Nudity in cover art

[Serafina1210]

So I'm preparing to make the jump into the wonderful world of smut-for-pay. The novella is written and all that remains, apart from the legalities, is the cover. I've been scrolling through screens and screens of Erotica on Smashwords, and I've read their guidelines, which clearly state: no nudity.

I purchased a stock photo featuring a rear view of a girl with a butt I would have died for when I was twenty. She was naked, but no problem! Through the magic of PhotoShop a skimpy bikini bottom miraculously appeared (see attachment).

But looking at many dozens of covers suggests that there's a lot of play in a simple "no nudity" rule. Can you get away without a bottom if your model is turned in such a way that the potential buyer isn't staring into the crack? It looks as if our Zeb Carter has gotten away with the occasional nipple: does that keep a book off Amazon or out of the Apple Store? A woman's bare back seems to be okay, and sometimes we catch a glimpse of the swell of a breast, but how much of that swell can be revealed before someone cries foul? Is even a tiny bit of pubic hair always off limits?

So many subtleties! Nudity isn't always nudity. Please share your experiences with a newbie!

 

[lovecraft68]

Smashwords will let a lot slide for their main site, but the book may be blocked from going into their premium catalog, meaning they won't ship it to B/N or apple or kobo.

Amazon is dicey. By letter of their law, even the pic with the thong is too much ass fro them...but they are back to being very lax and it may get through. Only issue is if it doesn't they may just block that book(first time that is most likely) or they could block your entire account.

Its frustrating because I've seen some great photos I'd like to use, then had to keep looking to play it safe.

 

[lovecraft68]

Example, this cover is currently not in SW's premium catalog because its a very sexual position and she looks like she's enjoying it. Also her arm across her chest is referred to as a "hand bra" and that's an amazon no-no.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/584489

Of course you can be clever and use some text to sort of hide the ass crack like this

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/621156

 

[Serafina1210]

Example, this cover is currently not in SW's premium catalog because its a very sexual position and she looks like she's enjoying it. Also her arm across her chest is referred to as a "hand bra" and that's an amazon no-no.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/584489

Of course you can be clever and use some text to sort of hide the ass crack like this

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/621156

Thanks, LC--always helpful.

Heaven forbid that a woman should enjoy sex! In your experience, is a woman's bare back okay? If I need to find my girl a more modest bikini bottom, well, I'll do that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Thanks, LC--always helpful.

Heaven forbid that a woman should enjoy sex! In your experience, is a woman's bare back okay? If I need to find my girl a more modest bikini bottom, well, I'll do that.

bare back is fine. She just ca't have a string type thong or be covering her breasts with her hands or arm.

Amazon made that loose vague rule about 'the look" you could have people in asexual position, but they are some how not supposed to look like they're 'into it"....they remind me of Catholics LOL

 

[Serafina1210]

bare back is fine. She just ca't have a string type thong or be covering her breasts with her hands or arm.

Amazon made that loose vague rule about 'the look" you could have people in asexual position, but they are some how not supposed to look like they're 'into it"....they remind me of Catholics LOL

Think of England . . .

 

[lovecraft68]

Think of England . . .

Speaking of, I watched the movie the Witch last night. They were pioneers from England and were tossed out of the village foe religious reasons I think. All these friggin people did was talk about God 24/ 7 and saying they were sorry for sinning constantly...pathetic people were like that,

Course the devil takes them all.

 

[Serafina1210]

Speaking of, I watched the movie the Witch last night. They were pioneers from England and were tossed out of the village foe religious reasons I think. All these friggin people did was talk about God 24/ 7 and saying they were sorry for sinning constantly...pathetic people were like that,

Course the devil takes them all.

Sounded like a good movie when I first heard about it. It's on my "watch someday" list.

Here's an attempt at an Amazon-friendly butt. Not very convincing yet. I need to find a better bikini.

 

[lovecraft68]

Sounded like a good movie when I first heard about it. It's on my "watch someday" list.

Here's an attempt at an Amazon-friendly butt. Not very convincing yet. I need to find a better bikini.

That would work, where are you looking?

 

[Serafina1210]

That would work, where are you looking?

Online swimwear shops.

 

[sr71plt]

Online swimwear shops.

You will be asking for permission to use a photo from there (but I highly doubt receiving permission), aren't you? If not, you could be in a whole lot more trouble with your cover than whether or not the butt is covered.

As I noted before, Smashwords made my publisher cover this butt before it would accept the cover and Amazon never accepted it:



https://www.allromanceebooks.com/dbimages/520337.jpg

 

[Serafina1210]

You will be asking for permission to use a photo from there (but I highly doubt receiving permission), aren't you? If not, you could be in a whole lot more trouble with your cover than whether or not the butt is covered.

As I noted before, Smashwords made my publisher cover this butt before it would accept the cover and Amazon never accepted it:



https://www.allromanceebooks.com/dbimages/520337.jpg

I'll probably end up freehanding it based on a photo. In the end, warping a photo of a bikini bottom onto this model isn't entirely persuasive--or maybe you need more skill than I have to get it right.

What did you put on your guy? Seems to me even a loincloth should have been okay with Amazon.

Or maybe I just don't understand how these outfits think.

 

[sr71plt]

This is the Smashwords version. I didn't do anything about any of it. The publisher handled it all.


http://dwtr67e3ikfml.cloudfront.net/bookCovers/dbe9347b92b7001cddc7f57c789ff32b028380db-thumb

 

[Serafina1210]

This is the Smashwords version. I didn't do anything about any of it. The publisher handled it all.


http://dwtr67e3ikfml.cloudfront.net/bookCovers/dbe9347b92b7001cddc7f57c789ff32b028380db-thumb

I don't get these people at all. It looks perfectly decent to me.

Maybe I should change to writing children's books.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't get these people at all. It looks perfectly decent to me.

Maybe I should change to writing children's books.

You mean the original one looks decent enough to you or the one it had to be changed to to pass at Smashwords? As I recall, the reason it isn't on Amazon at all is that when Amazon rejected the original cover, my publisher told them to get stuffed because they weren't the only game in town. Smashwords supplies to several distributors, so the publisher was more accommodating for their demand.

 

[Serafina1210]

You mean the original one looks decent enough to you or the one it had to be changed to to pass at Smashwords? As I recall, the reason it isn't on Amazon at all is that when Amazon rejected the original cover, my publisher told them to get stuffed because they weren't the only game in town. Smashwords supplies to several distributors, so the publisher was more accommodating for their demand.

If I were running an online bookstore, the naked butt would be fine with me, but I thought the revised version looked good enough for Amazon. It's a comfort to know they didn't reject it.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I've had two covers that Smashwords has complained about whereas Amazon never even coughed. With Smashwords I modified the cover until it was shipped to the premium catalogs, then put the original cover back just for my Smashword fans.

And like I said, with Amazon both cover never needed changing.

The only item ever rejected was the one that the title of the book was My Mom. They caught that on immediately.

 

[Serafina1210]

I've had two covers that Smashwords has complained about whereas Amazon never even coughed. With Smashwords I modified the cover until it was shipped to the premium catalogs, then put the original cover back just for my Smashword fans.

I think maybe I spotted those, Zeb: bit of nipple showing?

So I can submit with my model wearing a bikini bottom and then when it's accepted, um, slip it off?

Very tricky!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I think maybe I spotted those, Zeb: bit of nipple showing?

So I can submit with my model wearing a bikini bottom and then when it's accepted, um, slip it off?

Very tricky!

You can, but be prepared to ignore the "Needs Modification" notification on your dashboard.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think maybe I spotted those, Zeb: bit of nipple showing?

So I can submit with my model wearing a bikini bottom and then when it's accepted, um, slip it off?

Very tricky!

You can, but be prepared for the book to be removed from the affiliate channels. SW is not amazon, they do enforce the rules they have and consistently.

So you have to ask yourself if putting up the more risque cover is worth all the sales you'll lose on B/n apple and kobo and others

 

[Serafina1210]

You can, but be prepared for the book to be removed from the affiliate channels. SW is not amazon, they do enforce the rules they have and consistently.

So you have to ask yourself if putting up the more risque cover is worth all the sales you'll lose on B/n apple and kobo and others

I don't think I'll do that, but I may make a version without panties to give to friends.

 

[sr71plt]

Just today, my publisher has sent me a cover design for an anthology titled "Penile Play" that has two stone obelisks in the background that are dead-on suggestive of erect cocks. We're both wondering what the distributor reaction will be, but the images are perfect for the book content. If they won't take this, we'll ratchet back to the Washington Monument and see how that goes.

 

[Serafina1210]

Just today, my publisher has sent me a cover design for an anthology titled "Penile Play" that has two stone obelisks in the background that are dead-on suggestive of erect cocks. We're both wondering what the distributor reaction will be, but the images are perfect for the book content. If they won't take this, we'll ratchet back to the Washington Monument and see how that goes.

Two Washington Monuments! Only the brain dead could miss the significance.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

You can, but be prepared for the book to be removed from the affiliate channels. SW is not amazon, they do enforce the rules they have and consistently.

So you have to ask yourself if putting up the more risque cover is worth all the sales you'll lose on B/n apple and kobo and others

Mine hasn't been removed as the cover when it was sent out was acceptable. I now have changed the cover back to the original and have a notice that the cover is unacceptable for affiliate channels. But it's already been distributed so no worries.

It's right here...http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stag-party-xavier-carter/1112316627?ean=2940044715813

And here's the cover on Smashwords...https://dwtr67e3ikfml.cloudfront.net/bookCovers/40abde4b83532a18f28416d9698667415d29fce5

 

[sr71plt]

Two Washington Monuments! Only the brain dead could miss the significance.

Naw, only one. What we have now are primitive stone and the top of them are unmistakable in intent.