'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.'
These words are attributed to Voltaire but they were first used by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, writing under the pseudonym of Stephen G Tallentyre in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), as a summation of Voltaire's beliefs on freedom of thought and expression. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Voltaire
This month I was going to write an article about plot structure but I’ve got involved in a debate about censorship.
My friend and fellow author Sessha Batto, has had her books banned from Smashwords (and other outlets such as AllRomance/OmniLit and Bookstrand ). This is because these companies have been pressured by Paypal, which they rely on for customers buying their books, into removing certain types of erotica from their sites. Sessha writes ‘explicit gay erotica, but not just that. Sex in all its permutations, from barely consensual sexual torture to tender lovemaking and the entire gamut in between.’ http://sesshabattousai.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/?p=1180
Obviously everyone is comfortable with different levels of explicitness in their reading but erotica has a specific and distinct market.In my opinion, erotica fans are being discriminated against by these new instructions to e-publishing sites. Smashwords used to be THE place to upload your novels, without question or hoops to jump through. Open minded and accepting, I always felt welcome there. But now it seems it will become a clone of all the other sites: ‘we don’t accept X, Y or Z because our sponsors don’t like it.’
What worries me is that this is just the beginning. If you start censoring erotica, what next? A ban on writing about gay relationships, as has already happened in some places, for example http://heidicullinan.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/rwa-shouldnt-be-in-the-business-of-discrimination/ A ban on writing about interracial relationships? Because these subjects weren’t written about decades ago- and neither was erotica- it made all these perfectly usual human behaviours sordid and hidden. But why should we go back to that? Haven’t we moved on and become more open minded?
I hope this will present an opportunity for another company to supply erotic adult books that will not be available to children. A niche publisher of books somewhere between ‘normal’ sex and porn.
Please see here to read Smashwords’ explanation of the situation.
http://www.smashwords.com/press/release/27
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Relationship Ramblings- How to Get on Better with People
I thought that just before Valentine's Day, this may be a useful post.
Having suffered from intermittent depression, I’ve had difficulty making friends due to my lack of confidence and self esteem. Over the years I’ve put together strategies to help me cope socially and here’s what I’ve found works.
• Don’t cover up your lack of confidence. People do actually appreciate those of us who are shy and quiet. You’re also more likely to attract like minded souls if you behave naturally and don't put on a front.
• Regularly go somewhere to do an activity you enjoy. You’ll see the same people every time and build up companionship. You’ll also be showing them your best side because you’re enjoying yourself.
• Practice conversing with people. For example: at the supermarket checkout, at the doctor’s. It’s just to keep in practice; the conversations don’t have to be deep and meaningful.
• Practice smiling in the mirror. This sounds daft, but often your face doesn’t show the expression you want to project: people are reassured by a smile, even if you don’t feel like smiling. This is one occasion where its okay to do some acting.
• Don’t tell people too much about yourself too quickly or they will get bored. People love to talk about themselves, so ask them questions instead.
• Remember the acronym FORE: Family, Occupation, Recreation, Education. These are good categories to talk to people about because everyone has experience of at least one of them.
I hope these tips help: everyone struggles with their social life sometimes. I’d be interested to know if there are any other strategies people recommend and if anyone has any feedback on my ideas.
Read the entire article here: Catherine Chisnall at Wikinut
Having suffered from intermittent depression, I’ve had difficulty making friends due to my lack of confidence and self esteem. Over the years I’ve put together strategies to help me cope socially and here’s what I’ve found works.
• Don’t cover up your lack of confidence. People do actually appreciate those of us who are shy and quiet. You’re also more likely to attract like minded souls if you behave naturally and don't put on a front.
• Regularly go somewhere to do an activity you enjoy. You’ll see the same people every time and build up companionship. You’ll also be showing them your best side because you’re enjoying yourself.
• Practice conversing with people. For example: at the supermarket checkout, at the doctor’s. It’s just to keep in practice; the conversations don’t have to be deep and meaningful.
• Practice smiling in the mirror. This sounds daft, but often your face doesn’t show the expression you want to project: people are reassured by a smile, even if you don’t feel like smiling. This is one occasion where its okay to do some acting.
• Don’t tell people too much about yourself too quickly or they will get bored. People love to talk about themselves, so ask them questions instead.
• Remember the acronym FORE: Family, Occupation, Recreation, Education. These are good categories to talk to people about because everyone has experience of at least one of them.
I hope these tips help: everyone struggles with their social life sometimes. I’d be interested to know if there are any other strategies people recommend and if anyone has any feedback on my ideas.
Read the entire article here: Catherine Chisnall at Wikinut
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