Has anyone had an editor disappear with your story

Simple_desire000

Story teller,
Joined
Apr 5, 2025
Posts
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I asked for help on a story, picked an editor emailed him talk everything seemed fine, said it'd be about a week. That was back in May I haven't heard back from him yet. I ended up getting the story published myself. The reason why I'm asking is I see that his profile still there on the editor page and seriously I'm wondering if maybe the guy got hurt or something I have reached out to him he has not responded.
 
Possibly he started on it, and discovered how hard editing it. How much energy it consumes. Got tired, put it aside, told himself he'd come back to it later. Now it's this big guilty shadow hanging over him and he feels too bad to even open your messages.

PSA: don't offer to edit for free, people, unless you know just how exhausting it is.
 
Possibly he started on it, and discovered how hard editing it. How much energy it consumes. Got tired, put it aside, told himself he'd come back to it later. Now it's this big guilty shadow hanging over him and he feels too bad to even open your messages.

PSA: don't offer to edit for free, people, unless you know just how exhausting it is.
It's not likely I will seek help from editors here again. I'm new to this, im still learning. Along the way I have met other authors. They have been very helpful.
 
Possibly he started on it, and discovered how hard editing it. How much energy it consumes. Got tired, put it aside, told himself he'd come back to it later. Now it's this big guilty shadow hanging over him and he feels too bad to even open your messages.

PSA: don't offer to edit for free, people, unless you know just how exhausting it is.
I probably should of asked this question before picking an editor as literotica suggested. That story was rejected 3 times, over dialogue. I got it right on my own and that definitely felt good.
 
It's not likely I will seek help from editors here again. I'm new to this, im still learning. Along the way I have met other authors. They have been very helpful.
It's a very common problem, to the point where Lit authors who make it past a couple stories published tend to either teach themselves to edit, or just happen to have a friend that's willing to edit for them.

One of the stickied threads from our venerated cat emoji spokesman is devoted to this, and is well-worth checking out:

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/self-editing-for-authors.1634588/
 
It's a very common problem, to the point where Lit authors who make it past a couple stories published tend to either teach themselves to edit, or just happen to have a friend that's willing to edit for them.
I'm not one of them, but some authors end up finding another Lit author and they trade editing of each others' work.

--Annie
 
It's a very common problem, to the point where Lit authors who make it past a couple stories published tend to either teach themselves to edit, or just happen to have a friend that's willing to edit for them.

One of the stickied threads from our venerated cat emoji spokesman is devoted to this, and is well-worth checking out:

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/self-editing-for-authors.1634588/
It is, and VERY irritating for those of us who tend to have lots of things that need correction. I tried the volunteer editor route. I found a couple who would, but they faded away. A few dozen wouldn't even answer a query about editing. I finally gave up on that and managed by struggling through it. The one thing I realized from that experience was more about the audience rather than volunteer editors. And that is no matter how many times I go through it, I will miss something and there will be AT LEAST one or two readers who spot that one tiny mistake. When they do, they ALWAYS take me to task for it, as in, 'You need to learn to edit!' FFS. Of course those types would bitch if you hung 'em with a new rope.

Comshaw
 
It is, and VERY irritating for those of us who tend to have lots of things that need correction. I tried the volunteer editor route. I found a couple who would, but they faded away. A few dozen wouldn't even answer a query about editing. I finally gave up on that and managed by struggling through it. The one thing I realized from that experience was more about the audience rather than volunteer editors. And that is no matter how many times I go through it, I will miss something and there will be AT LEAST one or two readers who spot that one tiny mistake. When they do, they ALWAYS take me to task for it, as in, 'You need to learn to edit!' FFS. Of course those types would bitch if you hung 'em with a new rope.

Comshaw
On my first or second story I published I had somebody absolutely excoriate me for using 'waste' when I meant 'waist.'

I sure learned to be careful with homonyms. Also, why are homonyms a thing? English is real dumb sometimes.
 
On my first or second story I published I had somebody absolutely excoriate me for using 'waste' when I meant 'waist.'

I sure learned to be careful with homonyms. Also, why are homonyms a thing? English is real dumb sometimes.
Yeah, I get whacked with that often too. And some readers get VERY irate about it because, as they put it, "it destroyed my enjoyment of the story". FFS. I suspect those are the same people who throw a coniption fit if their latte is 5 degrees off the temperature they ordered.

Comshaw
 
It is, and VERY irritating for those of us who tend to have lots of things that need correction. I tried the volunteer editor route. I found a couple who would, but they faded away. A few dozen wouldn't even answer a query about editing. I finally gave up on that and managed by struggling through it. The one thing I realized from that experience was more about the audience rather than volunteer editors. And that is no matter how many times I go through it, I will miss something and there will be AT LEAST one or two readers who spot that one tiny mistake. When they do, they ALWAYS take me to task for it, as in, 'You need to learn to edit!' FFS. Of course those types would bitch if you hung 'em with a new rope.

Comshaw
It's funny the guy I choose was so cordial, but then disappeared.
 
Yeah, I get whacked with that often too. And some readers get VERY irate about it because, as they put it, "it destroyed my enjoyment of the story". FFS. I suspect those are the same people who throw a coniption fit if their latte is 5 degrees off the temperature they ordered.

Comshaw
There's a certain kind of person that thinks being a grammar and spelling nazi is actually better than having a personality. I expect there's a strong coloration with having attended a Catholic elementary/primary school, but I can't prove it of course.
 
I sure learned to be careful with homonyms. Also, why are homonyms a thing? English is real dumb sometimes.
<pedant-hat>
“Waist” and “waste” are homophones; they sound the same but are spelled differently. Homonyms are words like “keep” as in retain and “keep” as in fortress/castle. Every language has those.
</pedant-hat>

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, and sorry for the waist of time.
 
<pedant-hat>
“Waist” and “waste” are homophones; they sound the same but are spelled differently. Homonyms are words like “keep” as in retain and “keep” as in fortress/castle. Every language has those.
</pedant-hat>

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, and sorry for the waist of time.
You're not wrong but I feel like you're only strengthening my case the English is real dumb sometimes.
 
There's a certain kind of person that thinks being a grammar and spelling nazi is actually better than having a personality. I expect there's a strong coloration with having attended a Catholic elementary/primary school, but I can't prove it of course.
As a professional editor/proofreader who spent ten years at Catholic schools, I strongly disagree. Not that I think you're wrong, per se, I just disagree.
 
<pedant-hat>
“Waist” and “waste” are homophones; they sound the same but are spelled differently. Homonyms are words like “keep” as in retain and “keep” as in fortress/castle. Every language has those.
</pedant-hat>

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, and sorry for the waist of time.
I think you meant "sari for the waist of thyme," you hack.
😇
 
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