Advice on changing categories after publishing

[MediocreAuthor]

I have been advised by several readers (fellow authors) that Eldritch Pact would have seen better reception in the Scif/Fantasy category, rather than Noncon.

I have a few questions.

1)
What's the best way to have it moved? By releasing an Edit? Or By contacting Laurel?

2)
Where does it go when it leaves a category? Does it get placed on the "New" List in the new category? Or get shuffled in without fanfare?

3)
Is there anyone who's read the story that disagrees, and thinks that the noncon elements mean that it should be left in NC/R.

What's the best course, folks?

 

[gunhilltrain]

I have been advised by several readers (fellow authors) that Eldritch Pact would have seen better reception in the Scif/Fantasy category, rather than Noncon.

I have a few questions.

1)
What's the best way to have it moved? By releasing an Edit? Or By contacting Laurel?

2)
Where does it go when it leaves a category? Does it get placed on the "New" List? Or get shuffled in without fanfare?

3)
Is there anyone who's read the story that disagrees, and thinks that the noncon elements mean that it should be left in NC/R.

What's the best course, folks?

I just did this in February. I didn't change my mind; I truly made a mistake in the category selection.

I went through the EDIT process, and Lit did it in six days, which is pretty fast for them. It moved over to the proper category list, taking all the stats with it. I think it remained in the same relative position based on the original publication date.

The readers were confused and the score was pretty bad from the start. (Only two people voted.) I announced the change in a comment below the story and in the Story Feedback forum. That didn't make much difference. In six days the readers had moved on and they didn't come back.

So it may not make any difference on your story. Despite what readers said, the "reception" probably will be over by the time it's completed. Do it only if it makes you feel better; the actual results will likely be non-existent.

 

[alohadave]

You submit the story with the same body text and title, with EDIT in the title. Add a note in the Admin field indicating that you are requesting to change categories.

When I did mine, I included a link to the existing story just in case.

When you change category, it'll have a new post date when it publishes, and it'll be on the new list for the category like a brand new story.

You'll want to comment after it's posted that you changed categories, because people will ask how a brand new story already has a bunch of views, comments, and score.

 

[oneagainst]

As above. Or make a pact with a demigoddess by squeezing a black marble, either works. Laurel might be easier to work with

 

[ElectricBlue]

When you change category, it'll have a new post date when it publishes, and it'll be on the new list for the category like a brand new story.

Are you sure? If so, that's something new. Changing category never used to give a story a fresh start - unless perhaps the timing was such that it would still be on the original category's front page.

 

[alohadave]

Are you sure? If so, that's something new. Changing category never used to give a story a fresh start - unless perhaps the timing was such that it would still be on the original category's front page.

That's what happened when I did it. My story had been up for a month or two when I wrote a second chapter and decided the original category didn't really fit.

 

[PennameWombat]

I have been advised by several readers (fellow authors) that Eldritch Pact would have seen better reception in the Scif/Fantasy category, rather than Noncon.

I have a few questions.

1)
What's the best way to have it moved? By releasing an Edit? Or By contacting Laurel?

2)
Where does it go when it leaves a category? Does it get placed on the "New" List in the new category? Or get shuffled in without fanfare?

3)
Is there anyone who's read the story that disagrees, and thinks that the noncon elements mean that it should be left in NC/R.

What's the best course, folks?

1) Info here: Changing category on a published story. Yes, the edit process with a couple of tweaks.

You submit the story with the same body text and title, with EDIT in the title. Add a note in the Admin field indicating that you are requesting to change categories.

When I did mine, I included a link to the existing story just in case.

When you change category, it'll have a new post date when it publishes, and it'll be on the new list for the category like a brand new story.

You'll want to comment after it's posted that you changed categories, because people will ask how a brand new story already has a bunch of views, comments, and score.

2) I cannot say what happened here, but I've switched categories on, I think, three published stories. At that time none of them went on any 'New' lists nor were marked as 'New' in the new category. One day old category, next day new. They kept all of their current stats (votes, views, etc.) when they were switched, so that matches. But not the 'New' flags.

3) Can't say. Using 'non-con' or 'non-consensual' as tag searches in SF&F brings up a couple pages of hits. but none are stories I've read. I'd suggest you do the same and look over a few of them and see how they compare to your story. If the non-con elements in those and your story are close (many of the stories that pop up in the search have ratings of 4.5+) it might be fine.

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's what happened when I did it. My story had been up for a month or two when I wrote a second chapter and decided the original category didn't really fit.

Interesting. Like PennameWombat says, "Not seen that before."

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I appreciate the advice. I'm considering just being content and leaving it as is... I've always felt that noncon content all belongs in NC/R.
Plus I'm so happy with how the diacritics turned out. I'd hate it if I changed it, and they fucked up in the republishing

Thank you all for you advise though

 

[ElectricBlue]

Plus I'm so happy with how the diacritics turned out. I'd hate it if I changed it, and they fucked up in the republishing

I might be able to read them .

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I might be able to read them .

That might be a plus!! Or it could get worse! It's a wild, unpredictable ride when I ignore the wise advice of my betters and try to do crazy daring nonsense!

"I'm a peacock, Captain! You gotta let me fly!!"

 

[TheRedChamber]

If you're going to move it, I'd suggest NonHuman. I think it's accepted there that the protagonists (Vampires, Tentacles Monsters, Succubi) play a little rougher. My impression is that it gets a bit more traffic then general Fantasy as well. I agree it doesn't really fit in NonCon.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

If you're going to move it, I'd suggest NonHuman. I think it's accepted there that the protagonists (Vampires, Tentacles Monsters, Succubi) play a little rougher. My impression is that it gets a bit more traffic then general Fantasy as well. I agree it doesn't really fit in NonCon.

I had considered this, and I put non-human in the tags.
But non-human as a caregiver seems so vague to me... I always figured it was mostly for furries... Lol with lycanthrops and such.

Maybe you're right. I have much to ponder...

 

[TheRedChamber]

I had considered this, and I put non-human in the tags.
But non-human as a caregiver seems so vague to me... I always figured it was mostly for furries... Lol with lycanthrops and such.

Maybe you're right. I have much to ponder...

There some furry content for sure, but my impression is that its fairly evenly split between furries and monsters/demons. The story titles and tag lines usually make it pretty clear which is which. I had fairly good recent experience posting an alien story there, whereas I get the impression that short stories get lost in Sci-Fi/Fantasy between the unending Lord of the Rings/Star Wars never-ending epics.