Sassy Vixen Publishing
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Sassy Vixen Authors
  • Sassy Vixen Store
  • Release Dates
  • Current Projects
  • Original SVP Blog
  • Sassy Vixen Authors and Friends
  • Sassy Vixen Reviews with The Vixen

The Home of Sassy Vixen Authors and Friends

Latest news and releases from our authors and more

Sassy Vixen Amazon Book Page

#TheVixen Weighs In on Apps That Cover Up the Naughty Bits

3/27/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
I'm sure many of you have already heard about a new app called Clean Reader. It was designed by a couple who didn't like the idea there wasn't an app out there to help their grade school aged daughter read books she liked and white out any "swear words". These same people have made back handed comments insinuating that authors can write well without having to "resort to using profanity." (Click HERE to see the site's blog article for yourself.)


Picture
As you can imagine, the idea this particular app exists has irked a few members of the author community but not more than finding out the site had been selling books with this app. While it's true the app didn't alter the actual book file, and the user could turn the app on or off at will, the fact remains they're altering the intended content...often to something that no longer resembles the original work of the author.


Because of all the uproar and authors demanding their books be removed from their site, Clean Reader has done exactly that. They've removed ALL books from their catalog. Kind of hard to have books available when their source of books had been cut off. Page Foundry was distributing books to them. Smashwords and Draft 2 Digital requested Page Foundry not distribute any of their books to Clean Reader or basically risk losing their partnership. When two of the most popular distribution sites for Indie books threatened to cut off your access to the very thing you need to stay in business, it would behoove you to listen!


You, as a consumer may feel that once someone purchases a book, they are free to do with it as they see fit. This is true for PRINT books. When it comes to e-books, the reader purchases a license to read the book, on ONE reading device. As the owner of that one license to read the book, you do not have the right to reproduce or alter the content in any way or distribute it to others in the altered or unaltered state without the written permission of the author and their publisher.

Picture
In principle, the Clean Reader app could be a good tool for adults to use on books written by authors who have given their permission for their work to be included in catalogs that offer this service. While I don't understand it, there are some readers who simply cannot read a book with specific words in it. They may even love the story right up until their trigger word pops up. One of those words for many women is CUNT. It jars them right out of the story and they are so sickened, they refuse to continue to read any further. While I don't have a problem with it, there are those who do. Those are the readers I don't want to read my books. They're not my target audience. Reading my stories will not bring them enjoyment no matter how clean they scrub the pages with that app. There are plenty of other books out there for them to choose to read—without the words that offend them and I'll gladly point them in the right direction.


It's true there are under-aged readers who do get their hands on explicit material. Let's go back to the example mentioned in the introduction. The daughter of the creators of this app read a book in her school library that she loved, but made her sad because it had swear words in it. Instead of questioning why their daughter had such a book available, they immediately jumped to looking for an app to clean it up. 


Picture
Where was the discussion with the school librarian? Where was the discussion about those words with their daughter? More importantly, where were the warnings on the book itself about the content? How can parents make the right choices as to what is age appropriate if there aren't any ratings offered or at least some sort of warning on the cover or in the blurbs? 

This very thing happened when I was in middle school. Judy Blume books were quite popular and parents had no problem with the books being in our school library...until FOREVER was released. Based on the cover back when I read it, you would never have guessed it was a sexually explicit book. It's a Judy Blume book for heaven's sake! The second cover in the photo is what it looks like today. Based on comments as late as 2014, people are STILL upset this book is not for kids like Judy's other books (except WIFEY. That one is ADULTS ONLY). I'm in my late forties so why is it this book STILL doesn't have the appropriate warnings?

Picture
This is the main reason I write under more than one pen name. I don't want readers of my sweet romances and YA and children's books to pick up one of my erotic romances or erotica books. I put adult content warnings on the explicit stuff. I have warnings on my websites and blogs. While it's not up to me to police everything children do online, I do my best to warn readers. Restrictions on where they go online, what books they can check out from libraries and what movies they can see are all up to their parents. I will not allow my explicit books scrubbed clean in order for these kids to read them or to make them more appealing for folks who are offended by profanity or what they consider vulgar words.


It's bad enough to have to fight within the romance community about the heat levels of books and what is erotic and what is merely steamy. There's a group of publishers, authors and readers who what to "clean up" the erotic romance genre. There's no need to clean it up. All they have to do is stick with their own genres and heat levels and leave ours alone. Unfortunately, this dissension has lead to confused readers—just like those who pick up the Judy Blume books. They're expecting one thing and get another. If I'm promised hot sex scenes, I sure as hell better have them and not some watered down version. Same goes for those readers who wish to have more behind closed doors. They're also entitled to get what they expect and not have to use an app to get it.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Just because you don't like profanity, substance abuse, blood and gore, etc doesn't mean that you have the right to filter out that content just so you can say you were able to enjoy the most popular books and movies out today. What would Fifty Shades of Grey be without the sex scenes? Is it the need to claim they've been able to enjoy movies and books like this but not feel the guilt the motivating factor for them? Why not simply choose movies, books, music and other art that already fall into the criteria they've set for themselves? Why force others to conform to their standards?
Picture
Picture
Authors of explicit material or even those who use a swear word here and there within their books are not forcing anyone to read their work. Each writes for themselves and to appeal to specific audiences. Their blurbs, covers and content warnings are there to help readers choose appropriately. if we didn't care who read our work, we wouldn't bother to provide the warnings and simply allow apps like Clean Reader mangle up our words in any way the person using the program desires.


My stance on this is quite simple. There are enough books out there to appeal to your tastes. Choose the ones with the content you desire, whatever heat level, whatever horror level, however dark or twisted they may be or not. Use your brain to make the choices and you won't need to rely on an app that your child can simply turn off if he or she wishes to read the "naughty" words.




Food for thought...


~The Vixen


3 Comments

New Horizons Here At SVP

3/20/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
This is one of my favorite inspirational quotes. Maya Angelou always cut to the heart of the matter and straight to my soul. I loved her writings and her voice whenever I heard her speak. She's inspired many others besides myself, but in my mind she was always speaking directly to me—calling out to me to follow my dreams wherever they would lead.

This is why Mr. Vixen and I have worked to create Sassy Vixen Publishing to showcase not only my work and that of my other pen names, but some day we would love to help other authors as I've been helped in my journey to this point. While there have been many bumps in the road and our fair share of detours, we're right back on track now. We've moved The Vixen's reviews here as well as helped to move Lia, Tawny and Stephanie to our self hosted spot at HostGator. 


No longer will we have to worry that Blogger will threaten to shut us down for having adult content. We can do so here and on HostGator. We have adult warnings and hopefully things will continue to run smoothly from here on out. We've invited a few close friends of Sassy Vixen to join us on HostGator. Mr. Vixen and I felt that it's the least we could do to pay back a fraction of the love and support these folks have shown us over the last few years.


Now for news on the publishing front...


Tawny Savage is still working on the final book in the Bigfoot Chronicles trilogy as well as outlining new tales based on old fairy tales. With Tawny you can count on the stories to be twisted and slanted heavily to favor the "monsters."


Stephanie Ryan plans to have her debut romantic suspense out in time for a fall release. in the meantime, she too is working on a few shorter tales to keep you busy reading until Dangerous Medicine is available for download.


Lia Michaels is working on the full Candy Kisses Gang novel which will include the novelettes already released in the anthologies. Of course there will be added material to help round out their full storyline. 


Tammy Dennings Maggy is working on multiple projects including the next in the Kayne Legacy series, Now and Forever series, and a new idea that popped up yesterday during a conversation with another author. Hint: Lucius and Fate aren't the only gods who will make appearances in her stories. In fact, another sibling will take center stage.


Stay tuned!


~The Vixen

Picture
Share
2 Comments

    ADULTS ONLY

    Picture

    Author

    Generally considerably a woman who is irresistible to both men and women, a vixen doesn’t give her heart to just anyone. She attracts many, flirts with more than a few, but chooses only one.  The Vixen is a bit mysterious, only sharing just enough personal information to keep you intrigued, but her secrets stay locked up tight until her soul mate is by her side.

    The Vixen is nice to many, but friendly to a chosen few. Those in her inner circle are blessed to have this prowling lioness in their corner for she will fight to the death to protect the ones she loves.


    Categories

    All
    Erotica
    General
    The Vixen

    Archives

    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.