Writing By Charles Bukowski
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The 50 Shades Controversy
E L James’s book, “50 Shades Of Grey” is making waves. The flood of interest is heightened by the film adaptation of the novel. I haven’t read “50 Shades”, something I have in common with Kristen Lamb, the author of a recent post in which she voices disquiet regarding the novel’s impact on both women and men, (https://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/is-romance-devolving-50-shades-vs-no-one-puts-baby-in-a-corner/). Kristen’s perspective is that the portrayal of the relationship between Anna and Grey leads to the perception that abusive relationships in which men dominate women are acceptable and this can cause readers (particularly young impressionable ones) to adopt this view. Although Grey changes towards the end of the novel, this does not make everything OK.
Non consensual sex is rape, which is a horrendous crime as it vilates the very soul of the victim. Those who abuse others (whether the abuse is perpetrated against women or men) should be subject to the full might of the criminal justice system. I can understand why anyone who has suffered in an abusive relationship would avoid this novel. I do, however have the following observations.
Books don’t cause people to act in particular ways, individuals make their own choices and are responsible for them. A man who respects women is not going to read “50 Shades” and suddenly assume that it is acceptable to behave as Grey does in the novel. For a person to behave in an abusive manner they must possess a propensity to do so in the first place.
But what of the tipping point argument? Can’t a person with a propensity for a particular kind of behaviour be “tipped over the edge” by reading something he or she believes validates that behaviour? Possibly, however it is a convenient excuse for a person to blame someone (or something) other than themselves for their behaviour rather than taking personal responsibility for their own actions. Just possibly a person with an unhealthy interest in young girls might read Nabakov’s Lolita and perceive it as validating his sick obsession. However I have never heard of such a case and the possibility of such a thing happening seems remote in the extreme.
Ironically the controversy surrounding “50 Shades” may help to promote sales of both the book and film. People who might otherwise have not considered reading the novel or going to see the film may, wishing to ascertain what all the fuss is about go out and read the book or view the movie. There is, in this case some truth in the old saying that “there is no such thing as bad publicity”. The publisher’s must be rubbing their hands with glee as column inch after column inch is devoted to the novel and yes, I know I am, myself contributing to those inches!
Quotation Time
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
The above quote, by Mark Twain is a favourite of mine.
Recollection
A girl on a crowded train. Her scent, jasmine oil fills my senses, carrying me back to yesteryear.
Your long dark hair scented with jasmine. Your perfume lingering on, engrained in pillows long after you where gone.
Sun And Rain
A sad sun contending with the rain,
The rain overpowers,
All is dull again.
In Search Of The Elusive Book Review
Press the magic button labelled publish in the Amazon Kindle store or other self-publishing outlet of your choice. People will purchase your book and the reviews will come flooding in, won’t they? Well unless you are incredibly fortunate the answer is no they won’t. Even if your book receives a steady stream of downloads only a small number of readers (if any) will take the time to pen a review. This is the case, in my experience even when readers enjoyed your book. To take a case in point, two friends downloaded my story, Samantha, (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI). Both told me how much they enjoyed reading my book and indicated they would review it without any prompting from me. Neither have done so and not wishing to nag friends I haven’t pursued the matter. So, in the case of Samantha 2 people who derived pleasure from it haven’t left a review which does, I believe prove my point regarding the difficulty of obtaining reviews which, if positive will help in selling your book. So how can the author obtain reviews?
I have obtained several reviews by offering my books free via KDP Select, (https://kdp.amazon.com/select), an Amazon programme which allows authors to promote their work free or at a reduced price for upto 5 days in any 90 day period provided the books in question are exclusive to Amazon. A number of those who downloaded my titles left reviews which shows that KDP Select can help in promoting your writing.
Another way in which to promote your books is via your own blog. Mentioning that you are running a free promotion on Amazon or other platform can encourage your followers and visitors to download and, hopefully review your books. A word of caution. Don’t fill your site with posts promoting your books as this will turn many people off. Write about topics other than your books. be generous in supporting other authors via guest posting opportunities and your site is more likely to thrive and attract followers some of whom will read and review your books.
Contacting book bloggers can also result in reviews. Read their review policy (if they have one) prior to getting in touch. If you write romantic fiction and a book blogger only reviews the crime genre there is no point in contacting the blogger (it being a waste of their time and yours).
The overwhelming majority of book bloggers will review your book free which is, in my view as it should be. Most authors would never dream of paying for a review. However, for the small number of writers who might be tempted to do so, they should consider this. If you pay for a review then the perception will exist (assuming it is positive and you are found to have paid) that the review is not honest (I.E. you paid for a good review). While there may be sites who write unbiased reviews in exchange for cash mud sticks and even if the review is 100 percent honest your reputation will be tarnished. People will question all your reviews irrespective of whether they where given freely or otherwise.
In conclusion relying on Amazon to generate reviews is the most uncertain method of gaining them. The use of your own blog or other social media to promote your books coupled with contacting book bloggers asking that they please write an honest review of your work, is the best method.
Finally a huge thank you to all of my readers who have taken the time to write a review or who have promised to do so. I very much appreciate you taking the time to read and review my books.
To Advertise Or Not, That Is The Question
As with most authors I am always on the look out for opportunities to gain more exposure for my books. I was interested therefore to read this article (https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/advertise-your-book-on-amazon-new-opportunity/) which highlights Amazon’s new programme allowing authors to advertise their books at a cost of $100.
On the one hand I am tempted to take advantage of this new opportunity. The potential benefits are obvious (increased exposure and, hopefully) sales of my books. If only a small percentage of authors take Amazon up on their new offering then they will, potentially have an advantage in terms of exposure for their works over those who do not.
On the other hand if significant numbers of authors avail themselves of Amazon’s new programme the potential book buyer will, I suspect be bombarded with advertisements so my books may become lost in a sea of virtual noise. It is hard enough to find one needle in a hay stack and if that mound of dry grass is chock full of sharp implements what are the chances of readers picking out my needle when there are so many other instruments from which to choose? I believe in my writing, however one good author among many other writers (many of whom are producing quality works), why, exactly should the book browser click on my ad in preference over that of another advertiser?
Prior to parting with one’s hard earned cash it is useful to pause and consider the many free alternatives to paid advertising. KDP Select (https://kdp.amazon.com/select) allows authors to promote their books free of charge for upto 5 days in any 90 day period or, alternatively to offer them in a Kindle Countdown Deal. Most of my books are enrolled in KDP Select and in my experience the programme does increase the exposure of an author’s work for, human nature being what it is most people jump at the opportunity of obtaining “something for nothing”. Many who download books advertised via KDP Select will not leave a review, however some will and good reviews possess the potential to increase the exposure of one’s books thereby (hopefully) enhancing sales.
The downside to KDP Select is that in return for enrolment the author must keep those works enrolled exclusive to Amazon for 90 days, (I.E. the books concerned may not be sold anywhere other than Amazon during that time frame). Another disadvantage is that while newly enrolled works will be downloaded (in my experience) relatively rapidly, once a book has been in the programme for some time it will, when on promotion receive fewer downloads than freshly enrolled titles, so the longer a publication is offered via the scheme the fewer downloads it is likely to receive.
Another way to gain free publicity for one’s books is by contacting fellow bloggers who advertise as offering guest posting opportunities and requesting that they provide you with a guest slot. (If a blogger is kind enough to let you guest post it is only polite to offer them the same opportunity on your own site). You can find a useful list of book bloggers here (http://bookbloggerlist.com/). The Story Reading Ape’s Blog also offers a wealth of useful material for authors and readers alike and can be found here, (http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/).
In conclusion I won’t be signing up for Amazon’s advertising opportunity at present. I will, however watch with interest how it develops and, in particular what those who use it have to say. At this juncture my view remains that free opportunities abound so why spend money on advertising when it could be spent on book covers, editing etc.
The Monster Is Just Down The Hall – Guest Post By Tanya R Simon
I am privileged to publish the below guest post by Tanya R Simon, an abuse survivor. For my review of Tanya’s book, “This Present Garden Of Pain” please visit the following link, (http://newauthoronline.com/tag/this-present-garden-of-pain-tanya-r-simon-book-review/). Thank you to Tanya for the below article.
The Monster Is Just Down The Hall
by
Tanya R. Simon
Most everyone in America was taught not to talk to strangers, not to take anything from strangers, not to trust strangers, etc. In the 1980s, we began to teach out children what to do if someone tries to make them go somewhere and that person is not a friend or family member.
Though first coined in 1963, the phrase, “Stranger Danger” is what school programs, PTA, Neighborhood Watch Organizations, and parents have focused most of their protective energies toward. I think for many people this phrase conjures up a weirdo, standing outside of a school playground in a trench coat with nothing on under, waiting to flash children at recess.
The Sex Offender Registry, which became national in 1996, but actually started in 1947 in California, was designed so all parents would know if there was a registered sex offender in their neighborhood.
While every single one of these measures is a valid and needed move in the war against those who would harm children. They fail to protect the vast majority of children who are sexually abused. They fail because more often than not, the monster waiting to rob a child of their innocence is right down the hall from them every night.
The terrifying fact is that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5 boys under the age of twelve will be molested by someone they know. And of those who are molested by someone they know, a staggering 30% are molested by a parent.
Children molested by a parent or sibling, are less likely to report it to a teacher or counselor. They are more likely to go on to molest their own children. They are more likely to grow up with confused sexual identities, regardless of the sex of the parent who molested them. These children often spend their entire lives living in the shadows of their childhoods.
You can protect your child in several ways:
- Be aware what is or is not normal behavior for your child. If your child is extremely talkative and suddenly becomes quiet and reserved, investigate the reason.
- Be aware of the background of the people who you let into your child’s lives. Use online services to perform background checks on anyone you plan on having your child around. Never leave your child alone with anyone you have not checked out and know something about. Use babysitting services, accredited daycares, well-known camps and sports programs.
- If your child does not want to be alone with someone or they tell you they do not like someone, remove the person from your child’s life until you can find out the reasons why.
- Never assume anything when it comes to the safety of your child. Just because a friend safely left his or her child with someone does not mean your child will be safe with the person. Pedophiles have types and the other child might not have been the pedophiles chosen type. The pedophile may have figured it could not get away with anything with the other child for a variety of reasons, but thinks they can with your child.
- Following your instincts, never thinking that you must have misunderstood what you saw or felt. Better to alienate a friend than have your child scarred for life.
There are textbook signs of abuse that you should be aware of:
- Sudden hostility towards you or other adults in authority positions in the child’s life.
- Aggressive behavior towards siblings or friends.
- Sexually inappropriate behavior of any kind.
- Bedwetting if the child had not been a bed wetter before. This one would merit a trip to the doctor to check for a physiological reason for the wetting.
- Terror at the thought of spending time with someone. Even if you think the terror is from spending time with a school friend, there is a good chance it is not the friend but someone in the friend’s life that your child is truly terrified of.
- Bruises of an unexplained nature, ANYWHERE on the body. Just because your child is sporting a bruise on his ankle and is known to be clumsy or active in sports, does not mean the bruise got there innocently.
- Bleeding in their private regions or blood on their underwear, sheets or clothes.
How you treat your child after finding out they have been abused can also shape the life they will lead.
- Though you are most likely volcanically angry, do not show this anger in front of the child. No matter their age, in that emotional state they will think the anger is directed at them. And they will take on blame for the abuse they suffered. They will also no longer trust you as someone safe to tell their problems to.
- NEVER, under any circumstances, ask the child why they didn’t tell you. This also implies that what they just went through was their fault because they could not tell you. There are dozens of reasons why they took so long or never did and you discovered it. Often the perpetrator has threatened the life or safety of someone they love, maybe even yours. The child is terrified of the perp, so no matter how much they think you are a superhero, a part of them believes this could happen and they are not willing to risk you or their siblings or Grandma to take the chance they will be believed. Rest assured the perp has told them that no one will believe them if they tell.
- Do not treat the child like they are irrevocably damaged. This will send a message to them that they will never get past this experience and can do irreparable damage.
- Do not treat the child as though nothing has happened. This minimizes the feelings they have surrounding their abuse. It sends a message that they are not being mature or grown up or even right in feeling the way they feel.
- Please, do not think you can handle the recovery of your child alone. Even if you are a trained professional, this is your child, and you are not qualified. Seek the help of someone who is a specialist in dealing with children who have been through sexual abuse. They usually will state this specification in their website or phone book listing. Often law enforcement officials will have a list of professionals in your area who are qualified. Also, whether you think you need it or not, please get professional help for yourself as well.
- Please, no matter whom it was or if they promise never to do it again, report the abuser to the authorities. Doing this can stop another child from living through this nightmare, it can get a sick person help, and most importantly it sends a message to your child that they have your belief and your protection and you are not ashamed of them.
- Tell your child in plain language that they did nothing wrong, that you still love them, and that they are still going to be able to have a good life.
- Unfortunately, in today’s justice system the laws surrounding Non-Stranger Sexual Abuse are inadequate. Many require DNA samples or bruising in the genital area to even arrest the individual. If you find out after a recent attack, you have to put your child through the collection of the DNA and the taking of the pictures to show their bruises. If there was no recent attack or they suppressed the events, there is no DNA evidence or bruises. A few states do allow for medical records to be submitted into evidence. This allows for physical damage caused by the attack, but does not in anyway tie the perpetrator to the damage, so it usually gets thrown out of court. With all of these possibilities that the person who attacked them will never even see the inside of a court room, NEVER promise your child their attacker is going to go to jail.
- Never threaten to harm the perp in front of your child because they have probably lived with the fear of losing you because of this and you going to prison forever means they will have lost you. This action can cause a child who has been victimized to recant just to protect the parent they so desperately need.
- And most of you will think this is a given, but it isn’t, do not stay with the abuser if you live in the same house as they do. Take the child and move away if possible, if not then have the person removed from the house, change the locks and make it clear to everyone in the home that the perp is no longer allowed to be there. Your continuing to allow the perp to be a part of your life tells the child that you value them more than you do the child.
- Go on loving your child, teaching your child and being an active part of your child’s live. They should not lose anyone or anything else more than they already have.
Guest Posts
Chris The Story Reading Ape’s blog has a useful section on resources for authors. This includes book reviewers and those happy to host guest posts. I an now listed under bloggers happy to host guest posts. For Chris’s useful author resources and other useful information on his blog please visit https://thestoryreadingapeblog.wordpress.com/authors-resources-central/guest-author-friendly-blogs/?preview=true&preview_id=16291&preview_nonce=2a97035cd9
Opening Pandora’s Box
During the past 10 days I have been busy contacting reviewers to ascertain whether they would write an honest review of my books in return for free copies of same. While searching for book review blogs I came across one site which states that it only reviews romances. As most of my stories are, broadly speaking in the crime genre I rapidly reached for the back button on my web browser. My finger paused in mid air as I considered my short story, “Samantha”, the book blurb of which reads as follows,
“Samantha tells the story of a young girl forced into prostitution in the city of Liverpool. Can Sam’s love for Peter, a man she meets in a nightclub, save
her? Or will Sam end her life in the murky waters of Liverpool’s Albert Dock?”
The focus of Samantha is Sam’s entanglement in (and her desire to escape) the world of forced prostitution. However there is, throughout the story a strong romantic strand. Samantha falls head over heels in love with Peter and struggles with her conscience due to the inability to confide in him that she is, in effect a sex slave. Had Sam and Peter met under other circumstances (with Samantha holding down a job as a secretary for instance) they would, very probably have walked off into the sunset hand in hand. However Sam’s lieing about her profession means that the course of true love runs far from smoothly. Consequently Samantha is no Mills and Boon romance.
Having written the above I realise that my metaphorical pen has run away with me. When I wrote Samantha the romantic aspects of the story did not figure significantly in my conception of the plot. Samantha was, for me primarily a tale of a young woman brutally forced into sex slavery by her pimp, Barry. However, looking back I see that Samantha took on a life of it’s own with the romantic angle playing a greater part than I envisaged.
As authors, characters and plots spring from our imaginations. However, once Pandora’s Box is opened we are unable, try as we might to close the lid. Characters and plot take on a life of their own frequently leaving the writer surprised at the unexpected turn of events.
In conclusion I remain of the opinion that Samantha is primarily a story about a young girl forced into the sex trade, however the “love interest” does play a greater part than I, as the author foresaw when penning my story.
For Samantha please visit http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI.
K Morris - Poet 