Sensitive or controversial content when looking to publish?

I've mostly stayed out of these discussions, but I will chime in here to add my own anecdotal evidence in support of this. About two years ago, I took a writing class via zoom in which we read and discussed a bunch of classic short stories. The final one dealt with a topic that I had some very negative personal experience with, and while we weren't given any trigger or content warnings, the instructor did mention the topic offhand when he assigned the story, so I knew what to expect going into the reading.

It didn't help. The story was vivid and well-written, and it got all the little details right, and as I read it, I was transported back to that part of my life. I didn't feel a little sad - I basically went into full fight-0r-flight survival mode for the next two days, adrenaline pumping nonstop through my body, unable to sleep, jumping at noises and shadows. I was edgy for days afterward. Honestly, just thinking about that incident now has me slightly on edge.

I've worked on a lot of that in therapy since, and I've healed some, but I'm also aware that I'll probably have the potential to be "triggered" in that way for the rest of my life. I've read other stories and seen movies that dealt with the same thing, and they didn't bother me at all, but this story was just too real for me, and that could happen again. So, while I definitely support being trauma-sensitive and supportive, I don't think that trigger warning are the way to do that.

 

That was a particularly difficult experience and I wish you the best in the process of healing. It's really not what you're looking for when you sign up to a writing course.

The solution, obviously, is not to be found in avoiding sensitive issues in writing, and I know that's not what you're suggesting. The trigger or content warning is just that, a notification that there will be references to certain things that may be difficult for some readers. Foreknowledge or anticipating what that content might be won't reduce potential impact, may actually increase it given heightened anticipation, but it does alert the reader that they may not want to read this particular piece. Admittedly that's more difficult when it's part of course work and most of us would baulk at making a personal disclosure to a stranger teaching a course. Some things, really, are not suitable for zoom.

When dealing with very sensitive matters, the content warning only serves as alert, reducing the chance that the reader might be ambushed by the subject matter. That may not make a whole lot of difference overall, but in some contexts a little bit can be a lot.

 

Thank you for your kindness and support. And yes, I'm definitely not against content warnings, I just want to make sure people realize that they're not a panacea. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for our own mental health, and they're just a tool.

But we've drifted a bit from the original topic of discussion, which wasn't about warnings, but whether controversial / sensitive topics will hinder publishing. I do think certain topics are too taboo for a major publisher to touch (not many, but a few), but small presses are definitely more open to experiment, and self-publishing is always an option. So to the OP, as long as your inclusion of them is for story purposes and not gratuitous, go for it! They may reduce your book's marketability, but they're unlikely to completely eliminate it.

 

In my opinion, this question about sensitive topics comes down to two aspects. The first being how "woke" is the publisher you are submitting to. The second is who is the Sam (Single Audience Member) you are writing for. It is a useful concept for keeping your target audience in mind.

 

If i had a drink for every time Bogart says the term "woke", id be an alcoholic....

 

but that goes into researching the agents and publishers. if you dont research your publishers and agencies, thats on you, not them for not accepting you.....

 

You mean you aren't already?
I am completely up front about my disgust for the extreme of political correctness that has swept through society. If it offends you, that is your problem, not mine.

 

I was already finished. I clarified my position.

 

Hear hear!

 

All I can add is to second the motion that you seek out the kind of publisher that would consider your book to be publishable.

But not every potential publisher has the clout to actually get your book into bookstores. George R. R. Martin could do it, because he already had a track record for selling books. But you? Maybe not.

 

I forgot to respond to this point…

While this is true, the complicating factor is that publishing houses with traditional family values are few and difficult to find. Indeed, I have searched many places and found two right-wing poetry journals and three politically independent ones that haven’t rejected my friend for being right-wing. I’ve only found two such markets for short stories and will submit to them soon.

Our culture has been moving away from traditional family values for quite some time and has steadily been picking up speed.

 

because times are changing.
what do we gain from remaining stagnant and stuck in our ways? I'm sure your generation adopted values that were different from family values before (however long ago "before" was). I'm also sure that things will evolve in the far future from what we are speeding toward today and the same problems will be presented to those who are slow to adapt.

The way I see it.... its just the way it is. Why not lean into it? explore through writing what makes you uncomfortable. Its not conforming, but remaining open to those people and publications that don't share your same values.

-shrugs-

 

Family values are necessary in order for civilization to flourish. A civilization is built on strong family values, and when they erode, the civilization falls into decadence, which is another way to say it begins to fall to its destruction. Historically every time a civilization moved away from strong family values it fell into decadence and then ended.

Every cult and totalitarian regime has always begun with the eroding of the family. Because when the family is gone, people have no basis for strength aside from the government or the cult. Removing family values is necessary in order for a cult or a totalitarian regime to take over, people must lose everything else that keeps them strong and holds them together. This is why would-be dictators and totalitarians always want revolution—destroy all traditions and existing values, but put nothing in their place except The State. It becomes your god, your mother and father etc.

 

Do you think change is always a good thing? Historically, the changes our culture is going through have only happened when a culture was about to die, such as Ancient Rome. Cultures come and go, ours will be replaced by another, more robust culture with more traditional values… if the world should last so long.

On a personal note, I find that, for my social circle, community, etc., I greatly prefer people who stick with traditional ways (yes, we still exist!) over people who embrace modern ways.

Actually, I’d love to be published in a liberal journal so I could reach as many as possible. (Plus I could have some fun ruffling a few feathers among readers, as one of my favorite poets mentions having done.) The issue is that many of these are not open to me even if I submit culturally neutral writing. One haiku column editor liked what I submitted to him back in September (a haiku about a country night scene); he got back to me the next day. Then I had some controversial poems published on another site, and when I submitted more haikus to him, he ghosted me. Haiku isn’t even political or religious or anything.

Mostly, I just care about getting my writing out there to as many people as possible. My point was to bring up the fact that the playing field isn’t as level as a lot of people think.

I actually explore these topics quite a bit in my writing… but it’s to write against things that a lot of people favor and vice versa.

 

I have put off final editing to my otherwise finished novel, because of my dread of the steps for publishing. And I know I don't have a ready readership I would want, though I share my writing ambitions and some samples with contacts online.

 

I thought of this thread again....
I'm working on revisions to a WIP with a couple of triggers/sensitive materials. From abortion, depression, even a homophobia (the story takes place in the early 2000s and there is a character that uses what had been popular insults that a straight person would use to insult another person suspected of being gay).

I thought about doing one big "Trigger Warning/Disclaimer" in the beginning, until I read this webtoon. The creator only put trigger warnings before chapters that had triggering materials. a "This chapter may contain images and/or subject matter that some might find troubling" kind of thing. One even mentioned "this chapter contains sexual assault".

Now I'm thinking, is it acceptable to do at the beginning of chapters in books? I've never seen it in actual books... but thats not to say it HASNT been done. right?

 

i thought about doing a footnote for this one to the e/affect of "this does not reflect the author's views"

 

I've mainly seen it in dark fantasy these days.

There were a ton of books I read in middle school that didnt have trigger warning but would have if they'd been published today. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, for example. It wasnt triggering to me. but as an adult who has a close friend who was a victim of domestic abuse, and who works with the public and the myriad of their problems, I can see how the book could be problematic.

But i think publishers are starting to catch them... or authors are more aware/conscious about such things when publishing (like im trying to do)

 

It seems like if they're going to be in the chapters they should also be at the beginning or on the cover or something, so people know before starting the book and getting invested in it. It's different for a webtoon, where each episode is separate.