Is there a niche for this, or is it sui generis?

[AG31]

Edit: I came up with a niche name -- almost certainly unique. See my latest comment to this thread.

In January 2021, I wrote my first erotica story, in fact my first fiction writing ever. Since then I've written six more. I was surprised that the writing was quite good (verified by feedback from others). All the stories were really records of fantasies of my own, hence, for me, very arousing. I looked for other stories like them. To my surprise, I haven't found a single one that matches mine in all respects. Some match mine in most respects, but the missing piece is that mine don't feature a "mistress" or "master" figure.

The tone is restrained, think Story of O, and that is important. But the physical detail of the BDSM scenes is extremely explicit.

Note: I'm not looking for reassurance or sympathy here. I'm used to being an outlier in lots of ways. But this does make me very curious. And I would like to find other stories, if they exist.

Here are the qualities I look for, qualities which would define my, perhaps non-existent, niche.

Stories about heterosexual men who submit, with dignity, to sexual pain and/or sexual humiliation.
The people who deliver the pain and humiliation can be male or female, but there is a degree of anonymity in the relationship.

The idea of "master" or "mistress" doesn't apply.

The one story that almost perfectly fits these criteria, besides my own, is Enslaving Eli, by Billierosie (not on Literotica). Spoiler: It would seem to feature a strong mistress component, but in the end we see that Eli needs to submit, regardless of who the other person is.

Are there other people who respond to these kinds of stories? Are there other stories out there that exhibit these criteria? If you're into BDSM, but don't respond to my descriptions, or read my stories and didn't like them, could you explain why? Is it the absence of a strong personal relationship? Again, I'm not looking for praise, just looking to satisfy my curiosity.

Is there a genre name for this kind of story about anonymous submission?

If you care to see examples, here are my Literotica stories:

Twelve Maxbridge Street
A young straight executive signs up for a night of pain and sexual humiliation at the hands of the men and women of The Association. He experiences what was promised and more.
https://www.literotica.com/s/twelve-maxbridge-street

Naked
A man in a position of authority discovers that he has a liking, no, a need, to surrender to pain and sexual humiliation when he is a prisoner of war.
https://www.literotica.com/s/naked-18

The Recurrence (sequel to Naked)
A straight man seeks sexual pain and humiliation.
https://www.literotica.com/s/the-recurrence

Submission
A young man surrenders to an evening of pain and sexual humiliation at the hands of strangers.
https://www.literotica.com/s/submission-132


An Enigma
He had expected to endure with stoicism whatever acts would be inflicted on him over the night. But the puzzle was that first his body and then his whole self embraced the degradation and pain. Surrender was everything.
https://www.literotica.com/s/an-enigma-3

Vignette #1
Conor craves humiliation and Rachel obliges.
https://www.literotica.com/s/vignette-01-2

Vignette #2
An officer volunteers to become a slave to save a village.
https://www.literotica.com/s/vignette-02-3

 

[KeithD]

Why isn't BDSM the ideal category for these?

 

[AG31]

Maybe I should have specified "sub-category." For sure, it's BDSM. But is it MM, MF, femdom, etc. Is there a sub category?
BTW - Strictly by chance, I saw Saving Johns, on Kindle, listed in one of the other forums and am reading it. I like it very much (on page 4). It's the tone that got me.

 

[AG31]

I should have added that "heterosexual" is not really important. I think it's a way of signalling the the "other's" sex is not important. It so happens that I like more gay BDSM than hetero BDSM, because the MC is male and, I think, because the personal relationship is less emphasized.

 

[AchtungNight]

Do your stories have readers? Do they get good reviews? Do they excite your interests? Then there is a niche for them. Maybe you just built it yourself.

When I first started writing fanfics I went through similar experiences. I wanted to write stories that were more realistic and respectful to their characters. I also wanted to avoid the kind of domination games and limited sexuality I saw in some other stories. There was a series that featured actresses in exclusively lesbian relationships to the degree that their real life husbands either did not exist or were often depicted as villains. I knew I didn’t want to further that sort of thing. So… I wrote my own stories.

 

[AG31]

Do your stories have readers? Do they get good reviews? Do they excite your interests? Then there is a niche for them. Maybe you just built it yourself.

My stories here have gotten about one review each. If that. All good. About the same on Smashwords. My oldest has over 1000 reads, but less than a half dozen reviews. I have a hard time finding the place where my readers stats show here, so I don't have that in my head.

 

[AchtungNight]

My stories here have gotten about one review each. If that. All good. About the same on Smashwords. My oldest has over 1000 reads, but less than a half dozen reviews. I have a hard time finding the place where my readers stats show here, so I don't have that in my head.

Every good review is a reader who enjoyed your story. Every view is potentially another who liked it and didn’t want to review the story for whatever reason- lack of time, personal feelings, etc. So you have a niche. Acknowledge it. The great builder of the universe already does.

 

[AG31]

Every good review is a reader who enjoyed your story. Every view is potentially another who liked it and didn’t want to review the story for whatever reason- lack of time, personal feelings, etc. So you have a niche. Acknowledge it. The great builder of the universe already does.

Do you have any ideas for what I could call this niche?

 

[AchtungNight]

Do you have any ideas for what I could call this niche?

Other than your author name? Unique? Yours? A niche? No.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Here's one of mine, sorta kinda what you're on about, maybe.

In Ann's Room and on her Floor

In terms of a niche name, I dunno, consensual submission?

I wouldn't worry too much about that, though. Write them, you'll find an audience - or they'll find you. Don't over think it.

 

[AG31]

Do your stories have readers? Do they get good reviews? Do they excite your interests? Then there is a niche for them. Maybe you just built it yourself.

Interestingly, it was the half-dozen plus reviewers that I had conversations with that got me realizing that my stuff might be unique. All but one were men who wrote femdom stories. I really liked the tone of their stories and the dignity of the MCs, but there was that strong focus on the mistress. My one female reviewer was into men who suffered with dignity, but they had to resist it. So my positive reviewers don't define my niche.

This thread is helpful. More and more I'm thinking maybe my stuff really is sui generis.

 

[AG31]

Here's one of mine, sorta kinda what you're on about, maybe.

In Ann's Room and on her Floor

In terms of a niche name, I dunno, consensual submission?

I wouldn't worry too much about that, though. Write them, you'll find an audience - or they'll find you. Don't over think it.

Thanks for the link. Very weel done. I do like your tone and vivid evocation of the MCs feelings. I posted a positive comment. But it doesn't fit in my category because of the desire the MC feels for the dominatrix.

Here's a link to my first, and, I think, best story, if you want to take some time to see what I mean about their being different. https://literotica.com/s/twelve-maxbridge-street

Hmmmm.... How did you get a nice clean English language link?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks for the link. Very weel done. I do like your tone and vivid evocation of the MCs feelings. I posted a positive comment. But it doesn't fit in my category because of the desire the MC feels for the dominatrix.

Here's a link to my first, and, I think, best story, if you want to take some time to see what I mean about their being different. https://literotica.com/s/twelve-maxbridge-street

Hmmmm.... How did you get a nice clean English language link?

I'll go read.

English text: click on the link paperclip icon in the post toolbar, copy the url link into the first box, and the plain text underneath it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks for the link. Very weel done. I do like your tone and vivid evocation of the MCs feelings. I posted a positive comment. But it doesn't fit in my category because of the desire the MC feels for the dominatrix.

Here's a link to my first, and, I think, best story, if you want to take some time to see what I mean about their being different. https://literotica.com/s/twelve-maxbridge-street

Most impressed. I left you a comment.

 

[AG31]

Is there a genre name for this kind of story about anonymous submission?

If you care to see examples, here are my Literotica stories:

Twelve Maxbridge Street
A young straight executive signs up for a night of pain and sexual humiliation at the hands of the men and women of The Association. He experiences what was promised and more.
https://www.literotica.com/s/twelve-maxbridge-street

Naked
A man in a position of authority discovers that he has a liking, no, a need, to surrender to pain and sexual humiliation when he is a prisoner of war.
https://www.literotica.com/s/naked-18

The Recurrence (sequel to Naked)
A straight man seeks sexual pain and humiliation.
https://www.literotica.com/s/the-recurrence

Submission
A young man surrenders to an evening of pain and sexual humiliation at the hands of strangers.
https://www.literotica.com/s/submission-132


An Enigma
He had expected to endure with stoicism whatever acts would be inflicted on him over the night. But the puzzle was that first his body and then his whole self embraced the degradation and pain. Surrender was everything.
https://www.literotica.com/s/an-enigma-3

Vignette #1
Conor craves humiliation and Rachel obliges.
https://www.literotica.com/s/vignette-01-2

Vignette #2
An officer volunteers to become a slave to save a village.
https://www.literotica.com/s/vignette-02-3

I came up with a niche name that satisfies me, even though it will never show up in a cloud of key words.

Pure Male Surrender

I've long thought "pure" should be an adjective that applies to erotica. By pure I mean a story that has nothing in it that doesn't contribute to arousal. There's no unnecessary back story. No scene setting except the current physical place. In the case of my stories it doesn't include distracting human relationships (don't read "includes non-human.") My charcters are so overwhelmed by their surrender they don't have time to reflect on their subjectivity. There's also no room for sexual desire for the other, whether hetero-other or homo-other. All action involves "being done to."

"Male," because that's just how it is for me. It may be odd for a 79 year old female. But there you are. Read the afterward to Twelve Maxbridge Street if your curious as to how this came about.

"Surrender." My stories are all about surrender. "Surrender" is better than "submission" for me, and I'm not quite sure why. I think it has something to do with "submissions" connotations of power dynamics. But that's cutting the distinction pretty fine. Ideas?

 

[AG31]

Why isn't BDSM the ideal category for these?

I just learned a while ago that if you don't copy part of a person's post in your reply their bell doesn't "ring." And it won't be clear to whom you're replying. So I'm reposting this.

You actually addressed this elsewhere, perhaps in the Literotica Authors and Their Books thread, but if people are still following this thread, they might be interested in your reply here.

P.S. Do you get notified about reviews in Amazon? I'm on my 3rd Hardesty novella and am reviewing as I go.
- - - -
Maybe I should have specified "sub-category." For sure, it's BDSM. But is it MM, MF, femdom, etc. Is there a sub category?
BTW - Strictly by chance, I saw Saving Johns, on Kindle, listed in one of the other forums and am reading it. I like it very much (on page 4). It's the tone that got me.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

So looking for BDSM where the top/dom(me) is an unknown or anonymous figure? There's a fair few around,especially if you include ones where our submissive MC is subjected to trials or becoming party entertainment, at the whim of someone they do have a relationship with. Not that I can think of any off-hand.

Try searching for anonymous, anonymity, mystery dom, etc?

 

[AG31]

So looking for BDSM where the top/dom(me) is an unknown or anonymous figure? There's a fair few around,especially if you include ones where our submissive MC is subjected to trials or becoming party entertainment, at the whim of someone they do have a relationship with. Not that I can think of any off-hand.

Try searching for anonymous, anonymity, mystery dom, etc?

Thanks! I just now saw this. I have only learned to Watch a thread to catch replies that didn't quote me. Anyway, I will try that. You've got the idea down pat. If you happen on such a story, and my username has stuck in your brain, would you let me know?
tia
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