Is throwing MM bisexual stuff into a series too risky?

[Blake_Palafox]

I have a dilemma. I want to write a series with a great variety of sex, and I'm pansexual. It'll probably mostly be MF, FF, or mixed group sex, but I want to do MM sex, too. (Or, hell, MMM.)

If I throw that into a series that until that point has mostly been mainstream hetero-friendly, will that make a series tank? I know a lot of male readers would tune out instantly, but would it just be a lot or would it be catastrophic?

I know some authors have got to have experience with this very thing.

Honestly, I feel bad even considering censoring my own sexual preferences like this, and it may even approach a moral issue, but I also don't want to build up a readership and then throw that in the garbage.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I suspect the answer is going to be some variation of "it depends." A certain segment of your readership will "Nope" out of your story at that point.
That said, I doubt if people are going to start massively unfollowing you over it. I wrote a Trans story and didn't lose any followers as far as I can tell.
Just make sure to tag it properly, then let the chips fall where they may.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Write the story you want to write. Tag the chapter as Bisexual, GM, and move on. It's very common for series to roam among different categories.

As with anything else, MM will immediately turn some people off, but I've have people that never thought they'd read T/CD read one of my stories and tell me they were going to read all of them, so there you go.

 

[Statius]

What @Kelliezgirl & @ShelbyDawn57 said. 25 other people will find this and comment over the next few days. What they said is all you need. Don't bother with anyone else. .

 

[TheRedChamber]

As others say, do you. The only advice is if you are going to do MM, it may be better to get it out there early on, e.g. in the first chapter.

 

[Writer61]

Can you write the chapter in a way that allows it to be skipped, and include a warning at the start?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Maybe warn people of future homosexual activity, SM, anything else, at the start of chapter 2? That way you've already captured the people who liked chapter 1, so they may decide to stick with it after Ch.2?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I have a dilemma. I want to write a series with a great variety of sex, and I'm pansexual. It'll probably mostly be MF, FF, or mixed group sex, but I want to do MM sex, too. (Or, hell, MMM.)

If I throw that into a series that until that point has mostly been mainstream hetero-friendly, will that make a series tank? I know a lot of male readers would tune out instantly, but would it just be a lot or would it be catastrophic?

I've found that the chapters in my stories that have MM action always have a kick up in reads and the score, compared to the chapters that become before and after.

I put that down to the Real Men of Lit saying, "I'm not gay, but I'll read it twice to make sure."

I know some authors have got to have experience with this very thing.

See above.

Honestly, I feel bad even considering censoring my own sexual preferences like this, and it may even approach a moral issue, but I also don't want to build up a readership and then throw that in the garbage.

Do you really want homophobes as an audience?

 

[cw5523729]

Do you really want homophobes as an audience?

That's a bit harsh to label any readers turned off by an unexpected MM encounter as automatic "homophobes."

Post edited before I end up with hate mail: there are valid reasons why we have tags for every possible preference or turn off.

If i start reading a series and the dynamic changes mid way without warning, am I expected to keep reading anyway, lest I be labeled a homophobe? He didn't say he was worried about a bunch of hate mail, just worried about losing readers.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

That's a bit harsh to label any readers turned off by an unexpected MM encounter as automatic "homophobes."

Edit before i end up with hate mail: there are valid reasons why we have tags for every possible preference or turn off.

If i start reading a series and the dynamic changes mid way without warning, am I expected to keep reading anyway, lest I be labeled a homophobe? He didn't say he was worried about a bunch of hate mail, just worried about losing readers.

Well said, if we were talking about any other category shift this wouldn't be a problem.
"I want to include some NC now... do you think readers will react negatively?" wouldn't result in any criticism of the readers.

 

[cw5523729]

I have a dilemma. I want to write a series with a great variety of sex, and I'm pansexual. It'll probably mostly be MF, FF, or mixed group sex, but I want to do MM sex, too. (Or, hell, MMM.)

If I throw that into a series that until that point has mostly been mainstream hetero-friendly, will that make a series tank? I know a lot of male readers would tune out instantly, but would it just be a lot or would it be catastrophic?

I know some authors have got to have experience with this very thing.

Honestly, I feel bad even considering censoring my own sexual preferences like this, and it may even approach a moral issue, but I also don't want to build up a readership and then throw that in the garbage.

One question since I'm having trouble following. Is this a series that already exists that is partially published or a series you are planning?

Your wording seems to imply that it's only hypothetical right now ("I want to write a series") but then you say "a series that until that point"

Did you mean to say that you want to write a new part to an existing series?

 

[cw5523729]

"I want to include some NC now... do you think readers will react negatively?" wouldn't result in any criticism of the readers.

Oh, uh, someone that hypothetically did that in chapter 2 of a story would probably get a lot of nasty feedback too... so they shouldn't do that...

 

[CalBishForNow]

The only thing I'd add to the first two comments here is to use an Author's Note or Foreword or something in addition to tags. Some people don't pay much attention to tags, and they'd seem even less important for a series already in progress. Lots of writers have them, ranging from a brief disclaimer, i.e. "all rights reserved, all characters are 18+", to multiple paragraphs about their goals and inspirations for the story. If you're willing to use them at all, adding a note saying, "There's some MM content in this part, just to warn you" might be a good idea.

 

[Writer61]

It's a pity that we can't post two versions of the same story to see the effect.

 

[cw5523729]

It's a pity that we can't post two versions of the same story to see the effect.

It wouldn't be totally scientific because it'd be different groups of people but you could do that if you publish the other version on a different site. And if you did the potentially more radioactive version on a site with a much lower readership, then at least you wouldn't be burning a major bridge in the process.

I didn't do it for that reason, but I published a revised version of a story on here so it'd be compliant with the Lit TOS.

 

[AG31]

If I throw that into a series that until that point has mostly been mainstream hetero-friendly, will that make a series tank? I know a lot of male readers would tune out instantly, but would it just be a lot or would it be catastrophic?

Glad you asked this question. I'll be interested in the answers. Not too long ago I posted a thread about why my stories have low popularity (reads, not votes). I listed a number of possible reasons, but MM activity, that wasn't clearly gay, wasn't one of them. As the thread progressed I began to think that might be critical.

 

[AG31]

Just make sure to tag it properly, then let the chips fall where they may.

What's a tag for MM activity that isn't clearly gay? More just BDSM.

 

[AG31]

I put that down to the Real Men of Lit saying, "I'm not gay, but I'll read it twice to make sure."

Had to pull this out to laugh. You had too much stuff in your post for a mere Laugh to work.

 

[AG31]

That's a bit harsh to label any readers turned off by an unexpected MM encounter as automatic "homophobes."

I agree, harsh. But interesting to me.

 

[cw5523729]

Had to pull this out to laugh. You had too much stuff in your post for a mere Laugh to work.

I agree with this post. I didn't react lest @ElectricBlue got the wrong idea about why I was laughing but that line was funny AF

 

[cw5523729]

Glad you asked this question. I'll be interested in the answers. Not too long ago I posted a thread about why my stories have low popularity (reads, not votes). I listed a number of possible reasons, but MM activity that wasn't clearly gay, wasn't one of them. As the thread progressed I began to think that might be critical.

At the risk of sounding like a homophobe, what kind of MM activity falls into the category of "not clearly gay"?

 

[Writer61]

It wouldn't be totally scientific

I know. There are all sorts of things wrong with the idea, but still ...

 

[AG31]

At the risk of sounding like a homophobe, what kind of MM activity falls into the category of "not clearly gay"?

BDSM, when the action is clearly hostile. I don't think "hostile" is exactly right, but I can't think of a more nuanced word.

 

[cw5523729]

I know. There are all sorts of things wrong with the idea, but still ...

Is there a Journal Of Scientific Literotica that might publish the study?

 

[cw5523729]

BDSM, when the action is clearly hostile. I don't think "hostile" is exactly right, but I can't think of a more nuanced word.

I'm not sure what word I'd use either and yet I think I get where you're coming from. I can think of MM situations that would fall into the BDSM category and yet I wouldn't I'd tag it as "clearly gay"