Category confusion, offence caused!

[K155]

My first submission has been live for a few days and I've been really pleased with the few thousand views and a nice rating just above 4.

This evening I've had a very negative comment, and a very low rating pushing me south of 4. I totally get that not everyone is gonna like every story, the problem I'm having (I don't know if I'm at fault) is that it was tagged as reluctant, rough sex and dominant man among others and the comment basically asserted that it was a sexual assault. I'm a little surprised but I really don't want to get off on the wrong foot here and want to keep myself right. I posted it in the EC category because I thought it reflected the overall story better, however reluctance was a biggish theme, so should I have posted in the NC/R Category?

Thanks! And apologies if I'm being a pest!

https://literotica.com/s/holiday-romance-12

 

[NotWise]

I normally think of EC as a catch-all category and expect the readers to be accepting of a pretty wide range of story elements.

On the other hand, there are some story elements that are very polarizing for some readers. Incest is probably the best example. Nonconsent is also a polarizing element, and if it played much of a role in your story, then maybe it should have gone to NC/R.

If NonConcent isn't a big element of your story, then you may have just come across The Easily Offended Reader. I think we've all met him.

 

[Britva415]

People don't always (often? ever?) see the tags before reading the story. You have to put that shit up front. Then if they still give you any sort of flame, it isn't because you failed to inform them.

"Lost young woman learns how to let go from a silver fox" really doesn't warn of what's to come, and you didn't have an introductory author's-note paragraph before the story started.

 

[Britva415]

Anyway, yeah, having read the story now, it's not an EC story, it's 100% a Reluc story, and yeah, there's a category for that.

Still, tags up front at the top of the story would go a long way toward weeding out people who don't like getting surprised.

 

[K155]

Anyway, yeah, having read the story now, it's not an EC story, it's 100% a Reluc story, and yeah, there's a category for that.

Still, tags up front at the top of the story would go a long way toward weeding out people who don't like getting surprised.

Thanks, as I say I'm new to publishing here (Long term reader) I think I need to be much more careful with categories, and I think regardless of the type of story I'll always have a little "Disclaimer" ahead of the story!

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm guessing replying to the comment wouldn't be a good idea?

 

[lovecraft68]

There are three trump categories here
Incest
Non Con
Gay Male.

Regardless of whether or not your story has other elements, if any of those three are the main focus of the story they need to go into those categories, Anywhere else, there's a good chance what happened to you...happens.

 

[Britva415]

I'm guessing replying to the comment wouldn't be a good idea?

I doubt they'll come back to see, but who knows.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks, as I say I'm new to publishing here (Long term reader) I think I need to be much more careful with categories, and I think regardless of the type of story I'll always have a little "Disclaimer" ahead of the story!

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm guessing replying to the comment wouldn't be a good idea?

An author's comment that it's your first story, and with hindsight, should have gone into Non-Con might be a good idea. I wouldn't address the negative comment directly, though, and don't say sorry.

You can also resubmit the story and ask for a category change. Resubmit the whole thing with EDIT in the title and a note to the editor. It'll take a couple of weeks, and damage is done meanwhile, but it might be better in the long run.

Yes, you do need to be careful with categories - but look at it this way: you're learning early, and your second story will get it right. There's some folk still getting it wrong after ten stories .

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Stop writing for high scores and positive comments. Instead write just because there's a story in you that begs to be told. Problem solved.

 

[Britva415]

Stop writing for high scores and positive comments. Instead write just because there's a story in you that begs to be told. Problem solved.

But do make an effort to categorize it well, anyway. Don't just ignore this. Your win points aren't the only reason to try to get it right.

 

[K155]

Thank you, I absolutely wrote the story for my own enjoyment, if some others like it then it's a bonus.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Those who make no mistakes generally are making no effort.

Welcome!

 

[KeithD]

People don't always (often? ever?) see the tags before reading the story.

This. I think of the tags as more as a search tool, not something that much of any reader is going to see--or go to beforehand, where they are located--when the story first pops up on the list. When I've tagged an element that some reader complains is in the story, I consider that their problem, not mine. That's reason to me to delete the comment.

 

[Bramblethorn]

People don't always (often? ever?) see the tags before reading the story. You have to put that shit up front. Then if they still give you any sort of flame, it isn't because you failed to inform them.

"Lost young woman learns how to let go from a silver fox" really doesn't warn of what's to come, and you didn't have an introductory author's-note paragraph before the story started.

Also, the title. "Holiday Romance" sets some expectations and they don't include non-con.

 

[Altissimus]

I know some folks object to author notes and so I try to keep them short (with varying degrees of success). However, I always include:

Tags/mini-spoilers: noncon, reluctance, blackmail, d/s, [anything else triggering], [anything else interesting].

...as an example. Not all my stories are blackmail

I find this not only serves to warn against trigger points but also to whet the appetite - or save the reader time; if they hit 'back' at that point then both of us benefit.

Someone made the comment a while ago that it's possible to view the tags at the top of the first page - since that comment was made I've tried and failed to see how that would be done and have concluded that if I can't see it, knowing it's there, then neither will the majority of readers. Hence the author's notes.

Also...

Stop writing for high scores and positive comments. Instead write just because there's a story in you that begs to be told. Problem solved.

QFT, because it can never be said enough.

A

 

[Bramblethorn]

Someone made the comment a while ago that it's possible to view the tags at the top of the first page - since that comment was made I've tried and failed to see how that would be done and have concluded that if I can't see it, knowing it's there, then neither will the majority of readers. Hence the author's notes.

Under "Story Info" to the right of the title, there's a button that looks like a pair of dog tags. Click that and you see the tags.


Both the location and the dependence on a small icon rather than, say, the word "tags", make it non-obvious. It's also a new option (not the existence of tags, but having them available near the start) so long-time readers may have gotten used to not having it.

My rule of thumb is that tags here are primarily a "find" tool, not an "avoid" tool; if I need to let readers know about something they might prefer to avoid, that needs to be within the story text.

 

[Altissimus]

Thanks @Bramblethorn, good to know. I will however keep putting them front-and-central because I think it helps both me and the reader to have that transparency.

 

[Britva415]

Someone made the comment a while ago that it's possible to view the tags at the top of the first page - since that comment was made I've tried and failed to see how that would be done and have concluded that if I can't see it, knowing it's there, then neither will the majority of readers. Hence the author's notes.

Right!?

I'm not sure it's possible at all with at least one of the various site-layout designs which exist. Even the one where (someone showed me) it is possible, I wouldn't have ever known it if someone hadn't shown me - with an illustration - what to click.

Hence the brief author's notes.

 

[SimonDoom]

Read this: https://literotica.com/s/love-your-readers-categories.

This article is the essential primer on where to place your story. It discusses the concept of "trump" categories. Noncon is a trump category, which means that if your story has noncon elements it should go in noncon even if it has elements of other categories.