Need some help here

[valarltd]

So I have this book.

The cover is awesome.
The blurb is good.

Then the publisher goes and throws this on me:
Inside Scoop: This highly charged male/male tale of two bounty hunters scorches across galaxies! There are scenes of m/f, f/f, threesomes and moresomes. There is also a very brief rape scene. Don’t worry, our heroes get their happy ending!

So, constant readers, what is your opinion of this? Would you buy anything like this?
If these things are in there, do you want the warning? Or are you along for the journey, wherever it takes us?

Mine is under the cut.

Way to go.
You've just alienated every SF reader out there with the stupid "scorches across galaxies" thing. Now they think we're trend-hoppers who only want to write about sex in space. They aren't expecting well developed SF, so we've just lost the science fiction romance fanbase.

The m/f, f/f, threesomes and moresomes just sent every m/m reader and reviewer running for the hills screaming "girl cooties! No vaj in my stories." It implies our heroes are having sex with women and watching girls enjoy each other. The m/f and f/f is wallpaper sex at an orgy. I can't argue the threesomes, because the first kinky fun time is a three way under an experience master.

The "brief rape scene," that killed the rest of my readership. Yes, it's in there. No it doesn't need a warning. 

And the happy ending reassurance? Ridiculous. it's a ROMANCE! The happy ending is guaranteed. Even if I do kill the hero twice.

I feel as if my publisher is trying to sabotage this book. The numbers are dismal. I've sold 24 copies in the first 5 weeks of release. For the record, my first short story as a complete unknown sold 147 in 5 days, and over 200 in 5 weeks. My last novel here sold 58 copies in the same 5 days and 80 in the first five weeks. My worst seller started strong with 168 copies in the first month. My strongest sold 384 the first month.  WHERE THE HELL IS 15 copies in 5 days coming from? 

And this is why we have requested our rights back/

 

Comments

[celestinenox]

Yeah. I didn't need warnings for anything that happened in Mercedes Lackey's THE LAST HERALD MAGE trilogy, from the gay love to the rape scene. I don't need it for any other books I'm going to read.

I will also say that I have always found it utterly ridiculous to refuse to read a book on the basis of any type of pairing--but then I don't give two craps about the pairing as long as there's good story involved, so. That might have to do with me not being much of a romance reader. But I do judge people who run screaming to the hills based on any mix of pairings.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

"No females in my fiction!" is a common refrain among m/m readers.

My response is "Would you say 'No Blacks? No Jews?' How is 'no women' less offensive?" They don't even want female background characters, some of them.

[celestinenox]

I can't understand nor tolerate that attitude. It's no better than "Eeewww, gayness!"

[bittermint.livejournal.com]

Let me guess . . . does this particular publisher have an "E" and a "C" in its name?

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Good guessing...

[a-j-mirag.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the "brief rape scene" has to go. It would totally kill my interest on any story.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Would you rather have the warning to avoid it? Or be as horrified as Hevik when he walks in on one of the guards on the prison-planet brothel abusing his boy?

[a-j-mirag.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well, I can't suggest a rephrasing because I haven't read the scene. Personally I think I'd avoid the warning. That's what I did in my M/M romance, "Clippings," where there is a scene of attempted rape. But some people may say it's different, because in "Clippings" the rape wasn't consummated.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

There's also a trauma factor. Miho is more traumatized by being ripped in two (literally) in a gladiatorial arena than he is by the guard. Hevik is more upset by the latter, because it's someone hurting his lover and he can't stop it. He got to kill the gladiator, (who later bought him a beer) but he can't retaliate against the guard.