Competitions and Categories

[oggbashan]

When Literotica has a competition, such as the current Halloween one, those who enter get a link direct from the front page.

That gives us attention-seeking authors more views, more votes, more comments.

However I have a small problem with the list of entries. It does not show the category that the author (and/or site owners) have assigned to the story.

Erotic Horror has its own warning header but not other categories.

It is a reasonable assumption that Halloween entries will be scary and a fair proportion will be in the Erotic Horror category. But other categories?

Two of my three entries are categorised 'Romance'. One is possibly slightly BDSM but not enough to be put in that category. I would class it as slightly too warm for 'Romance' but not hot enough for BDSM.

The third story 'Sister Nun' is Incest/Taboo but the reader doesn't know that if they reach the story from the contest page. The title should make it obvious that Incest is likely but...

Any views? Would you be offended say by a Valentine's Day story that turned out to be 'Lesbian/Gay'? Or 'Non-Consent'?

Do you think the category should be shown or should readers take a chance?

Og

 

[Goldie Munro]

I havent ever entered any of the comps so far but it seems to me that the category should be shown - makes sense!

Aww who made a beautiful baby??? Fab AV!!

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The categories are shown on the first page of the story, way up in the upper left, so you can see what you're in for before you start reading. I find myself checking them out before I start, just out of curiosity.

Stating the category next to the title on the Contest page might cut both ways. Incest stories would get the highest reads probably, and erotic horror the fewest, so I don't know.

---dr.M.

 

[oggbashan]

Aww who made a beautiful baby??? Fab AV!!

That picture was taken by my photographer uncle on my 4th birthday. He could make a sow's ear look like a silk purse.

I still think readers should have some indication before they select the story.

I think 'Romance' is second only to 'Non-Erotic' in hits. The votes for my Incest story are more than the sum of the votes on the other two.

Og

 

[Colleen Thomas]

The cats are kinda nebulous, but I tend to think a gay, Incest, N/C story chosen from the contest entries might get bad votes cause people react pretty strongly to those cats. Aficianodos might love it, but your average lit reader, just picking a halloween story might react badly. I think the cat should be shown myself.

-Colly

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I definitely get angry if I stumble onto a story within the "wrong" category, just because it had an interesting but not-revealing title.

I agree with ogg, list the categories of contest stories!

 

[Goldie Munro]

That picture was taken by my photographer uncle on my 4th birthday. He could make a sow's ear look like a silk purse.
Og

Its a fabulous photo - I love photography - especially old stuff - I have loads of my 'flapper' grand mother which are all studio based as they used to be!

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

There's also the problem of transcendent stories. For instance, my two submissions were non-human, erotic horror w/ a scene of n/c and a mythology based romance respectively.

A category thus would not fully prepare them for what the reader would stumble into. I personally have tried to solve the problem by having a small Author's Comments in front of both stories setting up the tone and warning of any elements the reader might not be comfortable with.

In essence I'm sort of against cats on the contest list, but would approve of allowing the description to accompany the Title. The cats would stack the books even more in favor of the popular cats and prevent contest stumblers to find something worthwhile under a dodgy cat.

 

[R. Richard]

I agree with the idea of categories for contest entries. However, what aobut the story that could be in two (or more) categories?

If you get readers looking for one specific type of story and they encounter another type, the 1 bombs start to fall!

 

[doormouse]

I disagree about the categories being shown. That gives an unfair advantage to those in the more popular sections.

I'm with L_C about a description being shown.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

index : Romance : Women in White

That's the blurb (and about its size) located in the top left-hand corner of that contest entry by Og. Like Doc, I usually look there to check out the category before strarting--just out of curiosity. However, a lot of readers apparently overlook this "fine print."

IMHO, those on both sides of the issue make good points. So as a compromise between labeling and not labeling, maybe Laurel could make the font bigger?

Rumple Foreskin