Tags, Labels, and Adult Content

February 1, 2013 11:00 pm

 Smashwords is cool…
  … to follow up on a theme from the last post…
   As you might remember, I’ve been formatting and publishing on Smashwords the last few weeks. Well, I got The Dragon of Doughton Park on there with premium catalog status last week (the link is below if you want to check it out), and I had to immediately face some personal issues… again.

 When you self-publish, you have to describe your work and tag and label it so your prospective audience can find it. For me, it’s a necessary evil, because I hate putting a label on anything, especially myself or my work.

   It’s natural for the human mind to categorize and stereotype. We need to do something to try and make sense and order in a chaotic universe. We almost have to do it to others to keep from going insane, but nobody likes to have it done to them.

   Quite a dilemma, huh?

   After struggling to write a short description (under 400 characters) and agonizing over which two genres to include my books in I was faced with the task of listing some “tags” that would aid folks who were searching for something to read. The problem with these tags is, it’ll lead some people who are looking for something specific to my stuff, but it will also exclude everyone else from finding it.

    I can’t help it. I’m a glass-half-empty kind of guy. I’m thinking, at this point, that I’ve already narrowed my audience to people who like paranormal fantasy and paranormal romance. Who else am I going to exclude?

   Laugh if you want, but if you check the reviews of my books you’ll see a recurring comment, such as “this is not the usual type of book that I read, but I enjoyed it.” Sure, there are elements of the paranormal, science fiction, and romance, but I believe the story has a universal appeal. My personal reading is an eclectic mix. I think the series of novels I’m writing now will appeal to an eclectic mix of readers, even if the central character is a werewolf, which pigeon-hole’s them into a specific genre.

   The final blow with Smashwords comes when I have to admit there is “adult content” in the books. Smashwords has an adult content filter that is automatically turned on in their default search. So, automatically, folks will not see my titles even if they search the genre and the tag words. Turn the filter off, and my titles get sandwiched between erotic masterpieces that have descriptions written with misspelled words and incomplete sentences, titles such as Gangbang Adventures and The Big Book of Sluts. My covers, with the near child-like, innocent quality of the Ray DeLotell artwork, look out of place – and they are.

    Sigh.

   Well, it is what it is. My dream is that the day will come when folks will search for books written by John Hundley. In the meantime, turn off the adult content filter, and type in werewolf, vampire, dragons, paranormal fantasy. Maybe you’ll find something good.

Walking the floor over you…
   I’m still waiting anxiously for a certain author/blogger to post her review of Dragon. I can’t believe I’m this nervous about it. Jeez, will you quit piddling around? Just go ahead and get it over with, already. Do your worst. I can take it.

Blame it on my day job…
   Careful what you wish for. I’ve been complaining I have no time to write because of my day job. I was hoping I could pull a few less hours so I could squeeze in some more writing time, and it happened. They’re cutting my weekly hours from 40 to 16!
   Gulp. I really need to sell some more books now. Y’all click on the links below. I need to pay the rent!

Here's all the ways to get my books...You can purchase my books through the following venues…

The Draculata Nest -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link to order:
ebook for Kindle   ebook for Nook   ebook for Kobo   in Paperback   in Charlotte 
Smashwords

The Dragon of Doughton Park ----------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link to order:
ebook for Kindle    ebook for Nook    ebook for Kobo     in Paperback   
in Charlotte   Smashwords

 
Until next time… Happy Reading!

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