Story Tag Question

[GhulehZombieQueen]

Hi folks-

Apologies if this is a thoughtless question from a newbie. A friend introduced me to Literotica, and I enthusiastically jumped in with both feet rather than lurk about and learn the ropes. (To be honest, I mostly started because I wanted to impress my friend, but I found that this has been a tremendous amount of fun.) I'm a published writer, but I'd never attempted anything remotely close to erotica. The first sex scene I wrote kinda faded away to the metaphorical curtains when things got hot and heavy.

Anyway, when I submitted my first story (ACROPHOBIA), I made a half-hearted attempt at assigning it some story tags. When I submitted my second one (HIT AND RUN- which I know is a generic and somewhat inaccurate title as the one comment points out), I was in a rush and just wanted to get the damn thing out of my system, so I didn't bother writing any story tags.

So, in my typical long winded fashion, how important are story tags? After reading the FAQs and as many stories as I could, I've realized that my stories are essentially eyedroppers in an ocean, and like any other author, I'd like as many readers as possible. I do understand that erotic fiction is its own beast, and the majority readers are looking for very specific elements that float their boat.

Should I impose on the webmasters and resubmit the story, this time trying to find some appropriate story tags? I've already done it once, to fix a few missing words, and the fact that I included the damn title when I copied and pasted it in the submission box.

I've also realized that even though I consider HIT AND RUN to be initially a reluctance/non-consent story, it's probably not what many readers of that particular genre are looking for, in the sense that it doesn't feature a young woman getting raped who eventually comes to realize that she likes it.

But perhaps that is a subject for a different thread.

Many thanks.

 

[NotWise]

Mmmm. That's the subject of several different threads. Over and over, so don't feel like you're the first person to be concerned about the issue.

Also, don't be too worried about the edktor's time. It's her site and her job.

I think the story tags are almost meaningless for a new story. The story title and short description are more important for a new story. The tags are useful (I suppose) when people are searching for stories in a specific category. Other people can give you better guidance than I can, but generally they need to emphasise the gooey aspects of the story and they don't even need to be very accurate.

It looks to me like it's at least as important to be here for a while so that readers know who you are. There are a lot of different routes for people to find your stories after you've been posting for a while. Especially if you enter in the various contests.

 

[Hypoxia]

Promised for many years: a tag-based system rather than categories. Hold not thy breath.

As NotWise said, they don't matter for new stories but are useful for searching. I tag all my stuff; whether my views increase as a result, I dunno.

You can prepare for the future by using good tags. Hopefully they'll be useful some time before the heat death of the universe.

As for writing here: We start off anxious, with authorial buck fever, shoving our copy out the door and into readers' awareness. We calm down after a bit. We usually realize that unless we're pumping out crud, it's better to be patient. Write the thang. Sit on it for a few days. Re-read it in a different font so its looks different. Notice and fix all the flubs. THEN submit it for the world to see.

At first we may be anxious about vote scores and nasty comments. Feh. Decide whether you write to gain brownie points, or for your own satisfaction. I now collect negative comments; if I've provoked readers to respond then I've grabbed their attention and done my job. My lowest-scoring story is also my most-read and most-favorited. Those faves tell me I'm doing something right. And it was fun to write. Winners all around, eh?

 

[Laurel]

Hi folks-

Apologies if this is a thoughtless question from a newbie. A friend introduced me to Literotica, and I enthusiastically jumped in with both feet rather than lurk about and learn the ropes. (To be honest, I mostly started because I wanted to impress my friend, but I found that this has been a tremendous amount of fun.) I'm a published writer, but I'd never attempted anything remotely close to erotica. The first sex scene I wrote kinda faded away to the metaphorical curtains when things got hot and heavy.

Anyway, when I submitted my first story (ACROPHOBIA), I made a half-hearted attempt at assigning it some story tags. When I submitted my second one (HIT AND RUN- which I know is a generic and somewhat inaccurate title as the one comment points out), I was in a rush and just wanted to get the damn thing out of my system, so I didn't bother writing any story tags.

So, in my typical long winded fashion, how important are story tags? After reading the FAQs and as many stories as I could, I've realized that my stories are essentially eyedroppers in an ocean, and like any other author, I'd like as many readers as possible. I do understand that erotic fiction is its own beast, and the majority readers are looking for very specific elements that float their boat.

Should I impose on the webmasters and resubmit the story, this time trying to find some appropriate story tags? I've already done it once, to fix a few missing words, and the fact that I included the damn title when I copied and pasted it in the submission box.

I've also realized that even though I consider HIT AND RUN to be initially a reluctance/non-consent story, it's probably not what many readers of that particular genre are looking for, in the sense that it doesn't feature a young woman getting raped who eventually comes to realize that she likes it.

But perhaps that is a subject for a different thread.

Many thanks.

Story Tags are pretty important, as a good percentage of readers navigate the site using our Tag Portal:
https://tags.literotica.com/
and via Search
https://search.literotica.com/
which highly values tags.

They are a huge source of readers after the initial New Page burst, and can help you find a following of people who enjoy what you're writing - provided the tags accurately depict the content of the story. Tags will become even more important in the future.

Please read this How-To for help on choosing tags:
https://www.literotica.com/s/story-tags

You can submit a Tags-Only edit of a story by submitting an edit as explained in this FAQ:
http://literotica.com/faq/05235347.shtml#05313767
but instead of EDIT write TAGS CHANGE ONLY (or TAGS ONLY if you don't have room). In the description and story field you can just write "TAGS CHANGE ONLY". Put your new tags in the TAGS field. Hit Submit. We'll replace the tags and leave your submission, comments, and views intact.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to Private Message me by clicking my username.

BTW, I enjoyed "Hit & Run". The characters were deftly drawn, and the twist was a pleasant surprise.

 

[GhulehZombieQueen]

Thanks so much folks, I truly appreciate the advice.

Now that I know how to add tags without minimal fuss, I'll do my best to come up with at least a few.

And absolutely, it's my own damn fault for being in a hurry. I really should've known better. Got caught up in having fun, and mostly needed to get it out of my system so I could work on my stuff that has deadlines. It's awfully easy to get... distracted around this site.

Bad reviews don't bother me that much. Everybody's got their own opinion, and one story will work for some folks, and not others. Different strokes for different folks, especially around here.

One of my favorite reviews is on Amazon for my first book, where the reviewer ripped the novel apart for four or five paragraphs, ultimately ending with something like, "Whoever published this turd deserves to get waterboarded, and I want my money back." Granted, it was just a small press, but still a tad harsh.

 

[49greg]

I read a lot more than I write. I search for stories nearly exclusively using story tags, so for me they're very important.

My suggestion for finding tags is go the tags portal and search the tags there. If there are several that are similar and all describe some aspect of your story, pick the one in the largest type - I think that means there's more stories using those.

I will have to follow Laurel's links to find how the site suggest they be used and chosen.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

I often check the tags for a section before posting my story. It helps guide with choosing the tags I want to use. Additionally, it can guide me with choosing categories for those stories that don't seem to neatly fit into just one. If the tags that first come to mind are popular in the category I'm considering, then I believe my story will be a good fit in that category, too.

Good luck and welcome to Literotica.com!

 

[ishtat]

http://literotica.com/faq/05235347.shtml#05313767

BTW, I enjoyed "Hit & Run". The characters were deftly drawn, and the twist was a pleasant surprise.

You might consider framing this comment!. Laurel has to get through up to 100 stories a day - most of which are, well - not masterpieces. The fact that she noticed yours, read it, and commented positively, is extraordinarily rare. Put it in your Sig line - it will make other authors more than a tad jealous.

It's not a green "E" - it's a much rarer compliment.

 

[timelord1963]

Story tags

Try to get 10 story tags. A lot of readers select a genre and then use one or more story tags to refine their search. Since you want to get as many readers as possible they more you have the more people you get to read your story.I am sure every sex scene is not the same so you can have a different tag for each. even if it is something as simple as TWINS.
Open up the tag portal to see if you get any ideas, then perhaps read a couple of the better ones and see why it was taged that way.

 

[LusciousLoralie]

I read a lot more than I write. I search for stories nearly exclusively using story tags, so for me they're very important.

Same here. Some of my kinks are considered rather niche so story tags are the easiest and, in my opinion, best way to find things that I would be interested in reading. They might not matter when a story is new but it won't be new forever.