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ResidentSadist -> RE: -=50 Shades of Grey is useful for BDSM after all=- (9/9/2013 2:15:01 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
........... The one thing it did do? It stopped publishers from assuming everyone is from the bible belt and that if they dare publish something sexual they will face boycotts from "the American People" and so forth, they realized there is a market for sex out there. E-books have allowed books to be published by mainstream publishers that wouldn't sell in paperback, because people still are so hung up with sex or letting others know they enjoy it. More importantly, maybe it means some well written books written by people in the scene actually have a chance to be published, and I am not talking fringe publishers. ..........
I disagree in part. Sex always has and always will sell books. Even the lame crap in the Gor book series sold 23 million copies as it evolved from a plot-driven space opera adventure to become more sexual, focusing on relationships between dominant men and submissive women in slavery. Some called the later books, "sadomasochistic pornography involving the ritual humiliation of women". His last DAW book (sadomasochistic pornography style) sold 3 million copies where his first books (plot-driven space opera) only sold hundreds of thousands.
It is hard to tell if it was fear or spite that got the Gor author blacklisted. Despite his million seller, when the old man (Donald A. Wollheim) fell ill and his daughter took over DAW, she refused to buy anymore Gor books. He was blacklisted. The blacklisting lasted 14 years and I think it was fear that motivated it.
He did sell a three-part Telnarian series to Warner Books even though he was blacklisted. The first book, The Chieftain, had a 67 percent sell-through. The second, The Captain, had a 91 percent sell-through. Those are stellar numbers. The Warner editor for the Telnarian series was replaced by an editor from one of the blacklisting presses. That new editor canceled the series despite its success and without waiting to see how the third book would do.
So alt sex carries a stigma . . . sex always sells, but alt sex can be risky. In this perspective I agree with what you said. Maybe 50 Shades success will do some good making alt sex a more appealing market risk.
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