How do you choose a category?

[McDawson]

Hi there,

I'm getting ready to submit my first story, but am having trouble choosing a category. I know I'm not the only one whose story encompasses more than one category. The book I'm working on could comfortably fit in BDSM, First Time, Group Sex, Taboo, Mature, and probably more.

So my question is: how do YOU choose?

Do you take category popularity into consideration when deciding?

Thanks for any tips!

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by McDawson

Hi there,

I'm getting ready to submit my first story, but am having trouble choosing a category. I know I'm not the only one whose story encompasses more than one category. The book I'm working on could comfortably fit in BDSM, First Time, Group Sex, Taboo, Mature, and probably more.

So my question is: how do YOU choose?

Do you take category popularity into consideration when deciding?

Thanks for any tips!

IMHO: in general, go by whichever category seems least likely to startle your readers, which usually means the category that's most important to the story. (Exceptions: only post in Loving Wives if you have a thick skin, and people really don't like being surprised by NC.) You can use story tags to flag secondary themes. If the mods feel your story would do better in another category, they may override your choice anyway.

With a multi-part story, you have the option of picking a single category for the whole story, or separately by episode. I'm currently working on a long story about a relationship between two women; it has BDSM elements, and I expect some of the upcoming chapters won't have any sex, but I'm posting it all to Lesbian Sex because that's the overriding theme. If it was more of a collection of individual episodes, I might categorise it differently.

[McDawson]

Thanks a lot Bramblethorn.

Yes, I was wondering (and forgot to mention) about posting multi-part stories to different categories, and the advantages/disadvantages of doing so.

Hmmm... my story does have a scene or two of non-consent, but it's definitely not the overarching theme. Perhaps a warning at the beginning of those chapters would be called for?

[Darkniciad]

Just a list of categories it might hit isn't enough to determine category.

First things first. Is there a dominant sexual theme?

Is the BDSM present throughout, or is it just a single encounter in the story? Same question for first time, group sex, and mature.

Does "Taboo" mean incest? Or is it just taboo ( babysitter, teacher, boss, etc )?

Of the things mentioned, Mature and Taboo ( if you're talking incest ) are the most likely "catch" categories that could cover the others and find a strong readership.

There are just too many questions to do more than wildly speculate, based upon your OP.

Popularity is a factor in that you want the maximum number of people to read your story and enjoy it. Otherwise, what's the point of posting it?

The best way to learn to categorize is to read and take note of the reaction to the story you read. How did it score? How many favorites does it have? Views? Comments? Are those comments positive? Do those comments delve into specific elements, indicating that something really touched home?

Is my story more like that one that was so well received in (whatever category), or the one in (another category)?

Keep in mind that the squickiest element ( incest, gay male, cheating, watersports, menstrual play, etc. ) is often a determining factor -- but squicks don't necessarily mix. If there's more than one heavily squicky factor, you may just have to understand that no matter where you put it, a fair percentage of readers are not going to like it.

[Weird Harold]

Originally Posted by McDawson

Hi there,

I'm getting ready to submit my first story, but am having trouble choosing a category. I know I'm not the only one whose story encompasses more than one category. The book I'm working on could comfortably fit in BDSM, First Time, Group Sex, Taboo, Mature, and probably more.

So my question is: how do YOU choose?

Do you take category popularity into consideration when deciding?

Thanks for any tips!

One thing to consider is "The Rule Of Least Squick."

Check out the thread(s) on "Trump Categories" for some guidance on which sexual practices tend to "squick" or offend readers. At a minimum, a warning note that a story contains Gay Male, Anal, violence, non-consent(rape), BDSM, Incest/Taboo, or other high-squick sexuality, is a good idea.

Choose your category based on what you feel is the overall "message" of the story, but be aware that some minor themes might offend readers if they aren't warned either by the category or a warning note

[sr71plt]

Oh, God, I hate the idea of a defensive warning label on what might upset a reader or two. I don't want readers who are such mental children that they have to be babysat. If my stories send away the pantywaist reader who can't take responsibility for him/herself on what they continue reading on a porn site, that's just fine with me. Good riddance.

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Oh, God, I hate the idea of a defensive warning label on what might upset a reader or two. I don't want readers who are such mental children that they have to be babysat. If my stories send away the pantywaist reader who can't take responsibility for him/herself on what they continue reading on a porn site, that's just fine with me. Good riddance.

I start most of my chapters with something along the lines of "this is a slow talky story and there's not a lot of sex". It's not an issue of responsibility IMHO, just courtesy - I know that a lot of readers aren't into that kind of story, and I don't see any point in wasting their time with something they don't want to read. If I let them know early on, then they can go look elsewhere and we're all happy.

[sr71plt]

Again, defensive babysitting. I'm posting stories here because I like writing stories to an audience that appreciates them (well, that and because I'm using the website as an archive) not to have the bestest ratings on the block. I want adult readers. The others can sort themselves out. I'm not babysitting for them.

[3113]

First question: is there gay male sex? If so, then it goes in gay male. Why? Because most readers on this site are men looking for heterosexual sex scenes. So even if there is a group sex scene, they want tonly be M/F or F/F. If there's M/M in it, they'll stop reading and maybe even mark the story down. They will be upset that you put it in, say, Mature--where they expect an May-December M/F situation, and find that the story is about an older man with a younger man. They'll feel you've tricked them.

Those who read gay male have a wider range of taste and so long as there is M/M in it, will have little problem with the BDSM, group, first time, etc.

Next is Taboo--do you mean incest? If there is M/F incest, then ignore all other categories and put it in Incest. It's a very popular category and most readers will take all the rest so long as a brother and sister, or mom and son get it on.

Those two categories should always be considered first. If there is no M/M sex and no incest, then you have to decide if the story is about a Dominant introducing a virgin to sadomasochistic sex (BDSM) or just an older person introducing a young virgin into a banquet of different types of sex (Mature), or if it's all about a virgin's journey through types of sex (First Time). Which do you think it is?

[soflabbwlvr]

Originally Posted by McDawson

Hi there,

I'm getting ready to submit my first story, but am having trouble choosing a category. I know I'm not the only one whose story encompasses more than one category. The book I'm working on could comfortably fit in BDSM, First Time, Group Sex, Taboo, Mature, and probably more.

So my question is: how do YOU choose?

Do you take category popularity into consideration when deciding?

Thanks for any tips!

Most of the information provided here is spot on. Try to figure out the predominant theme and put it there. Sometimes, however, even that simple rule doesn't provide a satisfactory solution, especially when squick factor judgments come into play. In those cases I will solicit the opinions of my beta readers and editor. In most cases they are familiar with the competing categories and can give me an idea of how a reader might respond. Do they get it right? Not always, but on average it helps to have additional input from someone who has actually read the story in question.

Good luck!

[TimothyM]

Another thing you may find helpful is to look at the list of Category tags. They show you which descriptions are the most used / popular other than the main category.
E.g. you'll see that gay is not used as a tag in Romance, Mature or Interracial, telling you that any M/M story with those aspects should go into GM, whereas NH and SF has a small amount of gay sex stories. On the other hand Mature has quite prominent first time, group sex and bondage tags, so this mixture is not so uncommon.
Good luck with the category choice - and I found the advice here helpful as well.

[TxRad]

I've got a dartboard with all the cat names on it. One dart and a blindfold and I'm in business.


Butt really,

If it is a novel then post it in novels and novellas. Most anything goes there.

[McDawson]

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies. Now I have a much better sense of how to categorize my story -- and have also been introduced to the concept of Squick.

My story is about a city boy who escapes to the country. He discovers the small, insular community of Three Pines -- full of elders and secrets. I've thrown in a supple 18-year-old blonde (couldn't help myself!), but overall the story is about the young man's relationship with the town's elders. Its main theme is power & control, but not with bondage. There might be a single incest/non-consent scene, and a first time scene, but these are just for variety. I think the category it would fit most snuggly in is Mature.

... Mature has quite prominent first time, group sex and bondage tags, so this mixture is not so uncommon.

Thank you all!

[3113]

Originally Posted by McDawson

overall the story is about the young man's relationship with the town's elders.

They better all be female elders or readers will wonder why this is not in gay male. "Mature" means "Mrs. Robinson story" where older woman (women) introduce young man into the ways of sex, not Older men instruct young man through initiation into their club.

[TimothyM]

I agree with 3113 - if you want to branch out to gay mature sex, you should do so in a separate chapter and stick that in GM. Just to ensure that the 'right' readers find your story.