At a time when the general publishing industry is in dire straits,
one genre is not only surviving, it’s thriving.
Sadly, that genre is porn. The
rise in this industry didn’t begin with a colored trilogy, but it certainly
turned grey into green.
Most of us who write mysteries spend countless hours making
sure every word matters, but the fact is most of our work will be ignored. Call it the dumbing down of America, but sex sells
regardless of content. Case in point, a
recent Sunday morning newscast featured a seventy-something year old
grandmother turned porn author who uses Ken and Barbie dolls to explore new
sexual positions. She admitted breaking
two of the figures, and said they need to come up with more limber dolls. She has published 140 graphic porn books
since 2007, and will earn more money in a year than most of our combined sales
in a lifetime. It’s easy to get
discouraged when you see such success from formula writing, but it is worse
when you consider what little thought goes into cranking out 140 novels in five
years with the aid of Ken and Barbie.
So, what does the future hold for credible writing? Quite frankly, it’s no different than
before. Accept the fact that a segment
of the population will always be drawn to porn, but quality writing will always
sell. Stay true to your writing, and don’t
get fooled into thinking no one is reading real stories anymore. E-book sales have taken off and there is no
turning back. Television shows like Castle and Blue Bloods prove there are still mystery lovers out there, and
they retain their audiences through intelligent plots and great writing. Porn may be king when it comes to money, but good
mysteries will never die.
8 comments:
Spot on, Mark.And it's realistic to acknowledge that this balance isn't going to change (I'm tempted to add ever). I have friends who write for the erotic genre and they're careful, dedicated writers but I can't ever remember reading literate porn.
I'll stick to mystery, Mark. I can't imagine describing the same act over and over again.
Bill, Earl, I'm with you both. Earl, I forgot to mention that grannie/porn author uses two Barbie dolls with Ken so her variations are multiple, and yes, my wife and I were disgusted that Sunday morning television had stooped so low. I'll gladly give up erotic novel income in favor of facing the man in the mirror.
Many may disagree, but I still believe the breakdown in public morality was a consequence of removing the Bible from our schools. Sure, there was sex talk back in my day, but it wasn't publicly flaunted and encouraged by blatant example. When the kids were no longer exposed to a moral compass, they lost their way in a hurry.
I agree with all of you. A couple of book reviewers have called my humorous mysteries "old fashioned" in the style of Jane Marple and Jessica Fletcher, but that's the way they're going to continue. Fortuntely, some readers have thanked me for the lack of graphic sex and four letter words. They're probably older readers (and that's who I write for).
I think we're all on the same page here. Sex and violence carry more impact when left to the imagination. Sadly, too many have been swallowed by electronic games and as a result lost that capability.
Just wanted to add this. I just published a book with explosions, guns, dead people, and situations as tense and deadly as you can get. There is some cursing, but you won't find a single F bomb in the entire book. It CAN be done, folks. The closest to a sex scene is when Vickie invites Tall Chambers to dinner on Friday night and suggests he bring a toothbrush. He does, along with a change of clothes, and stays till Monday morning. That's all you get in my book, folks.
Just wanted to add this. I just published a book with explosions, guns, dead people, and situations as tense and deadly as you can get. There is some cursing, but you won't find a single F bomb in the entire book. It CAN be done, folks. The closest to a sex scene is when Vickie invites Tall Chambers to dinner on Friday night and suggests he bring a toothbrush. He does, along with a change of clothes, and stays till Monday morning. That's all you get in my book, folks.
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