Best options for submission formatting

[AngstIgnored]

I'm getting ready to submit my first story to this site, but after looking through a number of the FAQ's and writer resources entries I have a few questions remaining.

A number of articles discuss using Word, Google docs, or a plain text editor. They also whether to use .doc, .rtf or plain .txt files for submissions. Assuming I just go with .txt files to avoid any sort of special features interfering with a submission from a word processor, how do you deal with line lengths?

One potentially long line per paragraph, even if it is well over 80 characters, or a 'conventional' line length? Break the lines at a shorter length, then expect to have them joined once brought into whatever format the site stores them internally after posting?

Finally, I've seen a number of stories posted with either obvious or subtle spelling or typographical errors, but sometimes after years of comments about them, those errors are still present. Does that mean the author cannot edit the story after it has been posted? Other than removing a post and resubmitting it entirely, is it possible to tweak a story to get rid of a typo?

Thanks for any insight that can be offered on these questions.

-- AI

 

[ElectricBlue]

See this recent thread:

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1544530

Don't use .txt, those files aren't accepted by the site.

If you use .rtf, you'll get a preview on the submission page, if you use .docx, you won't.

You can cut and paste into the submission box and get a preview - this is important until you know what formatting works, what doesn't. html can be tricky, best to avoid it or keep it to a minimum, because when it goes wrong, it can go train-wreck wrong.

Paragraph length - best to use shorter paragraph lengths and give readers plenty of white space. Think digital reproduction conventions (remembering many readers use phones) rather than print book conventions, and avoid 'walls of text'.

To fix post-submission edits, you have to resubmit the whole text. There are numerous threads on the AH on all of this - find some and read through. Every question has been answered many times.

Welcome to the nuthouse - you'll be an expert in no time .

 

[AngstIgnored]

Thank you for that link I'll be sure to check it out.

I wasn't going for long paragraphs, but acknowledging that most would be longer than the 80 characters on a typical plain .txt file line, making me curious about line breaks interfering with markup flow on a page.

I'm very familiar with HTML and how to fix it if needed, just trying to avoid 'first time errors' ahead of time. Good to know there's no way to edit other than reposting, which was my biggest question. Thanks for your help and encouraging words.

-- AI

 

[NotWise]

I'm getting ready to submit my first story to this site, but after looking through a number of the FAQ's and writer resources entries I have a few questions remaining.

Congratulations and good luck.

A number of articles discuss using Word, Google docs, or a plain text editor. They also whether to use .doc, .rtf or plain .txt files for submissions. Assuming I just go with .txt files to avoid any sort of special features interfering with a submission from a word processor, how do you deal with line lengths?

The simplest and most dependable way to submit the story is by copying it from your word processor and pasting it into the submission box. You lose the formatting you might add through your word processor, but you can retain those by embedding the html code for some simple font changes like bolding or italics.

One potentially long line per paragraph, even if it is well over 80 characters, or a 'conventional' line length? Break the lines at a shorter length, then expect to have them joined once brought into whatever format the site stores them internally after posting?

You don't need to think about this. The best approach is to set your word processor's paragraph style to use no indent, and no space between paragraphs. Then add the space between paragraphs with an extra return. If you export that to a text file it'll look like a single long line per paragraph, but you don't need to export to a text file. There are possible problems with that conversion, and I think it's better to avoid it.

Finally, I've seen a number of stories posted with either obvious or subtle spelling or typographical errors, but sometimes after years of comments about them, those errors are still present. Does that mean the author cannot edit the story after it has been posted? Other than removing a post and resubmitting it entirely, is it possible to tweak a story to get rid of a typo?

It's possible to fix those errors, but the only good solution is to not make them. Once a story is posted and the readers comment then it's too late. By the time you post an edited copy, most of the people who will ever see your story have already read it, and very few people will ever see the revised version.

As a result, a lot of us won't go back and submit edits. I've done it, but only in the case where readers complained that the story was unreadable for some correctable reason.

 

[Bramblethorn]

One potentially long line per paragraph, even if it is well over 80 characters, or a 'conventional' line length? Break the lines at a shorter length, then expect to have them joined once brought into whatever format the site stores them internally after posting?

Don't add line breaks (except for the double-break between paragraphs). I've seen a story rejected for a single misplaced line break.

It's possible to fix those errors, but the only good solution is to not make them. Once a story is posted and the readers comment then it's too late. By the time you post an edited copy, most of the people who will ever see your story have already read it, and very few people will ever see the revised version.

This, and also it's making work for Laurel (the moderator). If it didn't mean making work for somebody else I'd correct every mistake I found immediately, because I'm fussy about that kind of thing even if nobody's reading it. But I don't want to drag other people into my pickiness. I'll make corrections to the master version, but updates here only for major issues.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

In most cases the only HTML that is allowed is <center> <b> <i> <u>. And insure you close out each one in the order of where they start.

ie. <center><b><u> text </u></b></center>

Also, line length doesn't matter, just like in a word doc the CSS for the page will wrap the lines where they need to be wrapped, etc.

And be sure to use an extra return to separate paragraphs or you will wind up with a wall of text. If you submit a .doc file any line space other then 1 will be ignored and any spacing between paragraphs will be ignored. So will spaces before a paragraph for indents.

In the past, <blockquote> has been accepted in the past, in order to indent, on both sides of the line you want indented.