Could someone with experience help?

[trailgirl262]

Hi...I submitted my first story. After three weeks (I can't believe it took that long!), I finally received my rejection notice. It says my punctuation needs to be fixed, especially in dialog. But I can't see what they don't like.

Could someone experienced with editing help me? Frankly, given some of the horrible stories I've read, I'm kind of shocked mine was rejected. But that might just be pride getting in the way! lol...

Anyway...if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!

 

[PennLady]

I can help, if you'd like, but you'll need to turn on your Private Messages (PMs). Go to "User CP" in the upper left of the screen, then click on "Edit Options" on the left column of the next screen. Scroll down a bit and tick the "Enable Private Messages" box under Messaging & Notification.

If you do that, I can send you my email address and you can send your story.

Also, quick notes on dialogue punctuation:

A common line of dialogue:
"Let's go out tonight," he said.

Note the punctuation: a comma before the close quote, and a lowercase "he" in the dialogue tag, or dialogue attribution. When you have a dialogue like this, there must be a comma before the close quote, not a period, and the pronoun or article should be lower case.

Other correct ways of writing that line are:
"Let's go out tonight," said John.
"Let's go out tonight," she said.
"Let's go out tonight." John looked over at her.
"Let's go out tonight." He leaned on the counter.

Note that in the last two examples, there is a period before the close quote. This is because instead of a dialogue tag, there is a description of an action. Hence there is the period and the uppercase "He" in the last example.

 

[Dazzle1]

Hi...I submitted my first story. After three weeks (I can't believe it took that long!), I finally received my rejection notice. It says my punctuation needs to be fixed, especially in dialog. But I can't see what they don't like.

Could someone experienced with editing help me? Frankly, given some of the horrible stories I've read, I'm kind of shocked mine was rejected. But that might just be pride getting in the way! lol...

Anyway...if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!

I've been in your boat. Sometime you may get an editor who is too picky.

 

[sr71plt]

I've been in your boat. Sometime you may get an editor who is too picky.

Not sure what that's supposed to mean. There's only one submissions editor on this Web site--Laurel. They all go through her and only her.

 

[lovecraft68]

The who edits the stories question/comment seems to be showing up more and more. A simple note from the site explaining the process would be a help, but that would make sense.

Actually what would really make sense is a sticky at the top of the AH or editors forum or both stating the basic do and don;t of the site.

Again that is probably asking too much, I mean something of that magnitude might take all of a half hour

 

[sr71plt]

Nobody from the Web site edits the stories. Laurel has made that clear recently. No particular reason for her to post anywhere about something the Web site doesn't do and never said it does.

 

[_Lynn_]

The who edits the stories question/comment seems to be showing up more and more. A simple note from the site explaining the process would be a help, but that would make sense.

Actually what would really make sense is a sticky at the top of the AH or editors forum or both stating the basic do and don;t of the site.

Again that is probably asking too much, I mean something of that magnitude might take all of a half hour

This came from a post on 3/18/12 . . .

Hi writers!

For clarification and future reference: we do allow characters under the age of 18 in stories. What we don't allow are stories in which characters under the age of 18 are involved in sexual situations. This includes as voyeurs, as the object of a voyeur, masturbation, having sexual thoughts, and so on.

We do allow references to past activity in stories so long as it is not explicit. For example, an adult character referencing his or her history - "I lost my virginity when I was 15" - is fine. Explicit and/or salacious details are not.

These are not new rules nor have our content rules changed in many years.

As far as things slipping through: one thing to realize is that the stories are not approved by a robot or script. They are approved by human eyes, which tire easily as I age. Every story must be formatted; tags, title, and description checked; and skimmed for content issues. The daily update takes hours. If I could find a way to do all this properly with a script, I would. But in the last 12+ years, the only way to do things right is to do it by hand, so to speak.

Mistakes happen. The site has been on a huge growth streak in the past year, with readership & unique visitors up nearly 20%. This means a corresponding growth in submissions. We want to post stories to the site as quickly as possible for you authors. We also want to make sure that the updates are as top-quality as they can be - with a minimum of formatting errors and no forbidden content inadvertently posted. Thorough checking of stories and timely posting is a balance we will continue to work to get right.

I'd like to be able to read every story through, but I can't. Reading 100+ stories/novels a night - much less formatting, tagging, etc. - is just not possible. So, if while skimming I see something that sends up a red flag and further reading doesn't clarify things, I often send it back to the author. If I stopped and read through each novel we receive to check on whether an underage character is sexually active at any point, I would be even further behind than I already am.

When a story is sent back to you for any reason, this is not a final rejection and it is not meant to be taken personally. This just means we have issues or questions. You are free to resubmit either with corrections - or, if you think we're wrong, an explanation of why we're wrong in the NOTES field.

If you believe your story was rejected in error, please open the submission, respond to the rejection in the NOTES field of the submission, and hit SUBMIT. Please do not add the word EDITED to the title, as that denotes someone editing an already approved story. Since we process all edits after the new stories are posted, adding the word EDITED to a title will cause a delay in the posting of your new story. If you are submitting an edit of a rejected story, simply open the rejected form, make the changes in that form, and hit SUBMIT. Do not start a new submission.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me anytime. PMs are faster than emails.

Thanks everybody, especially those who let me know about this thread - and have a great weekend!

 

[sr71plt]

There are different types of editors: The acquisitions editor accepts the work for publication, determining wheither it meets what the publication is looking for. (That's Laurel, and only Laurel, here.) A developmental editor helps the author develop the story. (That would have to be a volunteer here. It's not provided by the Web site.) A copyeditor massages the work for technical issues and content problems (e.g., continuity, plot holes, inconsistencies)--usually just pointing them out for the author to decide what to do with. (That would be a volunteer here. It's not provided by the Web site.)

 

[_Lynn_]

The who edits the stories question/comment seems to be showing up more and more. A simple note from the site explaining the process would be a help, but that would make sense.

Actually what would really make sense is a sticky at the top of the AH or editors forum or both stating the basic do and don;t of the site.

Again that is probably asking too much, I mean something of that magnitude might take all of a half hour

This thread is a sticky in the EF, giving information on rejections, which is the topic of the OP.

In fact, the second paragraph states: One thing to bear in mind when you have a rejection notice is that one person reads these stories every single night.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

This thread is a sticky in the EF, giving information on rejections, which is the topic of the OP.

In fact, the second paragraph states: One thing to bear in mind when you have a rejection notice is that one person reads these stories every single night.

Why would a story rejection be read every single night?

 

[PennLady]

Why would a story rejection be read every single night?

She meant that one person reads all the stories every night, and hence can make mistakes.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

She meant that one person reads all the stories every night, and hence can make mistakes.

Damn, you popped my balloon.

I love Lit and have posted over 300 stories here but SR has made life intolerable. I'm sick and tired of the negative critics. Moving my stories to Short Fiction. Finding readers who are more appreciative of my writing.

 

[Sarahduk]

Hi...I submitted my first story. After three weeks (I can't believe it took that long!), I finally received my rejection notice. It says my punctuation needs to be fixed, especially in dialog. But I can't see what they don't like.

Could someone experienced with editing help me? Frankly, given some of the horrible stories I've read, I'm kind of shocked mine was rejected. But that might just be pride getting in the way! lol...

Anyway...if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!

If you read my thread below, I had the same happen to me. Even though the story was originally rejected on punctuation and spelling, I notice its now published and I didn't alter anything or resubmit. I'm a bit baffled to be honest. I'm not complaining though

Sarah

 

[sr71plt]

Let's get this straight. One story didn't get rejected until three weeks after it was submitted? (never heard anything sitting in pending that long. You didn't push any buttons in the submission page while it was pending?)

And after another story was rejected, it suddenly spontaenously posted without anything else happening? (Again I've never heard of that happening here before.)

 

[trailgirl262]

I can help, if you'd like, but you'll need to turn on your Private Messages (PMs). Go to "User CP" in the upper left of the screen, then click on "Edit Options" on the left column of the next screen. Scroll down a bit and tick the "Enable Private Messages" box under Messaging & Notification.

Thank you, PennLady. I found the spot you were talking about and enabled private messages.

 

[kbate]

.....

 

[Bramblethorn]

And after another story was rejected, it suddenly spontaenously posted without anything else happening? (Again I've never heard of that happening here before.)

Me neither, but Laurel did respond specifically to Sarahduk in the relevant forum thread about that submission. Maybe she took that as a "please take another look" without waiting for the resubmission.