When is a content warning required?

[Loewenmensch]

The story I'm working on now is kind of about sex, in that the characters' sexualities, attractions, and perversions are part of the plot. There will be mentions of sex acts in future chapters, but no detailed descriptions and definitely no smut.

I'm concerned that if I DON'T include a "sexual content" warning, I'll risk offending readers who expected a chaste story.

But if I DO include a warning, it might put off readers who aren't looking for smut (and disappoint those who are).

What does the "sexual content" warning label actually mean? Is a warning expected for story like this?

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Artistically speaking. Never. Publishing wise. Sometimes. If you are in America. Always.

 

[Loewenmensch]

That's discouraging to hear. I want to cover myself, but since the story isn't explicit, the warning feels like a lie.

 

[Jerynboe]

Don’t include it as a tag. Instead have a note at the end of the first chapter explaining EXACTLY what kind of sexuality is in there. That’s what I did with my story in relation to the TG tag. TG content is in there but it’s far more in a fetishistic way, rather than one that a trans person would be likely to find affirming or exploring the concept in any depth. (Some might find it affirming or at least hot. I won’t judge. I’m comparing it to the kind of stuff my trans writer friend writes on the subject.)

I’m not a hugely successful writer, but at the very least nobody has complained about it despite me getting a decent number of views from people looking for that tag.

 

[Loewenmensch]

Don’t include it as a tag. Instead have a note at the end of the first chapter explaining EXACTLY what kind of sexuality is in there. That’s what I did with my story in relation to the TG tag. TG content is in there but it’s far more in a fetishistic way, rather than one that a trans person would be likely to find affirming or exploring the concept in any depth. (Some might find it affirming or at least hot. I won’t judge. I’m comparing it to the kind of stuff my trans writer friend writes on the subject.)

I’m not a hugely successful writer, but at the very least nobody has complained about it despite me getting a decent number of views from people looking for that tag.

Thank you. I hadn't even thought of using an author note for this purpose! This sounds like a promising approach.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Write the story you want to read.

If sex is a topic of interest to you, why aren't you going all the way? There's no wrong answer here, just food for thought.

 

[Tsuru]

The story I'm working on now is kind of about sex, in that the characters' sexualities, attractions, and perversions are part of the plot. There will be mentions of sex acts in future chapters, but no detailed descriptions and definitely no smut.

I'm concerned that if I DON'T include a "sexual content" warning, I'll risk offending readers who expected a chaste story.

But if I DO include a warning, it might put off readers who aren't looking for smut (and disappoint those who are).

What does the "sexual content" warning label actually mean? Is a warning expected for story like this?

Not really.


Sexual content, is when the sexual content is basically SHOWN directly, the thingies, the movements etc THE WHOLE SCENE

I got ton of old chinese WNs that basically wrote : MC - FL go back together to their room, and the night passed, in a happy union.
or something
(CCP censoring heavily NSFW at that time/IRAS-RI censored era)


Also pretty sure, prude people are basically extinct (on internet)
ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
unlikely to be your readers / WNs readers



BUT AGAIN
It depends on circumstances.
Is your novel from the beginning a very prude one hence attracting prude people ?
Or is it a ISEKAI that bring bunch of 2024 kiddos/veteran-readers ?

Well, if its first one (unlikely), you basically wouldnt even ask the question as your character wouldnt even have sex in the first place unless probably married or something. Which is fine.
If 2nd one, well. There is 000000000000.000000000000% chance you got a prude person in your series.

But there is a rare case possibility, that a reader OR LOT OF READERS, dislike that your character is together with this Y person or having sex.
For bonus info, there are lot of high quality FEMALE MC chinese novels (written by male / for males / or gender-reverse reincarnation)
that basically write on summary : [NO COUPLE/RELATION]
in meaning of : Dont worry people, i wont write romance / the (f) protag will stay single
Can be useful for some readers that dislike romance and only come for the plot or the fighting / development of inventions / killing, destruction
etc



tldr : Dont worry, its a small problem, and "sexual content" is for "real sexual content". At worse, just put a small "Ecchi" warning on chap-title
(some old animes had this tag, just bc there were bikinis in one episode / that is until HEAVY ECCHI series appeared)

 

[greyliliy]

I feel this way about the "gore" warning. The violence in my story is more than PG13, so i want to have a content warning, but it's no where near what I would consider "Gore." I wish there was a tamer "Blood and Violence" option.

Though in this case, if you have talk about sexual things in depth, Sexual Content us an appropriate tag. Or for R rated style/Mature sex scenes.

If you're going full 18+ Erotica, I'd add a smut tag.