Readers sure love their 'school' stories, don't they?

I don't know what the reaction would be but I'm certain what the plot would involve: Visits from the truancy officer for spankings.

jbeverley is right about the reasons for finding the school scenario attractive, to which I would add that the setting has fundamental to it an imbalance of power. This in a genre where submission is an important facet makes the setting not just believeable but even reminiscent for those of us old enough to have experienced cp at school.

The submission to school authority is expected, and so when this involves bending over there's no way of escape which adds to the titillation value.

A school punishment is more ritualised and public than a home punishment, it's a scenario which is rich with possibilities. If schools didn't exist, it would probably be necessary to invent them!

I tend to prefer stories set in a homelike environment. I find many school stories rather coldly institutional.

I think the reason why school stories are so popular is that a lot of us are reliving our (in many cases) not very happy schooldays. As Alan Barr says, the ritualised punishments (which will never ever be repeated in this day and age) really did happen in the old days. Perhaps it is a twisted achievement of the Public School tradition that the memory still lingers on 50 years or more after the events.

Well, I think the curiosity alone would generate plenty of readers. This title would be a definite What If type thing. What if she started school after never going before? What happens to her? Does she not know how to act, can't chew gum, can't talk during class. Lot of possibilities here.

B

It's a much overused genre. It's easy and convenient because the power imbalance is built in, along with the old pedagogical traditions of cane (UK) or paddling (US), so a writer can almost fill in the blanks without having to think too much and write their fantasy scene. I'm guilty too. I fall back on it occasionally but I do try to invent a new wrinkle when I do. Turns out I have several stories in school settings but you'd never know it from the titles I used. Maybe that's why they got fewer hits than they would have had I used titles that implied that setting.

I find the same thing if mummy or mother is in the title as receiving a spanking (rather giving one).

Rollin, I tend to think the synopsis would specify what takes place and where it takes place. At least it should in my opinion. If it's not that clear, I tend to look at a few of the comments. Both are helpful.

B