I hate asking but - category help

[Rob_Royale]

Okay this one has me stumped as it would fit into three categories and none of them are what you'd call a trump category.

A world like ours, but unlike ours, magic has returned to the the world. Because of it, faerie creatures now visit.
MMC is an 65+ year old widower, who spends a weekend with a sex little elf.

It's not your everyday fantasy world, so I'm hesitant to put it in fantasy/scifi and I'm leaning towards Mature, but Non-human would also fit, but I've never had a story in that category. I also can't predict what Laurel will think.

Thoughts?

 

[ThatNewGuy]

I think Non-Human would be a great fit. I checked the tag "elf" in that category, and there are 1,800 results, so you'd be in good company.

 

[WCSGarland]

Okay this one has me stumped as it would fit into three categories and none of them are what you'd call a trump category.

A world like ours, but unlike ours, magic has returned to the the world. Because of it, faerie creatures now visit.
MMC is an 65+ year old widower, who spends a weekend with a sex little elf.

It's not your everyday fantasy world, so I'm hesitant to put it in fantasy/scifi and I'm leaning towards Mature, but Non-human would also fit, but I've never had a story in that category. I also can't predict what Laurel will think.

Thoughts?

Well, how old is this sexy little elf? 300, 400, 1200?

 

[RejectReality]

My whole Magic of the Wood series is set in a version of the real world where most people don't know magic, fae, nymphs, etc. exists. The family the story revolves around are of dryad blood. Whenever one of the full dryads is involved in the naughty bits, I put it in Non-Human. If it's one of the offspring who look like normal humans, I go Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Both categories are fine with what's otherwise a run-of-the-mill real world setting, so long as you're boinking a fantastic creature, or using some fantastical abilities.

For that matter, I consider my Ancient Peoples and Fey Folk series' to also be set in that same world. So there are Nagas, Harpies, Minotaurs, etc. all in hiding in the world that your average joe has no idea is out there.

World-building can mean building a hidden world within our own.

 

[TheLobster]

Faeophobia is a shared universe here on Lit which has far and other fantastical creatures live in the present day and world. The stories set there would most commonly be out into Non-human or Sci-Fi/Fantasy, with a slight preference for the former.

Since yours is similar, I believe either category should work.

 

[HordHolm]

Non-human seems like the first port of call for this.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Well, how old is this sexy little elf? 300, 400, 1200?

I've decided that for the purposes of this story, it's unimportant. To a human she looks around 25.
I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Okay this one has me stumped as it would fit into three categories and none of them are what you'd call a trump category.

A world like ours, but unlike ours, magic has returned to the the world. Because of it, faerie creatures now visit.
MMC is an 65+ year old widower, who spends a weekend with a sex little elf.

It's not your everyday fantasy world, so I'm hesitant to put it in fantasy/scifi and I'm leaning towards Mature, but Non-human would also fit, but I've never had a story in that category. I also can't predict what Laurel will think.

Thoughts?

If you're doing a lot of world-building, SF/F would be a good fit. If there's not much exploration of the fantasy elements beyond the fact that elves exist and what they look like, Non-Human.

 

[PennyThompson]

For what it's worth, if this matters to you, Non-Human is a very sleepy category with not a lot of readers.

I've published stories in both S&F and NH, and NH seems to get about half as much engagement as S&F.

That being said, NH readers do seem to be grateful for good content, and I've gotten some nice comments from category fans... Just not a lot of them

 

[AwkwardlySet]

SF&F is a welcoming category, so your story could go there without a problem. But as it has already been mentioned, in that category, readers usually expect the focus to be on the SF&F elements, the world-building, magic, space-faring, and so on.
If the focus of your story is on the romantic/sexual, then Non-Human might be a better fit. But whichever option you choose, it's unlikely that it will have a huge impact on the reception of your story. Both categories are generally accepting of various fantasies and kinks.

 

[yowser]

For what it's worth, if this matters to you, Non-Human is a very sleepy category with not a lot of readers.

I've published stories in both S&F and NH, and NH seems to get about half as much engagement as S&F.

That being said, NH readers do seem to be grateful for good content, and I've gotten some nice comments from category fans... Just not a lot of them

I think this is highly variable, and depends on the story's qualities. My experience is opposite (2 NH, 3 SF) with my best NH story in my top ten in views (49k) at about 3 times my best SF. Always a bit of a guessing game here.

 

[PennyThompson]

I think this is highly variable, and depends on the story's qualities. My experience is opposite (2 NH, 3 SF) with my best NH story in my top ten in views (49k) at about 3 times my best SF. Always a bit of a guessing game here.

Fascinating! Alright, YMMV, then

 

[Djmac1031]

Ive never published in Non Human, but have posted several in Sci Fi / Fantasy.

Not a huge audience but they're very nice.

For whatever my input is worth. Non Human would work too i suppose.

 

[RejectReality]

In my experience, most of the time, Non-Human draws a larger readership. If it's a toss-up, I default to Non-Human for that reason.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

For what it's worth, if this matters to you, Non-Human is a very sleepy category with not a lot of readers.

I've published stories in both S&F and NH, and NH seems to get about half as much engagement as S&F.

That being said, NH readers do seem to be grateful for good content, and I've gotten some nice comments from category fans... Just not a lot of them

I'll speculate that Non-Human gets lower traffic because it's so vague. A story there could include the "sexy little elf", or a giant amoeba, or a robot, or an alien, or a sex doll given life by the goddess Aphrodite like Galatea, or or or ...

So, someone with specific interests would have to wade through hundreds of stories to find the two that interest them.

--Annie

 

[RejectReality]

Yeah, nailing down the type of non-human creature in the title and/or description makes a huge difference in Non-Human.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Yeah, nailing down the type of non-human creature in the title and/or description makes a huge difference in Non-Human.

The title is Wilbur and the Elf, so I think that might do it.

 

[TheLobster]

Yeah, nailing down the type of non-human creature in the title and/or description makes a huge difference in Non-Human.

Also tags. Slightly less important now, but when those long awaited UI changes roll out and they’re visible on story lists, I’ll make a huge difference for NH, Fetish, and other umbrella categories.