Format question

[madelinemasoch]

If I submit a new story with the text file option, and the document is formatted like tabs in front of every paragraph and no lines of space between the paragraphs (unlike the site), will it automatically format it to the site? Will it get rejected? Thanks.

 

[alohadave]

Tabs are stripped out.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Tabs are stripped out.

Are the spaces between paragraphs added in too?

 

[alohadave]

Are the spaces between paragraphs added in too?

I don't have access to a browser to look at the source atm, but I believe that each paragraph is formatted with a <p> tag which adds the line space between them.

It may get kicked back for formatting if it doesn't render properly. In which case, you'd want to add the spaces between paragraphs manually.

 

[Bamagan]

I generally submit .rtf files, and so far none have been rejected for formatting issues, but things other than font manipulations (bold, italics, centering, etc.) seem to get discarded when the site does its conversions. So yes, I think your indents and paragraph spacing would also be ignored, but probably not grounds for rejection themselves, judging by my experience.

 

[madelinemasoch]

I generally submit .rtf files, and so far none have been rejected for formatting issues, but things other than font manipulations (bold, italics, centering, etc.) seem to get discarded when the site does its conversions. So yes, I think your indents and paragraph spacing would also be ignored, but probably not grounds for rejection themselves, judging by my experience.

I thought the benefit of submitting that way was that italics are preserved?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I've never tried indents (tab or otherwise) so I can't comment on that. All that I can say is that I write straight text in a document (typing all my tags in manually) and I put a blank carriage return between each paragraph and the next. Then when I submit, I copy/paste all my text manually into the submission box and the finished publication has only a single blank space (not three) between the paragraphs. This means that either the carriage returns are published as is, or that the site detects paragraphs on its own and spaces them with one blank line.

The sure way to find out is to drop some text into the box and hit preview.

 

[Bamagan]

I thought the benefit of submitting that way was that italics are preserved?

The italics are preserved, but other things get discarded. For example, I use a larger font size for section headings as a visual aid when I'm writing, but they get converted to normal font size when posted here, although the bold font is retained.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I use a larger font size for section headings

It's not the only place that you use it.

 

[MrPixel]

For .doc and .docx, bold, italic, underscore (and maybe strike-through?) are retained, as is centering. This likely holds true for .rtf. Any other text manipulation such as font or size is ignored.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Does it actually take longer to publish them? If so, how much longer? I'm trying to get something out in exactly 4 days.

 

[Bamagan]

Does it actually take longer to publish them? If so, how much longer? I'm trying to get something out in exactly 4 days.

Not in my experience. I've done it this way since my second submission and wait times have been as little as four hours to as much as six or seven days, mostly in the lead-up to Halloween in the case of the long waits. I obviously can't say if it takes more or less time on average compared to other submissions, but my range of outcomes seems consistent with what others have reported.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I always submit my stories as Word files (.docx) and there were cases where my stories were published in two days only, so I doubt it makes much difference. I can't help you with tabs as I've never used them in my own stories.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try to submit it now and let Laurel know I want it published on the 30th in the note to admin.

 

[Paul_Chance]

It won't. If there are no line breaks in the text document, they will not appear in the published version. Most likely you'll get a kick back for formatting.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try to submit it now and let Laurel know I want it published on the 30th in the note to admin.

You might want that, but the story will be in a queue, so she might not see it in time. If you want something to be released on a set date, you'd need to submit a week or so in advance, and ask her to set a release date. She can do that easily enough, by setting a publication clock - the same way chapters can get published regularly, with a 24 or 48 hour gap.

To answer your earlier questions, the site uses a standard format: left justified, no indented paragraphs. Also, it's best to end paragraphs with two Returns. That guarantees a paragraph break.

@Bamagan - one font size only. You could bold your section headings, that works just as well.

 

[madelinemasoch]

You might want that, but the story will be in a queue, so she might not see it in time. If you want something to be released on a set date, you'd need to submit a week or so in advance, and ask her to set a release date. She can do that easily enough, by setting a publication clock - the same way chapters can get published regularly, with a 24 or 48 hour gap.

To answer your earlier questions, the site uses a standard format: left justified, no indented paragraphs. Also, it's best to end paragraphs with two Returns. That guarantees a paragraph break.

@Bamagan - one font size only. You could bold your section headings, that works just as well.

Like


This?

 

[Bamagan]

@Bamagan - one font size only. You could bold your section headings, that works just as well.

I'm well aware of that by now, thanks. I was just using that as an example to OP of one type of formatting that doesn't carry over.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Is the link supposed to lead to a 404 instead of a preview? I used docx.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Like


This?

Like

This

One return at the end of the text.
Second Return.
Next paragraph.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Like

This

One return at the end of the text.
Second Return.
Next paragraph.

Fuck me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Is the link supposed to lead to a 404 instead of a preview? I used docx.

I'm referring to copy paste into the Form. You don't get Preview if you submit a file, only with text in the submission box. And then, WYSIWYG.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Fuck me.

Is that an exhortation or an invitation?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm well aware of that by now, thanks. I was just using that as an example to OP of one type of formatting that doesn't carry over.

Except into the forums

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Except into the forums

I tried to tell him that but he doesn't appreciate the subtlety. Someone is just going to have to bash him over the head with "YOUR FONT IS TOO FUCKING BIG AND ANNOYING AND JARRING ON THE EYES! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE DEFAULT FONT?"