Complaints about stories being pending for ages

[EmilyMiller]

sigh, we're off on a tangent again.

Well at least it is my own thread

 

[StillStunned]

sigh, we're off on a tangent again.

That's one of those two-person bicycles, isn't it?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

sigh, we're off on a tangent again.

I sort of imagine this place as existing in a spherical coordinate system as opposed to cartesian. Eventually, at some point, all tangents will find the main thread again.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I sort of imagine this place as existing in a spherical coordinate system as opposed to cartesian. Eventually, at some point, all tangents will find the main thread again.

Came in to see if anyone saw updates about the story queue, left with a better understanding of analytic geometry.

AH has everything, I tell ya!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Came in to see if anyone saw updates about the story queue, left with a better understanding of analytic geometry.

AH has everything, I tell ya!

I think Riemann Sphere is a great novel title.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I think Riemann Sphere is a great novel title.

My math nerd cup runneth over today

 

[onehitwanda]

left with a better understanding of analytic geometry.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

What would we do without you, @onehitwanda

 

[onehitwanda]

What would we do without you, @onehitwanda

You'd all be a lot more sober!

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

You'd all be a lot more sober!

Where's the fun in that?

 

[leftwantingmore]

I'll just do a quick response to your post, because you raise quite a few questions.

First up: yes, it's annoying to read a story that's full of mistakes. Whether spelling and punctuation, grammar, logic, consistency, style or whatever: anything that distracts the reader from the story being told creates a risk that the reader will give up.

So as writers, if we want our reader to stick with us, we should do our best to present the story in the best possible format. Even so, it's impossible to rule out all mistakes. I have 25+ years' experience as a proofreader and copyeditor, and I still leave mistakes in my stories. It happens, it's no big deal. I like to think my stories are better than most, and certainly no worse than plenty of hardcopy novels I've bought and read.

But it's also important to be aware that some stories call for an idiosyncratic style, or that some writers use a different spelling. I've had comments about typos, only to find out that the reader was objecting to my UK spelling. You mention stories without punctuation after the first thirty words: fine, but how about a stream of consciousness, or a deliberately antiquated and convoluted style? Some writers set out to try new things, or they come from a culture with different expectations of the written word. They can still produce excellent writing.

Anyway, much as I'm sure the site would love to publish quality literary works, that's certainly not a requirement. Writers publish here at all levels of literary merit, from 750 words of "I saw my sister, she was naked, we fucked" to novel-length works that would have Salman Rushdie getting out his pen to take notes. It's all good. There are readers enough to go round, and they also range from "All I want to read about is cocks and tits" to critical appreciation of cadence, word choice, symbolism and story arcs.

If you want to publish something here, don't worry about it being perfect. Nothing is perfect in the eyes of its creator or harsh critics. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy writing it, and readers won't enjoy reading it, and you won't enjoy their appreciation.

It's easy to start writing. It's so much more difficult to finish writing and publish. But worrying about your story not being perfect should never be a reason for not finishing it.

Good luck!

Thank You for your quick response
I agree with everything you have said. However, I know the difference between UK and US spelling, grammar and syntax. I prefer Analogue to Analog. I know the difference between a stream of consciousness and no periods or commas for a whole page but still uses capitalised letters at the beginning of what seems to be a sentence. That is just sloppy. If you will. Write a story as usual. Remove all the punctuation. Read it and ask yourself if it sounds like a deliberately antiquated and convoluted style? I can tell the difference. I grew up on deliberately antiquated and convoluted styles.

But, I am only speaking of spelling, punctuation, grammar and continuity. I am not talking about logic, consistency, style or whatever. What I am talking about is the disconnect between the Rules and Guidelines for story submission and what I see published. Nothing more. As an author I have to ask you. Is it a strain writing under that brolly?
I have spent many years as a musical composer, multi-instrumentalist and as a recording and mixing engineer. I own and operate my own recording studio. In my world nothing is perfect and there is no wrong way or right way to do anything. If it works, then you leave it in. If it doesn't work, you take it out and try again. If the knob you just adjusted made it sound like shit, try again. Keep tweaking until is "sounds like it is supposed to sound, to you". Mixing music may be like writing, you never finish a mix, eventually you have to abandon it. I always think I can make it better. Sometime I do. Sometimes I don't.
Thanks for the feedback and the conversation.
Thank You Emily , for the use of your thread.
Leftwantingmore

 

[StillStunned]

What I am talking about is the disconnect between the Rules and Guidelines for story submission and what I see published. Nothing more. As an author I have to ask you. Is it a strain writing under that brolly?

Many things on this site date back from decades ago. Quite possibly the rules and guidelines haven't been updated since the site was first set up. Things change, priorities change.

I'm sure Laurel would love to limit stories to those that are perfect, but the fact is that the site's priority is to publish stories that readers will read. Many don't care about the technical aspects of writing. All they want from a story is that it scratch their itch.

And don't forget that we're all amateurs here. If you want professional standards, read books and stories that have gone through a professional publishing process. You'll still find mistakes, though.

So my advice, if you come across a story that isn't to your liking, is just to click away and look for something else. There are hundreds of thousands of stories here, so you're bound to find something. And if not, write your own. That's how many of us started.

But here's something for you to consider. You say in your first post that you spent more than an hour writing and correcting it. Even so, it contains a handful of typos and at least one misplaced comma. So maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge writers whose stories aren't perfect until you've written and published your own.

 

[leftwantingmore]

Many things on this site date back from decades ago. Quite possibly the rules and guidelines haven't been updated since the site was first set up. Things change, priorities change.

I'm sure Laurel would love to limit stories to those that are perfect, but the fact is that the site's priority is to publish stories that readers will read. Many don't care about the technical aspects of writing. All they want from a story is that it scratch their itch.

And don't forget that we're all amateurs here. If you want professional standards, read books and stories that have gone through a professional publishing process. You'll still find mistakes, though.

So my advice, if you come across a story that isn't to your liking, is just to click away and look for something else. There are hundreds of thousands of stories here, so you're bound to find something. And if not, write your own. That's how many of us started.

But here's something for you to consider. You say in your first post that you spent more than an hour writing and correcting it. Even so, it contains a handful of typos and at least one misplaced comma. So maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge writers whose stories aren't perfect until you've written and published your own.

I certainly do not want and won't get into a pissing contest with you. I am not so inclined and I am not into water sports.
You seem to think I am criticizing the authors. I assure you that is not the case. And it is not about perfection. That is not what I am looking for here. If I wanted perfection, I know where to find it. We are all "amateurs" on this site. That is a given.
I am talking about the following:

1. Spelling & Grammar
   Spell check your manuscript and then read it again to find words the spell checker missed. Literotica does not spell check or edit submissions before publishing. Works with excessive spelling and/or grammar errors may be sent back for further editing. Obvious spelling and grammatical errors are poorly received by Lit readers so spell checking can make a big difference in how reader respond to your work.
   
   We encourage both seasoned and first-time writers to submit their work to Literotica. We do not expect grammatical and structural perfection in every story. We understand that as you publish more stories - applying suggestions from readers, other authors, and Volunteer Editors - your abilities as a writer will grow.
2. Paragraphs
   Please break your story up into reasonably sized paragraphs. Literotica stories are often read on small screen devices where excessively long paragraphs fatigue some readers. Stories with few/no paragraph breaks may be sent back for further editing.

These are the guidelines given by the powers that be. This all I am talking about.
All I am saying is that it would be helpful to the authors and more importantly, the readers if these guidelines were consistently applied. At least more than they seem to be. My comments have NOTHING to do with the authors.
If I don't like a story, I move on. I do not make unneeded and unwanted comments to the author. Besides the readers will decide what they like and don't like.
I consider the authors of Literotica as semi-professionals. I know they do not get paid for their work, however. the site receives revenue from their work.
I have no intention of writing a story to submit for publication. Sounds like fun but I do not have the time to do what I consider a proper job.
Lastly, I enjoy reading erotic literature. When I was in my teens erotic literature was my go to form of arousal. I still have and will occasionally reread my paperback collection of "The Pearl". Victorian Erotic Literature. Published as a monthly magazine in Victorian England from 1879 until it was banned from publication in 1881. Here is a link.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Pearl
I am not even going to proofread this post. I typed it on my pc with a full size keyboard instead of on my laptop. I make less mistakes on a full size keyboard.
Thank You for reading.
Sorry if I have offended any authors. It was never my intention.
Respectfully
Leftwantingmore

 

[Actingup]

There are some long-time editors on this site, that I'm sure Laurel & Manu trust.

Perhaps, if they have time and interest, could take on some of their workload in reviewing stories and making sure they're acceptable for publication.

I know this'd be thankless, with probably no money involved and, for all I know, this is already happening.

There’s a frustration at not being able to see under the lid, but I think that ultimately we have to leave them to it. A prolonged slow down will reduce author interest, which might help them catch up. If they monetise the site better they might be able to afford to pay helpers, but we don’t have any influence over their setup or corporate governance. All I know is that if was sitting in the middle of this machine for decades, I would go completely insane whether or not it was making any money…

 

[stephertoica13455]

Thanks for sharing Emily. FWIW, my story has been pending for 35 days. I messaged Laurel politely a week ago and heard nothing. I haven't been around long enough to know if that's normal. I do hope everyone on the admin side is ok because i love this site and my new hobby of writing stories!

 

[EmilyMiller]

35 days is crazy. As with most stuff posted here, this is pure speculation, but it does feel like some stories have gotten ‘lost’ in the submission process.

The general recommendation is to just wait, and PM Laurel (you’ve done both). But I’ve also now seen three people say that they withdrew their submission, deleted it, recreated it, and resubmitted. That led to a published story for them. Of course that’s not guaranteed, or even recommended.

It seems an extreme approach and goes against the collective wisdom. But after 35 days I would consider extreme measures. You’re not getting anywhere with your current approach.

 

[EmilyMiller]

35 days is crazy. As with most stuff posted here, this is pure speculation, but it does feel like some stories have gotten ‘lost’ in the submission process.

The general recommendation is to just wait, and PM Laurel (you’ve done both). But I’ve also now seen three people say that they withdrew their submission, deleted it, recreated it, and resubmitted. That led to a published story for them. Of course that’s not guaranteed, or even recommended.

It seems an extreme approach and goes against the collective wisdom. But after 35 days I would consider extreme measures. You’re not getting anywhere with your current approach.

I’m assuming you didn’t get the work sent back for any reason.

 

[Jorunn]

35 days is crazy. As with most stuff posted here, this is pure speculation, but it does feel like some stories have gotten ‘lost’ in the submission process.

The general recommendation is to just wait, and PM Laurel (you’ve done both). But I’ve also now seen three people say that they withdrew their submission, deleted it, recreated it, and resubmitted. That led to a published story for them. Of course that’s not guaranteed, or even recommended.

It seems an extreme approach and goes against the collective wisdom. But after 35 days I would consider extreme measures. You’re not getting anywhere with your current approach.

It would seem your point is valid. When a story is submitted, we can assume it goes into a queue for review. Perhaps a glitch prevented the story from reaching the review queue, perhaps there are more than one queue and that an internal transfer process failed, or that one of the queues was accidentally cleaned.

After 35 days, I would pull and resubmit, then get back to everyone as a test result. That other more recent stories are also slow may be an indication that other issues exist.

 

[feel_the_beast]

It would seem your point is valid. When a story is submitted, we can assume it goes into a queue for review. Perhaps a glitch prevented the story from reaching the review queue, perhaps there are more than one queue and that an internal transfer process failed, or that one of the queues was accidentally cleaned.

After 35 days, I would pull and resubmit, then get back to everyone as a test result. That other more recent stories are also slow may be an indication that other issues exist.

Based on the anecdotal evidence in this and other related threads, I am just about convinced this has to be some kind of glitch in their file management system, that is somehow concealing these stories indefinitely from the reviewers. I don't know, perhaps erroneously and perpetually reshuffling them to the bottom of the pile? Not really enough of a IT geek to guess how this would happen.
And it's beyond bizarre that they seem to be ignoring the discussion here. I haven't seen any comment anywhere indicating anyone has been told they're 'looking into it'.
But you're right; 36 days is long enough to just sit and wait. I'm going to pull my submission and resubmit, and see what happens. Wish me luck. I'll let you guys know how that works out for me.

 

[EmilyMiller]

FWIW - on hearing that some Halloween stories had been approved for Oct publishing already, whereas mine has been in Limbo for 12 days, I’ve pulled and resubmitted it.

Will also report back here as to how it goes.

 

[StillStunned]

FWIW - on hearing that some Halloween stories had been approved for Oct publishing already, whereas mine has been in Limbo for 12 days, I’ve pulled and resubmitted it.

Will also report back here as to how it goes.

And in today's nightmare fuel...

Do we think that's how Laurel and Manu roleplay? "I'm pulling back my story because it hasn't been approved." "No, no, resubmit it, resubmit it, please!"

 

[EmilyMiller]

And in today's nightmare fuel...

Do we think that's how Laurel and Manu roleplay? "I'm pulling back my story because it hasn't been approved." "No, no, resubmit it, resubmit it, please!"

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Based on the anecdotal evidence in this and other related threads, I am just about convinced this has to be some kind of glitch in their file management system, that is somehow concealing these stories indefinitely from the reviewers. I don't know, perhaps erroneously and perpetually reshuffling them to the bottom of the pile? Not really enough of a IT geek to guess how this would happen.
And it's beyond bizarre that they seem to be ignoring the discussion here. I haven't seen any comment anywhere indicating anyone has been told they're 'looking into it'.
But you're right; 36 days is long enough to just sit and wait. I'm going to pull my submission and resubmit, and see what happens. Wish me luck. I'll let you guys know how that works out for me.

I'm not a techy person either, but I *can* say that there were server errors on the site last night as I tried to log in to submit my most recent story. I could not log in and then when it finally let me log in, I could not access my dashboard, I just got stuck in the authentication screen where it's checking...whatever those four things it checks are before it lets you get to your works. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that something glitched and a queue is not functioning as expected - I've had that happen in jobs where we had a ticketing queue and things just got lost in cyberspace until the client updated them asking what our problem was.

It's easy to say that we want to see more monetization on the site to allow for paying help but at the same time, what would that do to the reader experience? Would we end up with the same AI ads you see on places like pornhub? Do we really want that? Clearly Laurel and Manu don't.

I think I'm just on the bandwagon hoping that everything is okay *and* that folks are taking breaks when needed. I can't imagine reviewing all of these stories can be easy work and being so far behind the scenes, it feels thankless (and I've only been on this side of the equation for such a short time!).

 

[feel_the_beast]

I'm not a techy person either, but I *can* say that there were server errors on the site last night as I tried to log in to submit my most recent story. I could not log in and then when it finally let me log in, I could not access my dashboard, I just got stuck in the authentication screen where it's checking...whatever those four things it checks are before it lets you get to your works. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that something glitched and a queue is not functioning as expected - I've had that happen in jobs where we had a ticketing queue and things just got lost in cyberspace until the client updated them asking what our problem was.

It's easy to say that we want to see more monetization on the site to allow for paying help but at the same time, what would that do to the reader experience? Would we end up with the same AI ads you see on places like pornhub? Do we really want that? Clearly Laurel and Manu don't.

I think I'm just on the bandwagon hoping that everything is okay *and* that folks are taking breaks when needed. I can't imagine reviewing all of these stories can be easy work and being so far behind the scenes, it feels thankless (and I've only been on this side of the equation for such a short time!).

I too noticed some pages refusing to populate, late last night, but was done and just went to bed.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I too noticed some pages refusing to populate, late last night, but was done and just went to bed.

The story side had an outage for some time last night.