Feedback differences by genre?

[bestkeptsecret678]

Sort of rookie writer here, so excuse the uninformed nature of this question:

I just read something elsewhere in the Forum that indicated some genre's are loaded with readers who comment profusely, perhaps overly negative, but nonetheless represent an engaged audience. While I don't have much in the way of a portfolio over the past year (8 works), I have respectable ratings but next to nothing in the way of comments. Is this b/c most of my work resides in Erotic Couplings, which is where they belong IMO.

I'm not looking to change anything, I'll write and post where I want, but curious is there is a difference in audience attitude based on the genre its posted in?

 

[mantonrichards]

I can only tell you about the Incest/Taboo genre for which (so far) I write exclusively - 80% of the comments there are negative, with mostly anonymous people bitching that your story isn't any good or wasn't the story that they wanted.

I think that for the most part, happy consumers don't leave feedback. That's just the way the world is.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

There absolutely is a difference, some categories receive far more attention than others.

I believe the category with frequent negative commenters would be the Loving Wives category, but there are also many positive readers there as well, it just depends on the type of story you submit. There are quite a few successful authors of the category who visit the AH, who could very well offer you better insight on that. The views there range in the double digit thousands, the votes in the hundreds, and comments probably close to a hundred or more per submission... as opposed to less frequented categories which may struggle for a couple thousand views, probably less than fifty votes, and maybe up to ten comments if you're lucky.

Incest/Taboo is a close second... and if you've got thick enough skin to survive the trolling and potential for abuse, a sure fire way for recognition, gaining followers, and heavy reader feedback would be to venture out into those categories.

Over all, it's anyone's guess how and when recognition will come to you. Frequently publishing helps put your name out there and draws attention to your writing. Offering feedback or requesting feedback on the forums is also a good way to draw attention to yourself.

I put a small note on the front with my latest publication to see if it would have any effect on voting, follows/bookmarks, and feedback, and I think it has garnered more attention compared to not openly requesting feedback when publishing. The story was also an Event submission so I'm sure that played a role as well. But as many writers have often said to me on site: write what you enjoy, your audience will find you.

 

[PandemicReader8]

I can only tell you about the Incest/Taboo genre for which (so far) I write exclusively - 80% of the comments there are negative, with mostly anonymous people bitching that your story isn't any good or wasn't the story that they wanted.

I think that for the most part, happy consumers don't leave feedback. That's just the way the world is.

This matches what we learned in grad school.

 

[NotWise]

Erotic Coupling is a pretty generic category and the readers there aren't very engaged. Comments are hard to come by and the number of votes compared to the number of views may be low.'

Loving Wives might be the category you heard of where there's a lot of feedback, much of it negative.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

Informative comments. Thanks all!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Erotic Coupling is a pretty generic category and the readers there aren't very engaged. Comments are hard to come by and the number of votes compared to the number of views may be low.'

Loving Wives might be the category you heard of where there's a lot of feedback, much of it negative.

I've found EC not that much different to Mature and Fetish in terms of responsiveness - it depends on the story content a lot (obviously). The real deadwater in my experience is Group. Those readers don't vote much, never comment, might as well not exist. I'll never publish there again - I'd put something in EC by preference.

I don't go near LW nor incest (having done a few token stories years ago). Of the categories I seem to land in most, I reckon Mature is the best - my content lends its way that way, anyway. At last count I have something in seventeen categories, so I'm not a single category writer, by any measure.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Commenters in SF and lesbian sex where I write are generally polite even in their criticism. You won't be getting too many comments though.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

I am as interested as anybody else in knowing the sizes, enthusiasm, and positivity vs negativity of various categories. And almost half a year into my LitE residency, it still seems a dark art to me. All my stories hit multiple notes, meaning all could go in several places. Yet they all are femdom stories. Which obviously affects my perception of categories. So far I've published in BDSM, Fetish, I/T, and NC/R.

At first I though I would be only a BDSM writer, but after venturing into Fetish for my third piece, quickly found out Fetish readers are maybe more engaged and appreciative. Not a huge difference, but it is there. I/T I ventured out to seek eyeballs. Not a stretch since many of my stories are incest ones. Yes, they were more vocal in their comments, but they voted me more harshly since many of the I/T readers (1/3rd maybe) are kink intolerant, I learned. Finally NC/R was a bit of an eyeball search as well. Again not a stretch since many of my stories are non/dub-con ones. So far it has not been a bomb, but maybe a bit of a dud in terms of engagement and feedback. Despite the fact that based on a table of categories I saw on an older thread, NC/R seemed to be a more read category than BDSM or Fetish.

As I've mentioned in prior threads, I do not like the category construction. Should all be tags in my view. But given categories are here to stay, yes ask for advice. Check out stories in those categories and how they are received. And perhaps, like me, try them out every now and then, to see how the match is between your themes/style and the readership.

 

[yowser]

I've found EC not that much different to Mature and Fetish in terms of responsiveness - it depends on the story content a lot (obviously). The real deadwater in my experience is Group. Those readers don't vote much, never comment, might as well not exist. I'll never publish there again - I'd put something in EC by preference.

There are occasional exceptions to this in low-view/response categories, if your story is also in a contest/challenge, which may attract a greater volume of readers than usual.

My latest was located in GS but also listed in the Geek Pride challenge, and there have been a good pile of views and comments, only one from another challenge participant.

Of course, I also thought it was a pretty good tale.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Sort of rookie writer here, so excuse the uninformed nature of this question:

I just read something elsewhere in the Forum that indicated some genre's are loaded with readers who comment profusely, perhaps overly negative, but nonetheless represent an engaged audience. While I don't have much in the way of a portfolio over the past year (8 works), I have respectable ratings but next to nothing in the way of comments. Is this b/c most of my work resides in Erotic Couplings, which is where they belong IMO.

I'm not looking to change anything, I'll write and post where I want, but curious is there is a difference in audience attitude based on the genre its posted in?

Group is rare for comments and the few I have got I’m pretty happy with.

Loving wives is replete with commentators good and bad. Erotic poetry is also scarce for both views and comments which I guess is to be expected.

I’d love to know about Mind Control, erotic horror and Sci-fi though as my next story will probably be there.

 

[mirafrida]

I NC/R was a bit of an eyeball search as well. Again not a stretch since many of my stories are non/dub-con ones. So far it has not been a bomb, but maybe a bit of a dud in terms of engagement and feedback. Despite the fact that based on a table of categories I saw on an older thread, NC/R seemed to be a more read category than BDSM or Fetish.

That matches my sense of NC/R as getting pretty good views, but lower ratings/comments/favs-per-view, as compared to some other categories.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Group is rare for comments and the few I have got I’m pretty happy with.

Loving wives is replete with commentators good and bad. Erotic poetry is also scarce for both views and comments which I guess is to be expected.

I’d love to know about Mind Control, erotic horror and Sci-fi though as my next story will probably be there.

EH has its moments, but it's much like Sci-Fi and Fantasy. In my mind they're two sides of the same coin, the difference being one of degree, and the depth of the eldritch darkness. I've written in both, and my EH thing, a long shaggy-dog shape-shifting yarn, with time travel (huh?) could easily have gone into sci-fi.

It's always been a huge amusement of mine that, even in the darkness of Erotic Horror (the clue is in the category heading), the real men of Lit cannot abide an unexpected bit of man-cock into man-arse action, especially when you up the ante and have it the son doing the father.

I had a comment from one upset chappie saying, "Well, that went a bit dark" - which struck me as a little odd, it being Erotic Horror, after all; and another one or two chapters later, someone else thanked me for "getting the story back on track."

So that the marshmallows don't get too upset, I've put a squick warning in the comments of the previous chapter, warning of a road hazard ahead. For many years that chapter sat on 3:86, pride of place as my lowest ever score. Since then, it's crept up to 4:05, which just goes to show you can never stop a good cock from its destiny.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

And that's the quote of the week, at least for me.

"...you can never stop a good cock from its destiny."

 

[Rob_Royale]

My sexy romantic May/Dec stories have gotten the most comments. Especially with a happy ending.