tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post601327658372243911..comments2024-02-26T02:13:54.009-08:00Comments on Caustic Cover Critic: 50 Shades of ShamelessnessJRSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-61625048112061923802012-07-20T03:33:18.968-07:002012-07-20T03:33:18.968-07:00My brain hurts... and not in a good way.... :(My brain hurts... and not in a good way.... :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-35014845083838829752012-05-23T17:05:44.527-07:002012-05-23T17:05:44.527-07:00I think Pat's spot-on. I guess it's the sa...I think Pat's spot-on. I guess it's the same principle as spam--99% of people ignore you, but if 1% hand over their cash...JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-42616320968539123552012-05-23T08:16:55.476-07:002012-05-23T08:16:55.476-07:00Well as a self-published erotic ebook writer, I ca...Well as a self-published erotic ebook writer, I can tell you that the reason they do it is because most ebooks don't get a hell of a lot in the way of attention, ever. Sure, anybody can self-publish now, but nobody has to pay any attention. Any kind of hook beats no hook. 50 Shades of Gray has sold 10 million copies. If even one percent of them buy YOUR book, you are rich. Which is not what most self-published ebook authors are. Au contraire!Pat Powershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17546848088853626735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-79196088949004574732012-05-23T06:44:17.916-07:002012-05-23T06:44:17.916-07:00Wow. Just wow.
I can't help but wonder how p...Wow. Just wow. <br /><br />I can't help but wonder how profitable this is. How many people actually buy the wrong book?Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00370486039531015541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-38753304843624993152012-05-18T01:25:23.355-07:002012-05-18T01:25:23.355-07:00Blame the designers—even if it's the author ac...Blame the designers—even if it's the author acting as designer—WTFIan Koviakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779092543413941740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-41364881515767697212012-05-17T18:29:48.944-07:002012-05-17T18:29:48.944-07:00They all need to take some blame.They all need to take some blame.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-57992077672476371992012-05-17T16:21:18.038-07:002012-05-17T16:21:18.038-07:00It's not the authors' faults. It's th...It's not the authors' faults. It's the readers'. If they didn't buy "50 Shades" and its ripoffs, there would be no motivation for these unfortunates to try and make a profit.Draculahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00571424156561338360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-82918971426433262272012-05-17T02:46:13.097-07:002012-05-17T02:46:13.097-07:00Yes, covers with "by" on them always see...Yes, covers with "by" on them always seem quite cluelessly sweet.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-48789323597873343002012-05-16T23:32:13.973-07:002012-05-16T23:32:13.973-07:00I'm not sure which I like better: the fact tha...I'm not sure which I like better: the fact that 'Fifty Shades Nastier' has 'The EROTIC WRITER' across the top (not even near the author's name!) or the primary-school-esque 'By,' before the author's name on 'Shades of Grey: A Meegan Jones story'.jbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08588733228882602884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-70685253465572127302012-05-16T23:20:30.625-07:002012-05-16T23:20:30.625-07:00That's all very true--after all, the original ...That's all very true--after all, the original '50 Shades' is professionally published now, with traditional houses having jumped on the bandwagon when they smelled money. And I've received several emails from other traditional houses pushing books obviously inspired by them. As you say, the designers have done much nicer cover designs for them, but the contents arent anything to be happy about...JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-51056258834600446792012-05-16T21:48:55.691-07:002012-05-16T21:48:55.691-07:00Hey, don't knock it till you try it!
I have t...Hey, don't knock it till you try it!<br /><br />I have to churn out a lot of stuff like this in my daily work too. Not necessarily this bad, but for titles like this. It's painful to do it, and I often fight the urge to say something (who writes this and who reads it?!?!@?@?#?$%), but in the end, I try to give it a decent look and move on.<br /><br />I don't think many people buy this stuff. I think most of these people are aware that they are not producing anything worthwhile and do this more as a hobby with a potential to sell a few copies and add to their yearly income (by $5). Shameless? Sure, but sometimes it's fun to be shameless and get away with it! Plus, with some of these titles it's pretty obvious these people are not targeting a high-minded audience. This is filth for filth's sake. No ones making an excuse either which way.<br /><br />There is an incredible amount of crap being churned out by traditional houses that is nearly as bad in terms of content—it just gets a professional cover, that's all. Blame it on the designers. We make "crap" look good. I guess the piss of here is that these folks didn't even attempt to make these look good.<br /><br />I should redesign one of these and show you what difference it would make to the books implied importance if it had a decent cover.Ian Koviakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779092543413941740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-17459175286816526842012-05-16T20:44:32.036-07:002012-05-16T20:44:32.036-07:00I'll be there with you.
The whole electronic ...I'll be there with you.<br /><br />The whole electronic self-publishing scene means people can jump on a bandwagon with incredible and depressing speed.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-38973782335143522362012-05-16T20:34:50.882-07:002012-05-16T20:34:50.882-07:00I hate the independent publishing industry for thi...I hate the independent publishing industry for this very reason. I just got into an online fight with a self-publishing author because her major advice was to find mass appeal in order to sell one's fiction. Ugh. I'll just be over here enjoying my Gaddis and Zola.matthew.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17785443003038077519noreply@blogger.com