Employee sacked for online erotic novel

[Selena_Kitt]

Granted, in Moscow...

but she was fired, nonetheless...

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I think my boss would laugh if he found out that I wrote a few erotic stories. He would also be upset if he found out that I wrote them on company time... But I so long as I finish my work he doesn't get that upset with what I do with my spare time at work

 

[rgraham666]

Quelle surprise.

As near as I can tell from the article the guy who sexually harassed her got a stern finger wagging while she got sacked for refusing to put up with it. The erotic novel just gave them an excuse.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Cold clime, cold hearts? In Moscow, I mean, not among this crew.

 

[Belegon]

Gang, got news for you ... this happens in the U.S. too...

 

[slyc_willie]

Gang, got news for you ... this happens in the U.S. too...

Very true. There are a lot of employers around here who wouldn't put up with a smut-slinger like me. Thankfully, I work in a very liberal environment. Hell, even my GM has purchased print copies of my books. She calls it "supporting the arts." I consider myself lucky. Texas is, after all, mainly conservative, and very many businesses are run by fundamentalist Catholics. The SO, for instance, has to be careful who she tells about her writing. Her boss isn't quite as open-minded as mine.

 

[Lee Chambers]

Very true. There are a lot of employers around here who wouldn't put up with a smut-slinger like me. Thankfully, I work in a very liberal environment. Hell, even my GM has purchased print copies of my books. She calls it "supporting the arts." I consider myself lucky. Texas is, after all, mainly conservative, and very many businesses are run by fundamentalist Catholics. The SO, for instance, has to be careful who she tells about her writing. Her boss isn't quite as open-minded as mine.

That's why I use the pen named and am always hesitant about telling people about my writing. People at work know I write but they're the kind of guys who guzzle beer and watch football and talk cars and are good ol' country boys. So I always have to give them some BS about what I'm writing so they don't trouble me.

 

[neonlyte]

I'd love to see the contract of employment that says you can't write and publish erotic novels in your spare (off work) time. If she had been careless with the truth, like naming specific individuals and describing them down to the birthmark adoring their dick... she might have asked for trouble, but I doubt she was that dumb. Sounds like good ol' fashioned Boys Club business.

 

[rgraham666]

She's lucky she's not a reporter. They kill reporters who make trouble in Russia.

 

[KarennaC]

I work in public schools (was at a high school, now at an elementary school because they shuffled me around), so I don't tell my coworkers what I write, usually. My supervising teacher at the high school knew, but he found it amusing and I didn't go into details, just told him I write erotic romance.

I also use a pen name that has absolutely no connection with my real name, so it would be hard for anyone to connect "Karenna Colcroft" with who I really am.

I hope this woman wins her case; I think some employers go too far with their attempts to control their employees.

 

[loganforester]

This is one of those occaisions that makes me happy to be self-employed.

For the staff as long as it doesn't interfere with their ability to do the job, I could care less what they do on their own time. None of my business.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

This has to do with the whole coming-out-of-the-porno closet issue. Who can you tell and who can you not.

After spending a few years writing, I went and interviewed for a job. They asked me what I'd been doing for the last few years, so I figured I should be honest and I told them I'd been writing and had been published. When they asked me what I'd written, I kind of lied and said, "Romance". The guy looked at me funny. I said, "That's what sells." I then lied further and told him I also wrote sci fi. He asked me for the title of a book and I scrambled and made something up: Steel Planet, (Best I could do standing in the elevator with the guy.)

Thinking about it, I realized that if I'd gotten that job, word would have gotten out and people would have asked me about the books and I'd be in a bad place. But what can I do? I've been writing full time for the last few years, and all of it's erotica. The best lie I can tell is that I've been working on a novel that hasn't been published.

Luckily it's all moot because there's no work to be had in my field now anyhow, except in India and China.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

This has to do with the whole coming-out-of-the-porno closet issue. Who can you tell and who can you not.

After spending a few years writing, I went and interviewed for a job. They asked me what I'd been doing for the last few years, so I figured I should be honest and I told them I'd been writing and had been published. When they asked me what I'd written, I kind of lied and said, "Romance". The guy looked at me funny. I said, "That's what sells." I then lied further and told him I also wrote sci fi. He asked me for the title of a book and I scrambled and made something up: Steel Planet, (Best I could do standing in the elevator with the guy.)

Thinking about it, I realized that if I'd gotten that job, word would have gotten out and people would have asked me about the books and I'd be in a bad place. But what can I do? I've been writing full time for the last few years, and all of it's erotica. The best lie I can tell is that I've been working on a novel that hasn't been published.

Luckily it's all moot because there's no work to be had in my field now anyhow, except in India and China.

I wouldn't tell people. But I have an excuse - I can say, if I'm job hunting, that I was home with the kids.

It just doesn't seem like a smart thing to share, given our culture. I once mistakenly shared it with a mommy-group of mine. Most of the women were supportive, but I underestimated the amount (or prominence?) of the religiously devoted in the group. *sigh*

I find it just doesn't make sense to share it.

I made the mistake of talking about something writing related with the hubbie while one of the older kids was around, and he asked if he could read something I wrote. I told him later, when he was older. (yeah right, like I'd ever let that happen...) Then he told his dad, my ex, that I was writing again (he didn't know what...but still...) and my EX asked to read my stuff. Double I told him no, it wasn't something I wanted to share.

Talk about a disaster waiting to happen... ugh. There's a reason I use a pen name, kwim??

 

[Lady_Fiona]

I think most of the people I work with know I write and a lot of them read my work. It was a bit of sensation to begin with, now they just simply accept it. I'm the one 'that writes'.

I am doing no harm as far as people are concerned, not bringing anyone into desrepute except myself lol. If a problem arises, I shall deal with it, somehow.

 

[KarennaC]

I made the mistake of talking about something writing related with the hubbie while one of the older kids was around, and he asked if he could read something I wrote. I told him later, when he was older. (yeah right, like I'd ever let that happen...) Then he told his dad, my ex, that I was writing again (he didn't know what...but still...) and my EX asked to read my stuff. Double I told him no, it wasn't something I wanted to share.

Talk about a disaster waiting to happen... ugh. There's a reason I use a pen name, kwim??

My kids have a bad habit of coming up behind me when I'm at the computer. Sometimes I'm writing. I've had to warn them not to look at the computer screen when they do that; I've told them I write "stuff they can't read till they're at least 18."

My 10-year-old doesn't get it and doesn't really care; she has Asperger's, so she's only interested in her own part of the Universe most of the time. She knows to leave Mommy's black binders alone, and not to look at the computer screen when she sneaks up behind me; otherwise it means nothing to her.

My 13-year-old was busted a year ago for having hentai and a couple porn sites on her school laptop (here in Maine, all 7th and 8th graders get a laptop assigned by the school; they can't bring it home on school vacations, but otherwise they can), so I'm not as concerned about her knowing what I write, I just don't want her reading it at her age. Then again, when I was 13 I had a classmate who wrote explicit porn stories, so I know kids that age aren't exactly innocent. Still not gonna let her read it, though. (This is also the child who asked my boyfriend once why my bed had been squeaking so much; he said, "Why do you think?" and she turned four shades of red.)

Thank goodness they have no contact with their father, and he doesn't read anyway. lol

 

[Weird Harold]

I'd love to see the contract of employment that says you can't write and publish erotic novels in your spare (off work) time. If she had been careless with the truth, like naming specific individuals and describing them down to the birthmark adoring their dick... she might have asked for trouble, but I doubt she was that dumb. Sounds like good ol' fashioned Boys Club business.

Random House asks young adult writers to contractually promise not to behave immorally
Posted by Cory Doctorow, August 21, 2008 4:53 AM
Random House is asking some of its authors of young adult books to sign contracts with "morality clauses" that allow the publisher to take back your advance and cancel your book if you're caught doing anything that "damages your reputation as a person suitable to work with or be associated with children, and consequently the market for or value of the work is seriously diminished." For the record, Random House Audio published my young adult novel Little Brother and did not request this clause.

An email arrives from the Society of Author's Children's Writers And Illustrators Group. Apparently, a well-established, enormous publishing house has decided to insert the following clause into its standard contract for children's books: "If you act or behave in a way which damages your reputation as a person suitable to work with or be associated with children, and consequently the market for or value of the work is seriously diminished, and we may (at our option) take any of the following actions: Delay publication / Renegotiate advance / Terminate the agreement."

Publishing erotic fiction is probably something that would trigger Random House's morality clause -- or at least becoming known to publish erotica.

A lot of companies and oprganizations have morality clauses in their employment contracts -- the NFL for example has made news several times in the lat year or so for enforcing it's "morality clause" against players that reflect badly on the league.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Publishing erotic fiction is probably something that would trigger Random House's morality clause -- or at least becoming known to publish erotica.

A lot of companies and oprganizations have morality clauses in their employment contracts -- the NFL for example has made news several times in the lat year or so for enforcing it's "morality clause" against players that reflect badly on the league.

That's funny, because I know a LOT of erotic romance writers who write things like children's and YA books and articles for books like "Chicken Soup for the Soul" etc.

God forbid a writer have more than one facet to themselves, eh?

 

[Weird Harold]

That's funny, because I know a LOT of erotic romance writers who write things like children's and YA books and articles for books like "Chicken Soup for the Soul" etc.

God forbid a writer have more than one facet to themselves, eh?

More like "god forbid a writer should offend Mrs Grundy"

MOrals clauses seldom get invoked unless some bluenose complains.

Dr Ted Geisel could write all of the porn he wanted to, as long as he didn't put his Dr Suess pen-name to it -- and nobody complained that they were the same person whatever nom de plume was on the title page.

 

[Belegon]

Publishing erotic fiction is probably something that would trigger Random House's morality clause -- or at least becoming known to publish erotica.

A lot of companies and oprganizations have morality clauses in their employment contracts -- the NFL for example has made news several times in the lat year or so for enforcing it's "morality clause" against players that reflect badly on the league.

Almost all financial institutions still have morality clauses. I was no more safe writing erotica than I would have been stripping or acting in porn.

Truth to tell, my employer didn't officially let me go for that... but it was mentioned. My ending there was highly related to the fact that they could pay someone else 17K less to do my job... but my writing was mentioned in the exit interview and paperwork. The fact that I wrote erotica was revealed to them by a subordinate of mine who had an axe to grind...

See, when I was in Sports Illustrated, they bragged about their multi-talented Operations Manager and asked me to edit and write for the Board and a new set f policies and procedures. The week after it was revealed to them that I wrote erotica, I was looking for another job...

They claimed my performance had fallen off... the labor board took a different opinion, considering I had been given a merit raise 5 weeks prior to being given a pink slip.

At the time, my mother (of all people) was the one who was dead certain it was the writing responsible. While I still believe that the money was primary, I no longer dismiss the writing as a factor. In retrospect, the timing is too obvious.

 

[Katyusha]

Very true. There are a lot of employers around here who wouldn't put up with a smut-slinger like me. Thankfully, I work in a very liberal environment. Hell, even my GM has purchased print copies of my books. She calls it "supporting the arts." I consider myself lucky. Texas is, after all, mainly conservative, and very many businesses are run by fundamentalist Catholics. The SO, for instance, has to be careful who she tells about her writing. Her boss isn't quite as open-minded as mine.

So do I...everyone at work knows I write but there's only one person who knows *what* I write. I don't know what would happen if it got back to my boss but one of the guys there is so afraid of a sexual harassment accusation that he refuses to say the word "wiener" around me even if we're talking about the hot dog joint near there ("wiener" is part of the name of that place). I don't want to think of how uncomfortable he'd suddenly be around me if he knew. Or worse yet, how "relaxed" he might suddenly get.

I don't understand, I really don't. Why is it such a problem for some people?

 

[lisa123414]

Yeah well lets just hope there isn't one of Obama's appointees lurking around here. I do not believe that would go over so well in the vetting process.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Yeah well lets just hope there isn't one of Obama's appointees lurking around here. I do not believe that would go over so well in the vetting process.

Uh... yeah. Prolly not.

 

[slyc_willie]

So do I...everyone at work knows I write but there's only one person who knows *what* I write. I don't know what would happen if it got back to my boss but one of the guys there is so afraid of a sexual harassment accusation that he refuses to say the word "wiener" around me even if we're talking about the hot dog joint near there ("wiener" is part of the name of that place). I don't want to think of how uncomfortable he'd suddenly be around me if he knew. Or worse yet, how "relaxed" he might suddenly get.

I don't understand, I really don't. Why is it such a problem for some people?

Question for the ages.

The USA has always (well, in the last century or so) been home to the wildest extremes of humanity. We have the biggest porn business in the world yet also the largest base of fundamental Christian thinking. We're as liberal as we are conservative. It's a constant and frustrating war.

The best explanation I can offer is that, without friction, fires would never be born. And this country enjoys constant friction.