Disappearing Italics

[Bibliopolist]

I'm a new author unsuccessfully attempting to (sparingly!) use italicized text. Even though words appear as italic when I hit the preview button on the submission screen, they do not show up as italic in the posted story.

This is an example of the exact text that I am submitting:

<i>I’ll take better care of you from now on, promise.</i>

I write in Word, but copied the text to Notepad before submitting it.

Is there something froggy about the HTML codes I'm using?

TIA.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't know why this happened to you, but I also don't know why you change it from Word to Notepad before submitting. I just copy and paste it into the submissions box from Word, and it works fine (even with the coded italics).

 

[lloyd_5]

I don't know why this happened to you, but I also don't know why you change it from Word to Notepad before submitting. I just copy and paste it into the submissions box from Word, and it works fine (even with the coded italics).

sr, what do you mean by coded italics? Is that putting HTML codes round italicized phrases in Word docs?

 

[sr71plt]

sr, what do you mean by coded italics? Is that putting HTML codes round italicized phrases in Word docs?

It's what Bibliopolist said was done. Using the angle brackets: <i> </i>

 

[Cowgurlhat]

Have you tried these brackets?

[i ]I’ll take better care of you from now on, promise.[/i ]

*Without the spaces in there, of course. lol*

 

[sr71plt]

Have you tried these brackets?

[i ]I’ll take better care of you from now on, promise.[/i ]

*Without the spaces in there, of course. lol*

Square bracket coding works here in the forum; it doesn't work in the story file, though.

 

[Darkniciad]

Your coding looks fine to me, and I had a chapter post only a couple of days ago with italics done in that fashion.

Was it all of the italic sections, or only part of them?

 

[_Lynn_]

I thought Notepad stripped everything. I use it for one part of my job for that reason anyway. Then again, I don't know a lot about computers, so I might be wrong. I have been before.

 

[sr71plt]

I thought Notepad stripped everything. I use it for one part of my job for that reason anyway. Then again, I don't know a lot about computers, so I might be wrong. I have been before.

It shouldn't really strip manual coding. That just uses existing characters on the standard keyboard.

 

[_Lynn_]

It shouldn't really strip manual coding. That just uses existing characters on the standard keyboard.

I deal with foreign companies who love to add coding to their data. Some of the stuff is bizarre before it's cleaned up.


However, back to the OP's issue. I type in Word then c/p right into the submission box with excellent results, the same as you.

 

[Bibliopolist]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies.

The italic passages now appear as I had intended in the posted story. Is it possible that there is a time lapse between the time that an edit shows as approved in the submission screen and the time that the posted story is updated? Otherwise, I have no explanation for what I saw.

It's good to know that I can simply submit HTML coded text straight from Word going forward. I tried using Notepad, by the way, to strip any automaic text formatting added by Word from the story, thinking that might have been the cause of my italic woes, but I see now that wasn't the problem.

 

[Darkniciad]

Ah! This was an edit of an existing story?

If that's the case, then there is indeed a delay between approval of the edit and the changes actually appearing on the site.

It didn't used to be the case, as changes were reflected pretty much immediately. I don't know when it started, but I noticed it a couple of months ago myself.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies.

The italic passages now appear as I had intended in the posted story. Is it possible that there is a time lapse between the time that an edit shows as approved in the submission screen and the time that the posted story is updated? Otherwise, I have no explanation for what I saw.

It's good to know that I can simply submit HTML coded text straight from Word going forward. I tried using Notepad, by the way, to strip any automaic text formatting added by Word from the story, thinking that might have been the cause of my italic woes, but I see now that wasn't the problem.

 

[estragon]

When I want italics, symbols, or anything other than ordinary vanilla text, I submit in Word format by uploading the Word file and avoiding "Preview" altogether. Works fine.

 

[Darkniciad]

When I want italics, symbols, or anything other than ordinary vanilla text, I submit in Word format by uploading the Word file and avoiding "Preview" altogether. Works fine.

I find that the preview is one of the best places to catch errors that your eyes otherwise skim right over. The change in font size/face, margins, background, page breaks, and everything else completely alters the way you're viewing the text, making silly mistakes stick out like sore thumbs.

You also have the advantage of ( within a small margin of error ) determining where your page breaks are going to occur. Sometimes, taking advantage of that by changing the length of beginning notes or tweaking paragraphs can allow you to have a nice dramatic line fall right at the end of a page for a mini-cliffhanger.

Avoiding preview is a little like saying no thanks to someone offering to do a final review of the story for free.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm a new author unsuccessfully attempting to (sparingly!) use italicized text. Even though words appear as italic when I hit the preview button on the submission screen, they do not show up as italic in the posted story.

This is an example of the exact text that I am submitting:

<i>I’ll take better care of you from now on, promise.</i>

I write in Word, but copied the text to Notepad before submitting it.

Is there something froggy about the HTML codes I'm using?

TIA.

What you did works fine for me. I have a 5 chapter series with a "voice" in the characters head that speaks in italics. so i used the html a lot with no issues. I think it is when you went from word to the other program it got lost in translation.

 

[_Lynn_]

I find that the preview is one of the best places to catch errors that your eyes otherwise skim right over. The change in font size/face, margins, background, page breaks, and everything else completely alters the way you're viewing the text, making silly mistakes stick out like sore thumbs.

You also have the advantage of ( within a small margin of error ) determining where your page breaks are going to occur. Sometimes, taking advantage of that by changing the length of beginning notes or tweaking paragraphs can allow you to have a nice dramatic line fall right at the end of a page for a mini-cliffhanger.

Avoiding preview is a little like saying no thanks to someone offering to do a final review of the story for free.

I use the preview as well. To skip that step makes no sense. Presentation of the story is important, so take the time to make it look good.