Category question

[NoJo]

The story is about a married woman in her 50s who has a brief fling with a single man also in his 50s.

I thought it should be in "Mature" but now I'm not sure, as that readers of that category seem to expect a big age disparity.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The story is about a married woman in her 50s who has a brief fling with a single man also in his 50s.

I thought it should be in "Mature" but now I'm not sure, as that readers of that category seem to expect a big age disparity.

I don't know if you have provided enough context for us to help. A lot depends on what the story is about besides the age of the two main characters.

It could fit into anything from Loving Wives to Non-Consent for all we know. Maybe she pegs him for the first time, and that would be the category of choice?

 

[NoJo]

The sex is consensual - think "Brief Encounter"

 

[NoJo]

but that's because the ending wasn't right.

Yeah that happens with elderly people sometimes...

Ok, I'll leave it in the Mature category. My one other mature category story was a spring/autumn fling

 

[SimonDoom]

The key question is what's the erotic focus of the story. If the fact that the two characters are mature is important, then it probably should go in mature, unless it's got a kinky element that trumps others, like nonconsent or incest.

You might want to include a short statement at the beginning of the story letting people know it's not an age gap story, because some mature readers are looking for that.

 

[NoJo]

The key question is what's the erotic focus of the story. If the fact that the two characters are mature is important, then it probably should go in mature, unless it's got a kinky element that trumps others, like nonconsent or incest.

You might want to include a short statement at the beginning of the story letting people know it's not an age gap story, because some mature readers are looking for that.

My disclaimer currently reads:

This is not a stroke story. It's a love story featuring older people. I hope it moves you, but I doubt if it will stir your loins, or whatever you like to call your reproductive organs. It has exactly the amount of erotic content it deserves. The protagonists are in their late fifties, and they're (very) British, so don't expect fireworks during the love scenes

 

[SimonDoom]

My disclaimer currently reads:

You do a good job of alerting people it's not an older person/young person romance, but I think you're a bit overly humble and pessimistic in tone in this disclaimer. Don't sell yourself short. Maybe you WILL stir somebody's loins and you don't want to scare them away before you do.

 

[NoJo]

You do a good job of alerting people it's not an older person/young person romance, but I think you're a bit overly humble and pessimistic in tone in this disclaimer. Don't sell yourself short. Maybe you WILL stir somebody's loins and you don't want to scare them away before you do.

Meh, if their loins are stirred I'm okay with that. They'll get the mood after the first sentence anyway.

 

[lovecraft68]

Erotic couplings if its more sex heavy, romance if its more story oriented.

Mature by nature dictates its where it should go, but over the years categories morph into expected tropes because that's what keeps getting posted there. Mature now is mostly May/December, its cougars and cubs and young girls with daddy fixations.

Same with Incest/taboo...taboo could mean a lot of things, but Kay Parker's movie was the beginning of it meaning only one thing in the realm of erotica, Mature has gone that route as well

 

[RejectReality]

I don't think you'll be hurt at all by being in Mature. The largest readership there is for May/Dec., but people looking for older folks having sex without a particular kink are likely looking there as well.

If the romance angle is strong ( and I'm assuming by your opening note ) the sex content is light, then Romance might be a better choice. Mature readers are expecting a bit more detailed sex, where romance readers are primarily there for the chase leading up to it.

 

[NoJo]

Yeah, I think you're probably right, I'll change the category to romance (the story is currently pending).

 

[NoJo]

Well, it got put in "Mature" anyway, even though I changed the category before submitting. That shit happens to my stories all the time. I guess Laurel knows best.

It's uncharacteristically subdued for me, but I like it. I wrote it quickly, so it feels fresh but maybe a little rushed.

Read it and weep:

Portrait of Fiona

 

[RejectReality]

It's a difficult story to categorize, that's for certain. I think Laurel made the right choice. Thank your lucky stars it didn't end up in LW. Just skimming it for approval, there are some elements that might have prompted her to put it there, and that would have been a horror show.

I think you'll get some mixed reaction, because it goes against the grain. It doesn't end in the way you expect a typical Lit story to end, but to me, something novel is always nice, even when it isn't HFN or HEA.