My Story's Category Changed...Normal?

[DonOctavio]

I submitted my most recent story (The Hotwife Experience) under the Erotic Coupling category, but included an "exhibitionism" tag because of one small part of the story. When it published, it was under Exhibitionism & Voyeurism, and the "exhibitionism tag" was removed.

Am I losing my mind and totally have my face wrong, or is this something that can/does happen?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I submitted my most recent story (The Hotwife Experience) under the Erotic Coupling category, but included an "exhibitionism" tag because of one small part of the story. When it published, it was under Exhibitionism & Voyeurism, and the "exhibitionism tag" was removed.

Am I losing my mind and totally have my face wrong, or is this something that can/does happen?

Laurel (the site editor) will occasionally move a story to a category where she thinks it will run better. Trust her, she's been doing this for twenty plus years.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It can totally happen. If the admin feels that your story belongs somewhere else, they will move it. However I have never heard of the admin removing a tag. That is odd. Perhaps someone else knows more than I about that.

I will say that you will get more hits in E/V than in EC so it's probably a good thing. If it's a hotwife story I'm surprised that it would go to E/V instead of LW, and in LW it would get mega traffic.

 

[DonOctavio]

Thanks!

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. That's a genuine concern lately. Time to go back to sniffing glue.

 

[DonOctavio]

It can totally happen. If the admin feels that your story belongs somewhere else, they will move it. However I have never heard of the admin removing a tag. That is odd. Perhaps someone else knows more than I about that.

I will say that you will get more hits in E/V than in EC so it's probably a good thing. If it's a hotwife story I'm surprised that it would go to E/V instead of LW, and in LW it would get mega traffic.

Well, by your logic, I suppose there's a reason it's in E/V and not LW. ;-)

Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated.

 

[mildlyaroused]

If you think it being in E/V is a mishandling of the story, you can message Laurel with your reasoning and she's likely to obligingly move it back to EC. It's your story. But as others have said, she's been playing this game for a long, long time, so her judgement is probably pretty good at this point!

 

[ElectricBlue]

It can totally happen. If the admin feels that your story belongs somewhere else, they will move it. However I have never heard of the admin removing a tag. That is odd. Perhaps someone else knows more than I about that.

Laurel adds tags from time to time, so it's not unreasonable to think she removes them - especially if the tag is made redundant by the category.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Laurel does move stories to somewhere she thinks is more appropriate. Especially if there's something more likely to appreciate it than EC, which is a catch-all category as long as there's no overtones of queerness, exhibitionism/voyeurism, anything remotely non-vanilla, etc.

I submitted my story Gas Station Guy under EC because there's a man and a woman and sexy stuff happens, but it was published as Fetish, presumably because he's gay, she's mostly gay, and there's no PIV sex. Certainly it was quite well received there (until the slow trickle of down votes probably from people finding it via the Interracial tag and it not hitting their buttons - how sad.)

 

[TheLobster]

If it's a hotwife story I'm surprised that it would go to E/V instead of LW, and in LW it would get mega traffic.

It would also get ran over by said traffic, until its carcass has been beaten and steamrolled into the tarmac. Or at least that’s what I heard happens to anyone whose story lands in LW.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It would also get ran over by said traffic, until its carcass has been beaten and steamrolled into the tarmac. Or at least that’s what I heard happens to anyone who’s story lands in LW.

Indeed. The question is, do you want exposure or just applause. Since I'm the only one here who chooses exposure over applause, you're right. Don't post it where 10k people will read it in the first week and 8k will like it but it will score 2.85, post it where 2k peeps will see it in the first week and only 1500 will like it but it will score 4.55.

 

[StillStunned]

Indeed. The question is, do you want exposure or just applause. Since I'm the only one here who chooses exposure over applause, you're right. Don't post it where 10k people will read it in the first week and 8k will like it but it will score 2.85, post it where 2k peeps will see it in the first week and only 1500 will like it but it will score 4.55.

By that reasoning we should all post our stories in I/T and suffer the bombs from disappointed readers when they find out that there's no actual incest involved.

The categories are there to match stories to the right audiences.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

By that reasoning we should all post our stories in I/T and suffer the bombs from disappointed readers when they find out that there's no actual incest involved.

The categories are there to match stories to the right audiences.

I've stated my opinion on this many times before, and often I include this next bit, but this time to keep the post short I excluded it, but I guess I'll have to add it to keep the sticky folks off my back.

I choose categories for exposure, never applause, but I do not troll a category with something that does not belong. My story has to fit the category, and not just with some token scene to barely qualify neither. It has to have enough elements to qualify for that category, because if it doesn't, you're just disrespecting readers searching the stories.

 

[StillStunned]

I've stated my opinion on this many times before, and often I include this next bit, but this time to keep the post short I excluded it, but I guess I'll have to add it to keep the sticky folks off my back.

I choose categories for exposure, never applause, but I do not troll a category with something that does not belong. My story has to fit the category, and not just with some token scene to barely qualify neither. It has to have enough elements to qualify for that category, because if it doesn't, you're just disrespecting readers searching the stories.

You mean, like we all do?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

You mean, like we all do?

Actually no. By far the most common practice is to post where it will be "best received" which means "scores best". And this is not the same at all and the proof is all the people who take issue with me (and sometimes even get upset) when I mention posting for exposure over applause. We see threads fairly often asking advice "my story could go in mature or in loving wives or erotic coupling, where should I put it?" And the overwhelming advice is to publish in either mature or EC to stay away from the trolls in LW, despite the fact that LW has by far the most exposure. So by far the most common advice and the most common practice is to do the opposite of what I do. Maybe there are other writers here who will choose exposure over applause but I have not met a single one who has stated so on these forums and not one of you has ever agreed with my methods, in fact I've had people get angry with me over this, so no. The answer is no. You don't all do. At all.

 

[Lifestyle66]

It can totally happen. If the admin feels that your story belongs somewhere else, they will move it. However I have never heard of the admin removing a tag. That is odd. Perhaps someone else knows more than I about that.

I will say that you will get more hits in E/V than in EC so it's probably a good thing. If it's a hotwife story I'm surprised that it would go to E/V instead of LW, and in LW it would get mega traffic.

Given the animosity among authors with distain toward the LW audience, I doubt the Admins would deliberately move any story into the LW category without the author's consent. I've had one story about two years ago in which I chose LW and they reassigned it elsewhere.

Lately, I've decided to make LW my homebase by default, and I've even posted the Note to Admin requesting that "Even though the story might go better elsewhere, Please post this to Loving Wives". I did that for my 750-word story "Chasing Her in the Wild" to keep them from reassigning it to Humor. I justified it in the Admin note by saying "I just want to fuck with their minds."

EDIT: My preference for LW and IDGAF attitude toward ratingss or comments might be why the Admins quickly approve my stories for publcation. My latest story was approved (coming soon on 08/10) after spending less than 12 hours in "Pending"!

 

[TheLobster]

Don't post it where 10k people will read it in the first week and 8k will like it but it will score 2.85, post it where 2k peeps will see it in the first week and only 1500 will like it but it will score 4.55.

One problem with following your advice would be that the remainder of the 10k who didn't like it may not limit their displeasure to merely that one particular story but rather spill over and start downvoting your other work. And since the overall audience in That Category is so high that even a small disgruntled fraction of it is a formidable force, you run the risk of them overwhelming your stories in more niche categories.

This is speculation, though. Pretty much all reports about how horrible LW is that I've read came from authors like @Lifestyle66 above, whose work is mostly posted in that category. Yes, casual LW writers may not be as vulnerable, but this is still a factor one may want to take into account when deciding whether the exposure is worth it.

 

[yowser]

Given the animosity among authors with distain toward the LW audience, I doubt the Admins would deliberately move any story into the LW category without the author's consent. I've had one story about two years ago in which I chose LW and they reassigned it elsewhere.

Lately, I've decided to make LW my homebase by default, and I've even posted the Note to Admin requesting that "Even though the story might go better elsewhere, Please post this to Loving Wives". I did that for my 750-word story "Chasing Her in the Wild" to keep them from reassigning it to Humor. I justified it in the Admin note by saying "I just want to fuck with their minds."

Au contraire.

I had what I considered to be a Group Sex story reassigned to LW, so it happens.

Such a surprise (after getting above average views and the usual brainless commentary), but the 'exposure' was ultimately worth much in the long term. I did get a kick out of one comment though:

Wrong Catagory

 

[pink_silk_glove]

One problem with following your advice would be that the remainder of the 10k who didn't like it may not limit their displeasure to merely that one particular story but rather spill over and start downvoting your other work. And since the overall audience in That Category is so high that even a small disgruntled fraction of it is a formidable force, you run the risk of them overwhelming your stories in more niche categories.

This is speculation, though. Pretty much all reports about how horrible LW is that I've read came from authors like @Lifestyle66 above, whose work is mostly posted in that category. Yes, casual LW writers may not be as vulnerable, but this is still a factor one may want to take into account when deciding whether the exposure is worth it.

Certainly, but then again, avoiding having your entire catalog bombed is still just the choice of reception > exposure.

 

[StillStunned]

Actually no. By far the most common practice is to post where it will be "best received" which means "scores best".

Like I said: matching the story to the audience. Why go out of your way to create a mismatch?

And this is not the same at all and the proof is all the people who take issue with me (and sometimes even get upset) when I mention posting for exposure over applause. We see threads fairly often asking advice "my story could go in mature or in loving wives or erotic coupling, where should I put it?" And the overwhelming advice is to publish in either mature or EC to stay away from the trolls in LW, despite the fact that LW has by far the most exposure.

I've never posted anything in LW, because none of the various scenarios are my kink, but also because by all accounts it's a toxic heap that I have no desire to venture into. I see from your story list that you haven't posted there either. So maybe we accept the advice given by people who have, that you don't post there unless you have a very thick skin, regardless of exposure. There are other ways to get exposure, after all.

So by far the most common advice and the most common practice is to do the opposite of what I do. Maybe there are other writers here who will choose exposure over applause but I have not met a single one who has stated so on these forums and not one of you has ever agreed with my methods, in fact I've had people get angry with me over this, so no. The answer is no. You don't all do. At all.

From your story list, you don't seem to have ventured into the major "big readership" categories. The ones you have? Well, I doubt there's very much between them. Novels & Novellas, EC, E&V - you even have SF&F and Letters & Transcripts! That's hardly making a momentous decision to go for big exposure (although I'll admit to quite a bit of jealousy about the views on your SF&F story).

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Like I said: matching the story to the audience. Why go out of your way to create a mismatch?

I don't. How much more clear about that do I need to be?

I've never posted anything in LW, because none of the various scenarios are my kink, but also because by all accounts it's a toxic heap that I have no desire to venture into. I see from your story list that you haven't posted there either. So maybe we accept the advice given by people who have, that you don't post there unless you have a very thick skin, regardless of exposure. There are other ways to get exposure, after all.

Or maybe it's because I haven't been inspired enough to write a tale of marital infidelity yet. I do have one idea in the pipeline but it's fairly far down. if I ever do finish it I will not be the least bit afraid to publish it there.

From your story list, you don't seem to have ventured into the major "big readership" categories. The ones you have? Well, I doubt there's very much between them. Novels & Novellas, EC, E&V - you even have SF&F and Letters & Transcripts! That's hardly making a momentous decision to go for big exposure (although I'll admit to quite a bit of jealousy about the views on your SF&F story).

Again, what part of "I don't troll categories that stories obviously don't belong in" do you not understand? I never sit down with the intention of writing for a specific category. I write the story that is in me that I am inspired to bring out, then when it is complete I look at all of the categories that it fits into and I choose the one with the most exposure. Sometimes there is only one category that the story fits into and that's where it goes. Often there are two or three where it could obviously fit (not barely fit) and I choose the one with the most exposure. It's that simple.

 

[StillStunned]

Again, what part of "I don't troll categories that stories obviously don't belong in" do you not understand? I never sit down with the intention of writing for a specific category. I write the story that is in me that I am inspired to bring out, then when it is complete I look at all of the categories that it fits into and I choose the one with the most exposure. Sometimes there is only one category that the story fits into and that's where it goes. Often there are two or three where it could obviously fit (not barely fit) and I choose the one with the most exposure. It's that simple.

And again, what makes you think you're unique in this? Besides the fact that the viewing numbers in the middle group of categories largely fall within the same bracket, don't you think we all want more readers?

And it's not like EC has dramatically more readers than E&V or Group, or whatever - I even remember discussions with you where you proclaimed with absolute assurance that EC had few readers and fewer votes. What differences there are depend on things like story title, when it's published and who's reading. It's not like you can say, "I'll post this in E&V because I'm guaranteed to get significantly more hits than in Group."

 

[pink_silk_glove]

And again, what makes you think you're unique in this? Besides the fact that the viewing numbers in the middle group of categories largely fall within the same bracket, don't you think we all want more readers?

Because no one else states the same opinion as me on this on this forum. Not one single person. In fact some even get upset with me for it. Granted, I'm sure in the wide mass of writers out there who do not participate here on the forum side there are probably three or four writers who do share my views on this, so on that technicality, ya got me there. : P But in this forum, no not once has anyone ever agreed with my stance on this, so yeah, I am indeed effectively unique in this.

And it's not like EC has dramatically more readers than E&V or Group, or whatever - I even remember discussions with you where you proclaimed with absolute assurance that EC had few readers and fewer votes. What differences there are depend on things like story title, when it's published and who's reading. It's not like you can say, "I'll post this in E&V because I'm guaranteed to get significantly more hits than in Group."

Sure it does, category is one factor in getting views just as all of those other factors are. I'm still going to max out every factor regardless. If I have the best title ever and the sauciest tag line, why would I kill that momentum by posting to a weak category?

Yes I am pretty much guaranteed to get more hits by posting in E/V rather than in EC, for instance. I have a series with 4 chapters. The first 3 are in EC. The one that gets the most action is easily the the 4th one that's in E/V.

My Romance story would have certainly scored better in N/N (it's 67k words) as it breaks the Romance template and therefore gets downvotes. However those who like it really like it and it has by far my most glowing praise in the comments. In only 2 months it has more comments than any of my other stories and it already is like my second most hit story, rocketing past even my four year old story (in EC).

You can't tell me (or anyone else here) that certain categories just get more hits. If a young wife cheats with an older man, where will it get more hits, LW or Mature? (hint: it's LW). Where will it score better? (hint: it's not LW).