how far can I take the explicitness of an ebook cover design for KDP?

[Dante77]

I mean, the ebook itself will *not* be visible to people unless they have enabled the "show adult content" thing on KDP. so, given that, shouldn't my cover design be allowed to be explicit? Or does it have to be pg-13 because reasons?

 

[frimble3]

I mean, the ebook itself will *not* be visible to people unless they have enabled the "show adult content" thing on KDP. so, given that, shouldn't my cover design be allowed to be explicit? Or does it have to be pg-13 because reasons?

'Reasons' being: what if once the 'adult' gets the book downloaded, some kid browses across it?
How about a 'plain brown wrapper' cover, with parts suggestively torn away to suggest what lies within?

 

[Unimportant]

I reckon that can only be answered by kdp, as they hold the final decision; commentary by anyone here could be straying into the realm of legal advice, which we cannot offer.

Maybe browse books in the same subgenre as yours and look at the spectrum of their covers?

I think this question belongs in the sp area. I'll ask a mod to move it.

 

[Maryn]

Please keep your hands and feet inside the thread as I port it to Self-Publishing. Do what you will with your heads.

 

[CMBright]

I'd think "how explicit can you go" would be determined by Kindle's policies. I do like the idea of looking like butcher paper (generic brown wrapping) "torn" to reveal images that hint at being far more explicit that they perhaps would be if shown.

 

[Maryn]

Okay, that worked!

Are you aware AbsoluteWrite has an erotica board with many regulars who have self-published? Their cover art cannot be too graphic or KDP makes it findable in search by title and author but not displayed under category, which is the kiss of death when it comes to readers who browse and buy.

You'll serve yourself well to browse cover art there extensively to see what's shown--and what's not.

Maryn, assigning homework

 

[Dante77]

Okay, that worked!

Are you aware AbsoluteWrite has an erotica board with many regulars who have self-published? Their cover art cannot be too graphic or KDP makes it findable in search by title and author but not displayed under category, which is the kiss of death when it comes to readers who browse and buy.

You'll serve yourself well to browse cover art there extensively to see what's shown--and what's not.

Maryn, assigning homework

dang, I'm glad I know this now. definitely gonna look at everyone else's cover arts in the adult content section.
and yeah, some kind of visual trick like the one suggested by people here might be good, where you see only part of what's happening and you'd only know what IS happening in the full image if you have already seen extreme violence.

it's probably more horror than erotica but hey, if a serial killer rampage is your fetish, who am I to judge? lloolll

 

[Maryn]

Be aware that AW has a longstanding policy of not allowing the posting of works that eroticize sexual or other violence. Yes, there's a market for it, but no, it cannot be posted here for feedback or linked to points of sale.

This isn't wholesale condemnation of what you write, if your work does this. Writers at AW should understand whether a particular manuscript can be critiqued or promoted here.

Maryn, performing in her official capacity

 

[Dante77]

Be aware that AW has a longstanding policy of not allowing the posting of works that eroticize sexual or other violence. Yes, there's a market for it, but no, it cannot be posted here for feedback or linked to points of sale.

This isn't wholesale condemnation of what you write, if your work does this. Writers at AW should understand whether a particular manuscript can be critiqued or promoted here.

Maryn, performing in her official capacity

oh don't worry, I'm not looking for feedback here on my content. I'd say I'm here for two reasons: 1) technical help, like this thread is a perfect example, and 2) to casually socialize, without talking about my content, because I don't want others to try to copy me, at least not until I've made lots of money, so even if you had no rules regarding this, I wouldn't want to post the content I write.

I'm using an anonymous pen name on KDP to protect myself and because it will help market my work. I know some people think that "taboo" media, whether it be games, movies, or books, encourages real life bad behavior but I believe the opposite. I majored in Psychology as well as English at college (that alone doesn't say much but, the point is, I've given a lot of critical thought to it).

 

[Unimportant]

I don't want others to try to copy me, at least not until I've made lots of money, so even if you had no rules regarding this, I wouldn't want to post the content I write.

Wow! It sounds like you've invented and will pioneer a whole new subgenre, like Stone Age fiction (Jean Auel) or vampire fiction (Anne Rice) or dinosaur erotica (Christie Sims, I think? Not sure if that is the author it originated with or not). I hope your aspirations are successful and that your stories inspire and spawn a new fiction category.

 

[lizmonster]

oh don't worry, I'm not looking for feedback here on my content. I'd say I'm here for two reasons: 1) technical help, like this thread is a perfect example, and 2) to casually socialize, without talking about my content, because I don't want others to try to copy me, at least not until I've made lots of money, so even if you had no rules regarding this, I wouldn't want to post the content I write.

You don't have to post a thing about your work if you don't want to, but - just because this is a concern I've heard a lot from newbies - you don't have to worry about theft. Plagiarism happens, for sure; but 99.9% of the time it's of already-published work that's been relatively successful. As for ideas? There are no new ideas under the sun, and two treatments of the same idea by two different authors are two drastically different books.

TL;DR: Post what you like, of course! But don't worry about theft.

 

[mccardey]

You don't have to post a thing about your work if you don't want to, but - just because this is a concern I've heard a lot from newbies - you don't have to worry about theft. Plagiarism happens, for sure; but 99.9% of the time it's of already-published work that's been relatively successful. As for ideas? There are no new ideas under the sun, and two treatments of the same idea by two different authors are two drastically different books.

TL;DR: Post what you like, of course! But don't worry about theft.

Also, everybody here is already writing their own books. And we're nice, and we don't steal things. (Except sammiges, sometimes, if we're very hungry and nobody's looking.)

 

[Maryn]

Hey! Who took my sandwich? Damn it, I know it was one of you. For real, I had a lovely ahi salad sandwich (leftovers from a birthday dinner), and I would not have shared if anyone had asked, and now my plate it empty.

There's no obligation to post any of your work here, ever. Many new people come here mainly to get help improving their writing, and are therefore eager to post, but we can't assume that about everyone. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.

I agree with what's been said upthread, though. We're deeply involved with our own ideas and don't want to snitch yours, even if it's great, and it's probably not really new. Doesn't mean you shouldn't write it and attempt to sell it for big bucks.

Maryn, thinking Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

[Al X.]

It's worth noting that if you intend on using AMS for marketing your books (I don't anymore and won't) the rules for cover art are different than for publishing the actual book itself. As an example, if you have a non-adult content novel with a gun on the cover, that's fine for the purposes of publication, but AMS won't allow ads with guns on the cover. And yes, I'm clueless on the logic.

 

[lorna_w]

for the record and future browsers:

• no ass cracks
• no hand bras
• no female nipples; male nipples are fine. (I don't think they've made a decision about other sexes)
• Blood is... iffy. Depends on who sees it and what their mood is, as far as I can tell from acquaintance reports. Blood on a floor, maybe okay. Think how Hitchcock handled it.
• some underboob gets dinged, some not (the ways of the Zon are mysterious). Male underboob fine.
• combining nudity and blood is probably not going to fly
• anything implying doggie-style or that other thing that looks like it is forbidden
• no bladed weapons entering the body
• nothing that looks underage + either sex or violence. And it can get your account banned.
• I've seen handcuffs listed, but they're on plenty of books, but are pictured alone, like on a black silk sheet, no person in sight.

It's one of the reasons to hire a legit pro cover designer. They know. And your book will likely sell better.

 

[Alessandra Kelley]

And now I know what a "hand bra" is. Welp.

 

[Al X.]

Well that made me go look. I did a cursory search through Smashwords' erotic romance offerings, and have not found either underboob or hand bra in the covers.

 

[lorna_w]

Well that made me go look. I did a cursory search through Smashwords' erotic romance offerings, and have not found either underboob or hand bra in the covers.

"No, really dear, I was just doing some business research!"

Though Smash should be a little more liberal. They are in content, so I assumed in covers too.

 

[Al X.]

"No, really dear, I was just doing some business research!"

Though Smash should be a little more liberal. They are in content, so I assumed in covers too.

I would have thought the same thing. But one thing that occurs to me is that, they are an aggregator, and therefore the covers probably need to meet the individual retailers' requirements. That said I can't find a cover policy statement for either D2D or Smashwords.