First story

[Ophelia_Coque]

Hi, I have submitted my first story. How long does it take to get approved?
I think I posted it nearly 24 hours ago.
My profile pic also seems to be taking a while to appear.
Am I just too impatient?
Ophelia

 

[SimonDoom]

I've been doing this for six years and it takes my stories on average 2-3 days to be posted after I submit them. For new authors the time is sometimes a little longer, because they don't know you and may read your story more carefully to make sure it complies. Stories typically go online around 11 pm PST.
Congrats on publishing your first story. I thought it was a big rush to see my story online for the first time.

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

Thanks Simon, I will try and be patient. Writing an erotic story is something I have never done before - in fact - I have never written ANY stories.
I can't wait to see it published but I am apprehensive - I hope it is not ripped to shreds.
I had a look at your story list - wow - so many of them - and most with a red H.
I will have a read.
Ophelia

 

[Defluer]

You can watch it and it will give you a head's up on when it's going to be posted. The date on it will go from Pending basically to saying 11/25 or whatever and you'll know it will be posted at 11 PST on that date. Because of the American Holiday it might take some extra time.

But I'm still just as impatient as ever when I post a story, each time I check and nothing has changed it feels like a week instead of just a couple hours. It's a big deal, whatever amount of work you've put into the story is a lot of your heart and soul that you poured out.

Good luck!

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

Thanks Defluer, that will be 7:00 tonight here in the UK.
I will keep an eye out.
Ophelia

 

[SimonDoom]

Thanks Simon, I will try and be patient. Writing an erotic story is something I have never done before - in fact - I have never written ANY stories.
I can't wait to see it published but I am apprehensive - I hope it is not ripped to shreds.
I had a look at your story list - wow - so many of them - and most with a red H.
I will have a read.
Ophelia

3 of my first 4 stories did NOT have red Hs. My 3d story was ripped to shreds and had a very low score. It took a long time just to get up to 3.74, which is where it is now. You have to be patient, and try to focus on the positive, not the negative.

I suggest becoming an avid and attentive reader, if you are not one already. Figure out what you like in stories, and then think about why you like it, and try to learn from it (I emphasize "learn" from it, not necessarily "copy" it). Not everyone here does this, but I do, and I find it works for me.

 

[SimonDoom]

Thanks Defluer, that will be 7:00 tonight here in the UK.
I will keep an eye out.
Ophelia

7 am in the UK, not pm. UK is 8 hours ahead of PST.

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

Ah, I thought 11 PST in the morning. Even longer to wait!
I have red a few stories with an 'H', and can't really see what gives them the 'H'. They all seem so different.
I suppose people's tastes in erotica are diverse.
Personally I prefer realism - the story should be believable. Of course it can be exaggerated and embellished a bit, but I like to think that it could have really happened.
O

 

[thomas1965]

I have red a few stories with an 'H', and can't really see what gives them the 'H'.

Me too, but tastes are different.
When I decide if I should read a story I base my decision only on the title and description.

 

[Duleigh]

Ah, I thought 11 PST in the morning. Even longer to wait!
I have red a few stories with an 'H', and can't really see what gives them the 'H'. They all seem so different.
I suppose people's tastes in erotica are diverse.
Personally I prefer realism - the story should be believable. Of course it can be exaggerated and embellished a bit, but I like to think that it could have really happened.
O

Don't stress it until it's been sitting idle in the pending column for 72 hours and still showing pending, that's when you send a direct message to Laurel. At some point you'll see the story change from Pending to New while still in the pending column

As for the Hot rating, that all comes from the readers, a rating of 4.5 or better give you that H, and yes, that's all subjective, it's all based on what the readers like enough to give you enough 5 votes to boost your average above 4.5. Some readers are looking for a story, some are looking for hot porn, and some are grading on spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Thanks Simon, I will try and be patient. Writing an erotic story is something I have never done before - in fact - I have never written ANY stories.
I can't wait to see it published but I am apprehensive - I hope it is not ripped to shreds.
I had a look at your story list - wow - so many of them - and most with a red H.
I will have a read.
Ophelia

Did you vomit? I vomited after submitting my first story, I was so nervous.

 

[lovecraft68]

Did you vomit? I vomited after submitting my first story, I was so nervous.

Wow, you were worked up. I remember being a little on edge because it was the first time sharing anything I wrote with anyone other than my wife. But it didn't hit me that hard.

Actually when it went live after a couple days I was in work, completely forgetting about it, came home and went to my home page to find a few favs and a couple of comments, and I was like "Oh, wow, yeah...."

Sometimes it pays to be easily distracted

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

Did you vomit? I vomited after submitting my first story, I was so nervous.

WOW- what a reaction. No. But I am nervous about how it will be received.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Wow, you were worked up. I remember being a little on edge because it was the first time sharing anything I wrote with anyone other than my wife. But it didn't hit me that hard.

Actually when it went live after a couple days I was in work, completely forgetting about it, came home and went to my home page to find a few favs and a couple of comments, and I was like "Oh, wow, yeah...."

Sometimes it pays to be easily distracted

Nothing negative about your first story, but I can imagine that Melissa's story hit harder because it seems to be very personal; not just a fantasy. Putting your heart and soul on a platter might be more than nerve-wracking.

Well, yeah, it was basically, "Hi, I'm Melissa, this is the story of how I became a cocaine addict and went to prison."

 

[MelissaBaby]

WOW- what a reaction. No. But I am nervous about how it will be received.

My point was, I got through it, and you will, too. I hope your story is a terrific success. Please share a link here when it is available.

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

Well, yeah, it was basically, "Hi, I'm Melissa, this is the story of how I became a cocaine addict and went to prison."

Oh dear - I apologise for my insensitive comment. Glad to hear you are in a better place.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Oh dear - I apologise for my insensitive comment. Glad to hear you are in a better place.

No need at all for an apology. And thank you.

 

[Voboy]

Ah, I remember the day I first submitted... lol.

I was writing two stories at the time, and I finished the one before I finished the other. I assumed I'd become a series writer back then, but that's not really how it panned out.

Congrats on clicking the button, OP! And congrats on finding the AH; most writers don't post here. It's a great resource with few trolls.

 

[lovecraft68]

Nothing negative about your first story, but I can imagine that Melissa's story hit harder because it seems to be very personal; not just a fantasy. Putting your heart and soul on a platter might be more than nerve-wracking.

Good point. I released a very personal one in 2014 and wondered if I'd get any shitty comments, but only one, everything else was supportive. But I was well established by then which may have helped.

 

[lovecraft68]

Well, yeah, it was basically, "Hi, I'm Melissa, this is the story of how I became a cocaine addict and went to prison."

If you were in NE I'd ask if you knew my family. On my old man's side I'm the only one that never ended up using drugs. I still went to prison though. In a way I was worse, I had nothing to blame other than anger issues.

 

[alohadave]

went to my home page to find a few favs and a couple of comments, and I was like "Oh, wow, yeah...."

I'm a new writer, and it amazes me that people like what I write enough to fave and follow me.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Submitting your first story is really such a special moment. I remember refreshing the page the whole day, to see if someone commented, to see the ratings and so on...

When it comes to the delay between submitting a story, and your story being published, that varies a lot. It depends on story size, on the workload of moderators, and also if there are any places in your story that might be in breach of rules etc. For example, I have submitted my latest story three days ago and it hasn't been approved yet. You have to be patient

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Ah, first kisses, first stories, first...

Congratulations.

(BTW, if you go back into the story as it sits in pending and make any changes, even the most minor, the whole thing resets and you go to the back of the queue.)

 

[Duleigh]

Did you vomit? I vomited after submitting my first story, I was so nervous.

I'm pretty sure I didn't... but then, I submitted my first story in 2006, I've moved 4 times and lived in 3 different states since then

 

[Ophelia_Coque]

(BTW, if you go back into the story as it sits in pending and make any changes, even the most minor, the whole thing resets and you go to the back of the queue.)

Useful tip, thanks!