I...am a whore

[valarltd]

We caved. Naomi and I both need the money from GH, so we caved in to management's demands rather than have the book pulled.

We'll find a way to convey the hatred without using hate-words.

Any suggestions?

Comments

[elisabeth.livejournal.com]

Hrm. *thinks* "... with a sneer meant to imply much darker terms..."

Hrm. I have a tendency towards over-word, so maybe it's not so good. I know you'll think of something, though!

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

We did okay.

Pervert substituted nicely.

[ladynaberrie.livejournal.com]

I have faith you'll find the right way.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

found it.

And i don't even feel the need to shower.

[ladynaberrie.livejournal.com]

Of course you did. Cause you rock.

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

What kind of hatred are we talking about? Is it racism, sexism, homophobia?

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Racism and homophobia.

I had to turn a lot of "faggots" to "perverts." We reduced a strong N to "colored.' (we considered going "nigra") and a few injuns to "Indian" or "colored."

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

Would they accept 'queer' in place of 'faggot'? Pervert as a gay epithet bugs the hell out of me....

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Nope, "queer" got flagged too.

Thing is, most of this language is set in a country where being gay gets you executed, on live television. They're talking about condemned criminals. Pervert, sodomite, one of those, all sum it up nicely for these people.

The good people use "gay" or "asegi" or "two-spirited."

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

Weird.... You'd think sanitizing it would weaken the story.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I think we managed to without weakening it.

One of the changed lines:
"Hurry it up, Old Enough. You’re out the gate next. You tell us if them pervs start to rocking your butt,” came the blond’s voice, followed by a burst of laughter.

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

I saw your earlier post, too.... I think you guys will be fine. :-)

[jaye-valentine.livejournal.com]

Shouldn't changes of that magnitude been discussed prior to acceptance of the manuscript?

[nbrooks.livejournal.com]

Dingdingding, we have a winner!

Although, I would have accepted this discussion pretty much any time during the two (TWO!) years they had this book in edits.

Nine days before release? Uhhh.... no.

[jaye-valentine.livejournal.com]

That just fuckin' slays me, whether it was two years or two days. Jesus.

You want that sort of artistic control, Mr. Publisher, you need to bring it up before you write "We're thrilled to accept..."

I love your stuff, by the way. I don't buy a lot of m/m erotic fiction on the market these days because, frankly, I abhor allegedly male characters posing as female reader self-inserts. Your stuff is raw and gritty and edgy and dirty and real and not easy to read and it makes me think, and I *like* that, all of it.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm flattered. We work to make the men real men and not girls with penises and deep voices.

If you've read Nikolai, Glad Hands is set in the same world.

[jmie.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your book and the huge pain in the ass this has been for you guys, although after reading through this thread, I'd have to agree that you got your point across well enough.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have minded in November. But a conmplete line-edit a week before release...that's a pain.