Quick question on categorization . . .

[Evil Alpaca]

I know this has been brought up before, but I'm a bit lazy this evening and don't want to go shifting through piles of threads to find a relevant one.

I've got a series I wanted to start posting in the near future, but I'm not sure what category to put it in. It has aspects of:

lesbian sex
heterosexual sex
interracial sex
group sex
BDSM sex

Is there a good catch-all category? Any hints would be appreciated.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I know this has been brought up before, but I'm a bit lazy this evening and don't want to go shifting through piles of threads to find a relevant one.

I've got a series I wanted to start posting in the near future, but I'm not sure what category to put it in. It has aspects of:

lesbian sex
heterosexual sex
interracial sex
group sex
BDSM sex

Is there a good catch-all category? Any hints would be appreciated.

Group Sex is probablly the most generic of all of them. Putting it in any of the others is just begging for a flaming.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I know this has been brought up before, but I'm a bit lazy this evening and don't want to go shifting through piles of threads to find a relevant one.

I've got a series I wanted to start posting in the near future, but I'm not sure what category to put it in. It has aspects of:

lesbian sex
heterosexual sex
interracial sex
group sex
BDSM sex

Is there a good catch-all category? Any hints would be appreciated.

If it was me, I'd probably throw it in Group. It's kind of an "anything goes" category. And you dominate the top list already!

Seriously, can't wait to read it. You are so prolific it puts me to shame. Do you mind if I ask - how many pages do you think you write on a good day (asking because I'm been soooo slow on this latest thing.)

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Go with the one you think has the most potential to offend people if they stumble across it.

"Literature" usually works for me.

---dr.M.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

CD, my only problem with the group category is that there is only a single threesome in part one, and several other parts (there's six of them) might not have any. I'll double check.

Carson, actually everything I've posted (including the series I'm talking about) is older work I've posted on another site. I started writing a couple of years ago, hence the rapid fire after moving to lit. I've got three new series started, but I seem to have bogged down a bit. The new job is interfering with the writing. I think I need to just concentrate on one of them, but I can't decide which one.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Ah-ha.

I would say I don't feel so bad now, but to be honest I just realized I've ben working on this story for a solid month and only have 26 pages. And it isn't work interfering. It's constant revision and doubt on how well this story is going to work.

Why can't everything worth doing be EASY?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

CD, my only problem with the group category is that there is only a single threesome in part one, and several other parts (there's six of them) might not have any. I'll double check.

Carson, actually everything I've posted (including the series I'm talking about) is older work I've posted on another site. I started writing a couple of years ago, hence the rapid fire after moving to lit. I've got three new series started, but I seem to have bogged down a bit. The new job is interfering with the writing. I think I need to just concentrate on one of them, but I can't decide which one.

Maybe put it all in erotic couplings then?

Why not put each chapter in the catagory that fits it best? No one says they all have to be in the same one.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Ah-ha.

I would say I don't feel so bad now, but to be honest I just realized I've ben working on this story for a solid month and only have 26 pages. And it isn't work interfering. It's constant revision and doubt on how well this story is going to work.

Why can't everything worth doing be EASY?

I work in bursts. I got stuck on a sci-fi series I started, then wrote 30k words in a weekend, and then I've been stuck on part 5 of the series for about a month.

I don't supposed you'd be interested in taking a quick look at part 1 and giving me an appraisal? Tatelou was going to, but she's got other stuff on her mind these days.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Maybe put it all in erotic couplings then?

Why not put each chapter in the catagory that fits it best? No one says they all have to be in the same one.

Shifting categories is a way to lose readers though, isn't it? And actually, each of them has a cross-section of interests. When I wrote it, I was trying to defy a few conventions, and now it's biting me in the ass. And not in a good way.

 

[BlackShanglan]

When I wrote it, I was trying to defy a few conventions, and now it's biting me in the ass. And not in a good way.

Hmmm. I think you need to be recompensed with some of the good way.

 

[Belegon]

Shifting categories is a way to lose readers though, isn't it?

If it is then I'm fucked....

 

[Bridget69]

Is there a theme that's more prominent than the others? If not then the "Group" category seems like the broadest and safest selection.

 

[BlackShanglan]

If it is then I'm fucked....

Was there ever any question?

 

[Belegon]

Was there ever any question?

unfortunately yes.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I know this has been brought up before, but I'm a bit lazy this evening and don't want to go shifting through piles of threads to find a relevant one.

I've got a series I wanted to start posting in the near future, but I'm not sure what category to put it in. It has aspects of:

lesbian sex
heterosexual sex
interracial sex
group sex
BDSM sex

Is there a good catch-all category? Any hints would be appreciated.

There is a catchall category and it is E/C. That is where it would go if it is mostly one-on-one herero sex. The problem is that about half the stories on Lit. are in that category and it could get lost in the crowd. Lesbian, interracial and BDSM are all rather specialized categories and, unless it is predominately one of these, I wouldn't post it in any of them. That would leave group, which is also something of a catchall.

I think CD has the right idea, put different chapters in the categories where they best fit. At the end of each chapter you can add a line something like: "The next chapter in this continuing story is in the xxxxx category. To reach it, click on my name, which will take you to my alphabetic index."

If you lose readers after that, you didn't have much of a hold on them anyhow, and you might actually gain readers when they see what else you have to offer.

 

[Weird Harold]

Is there a good catch-all category? Any hints would be appreciated.

If the six parts are lonf enough and closely enough related, the Novels and Novellas category is pretty much category-less and several entries there are posted as chapters instead of a single piece.

The alternative of posting each part in the category that part best fits won't lose you as many readers as you might think -- the logical and quickest way to find all the parts of a series is to use the link each story provides to "more stories by this author."

 

[Boxlicker101]

Re: Re: Quick question on categorization . . .

If the six parts are lonf enough and closely enough related, the Novels and Novellas category is pretty much category-less and several entries there are posted as chapters instead of a single piece.

The alternative of posting each part in the category that part best fits won't lose you as many readers as you might think -- the logical and quickest way to find all the parts of a series is to use the link each story provides to "more stories by this author."

The problem with posting to Novels and Novellas is that you will get hardly any reads. Judging by the one entry (6 chapters) I have in this category, anyhow.

 

[Op_Cit]

I don't want to start a single thread on this...

Has there been any discussion about literotica moving to some multiple categorization scheme?

That is, it could keep the existing, but then add an option for standardized ASSTR codes (and search ability)?

I know that as a reader I'm pretty specialized in my tastes, and don't bother trying many stories based on Lit's category. Many times have I found a really hot story I'd never seen because it was linked (as recommendation) from another site.

Look at how many people will view based on the "H". This is a skewing factor in itself, in that some stories don't score as high or score higher based on the popularity of the category.

OK, now I'm blathering a bit, there was a question back there somewhere...

 

[English Lady]

I have no idea if the categories here will be changed in anyway at all. It does seem apain when you have a story that can goin many categories that youhave to choose one.(and if Laurel doesn't agree she'll shove it in the category she thinks it should go in)

I tend to read things just off the new list based more on the little sentance blurb than anything else (though there are a few categories i generally avoid unless I'm reading comp entries or i'm reading to give feedback) though seeing something like "incest,Non consent and gay sex" next to a story might make it easier to decide if i want to read itor not

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Re: Quick question on categorization . . .

The problem with posting to Novels and Novellas is that you will get hardly any reads. Judging by the one entry (6 chapters) I have in this category, anyhow.

True, but you also get a higher views to votes ratio and fewer one bombers in novels and novellas.

Every category has it's drawbacks, but Novels and Novellas attracts people looking for a "story" and people who tend to reward the effort it takes to wrtie a long work.