Labeling chapters with sex

[Wamba2K]

I've noticed that a lot of stories with smut/intimate stuff/sex/porn etc. Will mark the chapters where the sex/smut/porn/intimate stuff etc occurs. Usually with like an 18+ or hearts or something. Do you prefer when authors do this?

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Marking them is the only right thing to do, honestly.
Mark them for people who don't want to read it, and for those who do specifically.

 

[Envylope]

Nope, I dont like this practice. If you read something marked smut thats on you for getting hit with smut.

 

[Cardon]

I do because my story is adult but not smut focused, so there's like... 4-6 occurences in 100 chapters and they're mostly skippable.

 

[L1aei]

Content Warnings because not all smut is kosher smut.

 

[Alski]

Do it for the extra views on those chapters.

 

[Corty]

Nope, I dont like this practice. If you read something marked smut thats on you for getting hit with smut.

The proper answer.

“Oh no, I began watching XXX Pu$$ie Wars and then there are naked people in it!!!! 1 star.”

 

[CinnaSloth]

I don't out of laziness.

I can't be bothered to edit.
I can't be bothered to write chapter titles
I can't be bothered to fix my structuring
So, if I can't be bothered to do any of that,
I'm certainly not labelling anything (Although I should).

That said, my book is SOOO full of satire, taboos, blasphemy, and heretical fiction, I think labels are the least of your worries...
It's probably banned in at least 36 countries by now because people are likely spontaneously combusting after reading the first chapter.

Do you think the pope would read it if I sent it to him? I'd like my book blessed by the pope please!

The proper answer.

“Oh no, I began watching XXX Pu$$ie Wars and then there are naked people in it!!!! 1 star.”

 

[RepresentingCaution]

It ruins the anticipation, which is the best part according to one of my lovers.

 

[pangmida]

I've noticed that a lot of stories with smut/intimate stuff/sex/porn etc. Will mark the chapters where the sex/smut/porn/intimate stuff etc occurs. Usually with like an 18+ or hearts or something. Do you prefer when authors do this?

Some people do it to give a heads up and let readers know they can skip the chapters if they don’t want to read smut. But others don’t want to spoil it or have readers only flock to said labeled chapters. My favorite SH story doesn’t label the chapter titles, but on NSFW chapters (very few) they put a Content Warning on the top of the chapter, then in spoilers it says “sexual content”. It’s a decent compromise between the two options, I would say.

 

[Envylope]

The proper answer.

“Oh no, I began watching XXX Pu$$ie Wars and then there are naked people in it!!!! 1 star.”

I avoid stories with marked R-rated chapters. This is why sexual content warning exists.

Though, OP should keep in mind that I am not an average reader. Average reader probably likes them. And as someone else said, it's a way for you to get extra viewers. I will say, however, that it will ruin your viewership of regular chapters. The people that are skipping to those chapters are simply gooners and not actual readers. Another argument against having them.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I've noticed that a lot of stories with smut/intimate stuff/sex/porn etc. Will mark the chapters where the sex/smut/porn/intimate stuff etc occurs. Usually with like an 18+ or hearts or something. Do you prefer when authors do this?

I thought you were supposed to, according to ScribbleHub rules. Meh, it does boost views for that chapter, so there is a benefit.

 

[L1aei]

I thought you were supposed to, according to ScribbleHub rules.

Wait, what?

 

[Anonjohn20]

Wait, what?

I can't find it now, so maybe I'm wrong.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

Content Warnings because not all smut is kosher

not sure I can get a rabbi to say whatever magic words over my erotica, to make it kosher. I went at that project with the idea I was going to go big or go home.

 

[MFontana]

Personally, I'd say to each their own for that.
I felt it was a good idea given the nature of some of the upcoming (bonus) chapters for the series that I'm writing.
They have the necessary content warning, but in come cases, the "sexual content" warning is not sufficient for the degree, or intensity, of the content in the story chapter(s). To that end, I've opted to implement a graded tag system as a means of not misleading my readers and prospective readers, without actually spoiling any of the narrative content of any given chapter or bonus chapter.

If you, as the author, don't feel the content warning tags are sufficient, do what you need to do.
If you feel they are, then by all means, don't mark your chapters.

I, for one, may conveniently forget to mark a couple of chapters as well from time to time as well. As the story may demand.

 

[Time4T]

Nope, I dont like this practice. If you read something marked smut thats on you for getting hit with smut.

Exactly. When the sexual content is mentioned in the synopsis, tag and genre, any discomfort is the fault of the reader. Also "skippable" sex chapters are crap. No chapter of a good story should be skippable. The sex scenes should be an integral part of the story not just tacked on. If the writing is just smut with a story that's just a smut delivery device, that's fine. But if it's a story 1st with adult content, the adult content should matter.

 

[Envylope]

Exactly. When the sexual content is mentioned in the synopsis, tag and genre, any discomfort is the fault of the reader. Also "skippable" sex chapters are crap. No chapter of a good story should be skippable. The sex scenes should be an integral part of the story not just tacked on. If the writing is just smut with a story that's just a smut delivery device, that's fine. But if it's a story 1st with adult content, the adult content should matter.

That's exactly why I avoid those stories with the marks. If you don't want to read a sex scene, maybe avoid stories that have "sexual content warning". I understand if a story is not primarily smut, but that's why other tags exist. You can have different tags and still expect there to be a chapter or two like that.

Once again, the only thing marking those chapters does is boost readers who won't read your story except for those chapters.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

Hmm, I mark them for a few reasons, and now I have recently changed my marking scheme

As my story isn't all about the smut, I put hearts in the title saying there is smut in the chapter and approximately how much by the number of hearts.

Usually, I will have an A/N at the top of the chapter saying where the R-18 is and approx number of words it is.

Then I usually put a line break in before the smut begins, saying R-18 below.

I have now added a fetish tag in a spoiler tab at the line break, so if a user doesn't want to read that particular fetish, they can skip over it. Such as Inflation - Breasts or Light Femdom - Explain the scene in a short sentence. I have already gotten positive feedback on this. Obviously, if there is no actual fetish going on, I don't add anything.

Then, if the story continues after the R-18, I have another line break saying End R-18

Also, if there is any story within the R-18 that might be critical, I have been summarizing it in a spoiler tab at the bottom of the chapter.


I really don't think this is too much if your 'Smut' is actually more like a light novel that doesn't fade to black every time your MC gets laid.


I honestly started to do this for two reasons. I was reading another novel where the MC ended up doing a r*pe scene out of the blue... thankfully, the author had given a warning on this with a properly tagged chapter. If it wasn't, I would have dropped the novel like a hot potato, tags on the main page or not.

The other reason is that I detest some fetishes that some people seem to add to their writing, but don't necessarily need to be tagged. Like anything to do with feet. I would rather read about a damn r*pe scene than read about a foot job. It is just disgusting to me.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED talk, I have an R-18 chapter to finish. Make sure you tag what you're writing responsibly!

 

[Navillus]

I am completely indifferent to it to be honest… if I’m reading a smut story I’m not be surprised or angry at encountering a smut chapter in my smut story-nyah.