Question about LGBT Keyword on Kindle

Dave.C.Robinson

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I'm not sure if this is the right forum or if my question belongs in self-publishing.

To provide context: The secondary protagonist (she gets from 30-60% of the page count depending on the book) of my self-published Doc Vandal series is lesbian, and the second volume in the series features a romance arc for her that's worked into the main adventure plotline. Her relationship with her girlfriend later becomes the most important interpersonal relationship in the series.

I haven't used the LGBT keyword on the series and I'm wondering if that's a mistake.

What complicates the issue for me is that while she's a major character in the first volume, her orientation doesn't come up at all in that book. I don't want to use the LGBT keyword for that volume because I think it wouldn't be honest, but would it be reasonable to use the keyword for later volumes where I think it would be appropriate?

Or am I just overthinking this?
 

neurotype

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Do you mean keyword for querying agents, or classifying your book for self-pubbing? I would honestly say that if the orientation doesn't come up then it's not representation and therefore shouldn't be classified as LGBT until there is actual content related to that. I see that a lot in YA where something is supposed to be full of LGBT but it's really just in name only. As a lesbian I always find it a bit disappointing, to be honest. I hope that helps :)
 

AW Admin

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Don't use the LGBT keyword if it's not an LGBT novel. It sounds like it just has lesbian characters.

Go with the genre it belongs to; SF and Fantasy and Mysteries often have LGBT main characters, by the way. They don't have neon signs on the book identifying them as LGBT.

In other words, if her orientation isn't a key plot point it's not the best choice for a keyword.

So if it's a military SF novel, you might use SF, military, space opera, first contact, etc.

That doesn't mean keeping her in the closet either.
 
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Dave.C.Robinson

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Don't use the LGBT keyword if it's not an LGBT novel. It sounds like it just has lesbian characters.

Go with the genre it belongs to; SF and Fantasy and Mysteries often have LGBT main characters, by the way. They don't have neon signs on the book identifying them as LGBT.

In other words, if her orientation isn't a key plot point it's not the best choice for a keyword.

So if it's a military SF novel, you might use SF, military, space opera, first contact, etc.

That doesn't mean keeping her in the closet either.

Okay, so I'm good with not using the keyword on the series as a whole. I might use it on the second book which includes a major subplot about the character falling in love with another woman and coming out, but not the others.