Forum: Author Hangout

Why are some tags hilighted in yellow? And do all of them indicate sex acts?

Rokilit 🚫

I've been wondering this for a while. Tags like Consensual are pretty boldly sexual in nature. But what about the age/gender tags? Are those only for parings of sexual partners? Or do they indicate cast both sexually and non-sexually?

Also, why are some tags highlighted in yellow but others not? They're mostly the sexual ones, but the highlighting isn't fully explained where I've seen.

And if I put a tag on a submission where the story has only loose interpretations of said tag at current, would that be wrong?

Replies: Dominion's Son Switch Blayde

Dominion's Son 🚫

@Rokilit

But what about the age/gender tags? Are those only for parings of sexual partners?

In my experience as a reader, they are generally used for sexual pairings.

Also, why are some tags highlighted in yellow but others not?

The only place I have seen such highlighting is on the page where you select the tags when posting stories/chapters. My opinion is that the highlighted ones are tags for which the admins get the most complaints that a tag was left off of a story.

You will have to ask Lazeez Jiddan (our host) for an official answer. I don't think he reads the author hangout much, so you should probably post that under Bug Reports and Feature Requests.

And if I put a tag on a submission where the story has only loose interpretations of said tag at current, would that be wrong?

A lot of readers either avoid or search for specific tags.

Tagging stories on loose interpretations of the tags could both cost you readers who might have enjoyed the story and leave you with pissed off readers who feel cheated.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Dominion's Son

But what about the age/gender tags? Are those only for parings of sexual partners?

In my experience as a reader, they are generally used for sexual pairings.

I don't believe they are exclusive to sexual pairings.

My story "Last Kiss" has no sex, but the tags I used were "mt/ft, Romantic."

Replies: Dominions Son

Dominions Son 🚫

@Switch Blayde

"mt/ft, Romantic."

I would suggest that that has sexual overtones even if no sex is actually described or mentioned in the story.

Would you use the mt/ft tag if the characters were just friends, with no romance or sexual tension between them?

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Dominions Son

Would you use the mt/ft tag if the characters were just friends, with no romance or sexual tension between them?

Yes. If it's a no sex story about a high school football player and his male coach I'd have mt and ma. Absolutely no sex, implied or otherwise. The coach could be the father figure in the boy's life.

The problem is, the codes were created for sex stories.

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Rokilit

When you choose "no sex," the yellow ones go away.

Rokilit 🚫
Updated:

I've also been looking at the sexual orientations, paranormal, interracial and BDSM element tags. Do people always expect sexual relations from any of those?

If I put a Furry tag on it but the characters that fit that description don't have sex in a scene, would people feel cheated then?

If there is an openly gay character, would I best serve the work by putting the appropriate tag in there once they discuss their orientation?

If there are racial elements inside, would I best serve the work by putting racial descriptor tags inside after races or racism become story elements?

Also, the sexual question again attributed to race. Can it be non-sexual race relations?

It all seems very open-ended to me, as a newbie.

Replies: Switch Blayde Dominions Son Vincent Berg

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Rokilit

The problem is, the codes were created for sex stories. So you have to jury-rig them to use them in any other context

Replies: Rokilit

Rokilit 🚫

@Switch Blayde

You've a good point. Yet, my story doesn't truly have sex discussed or described until several chapters in. So, I've held the Slow tag inside since the beginning. Could my readers expect non-sexual elements related to such normally sexual tags in the mean time?

Also, my previous reply has additional questions.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Rokilit

I only answer something if I think I know the answer or can make an educated guess. Or have an opinion. I didn't know what to say about your other questions.

When I write a sex story, which is most of the time, I use the codes as they're intended. So, for example, in my football player/coach story, if it was really a story about the football player having sex with a cheerleader I wouldn't include anything about the coach in the codes.

Replies: Rokilit

Rokilit 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Thanks for your input. Sorry if I seemed rude. I didn't mean it that way.

Dominions Son 🚫

@Rokilit

If I put a Furry tag on it but the characters that fit that description don't have sex in a scene, would people feel cheated then?

No, for the paranormal tags I would expect content that fits the tag as central to the story, but not necessarily involved in any sex scenes. Furry specifically would imply at least one anthromorphic animal character.

If there is an openly gay character, would I best serve the work by putting the appropriate tag in there once they discuss their orientation?

Unless the story is tagged no-sex, the majority of readers expect the story to involve sex for any orientation tagged.

f there are racial elements inside, would I best serve the work by putting racial descriptor tags inside after races or racism become story elements?

No. If you look at either the category search or the tag definitions faq those are labeled as "Interracial Elements" not "Racial Elements."

These tags are used to specify interracial parings (involving sex unless the story is tagged no-sex).

Also, the sexual question again attributed to race. Can it be non-sexual race relations?

People looking for specific combinations of racial tags or avoiding them are looking for or seeking to avoid interracial sex.

You have to understand the purpose of the tags. The tags, which are far more important with sex stories than no-sex stories are used by readers to either avoid sexual squicks or find sexual kinks.

If you use the tags in a non-sexual context on a sex story you will lose readers and / or piss readers off.

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Rokilit

Do people always expect sexual relations from any of those?

Not for paranormal (you code the sex codes separately for those), but they do apply to interracial or ethnic tags. For instance, you can guarantee that any story with a Black/White tag will feature with stereotypical black rapist and innocent girl who loves being mistreated. If the story doesn't have sexual connotations, then you usually leave the racial tags off.

Gay is an exception to the above rule, because if there's much m/m contact, it becomes a squick issue. Though I've used gay for minor characters not currently in a romantic relationship.

Yet, my story doesn't truly have sex discussed or described until several chapters in. So, I've held the Slow tag inside since the beginning. Could my readers expect non-sexual elements related to such normally sexual tags in the mean time?

Don't worry about it in that case. That's exactly what the 'slow' tag is for (the sexual relations start after a substantial delay).

Sorry if I seemed rude. I didn't mean it that way.

Don't worry. You asked the questions correctly. You were curious and confused about the tags. We've all been there before.

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Forum: Author Hangout

Why are some tags hilighted in yellow? And do all of them indicate sex acts?

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