Story Still Pending

[HelenofTroy25]

I’ve messaged Laurel about a week ago and had no reply. I was thinking of leaving the current one as pending and submitting a it again under a different title to see if that works

 

[Writer61]

Now that the Nude Day contest has finished, Laurel should have more time, so I would give it a couple of days.

Your call, obviously.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I’ve messaged Laurel about a week ago and had no reply. I was thinking of leaving the current one as pending and submitting a it again under a different title to see if that works

I wouldn't do that. You run the risk of a cock up, with two stories cluttering up the flow and potentially confusing the issue. And causing more work for Laurel in the long run, because if they both get published, you've got to get one deleted.

I'd suggest more patience. A Contest has just ended, which always means non-contest stories slow down a little. The site processes hundreds of stories a week, yours is just one of them. We're all on the same conveyor belt.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

There's no way Laurel is doing this by herself. According to the FAQ "Literotica receives original submissions from more than 250 authors per day (as of 2024)", she can't be going through 1800+ submissions every week by herself. And certainly at this point it would be way more efficient to use AI for the grunt work and then flagged problematic submissions get reviewed by a human. I know I shouldn't complain, it's a free site, willing to publish my writing - no questions asked, but disappointing not knowing if my story is coming out next week or next month.

 

[Bloodandglitter]

My story has been pending for 2 weeks. I PM'd Laurel and got no response. I'm getting really frustrated.

 

[HelenofTroy25]

I have a little update. My story is finally scheduled to be published. It’s been just under three weeks, so I guess they’ve just been really busy. I hope everyone who’s replied in the thread gets their work published soon too. x

 

[leicesterbiguy]

Seems I need to get some punctuation lessons to get my latest one published. This is fair enough, I do not claim to be any sort of writer, but create these for fun. Seeking advice from a no doubt very busy editor.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

Seems I need to get some punctuation lessons to get my latest one published. This is fair enough, I do not claim to be any sort of writer, but create these for fun. Seeking advice from a no doubt very busy editor.

Put it through ChatGPT and prompt it to "act like a book editor and correct grammar and punctuation mistakes." You'll probably have to do it in sections as it will only take so many words at a time.

 

[StillStunned]

Put it through ChatGPT and prompt it to "act like a book editor and correct grammar and punctuation mistakes." You'll probably have to do it in sections as it will only take so many words at a time.

... And watch your story be bounced back for using AI.

Seriously people, don't do this, don't recommend this. If you have no issues with the ethical concerns of using LLMs, just remember that Lit has a very strict "no AI" policy.

 

[BigBakunin]

Has anyone seen progress in their pending stories? I submitted mine on July 6th, so I might be more at the end of the que comparing to others here. But it would help to see others move so that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

... And watch your story be bounced back for using AI.

Seriously people, don't do this, don't recommend this. If you have no issues with the ethical concerns of using LLMs, just remember that Lit has a very strict "no AI" policy.

Don't have AI write your story. Have it edit it. Put in the comas, fix the run on sentences. Use it as a tool like you would an online rhyming dictionary or thesaurus. Otherwise your other option is to hire someone on Fiverr or Upwork to edit it. Same results. One is free, the other you pay for.

 

[StillStunned]

Don't have AI write your story. Have it edit it. Put in the comas, fix the run on sentences. Use it as a tool like you would an online rhyming dictionary or thesaurus. Otherwise your other option is to hire someone on Fiverr or Upwork to edit it. Same results. One is free, the other you pay for.

No, don't let AI edit your story. Better to publish it with a few misplaced commas and wonky sentences, and do better with your next effort.

 

[Writer61]

Seems I need to get some punctuation lessons to get my latest one published. This is fair enough, I do not claim to be any sort of writer, but create these for fun. Seeking advice from a no doubt very busy editor.

Try using Grammarly for punctuation, but don't accept when it tries to rewrite sentences.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

Don't have AI write your story. Have it edit it. Put in the comas, fix the run on sentences. Use it as a tool like you would an online rhyming dictionary or thesaurus.

No, don't let AI edit your story. Better to publish it with a few misplaced commas and wonky sentences, and do better with your next effort.

He can't publish it. That's the point. My understanding of his post is that his story got rejected because of the punctuation issues. He has to get it edited if he wants it published. So either AI can do it for free or he can pay someone. The results will be exactly the same. Punctuation is fixed and his story is published.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

Has anyone seen progress in their pending stories? I submitted mine on July 6th, so I might be more at the end of the que comparing to others here. But it would help to see others move so that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Look at HelenofTroy25's post above. Her story just got approved after three weeks pending.

I've personally given up worrying about it. Waiting since July 2 for one story and have 4 other stories or edits pending after that. Guess it will get published at some point.

​

 

[StillStunned]

He can't publish it. That's the point. My understanding of his post is that his story got rejected because of the punctuation issues. He has to get it edited if he wants it published. So either AI can do it for free or he can pay someone. The results will be exactly the same. Punctuation is fixed and his story is published.

Except quite likely it won't be published. Because Lit has strict rules about using AI.

Grammar isn't difficult. Do you know how many billions of people have learned English grammar over the centuries? If you speak English, you understand the basics. If you want to be a writer, spend a few hours brushing up on some of the rules you're not sure about.

It's one of the most fundamental requirements. Would you sign up for a game of whatever sport without knowing the rules, particularly with people watching? Would you pick up an instrument and play a gig on stage without knowing how to play?

You want to be a writer? Learn how to write. You don't have to be a master of the intricacies of alliteration and imagery, you don't need to dissect Samuel Beckett for fun or curl up with Joyce's Ulysses for your bedtime reading. But the minimal standard that Lit requires from writers isn't too much to expect, I think.

It's certainly better than relying on unreliable and unethical software. It's also better than running into Lit's AI detectors again and again and never publishing that story because you couldn't be arsed.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

Except quite likely it won't be published. Because Lit has strict rules about using AI.

Grammar isn't difficult. Do you know how many billions of people have learned English grammar over the centuries? If you speak English, you understand the basics. If you want to be a writer, spend a few hours brushing up on some of the rules you're not sure about.

It's one of the most fundamental requirements. Would you sign up for a game of whatever sport without knowing the rules, particularly with people watching? Would you pick up an instrument and play a gig on stage without knowing how to play?

You want to be a writer? Learn how to write. You don't have to be a master of the intricacies of alliteration and imagery, you don't need to dissect Samuel Beckett for fun or curl up with Joyce's Ulysses for your bedtime reading. But the minimal standard that Lit requires from writers isn't too much to expect, I think.

It's certainly better than relying on unreliable and unethical software. It's also better than running into Lit's AI detectors again and again and never publishing that story because you couldn't be arsed.

How in God's name is Laurel going to know if a semi-colon was put in a sentence or a run on sentence broken up with a period by a human or AI? They don't want stories written by AI. I'm sure a little punctuation help will be just fine. And what difference does it make to him. His story was rejected anyway. Try it with AI and if it gets rejected again then you'll know for sure and then hire someone to help.

And yes the actual minute rules of English grammar are hard, that's why every successful author has their books edited by a professional. That's why people literally get master's degrees in English.

 

[leicesterbiguy]

Try using Grammarly for punctuation, but don't accept when it tries to rewrite sentences.

I have used it for this and the previous story. Still rejected on speech related errors with the latest story.

 

[ElectricBlue]

How in God's name is Laurel going to know if a semi-colon was put in a sentence or a run on sentence broken up with a period by a human or AI? They don't want stories written by AI. I'm sure a little punctuation help will be just fine. And what difference does it make to him. His story was rejected anyway. Try it with AI and if it gets rejected again then you'll know for sure and then hire someone to help.

And yes the actual minute rules of English grammar are hard, that's why every successful author has their books edited by a professional. That's why people literally get master's degrees in English.

You joined Lit two weeks ago, and you're asking the same questions, making the same comments, that members of this forum have been discussing for the last two years. When folk here suggest not doing something, when it comes to AI and written content, it's generally the best advice you're going to get. I suggest you read the multiple threads about AI rejections in the AH back pages - there's a lot of commentary about what gets through and what doesn't.

The best advice we can give folk getting knocked back for suspected use of AI is: learn the basics of grammar and punctuation for yourself - don't rely on tools other than the most basic spell-checks. Even then, get a dictionary.

 

[T_Blackmoor]

You joined Lit two weeks ago, and you're asking the same questions, making the same comments, that members of this forum have been discussing for the last two years. When folk here suggest not doing something, when it comes to AI and written content, it's generally the best advice you're going to get. I suggest you read the multiple threads about AI rejections in the AH back pages - there's a lot of commentary about what gets through and what doesn't.

The best advice we can give folk getting knocked back for suspected use of AI is: learn the basics of grammar and punctuation for yourself - don't rely on tools other than the most basic spell-checks. Even then, get a dictionary.

You're right. I'm new here. Didn't mean to cause trouble. It's such a great tool for this very thing. Disappointing not to use.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You're right. I'm new here. Didn't mean to cause trouble. It's such a great tool for this very thing. Disappointing not to use.

If you're writing business reports, maybe; but for fiction (even before the issues with AI began), Grammarly is hopeless. It's got no nuance, it's "suggestions" increasingly drive the user towards bland, featureless writing - exactly the opposite of what you want with fiction.

The typical thing I see with new writers here, especially if they've never written fiction before, let alone erotica, is that they don't know their own voice yet, often accompanied by not having the basic techniques under control. They want to write the next great erotic novel, without having learned how to write.

My recommendation for such writers, is to start small. Short stories with two leading characters and one or two but characters (by short, the Literotica sweet spot is 2 - 3 Lit pages, 7k - 11k words), with a simple idea, told as a standalone story.

Avoid being tempted into the idea, "But my characters, they're the greatest, I want to write them some more," and avoid smorgasbords of multiple kinks until you're ready. Write a dozen or so short stories, learn your own voice, develop your own style, discover who you are as a writer. Get some feedback, get a following, continue to write better stories. Then, when you're ready (and it might take a year or two), that's when you could try your first "big one" - when you're skilled enough to do your idea justice. Do an erotic apprentice first.

But don't rely on software to do the basic stuff for you.