Story rejection

[TravellerInTime]

Hi everyone. I've now had a story rejected twice. The problem being it is only 350 words. The story has a BDSM setting in the form of a feghoot. For those who don't know, a feghoot is a very short story all designed to finish up with a very contrived and very horrible pun. You can google feghoot up, there is a wikipedia entry on it.

In my second submission attempt I tried explaining this but the moderators either weren’t listening or weren’t interested. To pad the story out to some arbitrary length would actually detract from it and I'm not prepared to do that. It would wreck the point of it being a feghoot. There is poetry that length and that is OK. And I feel this is denying the readership the fun of reading the story and being hit with the pun.

I'm very disappointed by this decision but don’t know what to do about it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Hi everyone. I've now had a story rejected twice. The problem being it is only 350 words. The story has a BDSM setting in the form of a feghoot. For those who don't know, a feghoot is a very short story all designed to finish up with a very contrived and very horrible pun. You can google feghoot up, there is a wikipedia entry on it.

In my second submission attempt I tried explaining this but the moderators either weren’t listening or weren’t interested. To pad the story out to some arbitrary length would actually detract from it and I'm not prepared to do that. It would wreck the point of it being a feghoot. There is poetry that length and that is OK. And I feel this is denying the readership the fun of reading the story and being hit with the pun.

I'm very disappointed by this decision but don’t know what to do about it.

The minimum accepted story length is 750 words. That's a hard rule, no way around it.

 

[djrip]

Post in poetry? Or does that absolutely have to be in verse?

 

[MelissaBaby]

One suggestion is, you might want to write multiple shorts like that and submit them together

 

[gunhilltrain]

One suggestion is, you might want to write multiple shorts like that and submit them together

That probably would work, I mean one submission with multiple parts. Each part could have a subhead. It could titled "For The Love of Feghoots" or something of that nature.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sounds to me the OP has a very narrow niche - arguing it's poetry would be the only way to get past the minimum 750 word length.

 

[PennameWombat]

I'm very disappointed by this decision but don’t know what to do about it.

Find a different site that allows stories shorter than 750 words. Done.

The minimum story length restriction has been discussed a bazillion times on this forum before. It didn't change then, it's not changing now. Must be something in the water, another thread running today was started by someone who's het up about eliminating Categories and can't understand why they exist.

But note, Oggbashan has a technique where he combines 15 stories of 50 words each into a single story to submit. Oh... hmm, or is it 50 15-word stories? Argh. My brain is a sieve today. Anyway, you get the idea.

 

[MrPixel]

It's not the feghoot itself that's the problem here, because the format does not have to be short. It can be as lengthy as it needs to be, as long as the development leads to the face-slap at the end. So my challenge to the OP is to expand the plot progression with a few scene details or dialog among the characters, all leading to that "OMG, FU!" pun at the end.

I'm finding this genre fascinating and may just accept the challenge to write one myself. Rest assured it would go in Humor.

Oh... Calling @EmilyMiller! Calling @EmilyMiller! A feghoot would be right up your alley!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Oh... Calling @EmilyMiller! Calling @EmilyMiller! A feghoot would be right up your alley!

We are the same person really .

Em

 

[alohadave]

It's not the feghoot itself that's the problem here, because the format does not have to be short.

An example that proves this: Nate the Snake

 

[Priscilla_June]

Find a different site that allows stories shorter than 750 words. Done.

The minimum story length restriction has been discussed a bazillion times on this forum before. It didn't change then, it's not changing now. Must be something in the water, another thread running today was started by someone who's het up about eliminating Categories and can't understand why they exist.

But note, Oggbashan has a technique where he combines 15 stories of 50 words each into a single story to submit. Oh... hmm, or is it 50 15-word stories? Argh. My brain is a sieve today. Anyway, you get the idea.

That sounds like an interesting concept, any link to that?

 

[Voboy]

Thanks, OP. I've learned about feghoots today!

FWIW, I think @MelissaBaby has the right idea. Write two or three, then post them with an explanatory note in Humor/Satire.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Find a different site that allows stories shorter than 750 words. Done.

The minimum story length restriction has been discussed a bazillion times on this forum before. It didn't change then, it's not changing now. Must be something in the water, another thread running today was started by someone who's het up about eliminating Categories and can't understand why they exist.

But note, Oggbashan has a technique where he combines 15 stories of 50 words each into a single story to submit. Oh... hmm, or is it 50 15-word stories? Argh. My brain is a sieve today. Anyway, you get the idea.

The 750 word rule was probably created to avoid scribblers who can't really write but would submit three paragraphs about their favorite fantasy.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Ultimately, the site is Laurel's and the decision is Laurel's. She's a reasonable woman and can be convinced. I would suggest that, instead of trying to convince us, you should PM her and make your case to the one who has the authority to waive the rule. Good luck.

 

[SimonDoom]

One suggestion is, you might want to write multiple shorts like that and submit them together

As usual, Melissa is coming up with constructive ideas. This is an excellent idea, OP, if you are still listening. I've seen this done before. Maybe post two or three very short stories on a theme and introduce them that way.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

That sounds like an interesting concept, any link to that?

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/doing-away-with-categories.1586216/

 

[MrPixel]

An example that proves this: Nate the Snake

Quite the shaggy-dog story, at that.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

To be honest, I am genuinely puzzled how you managed to tell a story in just 350 words, unless you figured out how to revolutionize stenography and abbreviations. Even 750 words stories aren't really stories, so I am really curious to read yours.

 

[Priscilla_June]

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/doing-away-with-categories.1586216/

No sorry meant the 50 stories at 50 words in one.

 

[Bramblethorn]

An example that proves this: Nate the Snake

...brb, inflicting this on my partner.

 

[Voboy]

Okay, now I'm curious. Although I'm not particularly drawn to BDSM, why not share those 350 words here so we can provide you with a fair opinion? However, I must warn you in advance: while the LW crowd may have a notorious reputation for commentary, they are like lovable kittens compared to some of the vicious cannibals around.

No thank you. There's already a Story Feedback forum just for that.

 

[Winter_Fare]

The minimum accepted story length is 750 words. That's a hard rule, no way around it.

I have a 702 word story, but it was an accident. Went up without issue and it's still up over a year later. Not sure how it got through.

 

[KeithD]

No thank you. There's already a Story Feedback forum just for that.

Well, no. Putting something on the discussion board that was rejected from the story file is just violating the web site's privilege of not hosting the material.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I have a 702 word story, but it was an accident. Went up without issue and it's still up over a year later. Not sure how it got through.

It could be because you have been for so long, or maybe the site has a "fudge factor" of fifty words or so. Or maybe they just didn't notice it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

No thank you. There's already a Story Feedback forum just for that.

He could PM or contact someone via the email option. Although, the content doesn't seem to the issue; it's the length.