Category in a Series

[martiron]

I'm writing a series (my first one) and have a question about to what category to put it. For what I read in the forum (and for what i see in the series that I read), it is not only OK but also good etiquette to check each chapter content to decide what category to assign to that chapter (of course, always using some basic common sense)

My question is a bit different: I'm not sure what's the overall category of the series. It is between Non-consensual and dubious consent, about a couple with a hot wife (don't want to give too much away , so I'm between Reluctance/NonConsent and Loving Wives. It is OK to publish the series in both categories? Not duplicating the series, but alternating chapters between one category and the other. At the end, it is kind of similar to assign a category based on the chapter content (my idea is not to do that randomly), but more with a pre-meditated intention.

While not the objective, an additional benefit of this approach is to be able to reach a larger audience... .I guess

Thanks,
M

 

[IWroteThis]

Category hopping can be risky, and it may cause you to reach a smaller audience.

People who see chapter 2 first may skip it rather than take the time to look for chapter 1. Those who see chapter 1 may never see chapter 2. This can be especially true with Loving Wives, which has a very dedicated following, and a very dedicated non-following.

YMMV, but I would recommend picking a single category for the series.

 

[Katie_Mae]

If I am writing a chaptered story I always put each chapter in the same category-- that is the category which suits the story as a whole, because the story is to be read as a whole in the order it is posted in.
If you feel needed, you can use content warnings to warn against content which some readers may find upsetting (eg non-con, incest, death, self-harm etc).
Tags are also used to indicate which kinks are in the story, but aren't so great for actual content warnings.

If I were doing a series of linked stories, where each "unit" was its own, complete story, then I'd consider putting them in different categories, but I've not done that before.

Specifically, with non-con, there are readers who won't touch that category, and readers who don't really read outside it. I wouldn't feel comfortable putting a chaptered story part in non-con and part in another category ESPECIALLY if the non-con chapters came later. If it's non-con, then I believe that's where it should go.

(As a reader, once I start reading a story I won't notice a category shift. So if chapter 1 was non in non-con and the later chapters were, I wouldn't notice as I'd just be clicking to the next chapter.)

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm writing a series (my first one) and have a question about to what category to put it. For what I read in the forum (and for what i see in the series that I read), it is not only OK but also good etiquette to check each chapter content to decide what category to assign to that chapter (of course, always using some basic common sense)

My question is a bit different: I'm not sure what's the overall category of the series. It is between Non-consensual and dubious consent, about a couple with a hot wife (don't want to give too much away , so I'm between Reluctance/NonConsent and Loving Wives. It is OK to publish the series in both categories? Not duplicating the series, but alternating chapters between one category and the other.

I wouldn't do that, and cross-pollinating with Loving Wives might get you more engagement, but it might not be what you want. Don't go in blind!

From the brief description, the whole series in R/NC sounds more sensible to me.

 

[martiron]

Thank you @ElectricBlue , @Katie_Mae and @IWroteThis for your comments. I think that I will stick to one single category, unless the theme materially changes.

 

[Duil2]

I'm writing a series (my first one) and have a question about to what category to put it. For what I read in the forum (and for what i see in the series that I read), it is not only OK but also good etiquette to check each chapter content to decide what category to assign to that chapter (of course, always using some basic common sense)

My question is a bit different: I'm not sure what's the overall category of the series. It is between Non-consensual and dubious consent, about a couple with a hot wife (don't want to give too much away , so I'm between Reluctance/NonConsent and Loving Wives. It is OK to publish the series in both categories? Not duplicating the series, but alternating chapters between one category and the other. At the end, it is kind of similar to assign a category based on the chapter content (my idea is not to do that randomly), but more with a pre-meditated intention.

While not the objective, an additional benefit of this approach is to be able to reach a larger audience... .I guess

Thanks,
M

Also bear in mind that if there is any R/NC throughout the story I would suspect that it might be put in there when it's being published. I've had at least one story have the category I picked changed at publication.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thank you @ElectricBlue , @Katie_Mae and @IWroteThis for your comments. I think that I will stick to one single category, unless the theme materially changes.

The issue I've found with smorgasbord stories, as I call them, is that your collection of kinks won't be the same as the next guy's, and you'll always upset someone.

It's better, I reckon, to really lean into the kinks hard, but one at a time, and give them all separate stories in the appropriate categories. I really think you get a better response, doing it that way. Give readers a decent meal, rather than little bits and pieces of everything.

Edit: removed the word "board" - meant smorgasbord, just by itself

 

[martiron]

smorgasbord board stories

I will keep that analogy in mind!!!