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Let& #39;s do this again. My unsolicited 2 cents: there are a lot of people who are looking for books that do not have sexual content or filthy language in them. As a deeply filthy person myself, it& #39;s not for me to tell them how to describe the books they are looking for.
In general, it& #39;s always nice for us to be considerate about the various implications of how the words we use affect those around us, but language has limitations.
A lot of people who are looking for these reads are shamed because *other* people have shamed me for liking filth.
A lot of people who are looking for these reads are shamed because *other* people have shamed me for liking filth.
As long as we& #39;re just talking about what we like in a positive sense, I generally fall into the category of don& #39;t yuck someone& #39;s yum.
For example, I like the word filth. I have a filthy mind, I write filthy books. YMMV.
For example, I like the word filth. I have a filthy mind, I write filthy books. YMMV.
So I don& #39;t mind the word clean, because to me, it& #39;s the opposite of filthy. Very clear. :D
I also know that others encounter that as a pejorative descriptor, and it hurts. There& #39;s no easy answer here.
I also know that others encounter that as a pejorative descriptor, and it hurts. There& #39;s no easy answer here.
However, I think ace readers are a marginalized group in romance, and I really wince when we talk about the primary language available to them for book categorization. Clean, sweet, chaste, closed-door ... however a READER describes a book is probably left best to that reader.
(Not all readers who prefer books without sex or graphic language are ace, and lots of ace readers read a variety of heat levels; but there will be some readers for whom this is a deeply personal reading experience, and that drives my choices around language and thoughtfulness)
