# Content Ratings



## Chanticleer (Aug 6, 2008)

Hi so I finally worked up the guts to post some stuff and already I found something to be nervous about.

See I'm unsure I gave my stories the right content ratings (I marked them as general). One of them had tobacco use in it and I think some light swearing. That's nothing major I know, but "general" seems like it would mean absolutely nothing potentially nasty was in the story. I'm probably just being ridiculous, but I thought I'd just ask what the generally accepted rating rules were.


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## Xipoid (Aug 6, 2008)

In my opinion:

General - Containing little to no blood/violence, sexual themes, excessive use of vulgarities, and/or illegal substance abuse. Gore not present.

Mature - Containing simple blood/violence/gore, suggestive sexual themes (including but not limited to nudity), numerous vulgarities, and/or illegal substance abuse.

Adult - Containing graphic blood/violence/gore, explicit sexual scenes, and/or graphic illegal substance abuse.


I would not consider tobacco an illegal substance, so marking your idea with mature would depend on what is encompassed by "light swearing" both in what is said and quantity.


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## Chanticleer (Aug 6, 2008)

Um... I think I said Hell once. So I should be fine right?


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## Poetigress (Aug 6, 2008)

If your story contains just a few light profanities, I think General would be fine, but if you want to be safe, you can add a brief warning in the description.  The only exception is that (and this simply my personal opinion) the more sexual-related terms (f-word and its many permutations) don't feel appropriate for General, no matter how infrequently they're used.

Tobacco use... I don't personally see that as a problem, although I know some people are sensitive to it in writing and particularly in art.  Same with moderate alcohol depiction.  If your character's using other drugs, though, I agree with Xipoid that it would bump it up to Mature.

*ETA:* Yeah, I think one use of "hell" is perfectly fine for General.


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## Cyrsynik (Aug 6, 2008)

rate it like a movie.....
G - mickey mouse and the gang clean  lol
PG - maybe a swear word or two (Hell, Damn, Ass i think only though.....maybe Bitch) and mild violence.
PG-13 - Allowed all the above, and the word Fuck once  as well as some intermediate violence.
R - Everything above, and alot of sex  and violence  lol


<3


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## M. LeRenard (Aug 7, 2008)

I go with the late George Carlin's list of words you can never say on television as a guideline for mature swearing.  Other than that, just use your judgment on what you think would be child appropriate or not.  Tobacco use is generally not considered a no-no, but if you don't want to kids to be seeing it as glamorous and that's how your work portrays it, maybe consider a mature label.
Up to you.


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## Shouden (Aug 13, 2008)

I have my own rating system on my site that I use for my stories. I am actually thinking of getting it patented. but my ratings are:

G = clean; no swearing or cussing; no violence or gore. Subjects are safe for children.
PG = Clean. Some subjects and topics might not be suitable for little kids
PG-13 = minor to no cussing; some mild sexual themes, some drug use, some violence, but not too gruesome, subjects are things that kids might get nightmares from and aren't appropiate for them.
R= = cussing, some sexual discussions, violence with gore, some harsher subjects.
AO = Adults Only! Sex, lots of cussing, very disturbing descriptions (e.i. graphic descriptions of rape, abuse, murder, etc.), and other disturbing content.

I actually do have stories that fall under all these categories. I have yet to throw the ratings on them all.


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## Poetigress (Aug 13, 2008)

Shouden said:


> I have my own rating system on my site that I use for my stories. I am actually thinking of getting it patented.



I think the MPAA might have you beat on that...


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## Shouden (Aug 13, 2008)

yeah, good point.


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## Stratelier (Aug 13, 2008)

FA's definition of "General" is not well phrased.  Last I checked the AUP says "not to exceed PG-13" and if you compare the kinds of movies that get PG-13 ratings, actually permits quite a lot (graphic violence/sexual content and frontal nudity notwithstanding).  But the AUP _also_ adds "e.g. kid-friendly" to the definition of the same rating, which leads to a bit of grey area as there are two differing interpretations.

Worse, the submissions page itself described "General" as "suitable for General Audiences", which happens to be the official definition of G-rated (i.e. kid-friendly) content.

So does "General" mean "G" or "PG13"?  As enforcement goes, it's the latter.


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