Mature content warning?

JakeSTamer

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One of my Beta readers who also writes erotica suggested that I should add a mature content warning on the cover. My cover designer is working on the cover now, so now would be the time to add it.

The book has 30 explicit scenes mostly lesbian. They range from 500 to 3000 words and they're all graphic. There is two torture scenes, also graphic and one death by Blood Eagle also graphic.

How many of you add mature content warnings to your books? I'm thinking it might be a good idea considering the book is basically mature content from beginning to end even without the sex scenes.
 

InkFinger

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If your readers reaction is "add a warning," you should probably add a warning.
 

JakeSTamer

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That's what I think I'm going to do. Only one beta mentioned it so I thought I would ask and see.
 

Maryn

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I'm no expert, but I think if your plan is to self-publish, it matters even more. When a reader buys a book from an erotica publisher, through them or through an intermediary like Amazon, they know they're getting something graphic. But if you sell directly using Amazon and/or other platforms, people may not realize how graphic a book is going to be.

And of course some will sort their choices based on the fact that they want graphic sex.

Will you share the warning when it's finalized? I want to see what it says and how it looks.

Maryn, creeping ever-closer to self-pubbing
 

JakeSTamer

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Maryn, you make a good point on a reader not knowing how graphic a book will be, and yes I'd be happy to share when it's done.
 

veinglory

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I can't think of a book that does this, and I read a lot of books with erotic content both in and outside the genre of erotica -- many of them self-published.

I would say a clear no.

Yes people should know what they are getting but that's what genre categories, covers, and blurbs are all about -- just saying what this story is not 'warnings'. At the most you could follow what some erotic romance books do and put notices at the end of the listing of anything people might actively not want to read like age-play, multiple partners etc.

If you put 'this is a sex book' (effectively) on the cover you may find more people are angry they didn't get an all-sex book than would have been surprised that is was an any-sex book if there was no warning. You may also deter a lot of people who would enjoy the book.

Given that heterosexual books with sex in them do not have cover warnings, it might also been seen as relating to the content being lesbian -- as if that was somehow much more shocking (dangerous territory).

My guess would be that your beta reader was not in your target audience for the book.

Bottom line, look successful book similar to your book and do what they do.
 
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Maryn

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You know, that's a very sensible answer. Listen to her rather than my answer.
 

Liz_V

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Did the beta suggest a warning for the sex, or the torture & graphic death? 'Cause those are two different issues.

If somebody's buying a book labeled erotica, graphic sex should not surprise them. It sounds like the violence & gore is fairly harsh stuff, though; it wouldn't faze me, but I could see some readers being unpleasantly surprised. Taking a quick look at your website, I don't see anything that would lead me to expect that sort of thing; rather the opposite, in fact.

I don't know if it needs to be a warning on the cover specifically (if it's only available on Amazon, buyers should be able to read the description -- and would "mature content" even make people think of violence, if it's on a book about sex?), but giving readers some kind of heads-up about what they're getting into seems like a good idea.
 

JakeSTamer

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Thank you, everyone for providing some very thoughtful input on this, it's given me a lot to think about.

Yes, if someone's browsing the erotic section, explicit content should be expected.

It never dawned on me that some people could associate the warning with lesbian content. That would be a never intended mess, and something I don't want to happen. I'm going to not have a warning on the cover and let the book stand on its own. A one star review for being too graphic and having too much explicit sex is still a good review.

I think I'm going to tweak the blurb a little to suggest that there is a lot of sex in the story instead.
 

frimble3

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Yes, if someone's browsing the erotic section, explicit content should be expected.

A one star review for being too graphic and having too much explicit sex is still a good review.

I think I'm going to tweak the blurb a little to suggest that there is a lot of sex in the story instead.
You're right.
If they're browsing the 'erotica' section, that should be a warning about sexual content in itself. And, in that section, a review that says 'too much graphic and explicit sex' is, I assume, a heck of a recommendation.

Mention it in your blurb, and maybe a suggestive cover picture? A semi-naked couple should get the point across.

But, definitely put in a warning, or at least a mention, of the violence. Readers like to be alerted, one way or the other.
Just as I like to see some mention of 'contains recipes' - so that I know to put that cozy mystery right back where I found it. For someone else, it's an enticing selling point.
 

veinglory

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Mentioning sex in the blurb would help. There are also a lot of cues on a cover that most readers open to or avoiding sex are used to. For example erotic content is associated with black or red and slightly steamy imagery while sweet stories tend more to bright or pastel colors and cursive fonts etc
 

JakeSTamer

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Thank you again for everyone's help. I've been doing a lot of research on this, and found that at least for Amazon, the cover, title, and blurb need to be acceptable for all or the book could be sent to the Amazon dungeon. I found a list of words to not use in the title and blurb. Putting a warning in the blurb is a definite no no, so putting one on the cover probably would be too. The way my blurb was, my book probably would have gone straight to the dungeon.

This was my blurb (WIP). The next is what I've ended up with.

After twelve hundred years of searching, Arianna finally finds true love in Mindy’s arms, the arms of a mortal woman that is destined to become her newest sister sex goddess. Shortly after Mindy is turned, a tragedy in the past occurs erasing the sex goddesses from existence. Mindy, with Freyja’s help, is the only one to survive. Having to spend three-hundred years in the distant past, can Mindy fix the time line, saving the woman she loves and her sisters from extinction?

Join Mindy in her slutty, sex filled adventure as she meets a Nordic Goddess, visits a colony of Elves, plays with vine creatures, and with the help of her sisters, fights an ancient evil bent on destroying them. Throughout it all, Mindy and Arianna discover the most important thing in the world, that nothing, not even time itself can stop true love.

The words sister, slutty, and sex filled had to be removed.

After twelve hundred years of searching, Arianna finally finds true love in Mindy’s arms, the arms of a mortal woman that is destined to become the newest member in their coven of immortal sex-goddesses. Shortly after Mindy is turned, a tragedy in the past occurs erasing the sex-goddesses from existence. Mindy, with Freyja’s help, is the only one to survive. Having to spend three-hundred years in the distant past, can Mindy fix the time line to save Arianna and the rest of the sex-goddesses from extinction?

Join Mindy with help from Freyja the Nordic goddess, in her erotic quest to save the woman she loves. Mindy soon finds that her destiny includes becoming an integral part of her sisterhood’s history, and that altering the past to correct the future is no easy task, and takes longer than she thought. Along the way she makes lifelong friends and lovers, plays with vine creatures, and with the help of her friends, fights an ancient evil bent on destroying them. Throughout it all, Mindy and Arianna discover the most important thing in the world, that nothing, not even time itself can stop true love.


Even though the first one is more directly to the point, I like the new one better. It's longer but I think it still lets the reader know that there is sex in the story, and I think it's still within Amazons guidelines. It's hard to describe something when you can't use the words best to describe it.
 

veinglory

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Saying 'danger gay sex' or anything open to that interpretation on your cover is going to cause you trouble in the future.