How many people are involved in deciding if a story is acceptable for publication?

[MawrGorshin]

I've been writing a long, three-part novel called 'Camilla'. Until recently, I've had no problem getting my chapters published. My Chapter 103, however, has been rejected twice now, for supposedly having scenes with sexual relationships with minors: this is nonsense. The same is true for my Chapter 104, and with even less justification.

Since someone has been tireless in his attempts to stop my story from continuing, either through cyber-bullying or through 1-voting (a couple of months ago, he actually went through all my chapters and deliberately 1-voted all 25 of my chapters with red Hs: this should give you an idea of his mental health), I suspect that now he's become one of the Literotica editors, with the sole purpose of rejecting my every new chapter, based on the bogus judgment of them involving sex with underage people.

What's more, I suspect that this person is actually my cousin, who over the past year has been developing mental problems--possibly schizophrenia--and who knows about my story and its publication on Literotica. He has paranoid delusions about me, and has been increasingly antagonistic to me in his e-mails over the past year. In a recent e-mail, he sarcastically asked me, 'How's your novel coming?' This e-mail came after both of my new chapters had been rejected twice. His name is Robert Gross, though if he's a new editor, he's probably using a phoney name.

I know I probably sound a little paranoid and crazy to be telling you all this, but I was just wondering how many people decide if a story is acceptable for publication or not? I hope that not only one editor has the power to decide, and that at least one or two other editors give their input first. I'd hate to think that the rest of my story, which I have been working so hard on over the past year, is never going to be published all on account of one editor whose only reason for rejecting my work is because he personally dislikes me.

Please let me know what goes on in the decision-making process. Thank you.

 

[PennLady]

There is one person, Laurel, who is responsible for vetting and posting the stories. She admits that she makes errors -- sometimes stories get posted that shouldn't, and sometimes stories get rejected that shouldn't.

Best thing would be to read over your chapters and make sure there's nothing that can be construed as underage sex taking place. Re-submit the chapter(s), and in the notes field, you can explain briefly that the story was rejected and why, and that there is no underage sex (or whatever else). You could also, if you wanted, include an author's note that all characters engaging in sexual activity are over 18.

Don't take it personally.

 

[MawrGorshin]

So nobody other than Laurel is involved in publishing or rejecting stories?

I had made changes to the two chapters, but they were rejected a second time. I realized that, the second time round, one objection was to the idea of underage characters SAYING sexual things, which I thought was odd. I had a passage in which two 13-year-old boys are taunting a boy the same age with sexual remarks about his mother; I couldn't imagine what was wrong with that--it was just a bit of realism, for kids talk rudely like that all the time at school. The scene wasn't meant to be titillating, just part of the plot development.

At one point in the other chapter, I referred to two young male students as 'boys', but I mentioned in the notes that the 'boys' were university students, about twenty years old. They were called boys in relation to their older female teacher. Still, the story was rejected a second time.

Anyway, as long as it's nothing personal, and it's all judged by an objective editor, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks.

 

[PennLady]

So nobody other than Laurel is involved in publishing or rejecting stories?

I had made changes to the two chapters, but they were rejected a second time. I realized that, the second time round, one objection was to the idea of underage characters SAYING sexual things, which I thought was odd. I had a passage in which two 13-year-old boys are taunting a boy the same age with sexual remarks about his mother; I couldn't imagine what was wrong with that--it was just a bit of realism, for kids talk rudely like that all the time at school. The scene wasn't meant to be titillating, just part of the plot development.

At one point in the other chapter, I referred to two young male students as 'boys', but I mentioned in the notes that the 'boys' were university students, about twenty years old. They were called boys in relation to their older female teacher. Still, the story was rejected a second time.

Anyway, as long as it's nothing personal, and it's all judged by an objective editor, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks.

According to Laurel, no one other than Laurel is involved. She posted about it fairly recently but I'm terrible at searching and not sure if I could find it. If I do, I'll post the link.

As for the discussing the kids were having, I can't say much without reading it. They are pretty strict on what can or can't be said and done around characters younger than 18. It's one thing, for example, to have a character say, "I lost my virginity when I was fifteen." It's another -- and not allowed -- to have the character describe that act in detail.

Is this realistic? No, but it is the rules. Again, a note with a resubmission may take care of it.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

According to Laurel, no one other than Laurel is involved. She posted about it fairly recently but I'm terrible at searching and not sure if I could find it. If I do, I'll post the link.

As for the discussing the kids were having, I can't say much without reading it. They are pretty strict on what can or can't be said and done around characters younger than 18. It's one thing, for example, to have a character say, "I lost my virginity when I was fifteen." It's another -- and not allowed -- to have the character describe that act in detail.

Is this realistic? No, but it is the rules. Again, a note with a resubmission may take care of it.

For good or bad, the rule on Lit is that any mention of sexual activity by under-eighteens is forbidden. Romance is OK, probably, but getting down to description is not allowed . PL sums it up very well, I think.

 

[PennLady]

This is the explanation from Laurel.

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=802711

 

[lovecraft68]

So nobody other than Laurel is involved in publishing or rejecting stories?

I had made changes to the two chapters, but they were rejected a second time. I realized that, the second time round, one objection was to the idea of underage characters SAYING sexual things, which I thought was odd. I had a passage in which two 13-year-old boys are taunting a boy the same age with sexual remarks about his mother; I couldn't imagine what was wrong with that--it was just a bit of realism, for kids talk rudely like that all the time at school. The scene wasn't meant to be titillating, just part of the plot development.

At one point in the other chapter, I referred to two young male students as 'boys', but I mentioned in the notes that the 'boys' were university students, about twenty years old. They were called boys in relation to their older female teacher. Still, the story was rejected a second time.

Anyway, as long as it's nothing personal, and it's all judged by an objective editor, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks.

It's one thing, for example, to have a character say, "I lost my virginity when I was fifteen." It's another -- and not allowed -- to have the character describe that act in detail.

This is correct, details will get you over a passing remark.

another way around it, is to simply not use an age.

Say your character is 19, if you say " a couple of years ago" and you go into some details it will usually fly, because what was a couple of years ago exactly? Don't feel compelled to say an age and you'll be okay(unless you get carried away and say something silly like "back in fifth grade" and go into detail)

As for your cousin? maybe he is one bombing you, but rest assured he does not "work" here and has nothing to do with rejections