The Word Cloud

I am on the home straight of my first novel. Whilst it is set in a religious context, many of the unfolding events meander around the darker edges of sexuality - extreme sadism, for example. For the huge majority of the book, there is nothing in the language that would make granny blush, but when describing, for example, a rape, it seems a little off-kilter to be too delicate in terminology. On the other hand, of course, having the text too liberally peppered with c**t will, I imagine, present publishers with problems.

'I am on the home straight of my first novel. Whilst it is set in a religious context, many of the unfolding events meander around the darker edges of sexuality'

I could have written those words, although I'm sure my 'darker edges' are totally unlike Jim's. The problem I had with early drafts is that I used too much graphic language, but I learned that shock can be achieved better by avoiding 'ripe' language, and relying on suggestion and fantasy. Where I have been explicit, I have tried to introduce some humour.
Another method I've used is to tell the story from the POV of a character who has relatively gentle ways, and uses mild language.
I honestly don't know how publishers react to an excess of ripe language. I guess they're pretty tolerant, judged against what you can read on the internet.
Fascinating topic.
My novel is on it's 41st, or maybe 42nd, or 43rd edit, so that tells me this aspect of writing is by no means easy.