I think I have given up - - - Story still pending

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I am probably just venting and releasing frustration but as given up on posting or attempting to publish the two concluding chapters of my Marcus Hogue series.

I understand stuff was kicked back because of the suspicion of AI. I’m not the only author that has hit this glitch. My frustration stamps from the most recent 404 Gateway Error message I received when resubmitting it.

So as so, many others have recommended I deleted the story waited a day or so edited the story slightly and resubmitted, I launched the trouble ticket, I sent a few nice PM’s to Laurel, but to no avail, I have submitted chapter 19 four times dating back to November 3rd.

It’s understandable when there are contests or events going on such as the winter stories the 250+ stories are posted each and every day. I just find it absolutely frustrating that between the three PM’s, the trouble tickets, and submitting the same chapter for the fourth time, . It’s still sits in pending purgatory.

I love writing here and have been submitting stories now over three years but at what point do you just throw your hands up in the air?

I understand it’s a 20+ year-old CRM and it has its quirks and it has its issues. I understand that as authors don’t generate revenue for the site. I’m not asking for anything special maybe just a little communication as to what the glitches and what the potential fix or timeline of a fix might be.

Thank you, my beautiful friends and fellow Lit authors for allowing me to vent and release some of the buildup frustration

All my love,
Aoife

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I know that it's frustrating and no one has definitive answers on what will work to get around the delays.

If I might offer a suggestion, try completing your Marcus Hogue story entirely and then submit it as a single, large entry. (You can always delete the previously published parts).

From an AI detection perspective, this provides a larger sampling for any AI tools to analyze. For example, if an AI detection scan suspected 50% of a 5,000 word story was generative AI, that 2,500 words is only 2.5% of a 100,000 word story.

Also, remember that the site only restricts "generative" AI. Use of spellcheck and tools such as Grammarly are acceptable as long as you don't allow them to automatically make any corrections for you. Use them to identify mistakes and then manually correct them and you shouldn't have any rejections. At least that has been my experience.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

have you sent a DM?

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I know that it's frustrating and no one has definitive answers on what will work to get around the delays.

If I might offer a suggestion, try completing your Marcus Hogue story entirely and then submit it as a single, large entry. (You can always delete the previously published parts).

From an AI detection perspective, this provides a larger sampling for any AI tools to analyze. For example, if an AI detection scan suspected 50% of a 5,000 word story was generative AI, that 2,500 words is only 2.5% of a 100,000 word story.

Also, remember that the site only restricts "generative" AI. Use of spellcheck and tools such as Grammarly are acceptable as long as you don't allow them to automatically make any corrections for you. Use them to identify mistakes and then manually correct them and you shouldn't have any rejections. At least that has been my experience.

I may send the entire conclusion at once as it is 46,000 words.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

have you sent a DM?

I have sent three direct PM’s to Laurel without response

 

[Britva415]

We really need to stop recommending DMing or @ing Laurel. In 2025 that's just totally impotent.

Delete, re-submit, and put the message to Laurel in the story submission Notes field. She's still publishing stories, so, we know she receives those notes.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I may send the entire conclusion at once as it is 46,000 words.

Good luck. Let us know how things work out for you.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

We really need to stop recommending DMing or @ing Laurel. In 2025 that's just totally impotent.

Delete, re-submit, and put the message to Laurel in the story submission Notes field. She's still publishing stories, so, we know she receives those notes.

Thank you I have deleted and as you suggested adding a message in the Admin notes, which has been done four times now.

As far as PM’ing Laurel I see your point it is overkill but what other choice for information exchange do we have?

 

[Britva415]

As far as PM’ing Laurel I see your point it is overkill but what other choice for information exchange do we have?

In this specific instance, the one I named. Additionally, submissions to https://literotica.com/faq/miscellaneous/report-bugs cannot be mistaken for "just a DM from some site user," and overlooked or ignored due to being mixed in with the volume of unsolicited and unnecessary stuff her regular inboxes must fill with every day.

The point isn't "don't DM Laurel," the point is that it's shitty advice for this particular purpose. Advising "oh, just PM Laurel, she's sooo approachable and responsive" in 2025 is to accomplish nothing except to give a confused and upset author a false hope.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

In this specific instance, the one I named. Additionally, submissions to https://literotica.com/faq/miscellaneous/report-bugs cannot be mistaken for "just a DM from some site user," and overlooked or ignored due to being mixed in with the volume of unsolicited and unnecessary stuff her regular inboxes must fill with every day.

Thank you I have submitted bug reports for then404 Gateway Errors.

I appreciate your reminder and the link. I truly hope this is resolved

 

[Class37]

I feel your pain.

I entered a story into the Christmas competion which was sent back for spelling and grammar.

With the help of a brilliant editor I fixed those problems. It was then sent back as Ai. I tweaked it slightly and re-submitted and thats where it's been sitting for 3 weeks.

I have a couple of half finished stories but I just can't find the motivation to finish them.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

It’s brutal. Previous to the glitch I published over 120 stories / poems without issue then POW! Just like Batman and Robin punching a bad guy all hell broke loose.

(Yes the original Batman and Robin not the new stuff, I am talking Adam Wwezt and Burt Ward )

 

[Britva415]

I feel your pain.

I entered a story into the Christmas competion which was sent back for spelling and grammar.

With the help of an editor I fixed those problems. It was then sent back as Ai. I tweaked it slightly and re-submitted and thats where it's been sitting for 3 weeks.

I have a couple of half finished stories but I just can't find the motivation to finish them.

3 weeks is too long. Don't wait another day. After 15 days you can delete it, re-submit it, and in this case, put statements into the Notes field to say that it isn't AI and to say that it was indefinitely stuck in pending and you're resubmitting it after 3 weeks. Don't just resubmit it without saying something about the AI false-positive and the pending bug.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

We really need to stop recommending DMing or @ing Laurel. In 2025 that's just totally impotent.

Delete, re-submit, and put the message to Laurel in the story submission Notes field. She's still publishing stories, so, we know she receives those notes.

I disagree. I have never had an DM to Laurel ignored.

Resubmitting puts you at the back of the line, regardless of any note to the admin that you include. My experience, as well as hundreds of others, indicates that patience, followed by a polite DM to Laurel gets the desired results. You will seldom get a message back, but if your request is courteous and legitimate, you will likely see the desired action take place.

There is a process described in her thread on pending stories, which if followed, usually works. That process includes sending her a DM, AFTER 15 days in pending.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Delete, re-submit

Isn't this... weird?
Never mind that another somebody said they did it several times, with edits between steps.

 

[Britva415]

I have never had an DM to Laurel ignored.

Are you talking specifically about breaking out of permanently-pending hell?

Because, there is LOADS of evidence that many people are getting ignored when they just DM Laurel about that. You're free to disagree, and in your position I might too, but telling people to only DM Laurel and not to do the more effective tasks would be a real disservice.

 

[Britva415]

Isn't this... weird?
Never mind that another somebody said they did it several times, with edits between steps.

"Delete, re-submit" is the only part you quoted, but it isn't all I said.

 

[Britva415]

Resubmitting puts you at the back of the line

When you aren't in line at all, getting yourself into it at the back is a better place to be.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

I disagree. I have never had an DM to Laurel ignored.

Resubmitting puts you at the back of the line, regardless of any note to the admin that you include. My experience, as well as hundreds of others, indicates that patience, followed by a polite DM to Laurel gets the desired results. You will seldom get a message back, but if your request is courteous and legitimate, you will likely see the desired action take place.

There is a process described in her thread on pending stories, which if followed, usually works. That process includes sending her a DM, AFTER 15 days in pending.

okay, so what is Aoife_from_Ulster to say in the DM?

ooh, my story is pending...?

I had a story "turned back" with a reason. I "turned it forward" again, explaining that was not the case.

but when the story is pending, you're DMing to say what exactly?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. People here aren't very sympathetic towards such cases most of the time, partly due to seeing such posts constantly for over two years now, and partly due to the bias towards the website. There are some for whom Laurel can do no wrong.

But some do sympathize, and I hope that helps somewhat. Venting is good.
You seem quite invested in your writing, so don't give up. Lit is still the best place to publish the kind of stories that you write. Maybe make a varying routine in the sense of how long you wait, what parts of your submissions you change, etc. Something is bound to work sooner or later.

Now, I know this situation sucks. It's also one of many things that suck about Lit. In my case, Lit has basically killed my desire to write. I don't want my stories to be treated the way they are treated on Lit. Investing myself and putting so much time and effort into my stories, only to get the kind of reception that Lit gives, is far, far from being good enough.

But the sad truth is that for many types of stories, although not all, Lit is still the best platform for authors who aren't pursuing the commercial aspect of writing. So you have to make peace with what Lit is or stop writing. Don't fool yourself with thoughts that maybe Lit will change or become better. It won't. This is as good as it gets.

So it's really just a matter of your motivation. You seem quite fired up about writing, so that's why, after all this reality talk, I'm still saying don't give up. Just accept the reality of publishing on Lit.

 

[Britva415]

There is a process described in her thread on pending stories, which if followed, usually works. That process includes sending her a DM, AFTER 15 days in pending.

Are you talking about this?

That doesn't say to PM after 15 days. It says something else. It conspicuously does not say to PM at all, and it conspicuously does not say what to do after 15 days. It says what NOT to do before 15 days.

If PMing after 15 days is a process which is documented/written somewhere by @Laurel or @Manu or @Literotica, I haven't seen it. A link would be helpful.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. People here aren't very sympathetic towards such cases most of the time, partly due to seeing such posts constantly for over two years now, and partly due to the bias towards the website. There are some for whom Laurel can do no wrong.

But some do sympathize, and I hope that helps somewhat. Venting is good.
You seem quite invested in your writing, so don't give up. Lit is still the best place to publish the kind of stories that you write. Maybe make a varying routine in the sense of how long you wait, what parts of your submissions you change, etc. Something is bound to work sooner or later.

Now, I know this situation sucks. It's also one of many things that suck about Lit. In my case, Lit has basically killed my desire to write. I don't want my stories to be treated the way they are treated on Lit. Investing myself and putting so much time and effort into my stories, only to get the kind of reception that Lit gives, is far, far from being good enough.

But the sad truth is that for many types of stories, although not all, Lit is still the best platform for authors who aren't pursuing the commercial aspect of writing. So you have to make peace with what Lit is or stop writing. Don't fool yourself with thoughts that maybe Lit will change or become better. It won't. This is as good as it gets.

So it's really just a matter of your motivation. You seem quite fired up about writing, so that's why, after all this reality talk, I'm still saying don't give up. Just accept the reality of publishing on Lit.

Thank you Awkwardly, truly thank you. There are certainly a million reasons this cou,d be happening.

I didn’t mean to start a shit storm as we used to call it back when I was in the Army but so be it.

All my love,
Aoife

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Guys please, please enough

Thank you!!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I disagree. I have never had an DM to Laurel ignored.

Want a count of how many of mine she’s ignored since late August (last time she replied to me)? It’s a big number and:

 

[Cagivagurl]

I am probably just venting and releasing frustration but as given up on posting or attempting to publish the two concluding chapters of my Marcus Hogue series.

I understand stuff was kicked back because of the suspicion of AI. I’m not the only author that has hit this glitch. My frustration stamps from the most recent 404 Gateway Error message I received when resubmitting it.

So as so, many others have recommended I deleted the story waited a day or so edited the story slightly and resubmitted, I launched the trouble ticket, I sent a few nice PM’s to Laurel, but to no avail, I have submitted chapter 19 four times dating back to November 3rd.

It’s understandable when there are contests or events going on such as the winter stories the 250+ stories are posted each and every day. I just find it absolutely frustrating that between the three PM’s, the trouble tickets, and submitting the same chapter for the fourth time, . It’s still sits in pending purgatory.

I love writing here and have been submitting stories now over three years but at what point do you just throw your hands up in the air?

I understand it’s a 20+ year-old CRM and it has its quirks and it has its issues. I understand that as authors don’t generate revenue for the site. I’m not asking for anything special maybe just a little communication as to what the glitches and what the potential fix or timeline of a fix might be.

Thank you, my beautiful friends and fellow Lit authors for allowing me to vent and release some of the buildup frustration

All my love,
Aoife

Hey Aoife,
Feeling your pain...
I guess there are a bunch of writers sitting on stuff at the moment.
I am one of those... Stories finished, but pondering if it's worth the effort to submit them...
I've never had a story rejected because of AI, but. The AH, is full of people affected and rejected... Stories sitting for days or even weeks and no feedback...
All I can do is offer empathy... The answer... I know not.

Merry Christmas...
Cagivagurl