Self-Appointed Category Guardians

[RetroFan]

There's always going to be some debate over which category certain stories belong to and there's negative commenters in every category, but have you ever had any encounters with readers who have appointed themselves guardians of their favoured story category, making comments whenever they find stories they believe don't fit there, even if the story title and description gives away at least some of the content. Some categories I have encountered them in include:

ROMANCE - I've done really well publishing stories in Romance, getting helpful and positive feedback, high scores and even won a story contest there once. But there are some Romance readers who get upset if they perceive the story to not be romantic enough - such as a story that is more a serious drama or an adventure story - or if the stories slightly veer into the supernatural as two of mine did.

INCEST TABOO - This popular category has many different stories with many different IT combinations published weekly, so one would think that readers there would find what stories they want and be satisfied. But publish a story about step families, adopted or foster siblings, in-laws, and aunt/uncle/niece/nephew/cousin erotica and you will inevitably get negative comments that these don't qualify as proper IT tales. I've even had comments about cousins stories where the reader has taken the time and trouble to find out and remind me that first cousin marriages are legal where it is set. Go figure.

LOVING WIVES - As expected, many of the readers here have very strict rules about what should be posted in this category. If the story involves cuckoldry or some other type of fetish no matter how minor, it should be in fetish. Cheating with in-laws should be in IT. If the couple are already separated or divorced, or the cheating woman is a fiancee, girlfriend or de-facto spouse they scream it belongs in Erotic Couplings. If the wife cheats with another woman it should be in Lesbian Sex, if there is a large age gap it belongs in Mature, if the wife cheats with a man of another race then it should go to inter-racial, if the cheating involves orgies or sado-machosism it should be in Group Sex or BDSM, if the wife enjoys anal sex with her fling it belongs in Anal, and if anyone published a LW tale where the wife is coerced into cheating by an evil ghost or abducted by aliens and programmed to cheat, they would say the stories should be in Erotic Horror or Sci-Fi. The funny thing is, if the site administrators also followed these very strict rules, then the LW readers would have very few stories to read, probably as many as the tiny categories of Humour and Satire and Letters and Transcripts.

What are your experiences?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I had one bloke comment, "Gee, that went a bit dark."

Turns out, even in Erotic Horror, there's a line drawn if you have father son incest with the wife/mother in the room. Who knew?!

Other than that, nil.

 

[Euphony]

Turns out, even in Erotic Horror, there's a line drawn if you have father son incest with the wife/mother in the room. Who knew?!

Sorta flippant over THE DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN LITEROTICA INFAMY, don't ya think EB?

I'm still not recovered.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sorta flippant over THE DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN LITEROTICA INFAMY, don't ya think EB?

I'm still not recovered.

It's been my lowest rated chapter, ever. Oddly, it sat at 3.94 for years, but now it's crept up some (currently 4.07). I'm actually quite pleased about that.

I felt sorry for readers, so I put a squick warning comment in the previous chapter. I've no idea whether it makes any difference. Maybe it does, hence the increase in score...

 

[RejectReality]

BDSM has some serious gatekeeping going on where there are clearly defined "rules" as to what constitutes "real" BDSM.

Some of the Lesbian Sex readers lose their minds if a cock gets mentioned in any way that isn't negative anywhere in a story for any reason.

Incest readers can also go ballistic with you over anal because it's disrespectful to do that to your Mom/Sister/Daughter. Swallowing your load is fine, but don't touch that naughty place! The same applies to other naughty stuff, like bondage for example. Reluctance that comes off as genuine will also get you blasted, because people want their incest light and fluffy.

 

[Euphony]

a 4+ with a notorious known squick is an accomplishment. A lot in the 4.5 area are soft. I don't *think* people run a red H campaign but it's weird how 4.5 to about 4.65ish often seems overrated to me (though, placebo is def a thing so could be me overcorrecting)

It's been my lowest rated chapter, ever. Oddly, it sat at 3.94 for years, but now it's crept up some (currently 4.07). I'm actually quite pleased about that.

I felt sorry for readers, so I put a squick warning comment in the previous chapter. I've no idea whether it makes any difference. Maybe it does, hence the increase in score...

It's all a matter of how dedicated of a troll you come across.

Simon may be the most direct titler/warner ever and he STILL gets nutjobs supposedly "blindsided" by his content.

The readers/commenters boggle the mind sometimes.

 

[RejectReality]

If you'd been cucking the father, you might have got away with it. The double standard is strong with that one. Of course, that removes the other element of M/M, which is also a trigger.

 

[EmilyMiller]

LOVING WIVES - As expected, many of the readers here have very strict rules about what should be posted in this category. […] If the wife cheats with another woman it should be in Lesbian Sex,

Now you tell me .

Em

 

[ElectricBlue]

If you'd been cucking the father, you might have got away with it. The double standard is strong with that one. Of course, that removes the other element of M/M, which is also a trigger.

I forgot to mention that the daughter was going down on mom.

Got away with it? I was deliberately stirring readers up. They were all revved up about an early hetero ass fuck, "Yeah, love that, good work," kind of thing. Even though it's an early story, I thought, wait, that's a bit of a double standard, innit? So I wrote the gay-Dom thing, just to see what would happen.

I mean, these guys are Erotic Horror readers, right, should be tough guys? Turns out they're the same as the Real Men of Lit, have a love/hate relationship with cock.

a 4+ with a notorious known squick is an accomplishment. A lot in the 4.5 area are soft. I don't *think* people run a red H campaign but it's weird how 4.5 to about 4.65ish often seems overrated to me (though, placebo is def a thing so could be me overcorrecting)

The rest of the yarn (23 chapters in all) is mostly up around 4.60 - 4.80, so they really didn't like the MM action. A bunch of marshmallows, really.

A couple of chapters later, someone commented, "Oh good, you've got back on track," which I thought was kind of sweet.

The readers/commenters boggle the mind sometimes.

This is why any disclaimer is pointless. You can't think down to the dumbest common denominator, so why try?

 

[RejectReality]

I forgot to mention that the daughter was going down on mom.

And they only complained about what you were doing to Mom? I rest me case yeronner! LOL

 

[ElectricBlue]

And they only complained about what you were doing to Mom? I rest me case yeronner! LOL

You missed the drift completely. Son shagging Dad, daughter going down on mother! Every wrong combination, from what I've figured out since!

An evil shape shifter was involved. It's years since I've read it, and longer since I wrote it, and I can no longer remember which character she was. The daughter, I think.

Another chapter, much further in, someone reckoned I must have been a graduate from the Iowa Writers' School, channeling Francis Ponge. I'd not heard of either, but now I know the commenter really meant I'm a literary wanker. Learning all that from an EH story, that's got to be unusual .

 

[RejectReality]

You missed the drift completely. Son shagging Dad, daughter going down on mother! Every wrong combination, from what I've figured out since!

An evil shape shifter was involved. It's years since I've read it, and longer since I wrote it, and I can no longer remember which character she was. The daughter, I think.

Another chapter, much further in, someone reckoned I must have been a graduate from the Iowa Writers' School, channeling Francis Ponge. I'd not heard of either, but now I know the commenter really meant I'm a literary wanker. Learning all that from an EH story, that's got to be unusual .

Really? Mother daughter a bad combo? Seems fairly popular. Nowhere near as big as Mom and Son, but certainly not down the ladder anywhere near as many rungs as Father and Son.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Really? Mother daughter a bad combo? Seems fairly popular. Nowhere near as big as Mom and Son, but certainly not down the ladder anywhere near as many rungs as Father and Son.

You're also forgetting it was an Erotic Horror. None of it was portrayed as all lovey-dovey, none of it was very pretty. But it was the ooo, shock horror, man on man that did my commenter's head in. I remember having a stupid debate, but ending up deleting his comments as well as mine - I was getting as silly as he was.

 

[RejectReality]

You're also forgetting it was an Erotic Horror. None of it was portrayed as all lovey-dovey, none of it was very pretty. But it was the ooo, shock horror, man on man that did my commenter's head in. I remember having a stupid debate, but ending up deleting his comments as well as mine - I was getting as silly as he was.

Horror readers are pretty harsh critics even outside of the various hangups the overall readership has. It's a tough nut to crack, like Humor.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Horror readers are pretty harsh critics even outside of the various hangups the overall readership has. It's a tough nut to crack, like Humor.

Agree. I was surprised that he got so excited, to be honest, that a bit of MM was apparently so abhorrent. But there you are - a poor sensitive soul, lol.

 

[ChassonKnight]

This might make sense of a comment I got from my first story, which was primarily an incest story. It was something like, 'Hated it. Next time, no lesbian sex and no swapping.' (I assume that means cum swapping.) I initially found it amusing that someone would command me what to write 'next time', as though I'd handed in a project to my boss, when really it seemed the story just didn't play to that commenter's kinks. But reading this thread, I'm starting to think it was all about categories.

 

[AchtungNight]

The biggest line I’ve ever dealt with in Celebrity Fanfic? I didn’t trigger its third rail on Lit, but I’ve dealt with it just the same and I get worried about it frequently still.

“You can’t promote a certain religion based on science fiction by featuring this actress who’s into it as a wayward reformer and bisexual swinger. Never mind that she’s known for her racy love scenes, soft core men’s magazine interviews and sex related humor, high level of fitness and acting skills, and that she and her brother have played gay or bisexual characters on screen already. Never mind that you’re writing satire about religion and the founder of the religion in question did the same thing. Never mind that we have plenty of stories where Christian celebrities are mocked in similar fashion to what you’re writing. You can’t do this!”

My response- “I’m promoting the opening of minds, not religion. These people are humans also. Get used to it.”

 

[HordHolm]

This might make sense of a comment I got from my first story, which was primarily an incest story. It was something like, 'Hated it. Next time, no lesbian sex and no swapping.' (I assume that means cum swapping.) I initially found it amusing that someone would command me what to write 'next time', as though I'd handed in a project to my boss, when really it seemed the story just didn't play to that commenter's kinks. But reading this thread, I'm starting to think it was all about categories.

I don't think it is about category, though. Nothing you mention is out of place in I/T per se, and why would it be? I/T only defines the relationship between the protagonists, nothing more. It certainly doesn't define their gender or their actions. It's just this particular commenter has a stick up their proverbial about what they believe I/T should be - presumably in the commenter's mind only mother/son or father/daughter, or perhaps brother/sister should count, and in a limited number of positions for a guess. Basically, you are right and the commenter is the one who doesn't understand what the category is.

 

[ChassonKnight]

I don't think it is about category, though. Nothing you mention is out of place in I/T per se, and why would it be? I/T only defines the relationship between the protagonists, nothing more. It certainly doesn't define their gender or their actions. It's just this particular commenter has a stick up their proverbial about what they believe I/T should be - presumably in the commenter's mind only mother/son or father/daughter, or perhaps brother/sister should count, and in a limited number of positions for a guess. Basically, you are right and the commenter is the one who doesn't understand what the category is.

It certainly never occurred to me that lesbian sex would be a problem, in almost any erotic story. I get that some people find cum swapping a bit icky, especially with a guy eating his own. I'm still getting used to how things work and it's occurred to me I should have spent more time on tags (can you add tags after publishing? If so, I should do that anyway.) I'd thought of them just as a search term, but I now think they could operate as a warning. But even then, with so many determined trolls around, you'll always get people who say, 'I didn't come to this incest section of this erotica site to read filth like this! When I've finished reading this last three pages, I must express my disapproval in the comments.'

 

[HordHolm]

It certainly never occurred to me that lesbian sex would be a problem, in almost any erotic story. I get that some people find cum swapping a bit icky, especially with a guy eating his own. I'm still getting used to how things work and it's occurred to me I should have spent more time on tags (can you add tags after publishing? If so, I should do that anyway.) I'd thought of them just as a search term, but I now think they could operate as a warning. But even then, with so many determined trolls around, you'll always get people who say, 'I didn't come to this incest section of this erotica site to read filth like this! When I've finished reading this last three pages, I must express my disapproval in the comments.'

If you've not come across it before this piece is a must-read: https://www.literotica.com/s/love-your-readers-categories.

Other than that... trolls gonna troll.

 

[HordHolm]

My idea of romance is apparently skewed.

Good. Because otherwise we'd have (and we generally do have) hundreds and thousands of indentikit stories, written by numbers - and some of them even well-written by numbers. So, vive la difference...

 

[BobbyLaker]

... 'I didn't come to this incest section of this erotica site to read filth like this! When I've finished reading this last three pages, I must express my disapproval in the comments.'

 

[lovecraft68]

Horror readers are pretty harsh critics even outside of the various hangups the overall readership has. It's a tough nut to crack, like Humor.

I've since pulled it, added to it and published as a novel, but I had an EH story here that featured the female MC in a twisted sexual relationship with her adopted mother and there is "mama and daughter' language during the encounters. She also has sex with her cousin, and in the end there is a brief M/M scene where a mafia lieutenant is on the down low and gets a blow job from his lady boy.

Story finished around 4.85 and narrowly missed placing. Maybe its not always the content, maybe its the story or writing itself.

 

[MajorRewrite]

This is why any disclaimer is pointless. You can't think down to the dumbest common denominator, so why try?

“The dumbest common denominator” is my new favorite phrase.