Story Classification?

[cheerful_deviant]

Yes I know it's been discussed a million times. But I'm still fighting with my current story and trying to decide what category to post it in so I'm bringing it up again.

How to decide?

My current work is over 42k words and is a lesbian vampire story that's pretty heavy on the mind control. So where the heck to I put this? Novels? MC? Lesbian? Horror?

Break it up into chapters and classify each one separately? I thought of this but then I end up with a long series all in separate cats and I'm not to fond of that idea.

So do I go with the 'heaviest' category so as not to offend those that were looking for some light reading? Or post in Lesbian as a generic catchall? I'm so confused.

How do you decice when you have something that crosses catagories, especially a long work?

 

[rgraham666]

Sounds to me like SF/Fantasy would work the best.

You never know what you're going to encounter in that category.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Sounds to me like SF/Fantasy would work the best.

You never know what you're going to encounter in that category.

True.

Honestly I hadn't even considered that catagory. When I think of that cat, for me it's usually the Sci-Fi that comes to mind and not the fantasy part. Any idea how the reader base is in that cat? I know I shouldn't really base my decision wholy on that but I have been writing this for a year now, it would be nice if someone actually read it.

 

[cloudy]

If it's a vampire story, it could even go in Non-human.

 

[Guest]

I'm guessing that, if you didn't have a vampire with mind-control powers, you'd have a very different story. On that basis, SF/fantasy seems most appropriate. If there are significant horror elements, then perhaps Erotic Horror.

 

[tickledkitty]

I think Cloudy's right. Nonhuman.

People seem to love nonhuman stories, especially long, chaptered ones.

 

[Darkniciad]

You'll get more readers in Non-Human than Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and with the Vamps as the central characters, it's appropriate.

Either of those categories will hold all the other elements without a problem. The only thing you might want to do is warn about major squicks (M/M in particular) at the beginning of any chapter where it happens.

The readers in those cats are pretty good about heeding such warnings, and if you can point out at what point said scenes occur ( an obvious lead up without actually starting the act ) then they'll skim and finish the story after the bit that makes them wince.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Just so long as the vampires aren't cheating on each other so you'd be tempted to put it in Loving Wives.



Over half the Non-human cat seems to be vampires, anyway, so they'll expect it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I got complaints from some women on a lesbian story that had strong BDSM in it.

On the other hand, I got complaints from men about the way the lesbians were portrayed, and I hadn't written it for the straight guys.

*shrug*

 

[Weird Harold]

My current work is over 42k words and is a lesbian vampire story that's pretty heavy on the mind control. So where the heck to I put this? Novels? MC? Lesbian? Horror?

The novels and novellas category exists because of questions and stories like yours. It was added to provide a place for long stories that include many categories.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

It will get lost in "Novels."

I think non-human, with a disclaimer at the top informing readers its primary relationships are lesbian in nature would get you the best audience and let those not interested in lesbian stories backclick faster without being annoyed they spent time reading it (and then leave you a crappy score because they don't like f/f stories...)

 

[michchick98]

Yes I know it's been discussed a million times. But I'm still fighting with my current story and trying to decide what category to post it in so I'm bringing it up again.

How to decide?

My current work is over 42k words and is a lesbian vampire story that's pretty heavy on the mind control. So where the heck to I put this? Novels? MC? Lesbian? Horror?

Break it up into chapters and classify each one separately? I thought of this but then I end up with a long series all in separate cats and I'm not to fond of that idea.

So do I go with the 'heaviest' category so as not to offend those that were looking for some light reading? Or post in Lesbian as a generic catchall? I'm so confused.

How do you decice when you have something that crosses catagories, especially a long work?

I agree with the others, Non-Human (with the F/F disclaimer for those readers who aren't fond of that category) would probably be best. But with all the different elements in the story, you could probably put it in Novels and Novellas also since that category basically covers everything. Although the readership in that category is much, much lower than the rest.

 

[Stella_Omega]

CD, what about offering this to a publisher, instead?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Ok, so I admit it, I am a bit of a vote whore. Thats what scares me about the Novels section, the low amount of views. I can just see it getting lost in the shuffle, languishing away with 6 votes... forever.

I suppose the non human may work but it's perhaps a bit of a stretch. The story is actually about a girl being sought by a vampire, not the vampire itself. So the vamp only shows up in the prolog and towards the end, though it's aluded to several times throughout.

Maybe I will just post it in the Loving Wives section. It will get masacered but at least it will get alot of views.

The more I think of it I'm beginning to lean towards MC. It's another catchall catagory and the story does have a fairly high MC content.

Stella, I seriously doubt anything I write is marketable for anyone.

 

[Darkniciad]

If you put it in MC, I'd suggest adding a vampire disclaimer, as well as the FF disclaimer in a note at the top.

What you're describing fits pretty well into the fantasy category, too, if the MC is coming from the off-screen Vamp.

The category is certainly on the low end of the voting scale, though. I have one story with 190 votes, but it's an anomaly. ( VDay contest story, featuring Laresa at the height of the chain's popularity )

Otherwise, I'm pulling in around 40-60 votes, and fairly established in the category.

Ok, so I admit it, I am a bit of a vote whore. Thats what scares me about the Novels section, the low amount of views. I can just see it getting lost in the shuffle, languishing away with 6 votes... forever.

I suppose the non human may work but it's perhaps a bit of a stretch. The story is actually about a girl being sought by a vampire, not the vampire itself. So the vamp only shows up in the prolog and towards the end, though it's aluded to several times throughout.

Maybe I will just post it in the Loving Wives section. It will get masacered but at least it will get alot of views.

The more I think of it I'm beginning to lean towards MC. It's another catchall catagory and the story does have a fairly high MC content.

Stella, I seriously doubt anything I write is marketable for anyone.