How long does it take for a submitted story to be published?

[JosephineKuo]

I submitted a story last Sunday, 01/26, and it hasn't been published yet. The others published within three or four days. Does it normally take longer? Should I be worried? I'm new here, so any feedback would be great

 

[LWulf]

The standard answer is probably close to "anywhere from 2 days to never." The fastest I've heard is two days, but if there's a problem with it, then it won't ever post until you change whatever it is. I've seen it's closer to 4-5 days, but that's not a guarantee.

First, do not go in and "touch up" or edit what you've posted until it posts because that will simply add more time. Ever hear "the watched pot never boils"? It's true. I read somewhere that they are receiving close to 200,000 stories a day. If that's the case, then it's amazing they get it done in a week.

The hardest thing to do is walk away for 4 to 7 days, then come back and look. The easiest thing to do is to suggest you to walk away for about a week, and not to worry. If there's a problem with a story, you'll probably take a longer amount of time to try to fix it, than just a couple of hours.

Second, relax! Go read a book, or start writing your next one. It will post, when it posts. Worrying won't make it post any faster.

Third, have you gone into your writer's dashboard and look for the story to see if it has any notes about why it hasn't posted yet? One week is kinda long, I'd suspect something might have gone wrong. What format did you use? .doc? .docx? .odt?

 

[JosephineKuo]

The only difference this time is that I cut and pasted it rather than send it as a .docx.

Given that it's now been over a week, and I haven't heard anything, I think I'll delete it and resubmit it. I've already completed the next chapter, so I might as well combine them. Maybe that will work.

 

[Nezhul]

from one hour to infinity.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Are you sure it isn't in a draft mode?

When you pressed preview did you press submit?

If it isn't in draft and is in pending, PM Laurel and ask if it somehow slipped through the cracks.

It usually should only take 3 or 4 days unless there is a contest going on, then it might take 5 to 7.

 

[JosephineKuo]

It's not in draft mode, it's listed as awaiting moderation, no explanation.

I contacted support, but no response.

Is there any way to just delete it? They're obviously not going to publish it, and I've written the next chapter anyway. I'd like to just combine them, assuming there's no reason they haven't published it.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It's not in draft mode, it's listed as awaiting moderation, no explanation.

I contacted support, but no response.

Is there any way to just delete it? They're obviously not going to publish it, and I've written the next chapter anyway. I'd like to just combine them, assuming there's no reason they haven't published it.

There is no 'awaiting moderation' status. There is Draft, Pending, and Published.

Contacting support via email doesn't work. Contact Laurel via Private Message.

 

[JosephineKuo]

Thank you.

Is Laurel's user name just Laurel, or is it Lauren plus something else?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Thank you.

Is Laurel's user name just Laurel, or is it Lauren plus something else?

Laurel

 

[ElectricBlue]

It's not in draft mode, it's listed as awaiting moderation, no explanation.

I contacted support, but no response.

Is there any way to just delete it? They're obviously not going to publish it, and I've written the next chapter anyway. I'd like to just combine them, assuming there's no reason they haven't published it.

You're new, so newbies take longer than established authors, as your content will be read a little closer to make sure it abides by policies. Also, there's a contest running so those stories take priority.

If it is still shown as Pending, add your second part and resubmit. It will start over.

Patience is a virtue - expect 4 - 7 days as a first time writer, and don't default to despair. If it's been rejected for whatever reason, that will show in your Control Panel. If it's still in the queue, you can either wait or start over.

 

[JosephineKuo]

I am new, but over 12 days seems kind of long for anything to still be waiting for approval.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I am new, but over 12 days seems kind of long for anything to still be waiting for approval.

Send a PM to Laurel. You won't get a reply, but your story will either get processed for publication or rejected with a set of generic questions. There are about half dozen standard rejection notices.