Marketing anti-pedophilia novel
@Graptopetalum (1807)
Canada
August 16, 2012 1:01pm CST
I'm working on a science fiction novel in which a nine year old girl fights a pedophile. My motivation for this is partly because I think it's strange that I can't think of any stories about kids fighting pedophiles although the two groups are natural enemies. I also think pedophilia is an issue that children should know about but we don't make a good job of warning them nor dealing with it when it raises its ugly head. I asked a panel of publishers at a convention about publishing this novel and they threw their hands up in horror and said things like, "No, we have to be very careful with this sort of thing!" and "We can't publish this as children's or young adult!"
My imediate thought was, "This is how things like Pen State happen!" Also why is it that a series of pro-pedophilia novels about a romance between a teenager and a 100-year-old have become very popular and made into movies (in which the teenager is played by a flat-chested actress)?
I also can't help worrying if the reluctance to tackle pedophilia is due to fear of upsetting homosexuals (who insist that pedophilia is a unrelated issue) and Muslims (who probably also say they're opposed to pedophilia but Mohammad married a six-year-old).
What are people's thoughts on this?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
17 Aug 12
Personally,I don't see it as being strange you haven't yet seen another book in this "genre"...It's a taboo subject,and how do you write a book about pedophilia without covering the subject matter in enough detail to risk being flamed for sensationalizing the practice? I seem to recall Nabokov having some problems in that area..
Being considered deviant behaviour,a book on the subject is not going to be on any bestselling Children's book list anytime soon,which leaves you targetting the Scifi readers as an audience...and as a Scifi fan,no thanks..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
18 Aug 12
I like my scifi to be about technology,and other worlds..I can appreciate controversial,bearing in mind Gene Roddenberry's motives in using a 24th Century setting for TOS to highlight 1960's social issues,but I wouldn't have seen him touching this subject,controversial as that Kiss was,both as a social issue and in the context of that particular storyline..
@Graptopetalum (1807)
• Canada
17 Aug 12
ShepherdSpy, why wouldn't you read such a book? Isn't it exploring a controvertial issue, surely something the best Scifi does? Remember the first inter-racial kiss on American TV was on Star Trek.
@marguicha (223077)
• Chile
17 Aug 12
I would start by writing a book about teaching parents to treat their children in such a way that they would not be afraid to tell them anything. And that would keep them away from bullies and would also teach them to be confident. There are many times when parents dismiss as unimportant something that could change their child´s life.
@Graptopetalum (1807)
• Canada
17 Aug 12
Perhaps somebody should write such a book (aren't there any?) but I'm a science fiction writer not a child psychiatrist or even a parent. Mind you, in my experience child psychiatrists are a crying waste of protoplasm and there are some pretty horrible parents (even some who write books, "Tiger Mother" comes to mind) as well.
I think a science fiction book will get to people who wouldn't read a non-fiction book or a slice-of-life fictional book. It also allows you to look at things that are hard to deal with in other ways such as the relationship between pedophilia and religions.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
16 Aug 12
You could, but like the publishers said, you will have to be careful how it is written. Maybe write it as a fictional story where the child prevails over the abuser in a way that might send a message out that this kind of abuse will not be tolerated. As for upsetting anyone, so what??? My book will probably upset many Christians, so my problem will be in even finding a publisher because one who is Christian won't take it, but because I am truthful, I can't imagine a secular publisher taking it either..
So I'd say go for it, you might have a best seller on your hands..
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
16 Aug 12
Sounds like you won't have as much problem then, because there are publishers who publish books with that kind of genre, so like I said, go for it.
