Did I use the wrong category?

[Inspirinious]

I have begun posting my second story, "Private, Don't Look". It is my first multi-chapter story. Altogether the story includes several different subjects including exhibitionist/voyeur, lesbians, incest, and group sex. I have worked on this story for over a year and had several other people review and provide input into the story.

One of the discussion topics about this story was whether to place all the chapters into one category, and if so which category, OR to place each chapter into the most appropriate category for that chapter. Finally decided to place the 2nd chapter into the Lesbian Sex category as I felt that chapter was mostly about 2 women developing a sexual relationship.

The comments I received about this chapter were almost exclusively about the placement into the Lesbian Sex category. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I was very wrong to put any of my story into that category as my story also included a male cock. The discussion became heated, and not so much about my story, so I deleted the comments and closed that chapter to the posting of comments. That was not something I really wanted to do.

So I have decided to pose the question here. Did I use the wrong category?

Was I wrong to put a chapter of a mixed story into the Lesbian Sex category? What are the rules or guidelines?

Should I have put the entire story into a category that best fit the entire story? Or is it appropriate to put separate chapters into different categories?

Please discuss.

UPDATE:

I have been informed that this topic has been discussed a lot already. Please don't flame me.

I do not intend to beat a dead horse. But I have not find those discussions on this topic.​

 

[Bramblethorn]

One of the discussion topics about this story was whether to place all the chapters into one category, and if so which category, OR to place each chapter into the most appropriate category for that chapter. Finally decided to place the 2nd chapter into the Lesbian Sex category as I felt that chapter was mostly about 2 women developing a sexual relationship.

There's no strict rule about this, but my rule of thumb is: if it's mostly about the long story, I'll post the whole thing to a single category that fits overall themes (optionally with content notes by chapter if I'm doing something that might give readers an unpleasant surprise). For instance, I have one in Lesbian Sex that has no sex at all, because it's part of a story that's about a female-female relationship and not a stand-alone work. If it's more a series of episodes, I'd categorise by the individual episode.

The comments I received about this chapter were almost exclusively about the placement into the Lesbian Sex category. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I was very wrong to put any of my story into that category as my story also included a male cock. The discussion became heated, and not so much about my story, so I deleted the comments and closed that chapter to the posting of comments. That was not something I really wanted to do.

So I have decided to pose the question here. Did I use the wrong category?

Was I wrong to put a chapter of a mixed story into the Lesbian Sex category? What are the rules or guidelines?

On reading the story: no, this should not have gone in Lesbian. You've described it as "mostly about 2 women developing a sexual relationship" but I would disagree with that. The intro is FULL of talk about the narrator's cock, him wanting to fuck Kim and Erica, them showing off to arouse him and inviting him to fuck them, him jerking off and reiterating that they want to fuck him, him spurting on the floor, him having sex with his step-sister and her roommate, him thinking again about having sex with Kim and Erica... that's just the first five paragraphs, and every one of them has something about Our Hero's dick.

Even the bits where Erica talks about her relationship with Kim feel like they're being told more for the sake of arousing Narrator Guy, and the conversation keeps coming back to his arousal and the prospect of him sleeping with these women. Extremely "male gaze", only more so, because he's not just watching.

This might be the most lesbian episode in the series, but it's still far more about a guy getting to fuck two women (who make out with one another for his benefit) than about attraction between two women.

Put yourself in the head of a woman who's attracted to other women and comes to the Lesbian category to read stories that speak to that. Do you really think she wants to hear about a male narrator's spurting cock and women inviting him to fuck?

Rule of thumb, if it doesn't pass the Bechdel test, it probably shouldn't be in that category.

UPDATE:

I have been informed that this topic has been discussed a lot already. Please don't flame me.

I do not intend to beat a dead horse. But I have not find those discussions on this topic.​

See e.g. this thread.

 

[Inspirinious]

.......
Rule of thumb, if it doesn't pass the Bechdel test, it probably shouldn't be in that category.



See e.g. this thread.

I have "self reported" the problem and have asked Laurel to move Chapters 1 & 2 to the Incest/Taboo category. I will post all the remaining chapters to that category.

I appreciate your time and the clear explanation in your response.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I have "self reported" the problem and have asked Laurel to move Chapters 1 & 2 to the Incest/Taboo category. I will post all the remaining chapters to that category.

I appreciate your time and the clear explanation in your response.

No problem. Good luck with it!