Help please

[VeryRNteresting]

Hello, I'm very sorry if this has been asked before. I have looked everywhere and can't find the specific answers I need. Idk where else to turn and who to ask so I came here. Anyways, I'm new here, obviously, and I submitted a story that was rejected for copyrighted characters. Ok fine I get it. I didn't know that copyrighted characters weren't allowed in NonCon. I have an alternate version of the story that is not copyright and all original. So i resubmitted it. After filling out a new form i found out that you weren't supposed to fill out a new form and were supposed to use the old form. It's too late for that because i submitted the new form and deleted the old one. It's been about a week and it still hasn't been approved or denied and I'm worried i made a mistake by filling out a new form. The story is over 50,000 words, complete, and chapters are labeled but i didn't submit the chapters separately. Did I need to do something different or contact someone?
I tried to read all the submission requirements but there were a lot that were posted on here and I didn't know that. I thought they were all under the guidelines posted on the website. I'm not accustomed to this style of submitting. I've only ever uploaded and been able to do everything myself. I didn't realize how extensive and strict this process really was until after I made my submissions. Has this ever happened to anyone before? Accidentally starting a new form instead of using the old one?
Thank you and I'm sorry if I sound annoying and if I posted on the wrong thread.
VeryRNteresting

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

Hello, I'm very sorry if this has been asked before. I have looked everywhere and can't find the specific answers I need. Idk where else to turn and who to ask so I came here. Anyways, I'm new here, obviously, and I submitted a story that was rejected for copyrighted characters. Ok fine I get it. I didn't know that copyrighted characters weren't allowed in NonCon. I have an alternate version of the story that is not copyright and all original. So i resubmitted it. After filling out a new form i found out that you weren't supposed to fill out a new form and were supposed to use the old form. It's too late for that because i submitted the new form and deleted the old one. It's been about a week and it still hasn't been approved or denied and I'm worried i made a mistake by filling out a new form. The story is over 50,000 words, complete, and chapters are labeled but i didn't submit the chapters separately. Did I need to do something different or contact someone?
I tried to read all the submission requirements but there were a lot that were posted on here and I didn't know that. I thought they were all under the guidelines posted on the website. I'm not accustomed to this style of submitting. I've only ever uploaded and been able to do everything myself. I didn't realize how extensive and strict this process really was until after I made my submissions. Has this ever happened to anyone before? Accidentally starting a new form instead of using the old one?
Thank you and I'm sorry if I sound annoying and if I posted on the wrong thread.
VeryRNteresting

First submissions usually get more scrutiny than later work. A week or more is not out of the question. Welcome and good luck. Also, using copyrighted characters is generally never a good idea other than celebrities and fan fiction.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I suggest you wait a few more days to see if the second submission gets over the line - new authors always get a little more scrutiny for content, as you have found. Assuming the second go-around gets through, go back and delete the first. Usually, you would resubmit using the original form - presumably it gives Laurel some kind of continuity, but that's only speculation.

The reason this site does it the way it does - every story getting a cursory vetting - is for precisely the reason your story was first rejected. You didn't comply with a site content policy, so your story got bounced. It's one of Lit's quality controls, that you can't do it all yourself.

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Thank you

Ok thank you. I just wanted to make sure I didn't completely screw it up.

My first submission was a fanfiction and I thought it was ok given that there is a fanfiction and celebrities tag. I read the guidelines and the only thing I found that was against the rules was bestiality and underage and neither of those applied to me. All fanfiction is technically copyright. It wasn't until I stumbled upon these forums that I saw more detailed guidelines posted by Laurel and it was mentioned that stories involving fanfiction and celebrities with NonCon is not allowed. A day late and a dollar short.

I have been reading fanfiction for 15 years and I have uploaded a few, but I have never encountered a website that reads through them all and rejects or denies them. I'm not knocking it, it is just new to me. Even after I understood how to submit the story I was still under the impression that I would have the ability to edit and break it up into chapters myself, but now I know that is not the case.

I may be new with this site, but I am not new when it comes to writing. This story was not something I slapped together on a whim, I really took a lot of time and effort into writing it. I even bought a subscription to Grammarly to help me edit it. This story means a lot to me and it started out as a fanfiction, but the plot is very original and I was afraid of someone stealing it, so I consulted with a lawyer about how I could obtain the legal copyright for it. I copy and pasted the fanfiction version and edited it with original characters and changed anything that was remotely copyright or trademark. I submitted and paid for the copyright.

If I honestly would have understood how the fanfiction and celebrity section worked on this site then I would have submitted the alternate version first. It is rather misleading to find the tags "reluctance" and "force" under the topic of fanfiction, and then be told that NonCon fanfiction is not allowed. I simply misunderstood. I do not dispute the rules, but I honestly was not aware and I honestly thought I read through all the guidelines.

VeryRNteresting

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Thank you

First submissions usually get more scrutiny than later work. A week or more is not out of the question. Welcome and good luck. Also, using copyrighted characters is generally never a good idea other than celebrities and fan fiction.

Thank you. I appreciate your response.
Well, I was under the impression that my work was a fanfiction, and it is, but all fanfiction is technically copyright. I'm afraid I don't quite understand the difference? I'm not trying to sound rude, but to me, they seem to be in the same category, right?
Copyright law is pretty complicated, I learned. Fanfiction has a lot of gray areas. I've never been very good at finding gray areas. I'm a very "black or white" kind of person. Well, I had to learn pretty much everything about copyright through the process of writing this story, and it still puzzles me a bit.
Fortunately, I already wrote and edited an alternate version with all original characters, names, etc. I'm just kicking myself now because I wish I would have submitted that version to begin with.
I honestly thought I read through all the submission guidelines. I read them a few times because I have been reading stories on here for a few months now and I was looking forward to sharing my erotic fanfiction with everyone. I'm fine with sharing my erotic alternate version on here, though. It only took a couple of days for the fanfiction to get rejected and my alternate is still pending so I was worried I screwed up.
I wish I would have submitted every chapter separately too. I didn't realize that you could not break them up into chapters yourself so I feel a bit guilty knowing that submitting the story as a whole will probably create more work for the moderators.

VeryRNteresting

 

[ElectricBlue]

I wish I would have submitted every chapter separately too. I didn't realize that you could not break them up into chapters yourself so I feel a bit guilty knowing that submitting the story as a whole will probably create more work for the moderators.

You've got something else confused, too. If you submit one big long piece, that's what will get published here. If you submit multiple chapters, that's what will get published. The site editor won't go breaking your submission up, no matter how many internal chapters you might have.

How many words is this thing of yours?

The longest single story I've seen here was about 80 Lit pages, so about 250,000 words. I have no idea how it was broken up internally, but it was a single submission.

Alternatively, the author could have broke it up into smaller submissions - for example, I have a 103,000 word novel here, in twelve chapters. I submitted them all at the same time, and each chapter was published 24 hours apart. So you can follow either approach - but it's up to you. The site only vetts for content compliance and competent grammar/punctuation.

 

[SimonDoom]

The content rules and restrictions on this site can be confusing. Part of the problem is that they are not all in one place. Although the rules are posted, they have subsequently been clarified in posts by Laurel to various forums at different times, and it's not easy to find those posts. It would be extremely helpful if a much more complete and detailed explanation of the rules could be found in one, easy-to-find place.

Fanfiction and copyright are complicated issues with many gray areas, and the Site's rules on the subject make it even more complicated. I don't think there's much that can be done to simplify it.

 

[VeryRNteresting]

You've got something else confused, too. If you submit one big long piece, that's what will get published here. If you submit multiple chapters, that's what will get published. The site editor won't go breaking your submission up, no matter how many internal chapters you might have.

How many words is this thing of yours?

The longest single story I've seen here was about 80 Lit pages, so about 250,000 words. I have no idea how it was broken up internally, but it was a single submission.

Alternatively, the author could have broke it up into smaller submissions - for example, I have a 103,000 word novel here, in twelve chapters. I submitted them all at the same time, and each chapter was published 24 hours apart. So you can follow either approach - but it's up to you. The site only vetts for content compliance and competent grammar/punctuation.

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this me and I thank you.

I can see that you have been on this site a long time and you really know what you're doing. I'm sure people like get annoying and I can understand that. It's not necessary to be condescending towards me.

You're right, I am very confused over how the submissions work and the chapters. I did come across another forum post and people mentioned that it was best to submit the story as a whole and it will be broken up into chapters by the moderators. However, I know people on here also submit one chapter at a time because they write as they go. So I also read that many do that as well.

This "thing" of mine is over 54,000 words. Some might call it a novella, others might refer to it as a novel. I researched what the word count requirements are for either one and I found mixed results. I actually posted it to 2 other websites. The fanfiction version. If you are curious then I invite you to check it out. I'm hesitant to post the links because I'm not sure what the policies are on that matter. I'm not saying that to be a smartass I honestly am not sure. But I'm under the same username. I guess you can Google it and it would probably pop up.

I understand that you have to be vetted on this site. I appreciate the quality control. I am very confident that my story is excellent quality and I was very careful to edit my grammar, spelling, etc. I did not use an editor because I have trust issues. I'm sure there are still a few mistakes here and there but nothing too major.

VeryRNteresting

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Thank you

The content rules and restrictions on this site can be confusing. Part of the problem is that they are not all in one place. Although the rules are posted, they have subsequently been clarified in posts by Laurel to various forums at different times, and it's not easy to find those posts. It would be extremely helpful if a much more complete and detailed explanation of the rules could be found in one, easy-to-find place.

Fanfiction and copyright are complicated issues with many gray areas, and the Site's rules on the subject make it even more complicated. I don't think there's much that can be done to simplify it.

SimonDoom you are amazing and I really appreciate your understanding. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kindness.

It is true that everything is spread out and difficult to find. That is what happened to me. This is an excellent website and I know the creators and moderators work extremely hard every day. They read through all the submissions and make changes to them if necessary and do so much more that I'm not even aware of. I understand that it would be very challenging, if not impossible to put all the guidelines in one place. I really do appreciate the history and top standards of this website.

I have so much to learn from all of you. I've been reading Fanfiction since I was 13 and I used to frequent Quizilla which is no longer around. I always enjoyed the smutty ones. It wasnt until recently that I learned how controversial fanfiction is.

Writing is not a career for me, but it is a beloved hobby and so is reading. I'm not looking to make money or get famous. I wrote my story with every intention of sharing it and to be enjoyed by all. I knew this was a good website to share it on since the likelihood of offending anyone is slim to none. I love how people here are open minded and not afraid to express themselves.

Thank you all for your guidance and all the hard work you dedicate to writing your stories.

VeryRNteresting

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this me and I thank you.

I can see that you have been on this site a long time and you really know what you're doing. I'm sure people like get annoying and I can understand that. It's not necessary to be condescending towards me.

You're right, I am very confused over how the submissions work and the chapters. I did come across another forum post and people mentioned that it was best to submit the story as a whole and it will be broken up into chapters by the moderators. However, I know people on here also submit one chapter at a time because they write as they go. So I also read that many do that as well.

This "thing" of mine is over 54,000 words. Some might call it a novella, others might refer to it as a novel. I researched what the word count requirements are for either one and I found mixed results. I actually posted it to 2 other websites. The fanfiction version. If you are curious then I invite you to check it out. I'm hesitant to post the links because I'm not sure what the policies are on that matter. I'm not saying that to be a smartass I honestly am not sure. But I'm under the same username. I guess you can Google it and it would probably pop up.

I understand that you have to be vetted on this site. I appreciate the quality control. I am very confident that my story is excellent quality and I was very careful to edit my grammar, spelling, etc. I did not use an editor because I have trust issues. I'm sure there are still a few mistakes here and there but nothing too major.

VeryRNteresting

So I'm sick in bed with a cold and bored, and I did google your name and found your story, I think.

I kinda just skimmed it because Batman isn't my thing, but I did do a pretty close skim and didn't see any errors right away. Grammar and formatting seem good.

The only thing I did see was in an author note you had 'peaked your interest' and it should be piqued, not peaked.
But spelling and grammar of what I did read seem fine.

And Welcome!

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this me and I thank you.

I can see that you have been on this site a long time and you really know what you're doing. I'm sure people like get annoying and I can understand that. It's not necessary to be condescending towards me.

You're right, I am very confused over how the submissions work and the chapters. I did come across another forum post and people mentioned that it was best to submit the story as a whole and it will be broken up into chapters by the moderators. However, I know people on here also submit one chapter at a time because they write as they go. So I also read that many do that as well.

This "thing" of mine is over 54,000 words. Some might call it a novella, others might refer to it as a novel. I researched what the word count requirements are for either one and I found mixed results. I actually posted it to 2 other websites. The fanfiction version. If you are curious then I invite you to check it out. I'm hesitant to post the links because I'm not sure what the policies are on that matter. I'm not saying that to be a smartass I honestly am not sure. But I'm under the same username. I guess you can Google it and it would probably pop up.

I understand that you have to be vetted on this site. I appreciate the quality control. I am very confident that my story is excellent quality and I was very careful to edit my grammar, spelling, etc. I did not use an editor because I have trust issues. I'm sure there are still a few mistakes here and there but nothing too major.

VeryRNteresting

I don't know if Simon or EB cleared this up, but no moderators don't break up your story. If you submitted the chapters as one complete story that's how it will be posted.
I have a series I'm working on and submitted a few chapters at the same time, but you have to submit them on separate forms. Just label them in the right order. Like my first chapter was 'No Such Thing As Time Chapter 01' then the next was 'No Such Thing As Time Chapter 02'.

If you submit several chapters at the same time, on separate forms, Laurel will post them usually every 24 hours.

Sorry if anyone else has already said all of this.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This "thing" of mine is over 54,000 words. Some might call it a novella, others might refer to it as a novel. I researched what the word count requirements are for either one and I found mixed results. I actually posted it to 2 other websites. The fanfiction version. If you are curious then I invite you to check it out. I'm hesitant to post the links because I'm not sure what the policies are on that matter.

Firstly, don't link to other story hosting sites - that's against Lit policy, and will eventually get removed - all forums have a moderator, there's a reporting function, and Laurel does wander through from time to time (silently, just before dawn).

Secondly, 54,000 words is about 15 Lit pages - so it's long but not extraordinarily so. Since it's a complete and finished piece, you have two options:

- publish it as a single piece. Since its superhero fandom, you've got a specialist, small audience, and I'd have thought they'd be quite happy to geek out on one big long story.

- the alternative is chapters. On the principle that 3 Lit pages (10k words) is pretty much the optimum chapter length - every time this comes up - you've got five or six good sized chapters. If you do it that way, you can submit them all at once:
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 01 - the beginning
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 02 - not quite the middle bit
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 03 - the middle bit
etc...

There is a text limit for your chapter headings - 35 characters i think, so a short, precise title is needed. Use the sub-heading for additional chapter text.

If it's less than ten chapters you don't need the leading zero - you do need it if you get to chapters 10 and 11 to keep in sequence. If you're silly enough/ambitious to go beyond 99 chapters, start with 001 (and make sure the bloody thing gets finished - there are far too many stupidly long "great unfinished stories on Lit).

The one advantage of the chapter publishing, is you get a better idea as to how many readers actually finish your story - if it's a single submission, you have zero idea (a View means someone clicks in the first page, it does NOT mean they read to the end).

Good luck .

 

[VeryRNteresting]

So I'm sick in bed with a cold and bored, and I did google your name and found your story, I think.

I kinda just skimmed it because Batman isn't my thing, but I did do a pretty close skim and didn't see any errors right away. Grammar and formatting seem good.

The only thing I did see was in an author note you had 'peaked your interest' and it should be piqued, not peaked.
But spelling and grammar of what I did read seem fine.

And Welcome!

Oh cool! Thank you for taking the time to check it out! I appreciate your input. I swear, every time I read my story I always find something! I finally just had to stop picking it to death and post it. I still find things though.

Oh haha! I don't remember the reference to that honestly, but you're right! I found a few of those mistakes when I went through it before uploading it and it's crazy how easy it is to do and not even realize it.

Thank you!

 

[VeryRNteresting]

I don't know if Simon or EB cleared this up, but no moderators don't break up your story. If you submitted the chapters as one complete story that's how it will be posted.
I have a series I'm working on and submitted a few chapters at the same time, but you have to submit them on separate forms. Just label them in the right order. Like my first chapter was 'No Such Thing As Time Chapter 01' then the next was 'No Such Thing As Time Chapter 02'.

If you submit several chapters at the same time, on separate forms, Laurel will post them usually every 24 hours.

Sorry if anyone else has already said all of this.

Huh, ok then. Well will people be less inclined to read one long story rather than chapters? I don't believe I have come across any long stories that were not broken up into chapters. No I haven't read any stories on here where every chapter was all in one link and continued on with several lit pages. I hope that explanation made sense. I've seen short stories under one link, and then I've seen every chapter for a series posted under separate links.

I did read that chapters would be posted 24 hours apart, but I was not aware that you had to submit them in different forms. Thank you for taking the time to explain all of that to me. I definitely have a lot to learn about how the submissions work.

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Firstly, don't link to other story hosting sites - that's against Lit policy, and will eventually get removed - all forums have a moderator, there's a reporting function, and Laurel does wander through from time to time (silently, just before dawn).

Secondly, 54,000 words is about 15 Lit pages - so it's long but not extraordinarily so. Since it's a complete and finished piece, you have two options:

- publish it as a single piece. Since its superhero fandom, you've got a specialist, small audience, and I'd have thought they'd be quite happy to geek out on one big long story.

- the alternative is chapters. On the principle that 3 Lit pages (10k words) is pretty much the optimum chapter length - every time this comes up - you've got five or six good sized chapters. If you do it that way, you can submit them all at once:
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 01 - the beginning
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 02 - not quite the middle bit
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 03 - the middle bit
etc...

There is a text limit for your chapter headings - 35 characters i think, so a short, precise title is needed. Use the sub-heading for additional chapter text.

If it's less than ten chapters you don't need the leading zero - you do need it if you get to chapters 10 and 11 to keep in sequence. If you're silly enough/ambitious to go beyond 99 chapters, start with 001 (and make sure the bloody thing gets finished - there are far too many stupidly long "great unfinished stories on Lit).

The one advantage of the chapter publishing, is you get a better idea as to how many readers actually finish your story - if it's a single submission, you have zero idea (a View means someone clicks in the first page, it does NOT mean they read to the end).

Good luck .

Ok I had a feeling! I'm glad I didn't link anything then.

Ok wow I did not know that about the chapter numbering. I will keep that in mind if I need to either resubmit or if I do get around to finishing this sequel and switching out the fanfiction characters for my original ones. I agree with the unfinished work point! I can't stand when I get into a story and it never gets finished. I have read some excellent stories that had so much potential but they were never finished and probably never will be. I wanted to make sure that if I ever got around to writing a story that it would not be posted until I completed it.

I do like the idea of knowing how many people read the story to completion. I suppose if my story gets approved then it will be one long submission so I will not know for sure. I guess if it gets rejected again, at least maybe I can change it and submit single chapters on different forms. Now I wish I would have done that. I suppose it's too late for that isn't it?

Well it's funny because my "fanfiction" honestly has very little to do with Batman. I don't even mention Batman it's just in the same universe haha. I would definitely say that it is more of an erotica piece than a fanfiction piece which is why it was so easy to replace the names and characters with all original content. Well, easy is not the right word for it. I put a lot of thought and effort into making it 100% original and I was worried that I may never get it where I wanted it. I basically wrote two stories.

Thank for your input and guidance and taking the time to explain all of this to me! Thank you for wishing me luck! I have enjoyed talking to all of y'all!

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

"Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 01 - the beginning
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 02 - not quite the middle bit
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 03 - the middle bit
etc...'
Oh yeah, you don't want both Warner Brothers AND Disney/Marvel after you.

Seriously both companies guard their IP jealously to the point of using bots to troll for mentions of the names

I could see it kick back.

 

[ElectricBlue]

"Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 01 - the beginning
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 02 - not quite the middle bit
Batman is Hotter than Hulk Part 03 - the middle bit
etc...'
Oh yeah, you don't want both Warner Brothers AND Disney/Marvel after you.

Seriously both companies guard their IP jealously to the point of using bots to troll for mentions of the names

I could see it kick back.

Kick back? Lol. The only place they'll find that combo is in my example post above. I've got no idea what the OP's story title really is.

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Still no word the status of my story it's been almost 2 weeks. I'm not sure if that's normal for a new author but I just wish I knew something so I could take action. It's stuck in limbo it seems. Do I need to do anything?

 

[SimonDoom]

Still no word the status of my story it's been almost 2 weeks. I'm not sure if that's normal for a new author but I just wish I knew something so I could take action. It's stuck in limbo it seems. Do I need to do anything?

Contact Laurel.

2 weeks seems like a long time to me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Contact Laurel.

2 weeks seems like a long time to me.

Wot Simon says. Also, confirm that you actually submitted the story. Some folk find them still sitting in Draft, weeks later.

If submitted, send a PM to Laurel - as spelt here - asking if it's fallen through the cracks.

 

[mynameisben]

Contact Laurel.

2 weeks seems like a long time to me.

I agree. Contact Laurel. Something is definitely amiss. I submitted a story on 8/27. Laurel rejected it on 8/28. I ran it through a spellchecker and resubmitted it the same day, and on the very next day it was accepted and published. If she could process my story,twice, that fast then she definitely should have dealt with your story by now.

Somehow, it seems, your story has fallen between the cracks.

 

[VeryRNteresting]

Ok I thought so. Yeah now it's a little over 2 weeks but i did contact Laurel but idk if i have gotten a reply. I did make sure that it was submitted but when i click on the link there is nothing to select. It says "this submission is waiting for approval by a moderator" or something along those lines.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Ok I thought so. Yeah now it's a little over 2 weeks but i did contact Laurel but idk if i have gotten a reply. I did make sure that it was submitted but when i click on the link there is nothing to select. It says "this submission is waiting for approval by a moderator" or something along those lines.

That means you have submitted it, so that's good. If it was rejected, that indicator would have a number in it.

Did you contact Laurel by PM? That's the only way.

She probably won't reply directly, but if she saw the PM and checked your story status, hopefully the next thing you see will be a notification it's been approved. Or rejected. If nothing has changed in another week, try sending another PM.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Huh, ok then. Well will people be less inclined to read one long story rather than chapters?

We debate this periodically but I don't think we've ever reached consensus on the answer.

When we post long stories in chapters, the usual pattern is that the first chapter gets plenty of views, then readership falls off over the next couple of chapters before more or less levelling off. This makes sense - people try the first couple of chapters, some of them don't enjoy the story and stop reading, by Chapter 3 or so anybody who's still reading is probably in there for the long haul.

But with long stories posted as a single big chunk, the view stats don't tell how many people dropped out partway through the story. My personal suspicion is that it works out about the same as chaptering, with roughly the same % of readers making it through to the end either way, but I can't prove that.

I don't believe I have come across any long stories that were not broken up into chapters.

Some people do post them. I've seen a few that were over 50 pages (~ 180k words, which is a long novel's worth).

 

[ElectricBlue]

Some people do post them. I've seen a few that were over 50 pages (~ 180k words, which is a long novel's worth).

Longest I've seen was over 80 Lit pages - something by Lien Geller. It was published commercially, so might have been taken down.