PSEUDO-incest???

[yibala2]

So I learned this week that Smashwords requires authors to certify that their books don't have incest or "pseudo-incest", which is defined as:

"Sexual relations between family members, whether biologically or non-biologically related. Includes stepbrother, stepsister and step-anyone. Few retailers will take this."

If you have this, you can still publish on Smashwords. But a lot of other retailers, like B&N, Apple Books and Kobo won't take it. Also your book will be marked as having incest or pseudo-incest as a theme.

I didn't learn about this until I saw the policy in the Audiobook program, which meant that I then had to go back and re-certify my story, and it got pulled from distribution to said retailers.

I guess I didn't notice the policy until then because I never set out to write incest, or thought of it as incest, or thought to wonder what "pseudo-incest" might be. (One of my protagonist's many sexual partners is a man she was raised with as an adopted sister.)

I understand the purpose of the policy, although I think incest is defined too broadly, and the prohibition should be applied the way the rape prohibition is - where the incest is a dominant theme or included for the purposes of sexual gratification because of its thematic nature.

So I suppose this is just a rant and a word of warning for anyone who didn't know.

-Yib

My book on Smashwords!

 

[KeithD]

This is Literotica. Pseudo-incest can be published here. What is done elsewhere is outside of the context of this Web site. And, yes, although not legally incest, having sex with someone you were raised with either through adoption or blended family is treated as a form of taboo incest by many publishers.

But not here. And this is where we are.

 

[kissedcherry]

Why is it taboo anywhere?

What is it about incest that bothers people? I don't get it. It has been going on for thousands of years and it seems perfectly natural to me. What is the reason for the negativity about it?

 

[Blind_Justice]

What is it about incest that bothers people? I don't get it. It has been going on for thousands of years and it seems perfectly natural to me. What is the reason for the negativity about it?

Oh, I don't know... maybe the skewed power dynamics when a parent coerces/forces their child to be of service to them? The term "child abuse" ring any bells?

 

[Abbafan]

So I learned this week that Smashwords requires authors to certify that their books don't have incest or "pseudo-incest", which is defined as:

"Sexual relations between family members, whether biologically or non-biologically related. Includes stepbrother, stepsister and step-anyone. Few retailers will take this."

If you have this, you can still publish on Smashwords. But a lot of other retailers, like B&N, Apple Books and Kobo won't take it. Also your book will be marked as having incest or pseudo-incest as a theme.

I didn't learn about this until I saw the policy in the Audiobook program, which meant that I then had to go back and re-certify my story, and it got pulled from distribution to said retailers.

I guess I didn't notice the policy until then because I never set out to write incest, or thought of it as incest, or thought to wonder what "pseudo-incest" might be. (One of my protagonist's many sexual partners is a man she was raised with as an adopted sister.)

I understand the purpose of the policy, although I think incest is defined too broadly, and the prohibition should be applied the way the rape prohibition is - where the incest is a dominant theme or included for the purposes of sexual gratification because of its thematic nature.

So I suppose this is just a rant and a word of warning for anyone who didn't know.

-Yib

My book on Smashwords!

I didn't know about that. Barnes and Noble has V C Andrews books for sale, so I take it the policy only applies to books that would be considered erotica/pornographic? Andrews books are basically soap operas IMO, usually with some incest heavy story lines. There's spicy scenes in them, but most of its about the drama between the characters.

 

[Levorotatory]

What is it about incest that bothers people? I don't get it. It has been going on for thousands of years and it seems perfectly natural to me. What is the reason for the negativity about it?

Oh, I don't know... maybe the skewed power dynamics when a parent coerces/forces their child to be of service to them? The term "child abuse" ring any bells?

Why do many people default to thinking of child abuse when they hear the term "incest"? The first thing I think of is siblings or first cousins having consensual relations.

 

[yibala2]

I didn't know about that. Barnes and Noble has V C Andrews books for sale, so I take it the policy only applies to books that would be considered erotica/pornographic? Andrews books are basically soap operas IMO, usually with some incest heavy story lines. There's spicy scenes in them, but most of its about the drama between the characters.

Hmmm, good question... I think the policy only applies to erotica. So it wouldn't apply to V.C. Andrews because, in theory, no one is getting off on that.

-Yib

 

[WitchofWestmoreland]

Why do many people default to thinking of child abuse when they hear the term "incest"? The first thing I think of is siblings or first cousins having consensual relations.

Hmm, maybe because 99% of real incest is child abuse?

 

[SimonDoom]

Hmm, maybe because 99% of real incest is child abuse?

But none of the incest at Literotica is. That's what matters, isn't it?

 

[Bramblethorn]

Why do many people default to thinking of child abuse when they hear the term "incest"? The first thing I think of is siblings or first cousins having consensual relations.

Because most publicised cases of RL incest are child abuse.

For all I know there are a bunch of grown adults having consensual, responsible sex with their adult siblings, and it just never makes the news - after all, why would it? And if so, good luck to 'em. But the cases we hear about are almost always abusive.

 

[RetroFan]

I'm always careful when writing incest to avoid any story where it might be perceived as an imbalance of power, which is probably why I've never written a mother/son or father/daughter story to date. I've written a story where a father and daughter have an inappropriately close relationship to the increasing disquiet of the daughter's fiance, but there is no actual incest.

I have written brother/sister, cousins, aunt/nephew, uncle/niece, stepbrother & stepsister, two stepsisters, stepfather/stepdaughter and foster siblings stories, but again was careful to emphasize that there was no abuse of power. For example, I wouldn't write a story where a 35-year-old man bails his 19-year-old half-sister out of her credit card debts on the proviso that she makes herself available to him whenever he demands it.

 

[Blind_Justice]

But none of the incest at Literotica is. That's what matters, isn't it?

That's not how I read KissedCherry's question.

 

[WitchofWestmoreland]

But none of the incest at Literotica is. That's what matters, isn't it?

Yeah but you can't blame people for associating it with how it almost always happens in real life.

It's kind of like snuff. In theory I guess truly consensual sexual killing wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but in reality sexual killing is almost always done by serial killers and definitely not consensual so I understand why Literotica wants to steer well clear of fueling those fantasies.

 

[kissedcherry]

Child abuse is disgusting.

Oh, I don't know... maybe the skewed power dynamics when a parent coerces/forces their child to be of service to them? The term "child abuse" ring any bells?

If you think that incest only happens when parents abuse their kids or other older relatives abuse children then I can see why incest would disturb you. I think that any time adults involve kids in sex it is disgusting.

But I don't see any reason that an adult girl should not be able to enjoy a sexual relationship with her dad. Or a son with his mom. Or siblings.

So they are two different issues. Also, I do realize that pregnancy from a relative is a bad idea.

 

[kissedcherry]

If that is true then 99 percent of incest is bad...but...

Hmm, maybe because 99% of real incest is child abuse?

Please tell me what you base that statistic on? I am not disagreeing with you and if you are right then it is disgusting. But I have never heard that statistic and can't find any support of it.