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Why do the websites of all erotica publishers look so cheesy and amateurish? (Because they are run by amateurs is the obvious answer, though I don't know that that is true). But if you want to be taken seriously, then why don't they take a look at more mainstream publishers' websites and think about...maybe...just toning it down a little.
Yes, you mostly sell glorified porn (some try for art, but evidently not too hard) but do we need a thousand purple and lime green colored links and a dozen pictures of beefy dudes in various states of undress crammed together with hot pink cursive links underneath them? Especially when each novel already has an incredibly corny title and the authors mostly have ridiculous pseudonyms? (Though James de Kok or whatever it was, was so my favorite).
If you want intelligent books than maybe you ought to seek out an intelligent audience. Like one with their own LJs and websites, who take a look at your websites filled to the brim with crap, crap, and more crap and hit the 'back" button as quickly as they can. One look at all pink conceits and the page titles like "Freya's Bower" and I'm groaning and shaking my head. Clean lines, people, simple titles, easy to find links and easy to read colors. Cover art and graphic design that doesn't put Danielle Steel to shame. Make your site, and your book selection, look like something I'd want to shell out money to look at, not like something I'd maybe buy used for 69 cents.
If, on the other hand, you really do want to just publish porn, then a) stop calling it romance and erotica, and b) by all means keep on with the bad cover art and bad web design. Rest assured, no one will ever take you seriously.
Yes, you mostly sell glorified porn (some try for art, but evidently not too hard) but do we need a thousand purple and lime green colored links and a dozen pictures of beefy dudes in various states of undress crammed together with hot pink cursive links underneath them? Especially when each novel already has an incredibly corny title and the authors mostly have ridiculous pseudonyms? (Though James de Kok or whatever it was, was so my favorite).
If you want intelligent books than maybe you ought to seek out an intelligent audience. Like one with their own LJs and websites, who take a look at your websites filled to the brim with crap, crap, and more crap and hit the 'back" button as quickly as they can. One look at all pink conceits and the page titles like "Freya's Bower" and I'm groaning and shaking my head. Clean lines, people, simple titles, easy to find links and easy to read colors. Cover art and graphic design that doesn't put Danielle Steel to shame. Make your site, and your book selection, look like something I'd want to shell out money to look at, not like something I'd maybe buy used for 69 cents.
If, on the other hand, you really do want to just publish porn, then a) stop calling it romance and erotica, and b) by all means keep on with the bad cover art and bad web design. Rest assured, no one will ever take you seriously.
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