Hard Returns

[uksnowy]

WTF? Can someone please advise what they are. Apparently my most recent submission is rejected because of them. I am not doing anything differently. How do I recognise them and delete?

 

[ElectricBlue]

WTF? Can someone please advise what they are. Apparently my most recent submission is rejected because of them. I am not doing anything differently. How do I recognise them and delete?

A "hard return" is when you use the "return" key to end a line, rather than let the word processor software automatically wrap the line to the next one. This block of text, for example, is typed in one continuous run of text. I have not used the hard return key until now: here.

So you see, it ends a block of text well before the line itself ends.
This line follows a hard return.
So does this one.
And this.
Etc.

In other words, you use a hard return when you want to end a line. Generally, though, you only use a hard return at the end of a paragraph. With Lit submissions, every time you end a paragraph, press "return" twice.

Then your text has a line between paragraphs.

It sounds to me like you are typing as you would with a manual typewriter. You don't need to do that with word processors.

 

[uksnowy]

OK thanks. I have posted lots in here, yes got rejected but not for that and I haven't changed anything.

 

[Nezhul]

With Lit submissions, every time you end a paragraph, press "return" twice.

I don't do that and it works / gets accepted just fine.

 

[Handley_Page]

I found it easier to "copy & Paste" from my WP to the Lit box.

 

[Nezhul]

I always upload as a .docx document.

 

[sr71plt]

Be aware that some systems you might be composing in mark hard returns themselves, so that when you move it to another system, they are there even though you didn't put them there. In Word, at least, there's a replace that can get rid of them (FIND: Manual Line Break. REPLACE WITH: blank [nothing]).

Some system will put in a hard character space too, which you'll also need to get rid of to post at Lit. (FIND: Nonbreaking space. REPLACE WITH: blank [nothing]).

 

[jehoram]

Be aware that some systems you might be composing in mark hard returns themselves, so that when you move it to another system, they are there even though you didn't put them there.

If you're writing using Notepad and then copy-and-pasting it into the text box on the Lit site, I think you have to turn "Word Wrap" off to eliminate the returns. At least, that's what I've found when trying to compose stuff in Notepad and paste it to other applications.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I always upload as a .docx document.

You do know Laurel then has to copy and paste the text and insert the paragraph returns and any text formatting you have done...manually.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You do know Laurel then has to copy and paste the text and insert the paragraph returns and any text formatting you have done...manually.

This ^ The upload notes state a preference for .txt or .rtf files.

I've found .txt files don't load from my device to the submit box, but .rtf files are OK. My simple solution is to write everthing in Word with zero formatting, saving as .rtf

 

[Nezhul]

You do know Laurel then has to copy and paste the text and insert the paragraph returns and any text formatting you have done...manually.

I don't really care? Because if that's the case, then you know what's funny? Automating this is free and would take me 20 minutes with a bottle of beer.

So I really REALLY don't see why I should care.

And I really doubt that's done manually in the first place. Because that would mean manually going through the entire text and inserting text formatting (like italics), again, manually. Because if you just Ctrl+A -> Ctrl-V - then all formatting would be gone.
My bet is that it's automated, because there's really no reason not to. Hell, integrate google docs to your site and it will make any conversion for you, I think. And for free.

And in any case, even if it DOES mean extra work for whomever. Why should I care? This site is turning a profit for MY stories that I upload here for free. I'm fine with that. But I would not feel any guilt for making them work for it. Because I sure as hell worked hard to write and edit the stuff.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I don't really care? Because if that's the case, then you know what's funny? Automating this is free and would take me 20 minutes with a bottle of beer.

So I really REALLY don't see why I should care.

And I really doubt that's done manually in the first place. Because that would mean manually going through the entire text and inserting text formatting (like italics), again, manually. Because if you just Ctrl+A -> Ctrl-V - then all formatting would be gone.
My bet is that it's automated, because there's really no reason not to. Hell, integrate google docs to your site and it will make any conversion for you, I think. And for free.

And in any case, even if it DOES mean extra work for whomever. Why should I care? This site is turning a profit for MY stories that I upload here for free. I'm fine with that. But I would not feel any guilt for making them work for it. Because I sure as hell worked hard to write and edit the stuff.

Sure, be that way. I copy from Word and paste it into the submission form without a problem. Any bolding I want is done with the html tags <b></b> around the bolded text. Same for italics and underline and centering.

It's real easy.

Just set up your Paragraph format like this. Hit return twice between paragraphs and viola. Then just copy and paste your text.

 

[Nezhul]

Do you realize that it is a bad habit of using word like this. Instead of using proper styles with properly set up inter paragraph spacings, you create an informational garbage in your text.

 

[sr71plt]

??? What Zeb provided IS the basic presentation style for Literotica.

 

[TxRad]

Zeb, if you change the spacing after: to 12pt you only have to put in a single space between paragraphs.

 

[Nezhul]

It may be for Literotica, but I write for myself before I write for literotica, and I want my text to be readable and editable in my text processor.

If LE needs to make some conversions to fit the site formatting - let them, I don't care. But I don't see why I should succumb to non-standard text formatting practices because I plan to post here.

Double return is a bad habit. Period. There's nothing more to be said about it.

Literotica converts .docx just fine, including doble returns and text formatting and paragraph formatting. I don't much care if it's done by hand (unlikely) or automated. Even if it IS done by hand by some poor sod - I'd assume he/she finds this monkey business worthwhile. Or else there just wouldn't be an option to upload .docx in the first place.

 

[sr71plt]

We've already heard that you don't care what anyone else has to do to get your story posted. So, I don't really care how you format anything.

 

[SimonDoom]

You do know Laurel then has to copy and paste the text and insert the paragraph returns and any text formatting you have done...manually.

I'm confused about this. The guidelines say if you use boldface or italics you can submit the story in .rtf or .doc -- is that just .doc but not .docx?

 

[TxRad]

from what I've read, there have been some problems with docx files in the past.

 

[SimonDoom]

Are there published guidelines for handling the formatting of submissions (things like italics and boldface) beyond what you see in the Submission Guidelines and FAQs for submissions? I ask because I don't see in them some of the detailed guidelines I'm seeing in this thread.

The Upload story text guidelines suggest using .rtf or .doc for files with italics and bold, but it says those files cannot be previewed. Why is that? What does that mean?

 

[Hypoxia]

I'll again point out that maybe half of LIT readers use the Android app which does NOT support formatting -- no bolds, italics, underlines, centers, or blockquotes, nothing but plain text. Your efforts will be wasted on much of your audience.

 

[Nezhul]

The Upload story text guidelines suggest using .rtf or .doc for files with italics and bold, but it says those files cannot be previewed. Why is that? What does that mean?

When you copy/paste the text into the text box of your submission, you can preview the end result before submitting it. To see if everything is up to your liking.

But with .doc/.docx you can't

Also I've never had problems with .docx format. It's basically not that different from .doc to begin with, as long as you don't use formilas and images (and stuff!), witch you don't do anyway on LE.

 

[uksnowy]

Seem to have raised an issue, not intentional, just a question.

My wife and I use Apache Open Office Writer for ALL of our text documents because we never mastered Word, so what sparked the rejection I don't know as it's the first time. I don't use Key shortcuts, never mastered them, quite simple use really.

Still don't know how to recognise hard returns in the text I submitted.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Seem to have raised an issue, not intentional, just a question.

My wife and I use Apache Open Office Writer for ALL of our text documents because we never mastered Word, so what sparked the rejection I don't know as it's the first time. I don't use Key shortcuts, never mastered them, quite simple use really.

Still don't know how to recognise hard returns in the text I submitted.

Have you copied text from an email or similar? That can introduce hard returns.

You can see hard returns by switching on "show formatting" or "show non-printing characters". That should show you characters for each space, paragraph break, tab, hard return, etc. etc.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Still don't know how to recognise hard returns in the text I submitted.

I don't know your software, but there must be somewhere you can turn on all of your text formatting, which would show all of your spacing and returns. On the word processors I've seen the symbol usually looks like IIP (I can't replicate it here, maybe someone else can). It'll be up in a tool bar somewhere.