My submission dates keep changing?

Hi! Maybe someone who has submitted more stories has some insight here. I just submitted two stories (only my 3rd and 4th posted). I submitted one just before midnight 10/6 and one after midnight on 10/7.

The weird thing is that when I went in to view my pending stories yesterday to see if there was a posting date update, instead, the time I submitted them was changed and said '8 hours ago.' (That would mean I submitted both of them after midnight on 10/8. So ???

Then, just now, I viewed them again and one said 10/8 and the other said '4 hours ago.' ????

I have not noticed this happening on my previous two stories submitted, so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this or knows why?

LadyMireille said:

Hi! Maybe someone who has submitted more stories has some insight here. I just submitted two stories (only my 3rd and 4th posted). I submitted one just before midnight 10/6 and one after midnight on 10/7.

The weird thing is that when I went in to view my pending stories yesterday to see if there was a posting date update, instead, the time I submitted them was changed and said '8 hours ago.' (That would mean I submitted both of them after midnight on 10/8. So ???

Then, just now, I viewed them again and one said 10/8 and the other said '4 hours ago.' ????

I have not noticed this happening on my previous two stories submitted, so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this or knows why?

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I haven't seen that. More experienced authors have always said that if you access your story while it's pending then that sends it to the back of the queue. If you've been checking and reviewing your post, then maybe you are reseting the posting date. You need to keep your fingers off your story after you've submitted it.

With the new interface there's also a normal change in the date. Initially it tells you when you submitted it, and once Laurel's accepted it the site shows the date it will be published.

Are you opening the submissions? If so you may be resubmitting them each time.

My advice? Stop looking at them.

My I said:

Are you opening the submissions? If so you may be resubmitting them each time.

My advice? Stop looking at them.

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So, funny thing... almost right after I posted here, the one story went live. lol My other one still says "5 hours ago", so we will see when that gets posted. Could there be something different now and the date is changing after they approve it for posting??? OH well. It doesn't matter much as long as it eventually goes up.

Post; wait a week; see if it's gone live; and complain if not.

I know it's hard to sit still and leave it alone, but unless you want to quickly swoop in and give it 5 stars (to counteract the first day one bombs), there's no point in faster checking. Watched pots don't boil faster.

It's hard to get over the "is it posted? is it rated? is it rating well?" excitement. But you will. What cured me was reading a bunch of stories that ranked as well or better than mine and realizing that different people rate on widely varying criteria - another way of saying that stories I think are absolute crap get 4.7s and stuff I think is well crafted sometimes doesn't break 4.5. Everyone's different, and then when you factor in 1 bombs and sweeps, you start to realize that the results can be pretty random.

I think my "The Captured Princess" is really very well written, with well drawn characters, interesting sex and a plot full of fun. But the Princess doesn't win an unmitigated victory over her foes at the end, and plenty of people raised on Disney princesses were deeply offended by that. The ratings didn't suck but it was not the 4.9 I dreamed of. Meanwhile, Chosen, which has shallower characters and had so little sexuality I put it in non-erotic, got into the 4.8s. Go figure.

People are mostly here to get off to fantasies about their daughters, sisters and moms from what I can tell. Ratings on anything more intricate can be disappointing. Try to climb out of the trap of caring, and focus on writing what you feel and like.