Depravity…

Adj. 1. depraved - deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good;

So a newbie writer asked me what a publisher meant when they listed ‘no depraved acts’ in their submission guidelines. My learned response was ‘I dunno.’ If I had to take a guess I would say the publisher – and not just that one – says that to make them look less like they are accepting porn even if they know they are. You know, it’s like don’t run with scissors but we could if we wanted to and no rule is going to stop us.

What is depraved in the book writing-romance business where the most popular e-books out there are about one woman having sex with 5 men who become werewolves at night? Is that depraved? Multiple partners? Is having sex with step-sisters/brothers/parents depraved? Is shoving ones fist inside a woman’s vagina depraved? Is tying up a woman to break her will into submitting to whatever her punisher wants depraved? Is mock rape as titillation depraved? They’re all been written about and published right now. I would suggest depravity abounds.

“We will accept no stories depicting acts of depravity”…oh bullshit. Depravity sells. Publishers know it. My advice? If you’ve written something considered depraved submit it anyway. I bet the publisher takes it.