Italics for internal dialogue

lexdepenny

Virgin
Joined
Apr 4, 2015
Posts
16
I submitted a story which is currently being moderated. Two issues: I missed a typo in the title, will the moderator correct it?
I use italics for characters' thoughts. When I sent the story, they had disappeared. I tried again, putting brackets round the italics ans added a note to explain why. Can the moderator restore my original italics?
Any help welcome. Whether on these practical matters or on how to indicate thoughts. Thank you
 
I submitted a story which is currently being moderated. Two issues: I missed a typo in the title, will the moderator correct it?
I use italics for characters' thoughts. When I sent the story, they had disappeared. I tried again, putting brackets round the italics ans added a note to explain why. Can the moderator restore my original italics?
Any help welcome. Whether on these practical matters or on how to indicate thoughts. Thank you

First, you aren't talking to anyone who could do anything for you just by posting it to the forum. Forum moderators have nothing to do with the story file. There's one Web site editor, Laurel, who rarely reads on the forum and doesn't open her e-mail. To contact her, send her a PM directly (Private Message system, top right column of this page--address: Laurel).

1. She may catch a type in the title and fix it, but not necessarily; that sort of editing isn't part of the submissions process.

2. Italics have to be coded. The coding is different for the story file than for this forum. For the stories, you have to mark your italics beginning with <I> and ending with </I> (not square brackets).

3. Just an FYI, although some publishers will accept italics for character thoughts, and Literotica probably will (because it really does make sense and is clear to the reader), in U.S. style, that's not a choice. The Chicago Manual of Style, the authority for U.S. style as accepted by most U.S. publishers, accepts only double quotes or straight roman (with explanation they are thoughts) for thoughts (CMS 16th edition, 13.41).
 
Thank you for taking the time and trouble in replying. I had no idea where to ask these questions, so I just put my query out there in the hope that a Good Samaritan would come to my assistance. And you did!
I've never had a problem with my publisher objecting to italics, but then, she is Canadian! It's common practice in French, in which I also write. It hadn't occurred to me that there might be a problem.
I learned my English UK-style, so I was unaware of the US view. All useful information, so thanks again.
 
First, you aren't talking to anyone who could do anything for you just by posting it to the forum. Forum moderators have nothing to do with the story file. There's one Web site editor, Laurel, who rarely reads on the forum and doesn't open her e-mail. To contact her, send her a PM directly (Private Message system, top right column of this page--address: Laurel).

1. She may catch a type in the title and fix it, but not necessarily; that sort of editing isn't part of the submissions process.

2. Italics have to be coded. The coding is different for the story file than for this forum. For the stories, you have to mark your italics beginning with <I> and ending with </I> (not square brackets).

3. Just an FYI, although some publishers will accept italics for character thoughts, and Literotica probably will (because it really does make sense and is clear to the reader), in U.S. style, that's not a choice. The Chicago Manual of Style, the authority for U.S. style as accepted by most U.S. publishers, accepts only double quotes or straight roman (with explanation they are thoughts) for thoughts (CMS 16th edition, 13.41).


For coding. Do you have to code when submitting a word document? Or just if you're submitting it right into the text box given?
 
Thank you for taking the time and trouble in replying. I had no idea where to ask these questions, so I just put my query out there in the hope that a Good Samaritan would come to my assistance. And you did!
I've never had a problem with my publisher objecting to italics, but then, she is Canadian! It's common practice in French, in which I also write. It hadn't occurred to me that there might be a problem.
I learned my English UK-style, so I was unaware of the US view. All useful information, so thanks again.

Like SR said, italics should be fine for this site (I like 'em myself), just something to keep in mind if you're ever planning on submitting to a publisher that follows CMoS rules.

For coding. Do you have to code when submitting a word document? Or just if you're submitting it right into the text box given?

You can submit a formatted Word doc and it will usually go through OK, but occasionally there are glitches - I think Laurel has to run something to add the formatting tags, and it sometimes hiccups.

However, you can use Word search-and-replace to automatically add tags around italicised text, which can be more reliable if you have a lot of them. Instructions: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1283568

edit: more specifically, this post: http://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=75251424&postcount=8
 
Last edited:
For coding. Do you have to code when submitting a word document? Or just if you're submitting it right into the text box given?

I've only submitted into the text box via cut and paste, so I can't definitively answer that for you.
 
Submissions should follow the submissions rules for special characters and text formatting.

Mostly I submit the file in .rtf (Rich Text Format) format which allows for the special coding to be included. That way I don't have to know the special HTML coding in addition to the word processing codes.

To get .rtf from word you have to just save it in that format with the "save as" function. <Save as/other formats/.rtf> Upload the rtf file rather than copy & paste the document text.

Typo's can be corrected by submitting (just like you would a new submission) the corrected file with the word (edited) immediately after the story title. If you edit the work while it is still pending it will be saved as a draft and after you re-submit it, it will go to the bottom of the que again.
 
Back
Top