How to pick a catagory?

[TheGatekeeper953]

I started a new story that is outdoor erotica with a very light bondage setting. All parts seem important to the story, but when I look at where to place it, nothing fits. After looking though BDSM, its much too light for that. Since it is mostly erotica set in a DOM/sub setting is there any other place it could go?

 

[Boxlicker101]

I started a new story that is outdoor erotica with a very light bondage setting. All parts seem important to the story, but when I look at where to place it, nothing fits. After looking though BDSM, its much too light for that. Since it is mostly erotica set in a DOM/sub setting is there any other place it could go?

Hi, Gatekeeper, and welcome to Literotica and the AH.

BDSM includes D/s, so that would be the category, unless it fits better elsewhere. If the participants are lesbians, it goes there; if they are gay men it goes there. If it is in the family, it could go in Incest/taboo, and if they are celebrities, it has to go there. Otherwise, put it in BDSM.

Authors are not the ones who decide that anyhow. We just make suggestions, which are usually accepted.

 

[MatthewJudeBrown]

What I found hard about suggesting a category is that when they overlap there doesn't seem to be any sensible order of precedence. For example, one of my storylines involved largely lesbians in a fantasy world; didn't know where to submit that.

 

[Weird Harold]

I started a new story that is outdoor erotica with a very light bondage setting. All parts seem important to the story, but when I look at where to place it, nothing fits. After looking though BDSM, its much too light for that. Since it is mostly erotica set in a DOM/sub setting is there any other place it could go?

A recent discussion of story categories: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=726966

 

[MatthewJudeBrown]

Thanks, that's useful.

Since the approvers will change our suggestion if they think we're wrong, I guess there's no real point in over-worrying it.

 

[Tx Tall Tales]

Just so you know, if you do post it to the wrong category, and it goes through, the readers will DEFINITELY let you know.

Even if it's the right category, but it's not what that particular troll thinks should be in that category, you'll hear about it. Unless you turn your comments off.

 

[warmAmber]

I'm pondering a story that is for the most part under the incest/taboo category yet the thread that carries the story is about lactation sans pregnacy.. (it makes sense in the story). I worry that lactation is more of a fetish category and readers of the incest/taboo will find it off putting. Any comments and/or recommendations?

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm pondering a story that is for the most part under the incest/taboo category yet the thread that carries the story is about lactation sans pregnacy.. (it makes sense in the story). I worry that lactation is more of a fetish category and readers of the incest/taboo will find it off putting. Any comments and/or recommendations?

By The "Rule of Least Squick" Incest would probably be the best choice; fewer incest fans will be offended by a lactation-fetish story that fetish fans will be offended by a story containing incest.

I'd judge the difference in "squick factor" between those two choices as pretty small and I'd put the story in Fetish. One advantage of the Fetish category is that you'll have less competition for the first page of the top lists.

 

[warmAmber]

By The "Rule of Least Squick" Incest would probably be the best choice; fewer incest fans will be offended by a lactation-fetish story that fetish fans will be offended by a story containing incest.

I'd judge the difference in "squick factor" between those two choices as pretty small and I'd put the story in Fetish. One advantage of the Fetish category is that you'll have less competition for the first page of the top lists.

Thanks... now if the darn story will just write itself!

 

[Boxlicker101]

By The "Rule of Least Squick" Incest would probably be the best choice; fewer incest fans will be offended by a lactation-fetish story that fetish fans will be offended by a story containing incest.

I'd judge the difference in "squick factor" between those two choices as pretty small and I'd put the story in Fetish. One advantage of the Fetish category is that you'll have less competition for the first page of the top lists.

If that's what you want. Personally, I would put the story in incest and attract a lot more readers and comments.

 

[Weird Harold]

If that's what you want. Personally, I would put the story in incest and attract a lot more readers and comments.

Being in the top lists once you fall off the new stories list should generate more long-term readership than being buried in the morass of incest stories. I don't know that there is going to be that much difference while a story remains on the new stories list, but there is diefinitely going to be a long-term difference with less competition for the front page of the category top stories list.

 

[warmAmber]

Being in the top lists once you fall off the new stories list should generate more long-term readership than being buried in the morass of incest stories. I don't know that there is going to be that much difference while a story remains on the new stories list, but there is diefinitely going to be a long-term difference with less competition for the front page of the category top stories list.

This does, of course, rest on the premise that the story would be on the top list once off the new list. I wrote romance years ago and just did a story in the BDSM category so I don't have a big following.

Will consider both sets of reasonings. I'm hoping to make it into a serial if there is enough interest.

Thanks for the input.

 

[MatthewJudeBrown]

Serials seem to do well -- perhaps because each episode gets its moment in the sun of the New list?

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Thanks, that's useful.

Since the approvers will change our suggestion if they think we're wrong, I guess there's no real point in over-worrying it.

True story.
My first Halloween entry- I threw it in Romance cuz I'm sappy like that.
However, it was put in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy one.
Wow, lol. So yeah. If you chose wrong, they'll chose for you.

 

[Weird Harold]

This does, of course, rest on the premise that the story would be on the top list once off the new list. I wrote romance years ago and just did a story in the BDSM category so I don't have a big following.

Will consider both sets of reasonings. I'm hoping to make it into a serial if there is enough interest.

Thanks for the input.

It also rests on the premise that the lowest score on the top list is lower in a category where there are fewer scores to choose from.

Of course anyone who rates one of MY stories less than perfect is obviously jealous, biased or mentally deficient, so, of course, one of my stories would clearly be on the top lists.

IOW, you have to have confidence in your work.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

offer it to Loving Wives and hang on.

... that was a joke btw.

harold's "Rule of Least Squick" is pretty valid.

 

[TheGatekeeper953]

Wow

After reading all of this I've trashed the story and will try to rewrite it to actually fit a category. I really think they need a "None of the Above" category.

 

[Weird Harold]

After reading all of this I've trashed the story and will try to rewrite it to actually fit a category. I really think they need a "None of the Above" category.

The "none of the Above Category is labeled "Erotic Couplings" (or maybe Novels and Novellas if it is long enough.)

Just pick the main theme of your story and put it in that category; Your original post said "an outdoor sex story" so put it in exhibitionist/voyeur or put it in BDSM because of the "light D/s element."

Almost every good story will be a candidate for more than one category -- pick a category and add enough tags to cover the sub-categories -- so don't let the category dilema or "rule of least squick" keep you from writing the story you want to tell.

 

[litfan10]

After reading all of this I've trashed the story and will try to rewrite it to actually fit a category. I really think they need a "None of the Above" category.

Hey Gatekeeper! Welcome to the AH! Great to have you.

Don't trash a story to make it fit. Categories by their nature can be flexible; it is more the readers which will make or break it popularity-wise.

Write the story that you want to write, don't worry about the fit or even the readers as for every reader that likes something you'll find a reader that hates the same thing, and you'll go insane trying to please every one. Just write what the story teller inside of you is telling you to write and you'll do fine.

Good luck!

Make sure you put a link to your story in your sig so we can read it when it posts!

 

[geronimo_appleby]

After reading all of this I've trashed the story and will try to rewrite it to actually fit a category. I really think they need a "None of the Above" category.

don't trash it. again, harold had the answer. EC could cover it.