How do you choose a Category?

Quote by krystalg
... I feel that it is your story, you're writing it because it is what you want to say, therefore it should be in the category of your choice. Nobody knows your innermost thoughts and feelings like yourself, so you should decide what category is the main bent, just as you choose the words of the story.

Quote by Meagananne1986
Haven't written much lately, unfortunately. Lack of time and lack of desire.

However, when I was writing, was trying to write in a different category each time. One of my goals was and still is - eventually - to earn a Prolific Writer Badge (author a story in 80% of the Lush story categories).

Quote by JohnSwitch1959
Thanks for the suggestion; I'll try branching out though I doubt I'll be able to match your achievement of every category, or even a significant fraction but I guess I'll never know if I don't try!

Quote by krystalg
I'm not really experienced enough to give a decent opinion, but I feel that it is your story, you're writing it because it is what you want to say, therefore it should be in the category of your choice. Nobody knows your innermost thoughts and feelings like yourself, so you should decide what category is the main bent, just as you choose the words of the story.

That could be a really good flash or micro story.

Darts... my screen is full of holes.

I guess within erotica, I'm not really a 'genre' writer. My stories appear in a bunch of different categories depending on what they're about. Even when they're in the same series, different chapters might end up different places. Actually, the last one I published got mis-categorized as a "love story." I don't know if that's my mistake or the mods' but fuck it, it's a love story now. In any case, I think the people who want to read my stuff will find it wherever it ends up.

Quote by Twisted_Skald

That could be a really good flash or micro story.

Quote by Lurker411

Quote by Twisted_Skald

That could be a really good flash or micro story.

Don’t those at least need plot? Or sex? I have no idea what the requirements are for categories, and the 2 mods I have emailed for details haven’t responded. This was about meeting someone and falling in love online. And it had more than 100 words. 

I haven't had a chance to write much lately, but when I do, I try to write in a different category each time.  I'm really hoping, at some point, to earn a Prolific Writer badge by publishing a story in 80% of the Lush categories.

Don't worry - just submit it.

My moderators have often suggested a more appropriate category, or indeed changed it prior to publication.

Some of my stories ended up in ' Fantasy', just because they feature my friends' unusual mother/daughter physical BDSM relationship. 

I'm working on a Comp story that is unlikely to meet the deadline and currently reads more like a crime story than a 'whodunnit.' My problem is I have quickie sex, masturbation, lesbian sex and straight sex all in approximately equal amounts and I'm not sure what category it should go into. The way the story is going we may yet see the appearance of further categories.

Any suggestions? I'm leaning to Straight Sex and figure I can fill in the gaps with tags only the story isn't really focused on straight sex.

Thoughts?

Note for Mods: promise not to drop a 10,000 word epic on you two minutes before midnight.

My two cents — If you're struggling to choose a category because your story has elements of several categories, I don't think you can really make a wrong choice. Obviously, if one is the primary focus of the story, choose that, but if they're all kinda equal, just pick one.

The only way to get this wrong is by miscategorizing in a blatant way. Readers in the lesbian category won't expect a story full of straight sex, etc. As long as you're not putting it in a category that will mislead or upset readers, don't stress yourself out about picking one.

For me it's very simple. Boil your story down to it's basic premise, and that should tell you what category it is. Mine are usually BDSM, exhibitionism or lesbian.

A story can fall into different categories but it depends. Some stories will be forced into a category based on their content - inzest fantasy and to some extent tab0o. The same for BDSM. But others could be say exhibitionism or oral sex, depending on which one the author wishes to champion.

Quote by ExploringMySubmission

For me it's very simple. Boil your story down to it's basic premise, and that should tell you what category it is.

Agreed. Most of my stories involve a threesome or a blowbang, which I didn't realize was my default tendency until I had to categorize them. 😅 So I'll use Threesome or Group Sex if there isn't anything specific that would apply to a different category, but I've used Anal and MILF when appropriate to get a threesome story in front of different readers.

But I always use story tags and the author's note to alert the reader about cum cleanup. 🤤