When you visit a library, all the books are arranged according to categories. It makes the job of finding what you want so much easier than having all the books loaded up on the shelves at random.

Similarly, with online bookstores, books and eBooks are organized based on classification. All mystery stories are in one section, all suspense thrillers are together, all sweet romances are together. That’s how Amazon does it. Barnes & Noble too. In fact, all digital book sellers use a rating system that groups all similar books together.

Sorting categories are based on what readers want and search for. Businesses exist to meet market needs, so if the buying public wants something, some enterprising business will make it available.

Take murder mysteries, for example. Knowing that the reading public loves to read murder stories, many writers have specialized in that genre. Often the reader is given descriptions of brutal murders with or without rape. The more shocking these acts are, the stronger the public reaction will be.

There are other writers who choose not to write such gory stories. They may deal with a murder or sexual assault but without highlighting the violence, suffering or horror. It is a tragic fact that human beings around the world rape each other every day, but there are writers who may or may not include such terrible things in their stories, but if they do, the wrongs are briefly dealt with.

They choose to write stories without violence. Or if a violent act is included in your story, it is not covered in detail. It is not glorified. The reader will know that someone was murdered but will not be struggling with mental images of evil.

That’s what clean fiction is all about. Or more accurately, this is part of the ethos embraced by clean fiction authors. As HL Wegley says of his accounts, “Descriptions and events will never be rude, graphic, or gratuitous.” He writes inspiring thrillers and high action suspense romance novels.

Wegley is one of the authors featured on CleanSuspense.com, where books are chosen that are clean by virtue of: no bedroom scenes, no foul language or use, and where violence (if any) is not glorified. Some of my favorite authors also avoid profanity.

Clean fiction is not so much a category of book as it is a description of the author’s writing. Such clean fiction includes romance, suspense, mysteries, thrillers… even time travel. Virtually any genre can be written cleanly.