Asian stereotypes and racism in novels

[Azure Boone]

[Azure Boone]

tried to write on it, but didn't want to cooperate. So, it doesn't matter what we think about this cover, it's DECIDED. I had found better photos that I liked, but they didn't let me pick!

[陳德聰]

Surprisingly, I like the cover.

[Azure Boone]

My husband didn't like it, but so far everybody else does. But I was never sure if they were just saying that to be nice or what. But I like that I can get honest opinion here and I like that you like it, it makes me think everybody wasn't just saying that.

[Demonic_Duck]

Nice colour palette, hot guy to entice your target audience, attractive design down the bottom. Not too sure about the typesetting of the title with the "a" inside the "C" of China, but other than that it looks well-designed and fit for purpose.

[jkhsu]

My impression on the cover: The girl is rather average looking. Is there a reason why they chose this one?

[Demonic_Duck]

Probably so that average-looking readers can identify with her.

[Azure Boone]

I didn't want to say it, but that's exactly what my husband said, why did they pick such a plain looking girl. He actually said Pentecostal looking. And his conclusion was what demonic duck said. The average reader could identify and get excited about the whole concept of cute guy falling for average looking girl. I think if her hair had been down at least...

[jkhsu]

So the target audience is Asian American women? I'm wondering if in the story there's mention of her being average looking. On the other hand, if the story mentions her has stunning, then I'd prefer the cover not even include a picture so that I can imagine what she looks like. This kind of spoils it for me.

[Azure Boone]

Yes, i totally agree about rather not knowing. Once you put images of characters on the cover it spoils what you might have imagined by the descriptions in the story. The people on the cover force you to imagine them rather than what is described. The face of this girl is similar to what I imagined but a little chubby looking. And her eyes seem a bit large I thought. But also, since the audience is female, for the most part it might make it a more believable experience, not sure. All I know is, when I read books that have pics of the hero and heroine on the cover, I expect the descriptions to match. I have seen some very POOR depictions, to the point I'm wondering who the heck is the guy on the cover???

[Azure Boone]

And no, the target audience is not Asian women, but women don't usually differentiate between culture at the "romance" level. A girl is a girl. Culture, color, height, build, none of it matters, we're all made of the same stuff inside and we can usually identify at that level easily.

[jkhsu]

I like your comment about the target audience and women. +1 So I guess it works out then, assuming that the guy is attractive to most of the women audience.

[Azure Boone]

I think he IS. It's the one image that they got nearly exactly right. He's got heterochromia and they actually did a good job making his eyes 2 different colors without it looking freakish or fake. you can't see it in the cover though, only on the banner on my blog.

And i meant to comment about that odd font at the bottom. The reason it's like that is because they had it much smaller and you couldn't read "The Devil Wants A" on the thumbnail, which is what most pple would see. All you saw was China Doll and my name. So, I asked if they could enlarge that font and they ended up doing that. I had suggested enlarging it by making it taller because it was my guess they were wanting to keep the edges lined up. Oh well.

[Azure Boone]

i also asked them to photoshop her some blue eyes but nothing too dramatic. I think they did a good job there too.

[abcdefg]

I didn't want to say it, but that's exactly what my husband said, why did they pick such a plain looking girl. He actually said Pentecostal looking.

The process of publishing involves more compromise than most people realize.

[jbradfor]

Re: the cover, the man doesn't seem quite demonic enough to me, based on your description. But I guess the point of the cover is to attract attention, and if he was too demonic it would be off-putting.

He's got heterochromia

What's "heterochromia" in Chinese?

like that I can get honest opinion here

LOL, that's for sure!

[Glenn]

What's "heterochromia" in Chinese?

Apparently it's 虹膜異色症.

[Guest realmayo]

虹膜异色症 (according to wikipedia)

edit: (great minds think alike)

[Azure Boone]

Wished I knew how to work the darn "quote" function.

On the publishing process and compromise, that's for sure. I was aware of it before I began because I researched and so, when they made change requests in the story, I was prepared. Had I not known that it might be requested, I might have choked at that point and stepped out. Because of course they suggested a content change that would affect in a detrimental way, the core of my plot. Which was "man cannot have sex without passing eternal damnation" And of course that was the one problem they needed fixed due to the genre. But when the editor told me, I simply said, sure, no problem, I'll find a way. Then after, I was like, oh shit, how the hell am I supposed to pull that off, there is nothing I can think of that would justify the hero having sex under the threat of such a consequence, not without making him look like a total porn prude, not to mention screwing up the entire plot.

But I thought, this is paranormal, I can find a way to make this happen, even logically, ironic as that is, but I ended up having him use astral projection along with his shield to accomplish the deed, although he didn't set out to do that deed in particular, but to use touch telepathy to discover answers as to why she's on the run. But during the little experiment, he discovers her power is stronger than his shield and can control his body in this state. At which point he also finds out she desires him. Things unfold from there but then the demon who is still in his body escapes without his shield being there to keep him imprisoned and it ends bad. So, he swears to himself to never try that again.

I did manage to get the deed done, and then make it so it was too dangerous to happen again, thereby preserving the demon conflict/threat. But of course sex had to happen again, so the next justification came by way of her power over him and her power giving her what she desires. Only she's not aware of any of it, only he is.

But I made it work, to make a long story short. And I'm a stickler for things needing to be justified, and I think I managed it.

On the Chinese term for heterochromia, I have no clue. You guys may be better equipped to tell me that. It's when a person has two different colored eyes, it's rare, but it does exist and it's part why he was abducted by the coven to house the demon of lust. (My son has heterochromia, one eye is brown hazel, the other eye is blue, and I thought it would be cool to incorporate it into a story somehow)

[Glenn]

edit: (great minds think alike)

I guess I just saw the thread a few seconds before you did.