, it's winning, and it's going to win again with the continual release of the movies. A few nazi protestors hoping to change the world with their radical book burnings are only a sign that you've accomplished something great. People PRAY that they'll one day be able to make an impact on society that leads to immense controversy. Don't worry man, protesting is a godsend.

Burning Books

Julie Worth said:

So what’s wrong with burning books? They bought them, didn’t they? Let them buy a million books and make a bonfire!



At least it will keep them off the used market.

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I agree absolutely. Then, if they want to go to another town, they have to buy more books to burn. Rowling doesn't seem to be suffering any ill effects of having her books burned. If anything, I think it's good publicity.

Those people aren't "religious." They're "nutjobs." Did you go and organize a counter-protest?

I'm religious. And you know what's obvious to me? Harry Potter and his little friends are all Anglicans.


You want warnings? Look at the warnings on the Lemony Snicket books.

Lemony Snicket's books are dark--comapred to Harry Potter they are very dark. My daughter, who is now 11 loves them and writes fan fic for them. She does drawings of the characters and such--but has anyone heard of a Lemony Snicket book burning? At least as many of her friends read those as read Potter--and funny one mom who is very against the Harry Potter books lets her kids read Lemony Snicket's work.

Most those people who are so against Harry Potter have not even read the book--they see the word witch or some such and go off on it.

Shawn

E.G. Gammon said:

Has there ever been a book that contained a WARNING at the beginning - something along the lines of:

"This book is not recommended for readers under the age of 18. It contains scenes of violence and the supernatural. This is a work of fiction and should be treated as such. Do not believe or attempt to recreate anything printed in these pages."

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Leaving aside that such a warning has no legal effect, you're better off taking Frank Zappa's stand.

DirtySyko said:

On to the book burnings... I don't know why they worry you so much. I live by the theory "Any publicity is good publicity." Man, if I published something and people protested it and even went so far as to BURN my creation, I would sit back and enjoy every second. Infact, I would try my best to attend the protest and watch the action first hand. When people do things like this, it only proves how much YOU'VE won. Your book affected people's lives, so much so, that it caused so much anger in certain people they decided to commit acts of violence (Yes, burning books is a violent act, even if nobody is being hurt.) Look at the profit Harry Potter has turned over... Do you honestly think Harry Potter lost? No way. It won, it's winning, and it's going to win again with the continual release of the movies. A few nazi protestors hoping to change the world with their radical book burnings are only a sign that you've accomplished something great. People PRAY that they'll one day be able to make an impact on society that leads to immense controversy. Don't worry man, protesting is a godsend.

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I second that.

As far as the here and now is concerned, please don't take this as an aspertion on your publicity profile but Harry Potter books have been selling millions upon millions for years. If I wrote the exact same book today and it hit the stores with none of the hype and publicity that Harry Potter generates, none of these idiots would give two sh!ts what was in it.

Consider this: How comfortable are you bowing to the pressure of these wingnuts? If you change your book to align with their likes and dislikes, haven't they won? Why should they get to decide what the rest of us do or don't get to read, or to write?

So what if they want to burn your books? I'd say, let them burn them. That'd only mean a few things: 1) your book is successful enough to draw attention; 2) more people would want to buy/read it...

If you think for a minute that the HP book/CD/whatever burning is going to hurt the series or JK Rowling, then you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Besides, the best way to fight fanaticism and bigotry is by pushing more buttons. To me, putting up a warning or whatever is kind of like Rosa Park saying, "OK, I will sit in the back of the bus." I say, screw them. Write the best and most wonderful book you can with violence and sex, and see these people squirm.

You think Stephen King and Dean Koontz are going to put up warnings in their books? Think again.

You worry too much. Finish the BOOK!

Either Asimov's or Analog (I can never keep it straight which) puts these sorts of warnings on some short stories. Maybe it's a little bit different in a subscription situation, but I always found it a little bit insulting. I'm sure somebody complained to the editors at one point.

If their little presentation makes you censor yourself or put up warnings, then you will be letting them get their way.

Augusten Burroughs' two memoirs created controversies -- his books deal with pedophilia, homosexuality, child abuse, drug use among minors, etc. etc. in very graphic ways. Well, look at him now -- one of the most sought-after writers in the US, at least, and a movie being made about his life starring Annette Benning.

Success is the sweetest revenge, if you ask me.

A book with scenes of violence and the supernatural? No, thanks, I already have one. It's the King James version.

E.G. Gammon said:

Yeah, I do worry too much. I'll write the story like I originally planned it. Even though I cover a lot of controversial topics/issues, and I include things that would make the Pope roll over in his grave, the story works very well as it stands and changing it to avoid controversy IS letting "them" win, like Aconite said. If the book is published, I KNOW it will create a lot of controversy - but I guess that doesn't have to be such a bad thing.

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It sounds, reading through the thread, as if you are a bit uncomfortable with some of the people/places/events in your story. When faced with this kind of dilemma, I take each element that worries me and consider it individually. Why did I write it this way? Have I subconsciously tried to emulate something I have read recently? Am I trying to stir up controversy by including hotbuttons for the crazies to focus on? Would the satanic lesbian nun work just as well if she were an accountant? Would the explosion at the high school work if it were at a mall instead, or is the location vital to the story? Once you have established to your own satisfaction and nobody else's that everything you were worried about has a valid artistic reason for being, you can blithely go ahead, and damn the critics. Changing things to avoid controversy is bad- that way lies mediocrity. Writing things just to incite controversy is just as bad- that way lies Michael Moore.

Oh, I completely agree that it's not hurting the authors, and that it IS publicity. It's the narrow mindedness I mind. These people will shout to the rooftops that the Nazis were evil, that concentration camps were horrid, and yet they employ their tactics. <shrug>

When I orignally read this thread I thought about Lemony Snicket. But those warnings are supposed to be funny. I think.

LOL UJ - yep, all Anglicans. Definitely not Catholics.

If one looks carefully, my book has some symbolism in it. Who's doesn't? Only people who know what it means will recognize it for what it is. For the rest of the world, it's just fantasy.

No matter what you write, someone is going to have a problem with it. You can't please everybody and there's absolutely no way of getting around it.

In order for your book to be burned or criticized or whatnot, first it's actually going to need the attention span of millions of people. Already you'll have popularity for enough fans to realize that these book-burning people are way out of line. In actuality, compared with the millions of fans of the HP books, these book burners are an extremely small percentage. The only reason you actually hear about them is because of the popularity of HP in the first place.

I just heard on the news last night there's a theory that the new Star Wars film is a political commentary on the Bush administration. I mean, give me a break. Themes are themes and can be applied to every day life, government, religion, etc. People are going to think what they want to think. World-wide entertainment phenomenons are going to get publicity, negative and positive, and there's nothing the authors or producers or actors and actresses can do to stop it.

Even if you speak out, it's not going to change the minds of the radicals anyway. I could potentially be in loads of trouble with my WIP, if it were to ever take off. But I simply can't let a few people bug me about it. There are people in RL who don't like me, but their opinions don't affect my actions.


... can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine? Keep in mind, also, that much of the controversy that surrounds HP is because it's intended for "children" audiences. That still didn't stop people from burning the likes of Lolita, Huck Finn, etc., but being an "adult" novel may take a little of the heat off.

I recommend The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805074678/ (It should also be in print and available at any large bookstore.)

My mind is very good at throwing up resistance. I've learned to let it natter on -- then sit down and write anyway. (Usually. I have my occasional weak days, of course.) Because, as terrifying as writing is, I've tried not writing and that's no good at all.