To Tag, or Not to Tag?

[Pureotica]

Most of my erotica involves characters whose prior limits are being challenged.

My kink profile tends toward "vanilla with sprinkles."

I avoid ambush kink in service of informed consent. I'd rather have someone pass me by, than unintentionally violate their hard-no list. My Nude Day project comfortably qualifies for an exhibitionist tag for its themes. It's big toe barely nudges the line of some mild BDSM. I doubt it'll appeal to an BDSM aficionado. Any suggestions toward a best practice? Which side should I err on?

Tag it BDSM and underwhelm the fans of the genre, or don't tag, and risk the ire of the innocent who stumbled into it accidently? Is it a "one drop" rule, or a judgment call? I'm still learning to navigate the community.

I'm genuinely excited about the story. It's experimental, but I think it's some of my best work. I want it to find the right audience.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think one should always try to use the maximum number of 10 tags if one can. That's what I do. Why not? By doing so you both enhance the ability of readers to find your story AND put readers on notice of the content of the story so they can knowingly choose it or avoid it.

To pick tags, start with the category in which it's going to go, and then check the tag list for that category, picking tags that apply to your story. Pick things from your story that you think have particular kinky value. For example, if I published an exhibitionist story that featured a woman in a bikini, I would definitely pick "bikini" as a tag because it's exactly the kind of titillating word that people who like exhibitionist stories will be attracted to.

For my story In the Hallway, which is an extremely mild BDSM story, I used the tags "dominance", "submission", and "BDSM." That story has done very well. It has been my highest rated story ever since I published it well over 6 years ago. It's about dominance and submission games and word play rather than any hard core sadism or masochism. Power exchange is the key element there.

With tags, I think the more the merrier, up to the limit of 10.

 

[Pureotica]

A snippet for context. It doesn't get much more hardcore.

The MC is a college student, modelling nude for the first time in an artist's studio.

"He tugs a black drape from a side table, freeing the collection of objects shrouded beneath. A pair of bulky leather cuffs, trailing lengths of broken chain. A collar. Not a dog’s. Thicker. The type used to subdue a slave."

 

[gunhilltrain]

Most of my erotica involves characters whose prior limits are being challenged.

My kink profile tends toward "vanilla with sprinkles."

I avoid ambush kink in service of informed consent. I'd rather have someone pass me by, than unintentionally violate their hard-no list. My Nude Day project comfortably qualifies for an exhibitionist tag for its themes. It's big toe barely nudges the line of some mild BDSM. I doubt it'll appeal to an BDSM aficionado. Any suggestions toward a best practice? Which side should I err on?

Tag it BDSM and underwhelm the fans of the genre, or don't tag, and risk the ire of the innocent who stumbled into it accidently? Is it a "one drop" rule, or a judgment call? I'm still learning to navigate the community.

I'm genuinely excited about the story. It's experimental, but I think it's some of my best work. I want it to find the right audience.

Generally, I'd agree with Simon, as a rule of thumb. However, there may be times when it's not good to use a certain tag. Probably the examples you used illustrate that. They can also be spoilers and give away a surprise ending. So, yes, it is a judgment call.

 

[SimonDoom]

In response to what you just wrote. I believe the key for BDSM is not the presence of certain kinds of tools or toys but the relationship between the characters. You hint at a slave being subdued. Is she?

 

[Pureotica]

I think one should always try to use the maximum number of 10 tags if one can. That's what I do. Why not? By doing so you both enhance the ability of readers to find your story AND put readers on notice of the content of the story so they can knowingly choose it or avoid it.

To pick tags, start with the category in which it's going to go, and then check the tag list for that category, picking tags that apply to your story. Pick things from your story that you think have particular kinky value. For example, if I published an exhibitionist story that featured a woman in a bikini, I would definitely pick "bikini" as a tag because it's exactly the kind of titillating word that people who like exhibitionist stories will be attracted to.

For my story In the Hallway, which is an extremely mild BDSM story, I used the tags "dominance", "submission", and "BDSM." That story has done very well. It has been my highest rated story ever since I published it well over 6 years ago. It's about dominance and submission games and word play rather than any hard core sadism or masochism. Power exchange is the key element there.

With tags, I think the more the merrier, up to the limit of 10.

Thanks, that's helpful.

My MC is modelling nude, and shifts from awkwardness to arousal when the artist locks a collar around her neck. It's more about her response than his action.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

As Simon says, use tags to the maximum of ten. And use the most relevant ones for the story. I often run into the situation where specific kinks are not listed because I could not fit them all. So I include a catch all tag instead. Eg, instead of listing "furniture play", "animal play", and "service play" I leave it at "humiliation" and that is that. And I have often given away key twists for the sake of informed reader consent. As it is, I still end up with unhappy customers that downvote or nasty comment on occassion because they read something that is not their cup of tea. And with tags, you will later get over time readers that do want to read that kind of stuff.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Most of my erotica involves characters whose prior limits are being challenged.

My kink profile tends toward "vanilla with sprinkles."

I avoid ambush kink in service of informed consent. I'd rather have someone pass me by, than unintentionally violate their hard-no list. My Nude Day project comfortably qualifies for an exhibitionist tag for its themes. It's big toe barely nudges the line of some mild BDSM. I doubt it'll appeal to an BDSM aficionado. Any suggestions toward a best practice? Which side should I err on?

Tag it BDSM and underwhelm the fans of the genre, or don't tag, and risk the ire of the innocent who stumbled into it accidently? Is it a "one drop" rule, or a judgment call? I'm still learning to navigate the community.

I'm genuinely excited about the story. It's experimental, but I think it's some of my best work. I want it to find the right audience.

Giving some general advice like the one you are asking for can be quite tricky, as different people have different approaches to sifting through the massive amount of stories on Lit. Personally, there are only a few tags that would make me avoid a certain story, yet many times, I decided not to read some story simply because it wasn't tagged, or it had only a few general tags.
I suppose that might seem strange, but as I read only longer stories, I do not want to waste a considerable amount of time only to encounter something I dislike in the story, or to find out that the story simply isn't my thing. Tags are super important to me as a reader, but as I said, it is hard to say how many readers think like me(A fun fact is that I started looking at tags only after several years of reading stories on Lit). Some general logic and reading experience tell me that you get more than you lose with tagging, but again, it is very hard to say for sure.

 

[NoTalentHack]

A snippet for context. It doesn't get much more hardcore.

The MC is a college student, modelling nude for the first time in an artist's studio.

"He tugs a black drape from a side table, freeing the collection of objects shrouded beneath. A pair of bulky leather cuffs, trailing lengths of broken chain. A collar. Not a dog’s. Thicker. The type used to subdue a slave."

I mean, you have most of your tags right there, even without going into generalities:

student, collar, model, cmnf (clothed male, naked female), cuffs (or handcuffs), enf (embarrassed naked female).

That's six right there. Is there an age differential (older man, younger woman)? What about positions, sex acts, setting, etc.? Is she reluctant? Is there some sort of power exchange/imbalance? Is it a blossoming romance or a one-off? Just that little snippet hints at a BUNCH of possible tags.

Remember, the tags aren't just there for broad categories; they're also there for more specific interests, including fetish-y stuff. The fact that a collar is involved in any way might be enough to draw interest, as is the cmnf/enf aspect, the modelling aspect, etc.

 

[Pureotica]

In response to what you just wrote. I believe the key for BDSM is not the presence of certain kinds of tools or toys but the relationship between the characters. You hint at a slave being subdued. Is she?

Here's a bit more. It's a pre-edit version, so not ready for prime-time, but gives a sense of what I'm aiming for. It's far more about her response than his actions at this point in the escalation. He becomes more dominant later, but it's still at the spicy-vanilla end of the spectrum. Not hardcore. The tension escalates gradually, and both resist until they don't, if that makes sense. The crux if the story is her modesty with nudity morphing into arousal. Her resistance, and eventual acquiescence, to that process. At this point, I'm leaning toward no BDSM tag, because I think there are more appropriate and useful ones. It's an exhibitionist story, standing on its head, with a side of age-gap power dynamics. Sorry for the formatting. Copy/ past plays havok. Your feedback was helpful and appreciated.

"In our time together we’ve never touched. No matter how intimate his focus, it has been distinctly asexual and chained to professional standards of propriety.



Claude’s fingers on my neck. That’s the moment I felt naked. My neck is an erogenous zone. Want me tangled in your limbs and panting, kiss me there.



Just the lightest brush of skin on skin as he fastens the collar in place. Thick and weighty. Almost a yoke.



Claude is as professional as ever. Nothing provocative in the incidental contact. But every synapse in my system fires with electricity. My skin is suddenly a sex organ.



I know it’s wrong. Something dark inside me slithers to the surface when the artist locks the collar in place. With the click of the bulky padlock, heat floods my pussy."

 

[Pureotica]

Giving some general advice like the one you are asking for can be quite tricky, as different people have different approaches to sifting through the massive amount of stories on Lit. Personally, there are only a few tags that would make me avoid a certain story, yet many times, I decided not to read some story simply because it wasn't tagged, or it had only a few general tags.
I suppose that might seem strange, but as I read only longer stories, I do not want to waste a considerable amount of time only to encounter something I dislike in the story, or to find out that the story simply isn't my thing. Tags are super important to me as a reader, but as I said, it is hard to say how many readers think like me(A fun fact is that I started looking at tags only after several years of reading stories on Lit). Some general logic and reading experience tell me that you get more than you lose with tagging, but again, it is very hard to say for sure.

I appreciate the feedback. I often suffer from category confusion because Lit's categories are over-broad and fuzzily defined. Some of my stuff is stories with sex, rather than situations built around a particular kink. In practice, my characters often arrive at some poly/harem multi-partner arrangement, but few would call themselves swingers or hot-wives, and most struggle with the path to that destination. There isn't a neat category for my stuff. lol. I happily embrace my niche appeal, but I'm still trying to define myself in order to find my audience.

I'm more about exploring character than appealing to particular kinks. It's not always a straight and narrow path. It tends to wander.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm leaning toward no BDSM tag, because I think there are more appropriate and useful ones. It's an exhibitionist story, standing on its head, with a side of age-gap power dynamics.

You've answered your own question.

Tags are to draw people into your story, they're not squick warnings for marshmallows - which some people seem to think.

 

[Pureotica]

I mean, you have most of your tags right there, even without going into generalities:

student, collar, model, cmnf (clothed male, naked female), cuffs (or handcuffs), enf (embarrassed naked female).

That's six right there. Is there an age differential (older man, younger woman)? What about positions, sex acts, setting, etc.? Is she reluctant? Is there some sort of power exchange/imbalance? Is it a blossoming romance or a one-off? Just that little snippet hints at a BUNCH of possible tags.

Remember, the tags aren't just there for broad categories; they're also there for more specific interests, including fetish-y stuff. The fact that a collar is involved in any way might be enough to draw interest, as is the cmnf/enf aspect, the modelling aspect, etc.

Thanks for the helpful feedback. My background is genre fiction, not erotica, so I'm still a babe in the woods, regarding the particuallrs of kink.

You've answered your own question.

Tags are to draw people into your story, they're not squick warnings for marshmallows - which some people seem to think.

I understand. I was operating under the two-birds/one stone theory of efficiency.

I'm probably over thinking anyway. So far I haven't written anything that will stir up any but the most strident among the torch-and-pitchfork brigade. I'm not against writing more hardcore stuff, but not confident enough I can write some of it well. Once I build some confidence, I'll take some bigger creative risks.

I have a general problem with categories and tags because my stuff is kind of different to begin with. But I put a lot of creativity into it, and I'm proud of it. I don't want to throw away the time I spent learning structure and technique, just because I'm writing sex oriented stories. I want my stories to be sexy. I also want them to be creative, meaningful, and as good my current skills can make them. I don't intend any snobbery in that. I respect everyone with the courage to place their work in such a public forum. I'm also happy to learn from anyone. The fulfilling aspect of writing is there's always another skill to master. You're never "there" but you're always moving toward it.

I have no anxiety about the people who won't like my work. That's just a part of writing. There's no such thing as universal appeal. I have an irrational amount of anxiety about placing my stories in the right place so that people who enjoy it will find it. I know my stuff is likely niche, so I want to make sure I'm over the target before I release the bomb.

I guess I need to put more stuff out there, be more active in the forum, and see how it goes.

My paltry catalog isn't much of a baseline around here. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

The tags are to help people find stories with a search engine.
If you want to dissuade readers who won't like certain content, you can't assume they've seen the list of other tags, or any at all. I have the same problem of not fitting into categories so often put a line of blurb at the start, and/or list all the tags so everyone sees them.

For example, my most recent story was for Geek Pride and in Humor & Satire, which I figured was better than BDSM, EC or Group:

"This story talks about BDSM, but don't worry -- it's just a group of friends indulging in dirty talk and silly chat while playing a board game, a bit of nudity, and our narrator going down on her fiancé, resulting in some truly terrible jokes. The spanking is mild; the puns cruel and tortuous. You have been warned."

No-one complained about the kink, anyway.

 

[Pureotica]

The tags are to help people find stories with a search engine.
If you want to dissuade readers who won't like certain content, you can't assume they've seen the list of other tags, or any at all. I have the same problem of not fitting into categories so often put a line of blurb at the start, and/or list all the tags so everyone sees them.

For example, my most recent story was for Geek Pride and in Humor & Satire, which I figured was better than BDSM, EC or Group:

"This story talks about BDSM, but don't worry -- it's just a group of friends indulging in dirty talk and silly chat while playing a board game, a bit of nudity, and our narrator going down on her fiancé, resulting in some truly terrible jokes. The spanking is mild; the puns cruel and tortuous. You have been warned."

No-one complained about the kink, anyway.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestion. I try to condense a plot to a one or two sentence summary for my own clarity. Maybe I can include it my opening blurb, because it describes the character and core conflict. Listing inclusion and intensity of kink in the blurb sound like a good idea, too.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm probably over thinking anyway. So far I haven't written anything that will stir up any but the most strident among the torch-and-pitchfork brigade. I'm not against writing more hardcore stuff, but not confident enough I can write some of it well. Once I build some confidence, I'll take some bigger creative risks.

I have a general problem with categories and tags because my stuff is kind of different to begin with. But I put a lot of creativity into it, and I'm proud of it. I don't want to throw away the time I spent learning structure and technique, just because I'm writing sex oriented stories.

It's pretty easy to identify the swamps, and not to swim in them.

You'll be fine .

 

[Pureotica]

It's pretty easy to identify the swamps, and not to swim in them.

You'll be fine .

I'll contort a story any way I can to avoid LW.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'll contort a story any way I can to avoid LW.

You don't need to contort your story. In most cases there will be other categories in which you can post an LW story. I've done that without consciously trying to change the content of the story and it works just fine.