Thinking of pivoting to Erotic Couplings exclusively*

[OffNSFW]

*At least, more or less.

I had a thought just now, and it may change the way I categorize my stories and submit them to this site. I may have been misinterpreting the category system and the value it has for readers this whole time.

Erotic Couplings seems to be the catch-all category for stories that don't clearly appeal to any particular specialized interest. It's where a couple of my stories have ended up, because they didn't have a clearly applicable category (e.g. "Summer of Sydney") or because they had too many applicable categories (e.g. "12 Short Stories About Sex"). For everything else, I pick the highlight of the story and make that the category (e.g. "The First Instruction" in Toys & Masturbation).

Aside from my gay stuff (e.g. "Dear Straight Men 2," my most successful story to date), my category choices may be hindering my stories from finding the right audience.

The reason, I believe, is that when I write a story about X, it usually isn't the kind of story that people are looking for when they specifically want a story about X. X happens in the story, but it isn't the point of the story. Know what I mean?

Take my newest story, "Gift Givers." There are only two major characters, they're lesbians, and they have sex, so "Lesbian Sex" seemed like an obvious choice.

But hot girl-on-girl action isn't really at the center of the story. The actual plot centers around a pair of sex toys. Maybe "Toys & Masturbation" would have made it easier for a reader who's interested in this subject matter to find it. Maybe readers in the mood for hot girl-on-girl action are clicking on it, realizing that it's not quite what they had in mind, and coming away underwhelmed.

The fact that the characters are lesbians isn't the point of the fantasy. They're lesbians because... well, they just are.

Then there's "Role Play" (in Group Sex, but more of a psychological mystery), "Homework Assignment" (in Exhibitionist & Voyeur, but more of a solo fantasy thing), "Claire's Belly" (in Lesbian Sex, but more about lesbian attraction with masturbation and voyeurism, and there isn't any actual direct lesbian contact in it!)...

And maybe the fact that there are multiple applicable categories for a story means that it's not really for readers specifically interested in any one of them. Maybe it's just for readers who want a good read that will get them off and stay with them after.

It looks like a job for Erotic Couplings. Maybe that's where most of my stories belong.

Just thinking aloud.

 

[StillStunned]

In my experience, EC is a welcoming category. Not I&C numbers, but I have a couple there with 20k views and fairly decent scores. Not much in the way of comments, though.

 

[Britva415]

Go ahead and do it. You'll get people here telling you "EC is for losers, nobody will read your stuff if you put it there" but if that's where it goes, that's where it goes.

I for one refuse to contrive kinks I don't appreciate or scenarios I wasn't inspired by, just to shoehorn what I wanted to write into a category where it might "perform" better.

If I HAVE such an inspiration, great, but dot dot dot

On the other hand, I might not avoid putting a story in a category which is relevant. I have one which I did put in EC but almost certainly qualifies for Anal. I don't know how hard it would have pushed the buttons of that category's readers, because it was more about seduction and experimentation than "hard core anal" with an intense focus.

 

[Erozetta]

Go ahead and do it. You'll get people here telling you "EC is for losers, nobody will read your stuff if you put it there" but if that's where it goes, that's where it goes.

I for one refuse to contrive kinks I don't appreciate or scenarios I wasn't inspired by, just to shoehorn what I wanted to write into a category where it might "perform" better.

If I HAVE such an inspiration, great, but dot dot dot

On the other hand, I might not avoid putting a story in a category which is relevant. I have one which I did put in EC but almost certainly qualifies for Anal. I don't know how hard it would have pushed the buttons of that category's readers, because it was more about seduction and experimentation than "hard core anal" with an intense focus.

Yeah, that's why I put my Halloween story in EC. That backfired spectacularly.

 

[THBGato]

Take my newest story, "Gift Givers." There are only two major characters, they're lesbians, and they have sex, so "Lesbian Sex" seemed like an obvious choice.

But hot girl-on-girl action isn't really at the center of the story. The actual plot centers around a pair of sex toys. Maybe "Toys & Masturbation" would have made it easier for a reader who's interested in this subject matter to find it. Maybe readers in the mood for hot girl-on-girl action are clicking on it, realizing that it's not quite what they had in mind, and coming away underwhelmed.

The fact that the characters are lesbians isn't the point of the fantasy. They're lesbians because... well, they just are.

The current trend in Lesbian Sex (which I suspect has been the case for a good decade or so) is that the stories that do well in lesbian are basically Romance stories with two women. They are nearly all HEA and near all involve at least one of the women having her first experience with another woman. Having a really poignant/moving coming out scene also goes down really well. Look at CareyThomas, OneHitWanda, most of JCMCNeilly or BrokenSpokes.

Stuff with pre-existing couples doesn't have the frisson that I think readers there are looking for, even if the sex is hot. So you might be right that EC is better for your kind of stories involving lesbians.

 

[Britva415]

I put my Halloween story in EC. That backfired spectacularly.

How so?

Are you talking about "performance?"

If someone is seeking "performance," then yeah, EC might not be the go-to.

 

[Erozetta]

How so?

Are you talking about "performance?"

If someone is seeking "performance," then yeah, EC might not be the go-to.

"It's a low engagement category where stories go to die" said someone somewhere at sometime.

Cool, that's exactly what I want!

Story: "Hold my beer you sober bitch!"

Me: Drinks beer as I watch the story perform stupidly well. Well, that didn't fucking work.

 

[StillStunned]

"It's a low engagement category where stories go to die" said someone somewhere at sometime.

Cool, that's exactly what I want!

Story: "Hold my beer you sober bitch!"

Me: Drinks beer as I watch the story perform stupidly well. Well, that didn't fucking work.

Sometimes you can't blame the category. Sometimes it's all the writer's fault if their story performs well.

 

[Bazzle]

EC is like Fetish a mixing pot of different stories?

 

[Erozetta]

Sometimes you can't blame the category. Sometimes it's all the writer's fault if their story performs well.

Nah, it's fully the fault of the readers. They like what they like and I didn't expect reluctant kitten play coworkers with a meddling friend to be that liked. I've learned my lesson. I'm going back to writing things I'm not into.

 

[Britva415]

EC is like Fetish a mixing pot of different stories?

Personally I don't think that the strategy of putting a story there because the story "could" fit multiple different categories is a great one.

I think EC is for hot-but-vanilla sex.

However, it also does have a lot of other-category stories in it, and I feel like the reason is that newer authors will put kink, fetish or queer stuff there because they haven't invested in optimizing the category OR they feel like their story isn't hard-core enough for one of the narrow categories.

 

[MrHereWriting]

Thinking of pivoting to Erotic Couplings exclusively​

https://mrhere.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F766972112556654592

Seriously, post them to wherever you feel they'll be most appreciated.

 

[AllenWoody]

I sometimes wonder if a completely tag-driven system would work better. No categories, but you have to put in at least X tags for your story. That way readers could search on whatever they want, and authors could express the subtleties of their work with multiple tags.

 

[mildlyaroused]

EC has a bad rep in some circles here, but I've never understood why. Granted, my EC (writing) experience isn't particularly deep - I've only posted one story there, which has 18.3k views and a rating of 4.72 - but from that plus the reading I manage, it doesn't seem at all like the graveyard it's sometimes described as.

The figures on that one story far outstrip the average in many categories. They may also be higher than average for EC specifically, but it proves that there are eyes on the category. Since it's a bit of a catch-all space, audiences choose what to read more on a one-to-one basis rather than because of specific kinks. Good stories can excel. It's more freeing than trying to conform to other category conventions.

 

[sophism]

I sometimes wonder if a completely tag-driven system would work better. No categories, but you have to put in at least X tags for your story. That way readers could search on whatever they want, and authors could express the subtleties of their work with multiple tags.

Purely from an author's point of view, I would hate it. I get stressed selecting tags as it is!

 

[Britva415]

I sometimes wonder if a completely tag-driven system would work better. No categories, but you have to put in at least X tags for your story. That way readers could search on whatever they want, and authors could express the subtleties of their work with multiple tags.

I too would kind of appreciate mandatory tags, but readers and authors can already do this, without authors stepping outside of the categories ecosystem (they can't) or readers having to step into it (they don't).

 

[RejectReality]

Just dig a little deeper when you're considering the category. You did that for the lesbian toy one you mentioned after the fact. If your gut is telling you it's a toy story and the orientation of the participants isn't important, then go that way. You probably get opened more in Lesbian Sex, but the readership there has a cadre of purists ( much like BDSM ) who demand certain things. ( One of which is not to be male for some of them ) so if you're not really pushing a lot of the right buttons, the early low scores can tank the readership enough to pull it down to T&M or EC levels anyway. Those two categories are more or less a toss-up in my opinion. T&M is light readership, and EC is a grab bag with transient readership.

If you set your automated default to EC, you're going to end up leaving a lot on the table. Nearly anything can go in EC, so if your thought is "does this fit here" it's always going to come up positive.

Category selection can make or break a story. Take the time to study the categories, look at comments, etc. Get to know them. Make an informed choice. Don't just say "Screw it. EC". Or, you may get lucky and Laurel will move things to a more appropriate category. That happens more often with stories submitted to Erotic Couplings than anywhere else from what I've seen. That's how Laurel introduced me to the reader gold mine that is the Mature category.

 

[Voboy]

EC is weird, and I can't really suss it out. Some stories I post there get monster numbers and big engagement. Most stories I post there struggle a bit more. I generally try to avoid posting much there, mostly because I feel deep down inside that I don't really understand it.

 

[NotWise]

I sometimes wonder if a completely tag-driven system would work better. No categories, but you have to put in at least X tags for your story. That way readers could search on whatever they want, and authors could express the subtleties of their work with multiple tags.

Without policing, the system is easily abused. People are prone to finding out which tags get the most attention and using that tag, whether it applies or not.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My second most commented on story is in EC.

No problems there:

Rope and Veil Pt. 01
Amelia is tied with ropes and sits in her wheelchair.
06/04/2015 in Erotic Couplings Stories
4.76 / 304
51 faves
38.8k views
33 comments

 

[WhiteTailDarkTip]

My co-writer persuaded me to enter our Halloween story in Romance and within a month it's my most read and most rated story. Previously I mostly posted in EC because that seemed to be the most appropriate. That was before I realised how cliquey the whole genre thing is on Lit. Thank goodness I steered clear of LW

 

[Erozetta]

My co-writer persuaded me to enter our Halloween story in Romance and within a month it's my most read and most rated story. Previously I mostly posted in EC because that seemed to be the most appropriate. That was before I realised how cliquey the whole genre thing is on Lit. Thank goodness I steered clear of LW

Romance does great numbers as long as you hit their kinks just right. It was admittedly a gamble with Bethany and George thrown into the mix, but ultimately, the story was all about the romance between Will and Ayela and getting them to their happily ever after.

It would've fit in EC as well, but I think the length would've deterred a lot of those readers where romance readers seem to really enjoy wordier tales.

 

[yowser]

Sounds like this might be a moment to reflect on your motivations as a writer, usually never a bad thing, unless doing so dries up the creativity well.

I'll hold that the category choice really ought to be the last thing you think about when writing a story. When you get done with your tale, it's easier to figure out which area of the bookstore to put it in, and while deciding to do EC exclusively (which admittedly simplifies the last decision part) you will likely be limiting your potential readership. If that doesn't matter to you, then there's probably nothing wrong with doing that.

Most of us have as a motivation (somewhere on our list) a desire to get folks to read our work. You've written across the board and I suspect you've attracted interest from readers who favor only one or two categories and then went on to discover your other work. Nothing wrong with that, and in fact it may work to your advantage to keep spread out if eyeballs is one of your motivations.

But I'm not going to tell you what you want, that's your decision, and the decision of any writer. My own goal is to write the best story I can (and clear the decks on the forecastle of my HMS Imagination) and then figure out the rest.

EC is the miscellaneous drawer in the kitchen, and has a good collection of decent tales. But for me, if my story has a focus (ah yes, this one really belongs in EV) you're probably going to do better by putting it where the readers are looking.