Category question - like that’s never been asked before

[EmilyMiller]

Some of you may have read my story, Off the Shoulder. Without saying too much, some of the protagonists turn out to not be entirely human.

I originally published it in Anal as there is a bit of a surprise element to it (and it has lots of anal, then it’s one of my stories). Then, I started a sequel and - as part of my process - re-edited the original (not least to link to the forthcoming story). As part of this, I changed the category to Sci-Fi / Fantasy.

However, having gone back and read the various category guides, I’m thinking both stories might be better in Non-human.

Any thoughts / experiences?

Em

 

[MelissaBaby]

Some of you may have read my story, Off the Shoulder. Without saying too much, some of the protagonists turn out to not be entirely human.

I originally published it in Anal as there is a bit of a surprise element to it (and it has lots of anal, then it’s one of my stories). Then, I started a sequel and - as part of my process - re-edited the original (not least to link to the forthcoming story). As part of this, I changed the category to Sci-Fi / Fantasy.

However, having gone back and read the various category guides, I’m thinking both stories might be better in Non-human.

Any thoughts / experiences?

Em

Would putting it in Non-Human constitute a spoiler? If not, then that sounds like it might be appropriate.

 

[ElectricBlue]

There are subtleties between Sci/Fi and Fantasy and Non-Human, but I'm not sure what they all are.

As I sorta kinda see it, I reckon SF&F is off-world and/or deep world-building, whereas Non-Human is recognisably this world, but the critters aren't - and possibly there's a branch-line off to Erotic Horror. Sort of a three- way landing zone but with no clear demarcation. I also think there's a spectrum of rainbows (SF&F), gritty greys (NH), and black (EH). If that helps.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Would putting it in Non-Human constitute a spoiler? If not, then that sounds like it might be appropriate.

Not for the sequel - possibly for the original piece. Then the original has “An XXX and YYY story” at the top now, so it’s probably moot.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

There are subtleties between Sci/Fi and Fantasy and Non-Human, but I'm not sure what they all are.

As I sorta kinda see it, I reckon SF&F is off-world and/or deep world-building, whereas Non-Human is recognisably this world, but the critters aren't - and possibly there's a branch-line off to Erotic Horror. Sort of a three- way landing zone but with no clear demarcation. I also think there's a spectrum of rainbows (SF&F), gritty greys (NH), and black (EH). If that helps.

Although I use some characters that might be in some Horror stories, they are far from horrific as I write them. It’s not Sci-Fi at all. I read that fantasy is elves and orcs etc. My stories aren’t Tolkien-like.

More Good Omens crossed with Blue is the Warmest Color.

Em

 

[Djmac1031]

I think people tend to forget the FANTASY part of Sci Fi / Fantasy.

And not all Fantasy is swords and sorcery and wizards.

I considered putting The Devil And Angel Em in SF/F and in retrospect, probably should have.

I think it would have found a bigger audience than BDSM.

 

[EmilyMiller]

More Good Omens crossed with Blue is the Warmest Color.

…crossed with pegging for beginners.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

I think people tend to forget the FANTASY part of Sci Fi / Fantasy.

And not all Fantasy is swords and sorcery and wizards.

I considered putting The Devil And Angel Em in SF/F and in retrospect, probably should have.

I think it would have found a bigger audience than BDSM.

We need our own Angels & Demons (and Nuns) category, and @onehitwanda can join us .

Em

 

[Djmac1031]

We need our own Angels & Demons (and Nuns) category, and @onehitwanda can join us .

Em

We could always just create our own shared universe.

 

[EmilyMiller]

We could always just create our own shared universe.

We need to have Emma & Lily meet Cozbi

 

[Winter_Fare]

Some of you may have read my story, Off the Shoulder. Without saying too much, some of the protagonists turn out to not be entirely human.

I originally published it in Anal as there is a bit of a surprise element to it (and it has lots of anal, then it’s one of my stories). Then, I started a sequel and - as part of my process - re-edited the original (not least to link to the forthcoming story). As part of this, I changed the category to Sci-Fi / Fantasy.

However, having gone back and read the various category guides, I’m thinking both stories might be better in Non-human.

Any thoughts / experiences?

Em

I checked it out, and for what it's worth I agree that non human is a better fit. That said there are similar stories in both, and you might pick up extra interest if you cross categories, being as though the chapters aren't excessively long.

 

[Djmac1031]

We need to have Emma & Lily meet Cozbi

I think we could make that happen.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I guess I could swap my supporting FC in Heaven and Hole, but I quite like her. A new story maybe.

Demons Assemble!

Em

 

[RejectReality]

To me, a character just being non-human isn't sufficient to qualify for the category.

The example I always use is my Magic of the Wood series. The first in the series has a character who is a full dryad. She has magical abilities, hair the color of new leaves, and skin that has a golden hue. She is visibly non-human. That story went into Non-Human.

The second story centers on the daughter of the pairing from the first. While the dryad is a character in the story, she's not the main character, and not the one involved in the detailed sex scenes. The daughter is technically non-human, because she's half dryad. However, she exhibits no magical abilities during the story. She doesn't really age beyond a certain point, but that's not evident in this story, because she's 19 and not there yet. Visually, the only characteristic one could discern would be the fact that the females of the family have no body hair whatsoever. Even on the closest, intimate inspection, you would have no reason to believe she was anything but human.

To me, that doesn't qualify, so that story went into Sci-Fi&Fantasy. The fantastic elements are part of the backdrop of the story, rather than of the character it centers on.

There should be something significantly fantastic about at least one of the main characters before it qualifies as non-human IMO. Sci-Fi&Fantasy is the broadest of the three ( and a half, counting mind control ) fantasy categories. It should be the default and the other options should only be used when the elements of that category are a dominant part of the characters and story.

Readers probably aren't quite as critical as I am, so it's unlikely you'll get dinged too much for "making a mistake" in categorizing between the fantasy categories. ( One exception being werewolves and vampires in Erotic Horror when there are no genuine horror elements to the story. There was a significant effort by readers to push those stories to non-human where they belong when the category was inundated with them during the Twilight era ) I think it may hurt your reach, because the other categories have their own subset of readers, and if you don't meet their expectations, your story will probably risk additional back-clicks.

 

[EmilyMiller]

To me, a character just being non-human isn't sufficient to qualify for the category.

The example I always use is my Magic of the Wood series. The first in the series has a character who is a full dryad. She has magical abilities, hair the color of new leaves, and skin that has a golden hue. She is visibly non-human. That story went into Non-Human.

The second story centers on the daughter of the pairing from the first. While the dryad is a character in the story, she's not the main character, and not the one involved in the detailed sex scenes. The daughter is technically non-human, because she's half dryad. However, she exhibits no magical abilities during the story. She doesn't really age beyond a certain point, but that's not evident in this story, because she's 19 and not there yet. Visually, the only characteristic one could discern would be the fact that the females of the family have no body hair whatsoever. Even on the closest, intimate inspection, you would have no reason to believe she was anything but human.

To me, that doesn't qualify, so that story went into Sci-Fi&Fantasy. The fantastic elements are part of the backdrop of the story, rather than of the character it centers on.

There should be something significantly fantastic about at least one of the main characters before it qualifies as non-human IMO. Sci-Fi&Fantasy is the broadest of the three ( and a half, counting mind control ) fantasy categories. It should be the default and the other options should only be used when the elements of that category are a dominant part of the characters and story.

Readers probably aren't quite as critical as I am, so it's unlikely you'll get dinged too much for "making a mistake" in categorizing between the fantasy categories. ( One exception being werewolves and vampires in Erotic Horror when there are no genuine horror elements to the story. There was a significant effort by readers to push those stories to non-human where they belong when the category was inundated with them during the Twilight era ) I think it may hurt your reach, because the other categories have their own subset of readers, and if you don't meet their expectations, your story will probably risk additional back-clicks.

It’s like trying to traverse Middle Earth whike avoiding Nazgûl, orcs, Uruk-Hai, trolls, dragons, and giant spiders.

Em

 

[stickygirl]

To me, a character just being non-human isn't sufficient to qualify for the category.

The example I always use is my Magic of the Wood series. The first in the series has a character who is a full dryad. She has magical abilities, hair the color of new leaves, and skin that has a golden hue. She is visibly non-human. That story went into Non-Human.

The second story centers on the daughter of the pairing from the first. While the dryad is a character in the story, she's not the main character, and not the one involved in the detailed sex scenes. The daughter is technically non-human, because she's half dryad. However, she exhibits no magical abilities during the story. She doesn't really age beyond a certain point, but that's not evident in this story, because she's 19 and not there yet. Visually, the only characteristic one could discern would be the fact that the females of the family have no body hair whatsoever. Even on the closest, intimate inspection, you would have no reason to believe she was anything but human.

To me, that doesn't qualify, so that story went into Sci-Fi&Fantasy. The fantastic elements are part of the backdrop of the story, rather than of the character it centers on.

There should be something significantly fantastic about at least one of the main characters before it qualifies as non-human IMO. Sci-Fi&Fantasy is the broadest of the three ( and a half, counting mind control ) fantasy categories. It should be the default and the other options should only be used when the elements of that category are a dominant part of the characters and story.

Readers probably aren't quite as critical as I am, so it's unlikely you'll get dinged too much for "making a mistake" in categorizing between the fantasy categories. ( One exception being werewolves and vampires in Erotic Horror when there are no genuine horror elements to the story. There was a significant effort by readers to push those stories to non-human where they belong when the category was inundated with them during the Twilight era ) I think it may hurt your reach, because the other categories have their own subset of readers, and if you don't meet their expectations, your story will probably risk additional back-clicks.

Oo I like the sound of your dryads. I have an idea for a dryad story so I'll check out yours.

I've faced the Part Two conundrum, where part one was Trans and part two more Lesbian, so I put one in each. No one has commented and I don't feel either the reader nor I have lost out.

It’s like trying to traverse Middle Earth while avoiding Nazgûl, orcs, Uruk-Hai, trolls, dragons, and giant spiders.

Em

The thought of a perverted Hogwarts sprung to mind, but I'm sure the theme's been fanfucked to death.

 

[Rustyoznail]

FWIW, my halloween story from last year about liposucking shape shifting aliens did ok in scifi. It may have done better in non human.

 

[RejectReality]

Oo I like the sound of your dryads. I have an idea for a dryad story so I'll check out yours.

They're in my LesLumens pen name.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=774924&page=submissions

 

[onehitwanda]

It’s like trying to traverse Middle Earth whike avoiding Nazgûl, orcs, Uruk-Hai, trolls, dragons, and giant spiders.

Em

 

[JaxRhapsody]

NonHuman is probably just so people can write about fucking their pet cat, but it has to be something from Disney or anime, so it's not "illegal".

 

[AchtungNight]

Once I pick a category I commit. Good luck resubmitting if you must.

 

[ruddygore]

Lets take werewolves. If the story revolves around the fact that they are werewolves it would go in nonhuman. If the story is about people that just happen to be werewolves that happen to make use of their abilities it would go if F&SF. Examples are Writerannabelle with her "Home for Horny Monsters in nonhuman, and Evil_Alpaca, who is no longer active, posting stories in F&SF

 

[EmilyMiller]

Lets take werewolves. If the story revolves around the fact that they are werewolves it would go in nonhuman. If the story is about people that just happen to be werewolves that happen to make use of their abilities it would go if F&SF. Examples are Writerannabelle with her "Home for Horny Monsters in nonhuman, and Evil_Alpaca, who is no longer active, posting stories in F&SF

That makes literally no sense to me. I am sure you are right, but it’s crazy, right?

Em

 

[Bamagan]

I think I agree with the viewpoint expressed by a couple of people above that the SciFi/Fantasy category is a genre and Nonhuman is more of a subgenre or kink that consequently lands there or in Horror because it implies that the world of the story is not meant to closely resemble the real world. If I was writing a tale where the non-human aspects of the characters were principally related to the sex scenes or whatever else is going on in their lives, I would put it in the Non-human category. For example, if it's about someone struggling with becoming a werewolf or getting sexually involved with demons or angels or aliens or whatnot, but the story doesn't explore much of the world outside of their relationships, Non-human might well be the way to go (or Fetish). If the story intends to explore the social ramifications of being a werewolf or being married to a succubus or a Klingon or a Hobbit, yeah, that should probably go in SciFi. There's certainly some gray area there, especially with longer works, but a lot of times those bleed into other genres pretty easily anyway, so it may not be a major concern in the end. People who have less mainstream kinks usually learn the tricks to find their content wherever it might be lurking.