Will this story get flag by amazon?

enkidu007

Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
18
Reaction score
1
I know amazon has a policy against incest. I have a story of a girl (age20) who has a sexual relationship with her step dad (he is 24). (the 40 year old mom re-married a younger guy.)

Do they allow non-blood incest? or do i have to hide it in the blurbs?

Thanks.
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,473
Location
Snow Cave
I second veinglory. Not only should this not be part of your blurb or cover art, but upon discovery and report by someone who takes offense, it's possible Amazon will remove it altogether. without notification or recourse.

If this is what you write, it may be worth the effort of finding market(s) which accept and allow it. The readers who enjoy pseudo-incest undoubtedly know where to shop.

Maryn, reminded that Amazon is not everything
 

CharleeBeck

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 14, 2014
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Location
New York
Honestly, when I publish my stuff I'm not going to use amazon out of principle. They are far too stuffy about what they'll allow to be printed, and their regulations change too often and too extremely.
 

s.j.l

Registered
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
I'm going to jump on this thread and hope someone can help me out as well. I'm in a similar boat. I didn't even realize until i finished writing it that the story could be taken as pseudo-incest.

So mine's about the FMC who's mother was married to the MMC's father when she was ten and they stayed married for six years but are now divorced. FMC's now in her mid twenties so it's been around ten years since they've been considered step-siblings when her and MMC meet up again and get together.

Does this still count as pseudo-incest?
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,473
Location
Snow Cave
I'm going to jump on this thread and hope someone can help me out as well. I'm in a similar boat. I didn't even realize until i finished writing it that the story could be taken as pseudo-incest.

So mine's about the FMC who's mother was married to the MMC's father when she was ten and they stayed married for six years but are now divorced. FMC's now in her mid twenties so it's been around ten years since they've been considered step-siblings when her and MMC meet up again and get together.

Does this still count as pseudo-incest?
I'm not the one in charge of making the judgments--and I ask you all, why not?--but yes, that's probably going to be considered pseudo-incest, regardless of how long ago the divorce was. They were raised as siblings.

Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you hoped to hear.

Maryn, who'd rather give good news, like Hey, everybody, free ice cream!
 

s.j.l

Registered
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
Thanks Maryn, I'll have to find out some way to work around it then, maybe just having the parents live together though not sure how that's going to work out...
 

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
23,083
Reaction score
10,780
Location
Where faults collide
Website
doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
I get that they don't want writers to sensationalize abusive relationships where there's a power differential between two people, but if incest and pseudo incest are a blanket ban with no attention to context, how does Amazon deal with novels like The Hotel New Hampshire, or Flowers in the Attic, or a Game of Thrones, or... They seem to be sold on their site.

Lots of mainstream books with incest in them.

Or is this ban on incest and pseudo incest only apply to self-published works?
 
Last edited:

Elly_Green

Daydreamer or Living Nightmare
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
157
Reaction score
10
Location
Virginia
Website
eratosmusings-erotica.blogspot.com
I get that they don't want writers to sensationalize abusive relationships where there's a power differential between two people, but if incest and pseudo incest are a blanket ban with no attention to context, how does Amazon deal with novels like The Hotel New Hampshire, or Flowers in the Attic, or a Game of Thrones, or... They seem to be sold on their site.

Lots of mainstream books with incest in them.

Or is this ban on incest and pseudo incest only apply to self-published works?

Amazon's rules are unclear and not specific on purpose so that they can choose when and how to apply the definitions they want. From what I've gleaned here and there, if the book is selling well, is mainstream, or otherwise benefits Amazon, they'll let it slide - perhaps calling it "literature" to allow them to sleep better at night. Yes, self-published authors are more at risk than those with big name publishers.
 

Elly_Green

Daydreamer or Living Nightmare
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
157
Reaction score
10
Location
Virginia
Website
eratosmusings-erotica.blogspot.com
The ban is on erotica with these themes due to them potentially falling within US obcsenity laws.

Yet, the ban isn't complete. Mainstream, top sellers, outside of the "erotica" label with just as much sex/obscenity inside, aren't necessarily being banned. If it is due to worry about the US laws, wouldn't it be more widespread?
 

Hunter S Johnson

It's writing. How hard can this be?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
66
Reaction score
4
Yet, the ban isn't complete. Mainstream, top sellers, outside of the "erotica" label with just as much sex/obscenity inside, aren't necessarily being banned. If it is due to worry about the US laws, wouldn't it be more widespread?

Lolita springs to mind...
 

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
23,083
Reaction score
10,780
Location
Where faults collide
Website
doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
The ban is on erotica with these themes due to them potentially falling within US obcsenity laws.

Ah, so a book that isn't specifically erotica, even if it has spicy scenes, wouldn't count? Interesting. I know someone who is writing a crime drama with a same-sex incestuous relationship, and I was wondering if he'd likely encounter difficulty if he tries to self publish. I'm not sure how graphic his sex scenes are.