If you are having a lengthy delay in publishing, please add the name of your story and when submitted here.

[GreenishNightLight]

I'll just add my own experience here.

On September 27 I uploaded the first 3 parts of my story (technically the first 6 chapters, I just grouped them in pairs because they felt way to short individually. In hindsight, I should have put those 6 and the next couple chapters all together as one, but oh well).
On September 28 I uploaded the next two parts. I also created a series to group all of these parts together, but I can't quite remember if I did it on this day or the one before.
On September 29 I saw that the first three parts were scheduled to be released on Sept 30, Oct 1, & Oct 2. So three, admittedly short, uploads took less than two days to be approved.
On September 30 I uploaded another part (3 chapters grouped together because I finally realized that publishing them individually would take forever. Though, again, in hindsight I probably should have grouped even more here).
On October 1 I uploaded another part (8 chapters grouped together this time. I'm slowly learning).

And then nothing happened until October 18, when my series got approved, grouping the first three parts together. That took about three weeks, for some reason.

Everything other than those first three uploads is still pending. I have more parts to publish too, but I've been holding off on doing that because of this. Which probably isn't very smart. If the que is just oddly long then I've probably just shot myself in the foot by doing that...

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I wrote another story and submitted it yesterday. I did this while I have 3 stories pending over 3 weeks, and a 4th that isn't quite at 15 days yet, but only because I deleted and submitted it again on the 9th to see if that somehow pushed it through.

As I submitted the new story I felt so much less than the ones I've written/submitted before. I feel very defeated today as I keep reloading my Works - Stories page to see if it's gone from 8 to 9.

Anyway .. just venting here. I feel like every story I write is better than the ones before .. so of course the one yesterday is my best yet (might not be true of course .. but that's how I feel) .. so I want the world to see it.

J4S

I threw caution to the wind, after submitting my one story, Chapter 15 a third time to see if that does anything, which so far it hasn’t. I submitted chapter 16 today to see if that has any effect on anything.

My question is when do we submit our Winter Contest stories? The contest shows submissions open on November 11 but if we’re in a three week plus until a story gets published, the event might nearly be over before your story gets published.

 

[Actingup]

I was caught by the bug and have never been pinged for AI once. I’m pretty sure that the same goes for @MelissaBaby @ChloeTzang @silkstockingslover @iwatchus and @Actingup all of who got stuck (or still are in @iwatchus’s case).

Yep, still stuck.

 

[desibabe2705]

Diary of a Wench 01 : Sinking in

The submission date on my home activity page differs from the date on the pending page for some reason. Also, I hope it gets approved soon, I've finished drafting chapter 2!

 

[dmallord]

When Silence Sprouted Eden has been pending since October 7th.

I see now there are 17 pages of this extraordinary happening! Wow!

Thank you, Cheer Captain, for leading the charge in this thread.

 

[Writer61]

The Rise of Laura, part 1, At the club: submitted 13th/Oct, published 16th/Oct
The Rise of Laura, part 2, On the road: submitted 16th/Oct, still pending ...

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

The Rise of Laura, part 1, At the club: submitted 13th/Oct, published 16th/Oct
The Rise of Laura, part 2, On the road: submitted 16th/Oct, still pending ...

Forgive me @Writer61 this is not a ping against you but seeing this makes me want to cry.

Yes I have been complaining on this topic recently. Everyone here has the right to tell me to shut up and go away but this is just so upsetting.

The amount of writers here sharing their stories are posting without issues, which allow me to stress makes me happy some are being published, but mine sit for days and days and days with nothing frustrates me. I don't even want to look at my Works or my Pending tab anymore.

I am disheartened to the point of just walking away from Lit.

 

[Writer61]

Forgive me @Writer61 this is not a ping against you but seeing this makes me want to cry.

Not offended at all, I understand your frustration.

I added my experience to show how erratic things are at the moment.

I wish @Laurel, @Manu would let us help.

 

[Dark_Logan_]

Here’s (slightly) interesting

Had a story stuck for 18 days - in that time while I’ve been relatively patient at sat on it, somewhat intrigued to see how long it would take if truth be told.

In that time I have written/edited/proofed/completed a new tale so last night I followed the old delete and reload suggestion on the first story and resubmitted it about 2 hours prior to submitting the new story.

Same category for both story’s and both are around the same length, having been edited and checked the same way (I only use word and avoid any fancy AI tools)

Today less than 12 hours later the second (new story) upload appears to be tagged as ‘New’ with a publish date of 26th (this date as requested)

While it’s only been pending for 15 hours the resubmitted story is still sat there waiting as it has been for 19 days now.

So, is there a logic to any of this?

 

[Writer61]

So, is there a logic to any of this?

I doubt that the randomness we are experiencing is a deliberate policy. There are probably multiple workflows, which take different times for some reason, so that even if Laurel tackles the output in sequence, we will see different approval periods.

Overall, I expect that this is a consequence of insufficient resources to approve things.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Here’s (slightly) interesting

Had a story stuck for 18 days - in that time while I’ve been relatively patient at sat on it, somewhat intrigued to see how long it would take if truth be told.

In that time I have written/edited/proofed/completed a new tale so last night I followed the old delete and reload suggestion on the first story and resubmitted it about 2 hours prior to submitting the new story.

Same category for both story’s and both are around the same length, having been edited and checked the same way (I only use word and avoid any fancy AI tools)

Today less than 12 hours later the second (new story) upload appears to be tagged as ‘New’ with a publish date of 26th (this date as requested)

While it’s only been pending for 15 hours the resubmitted story is still sat there waiting as it has been for 19 days now.

So, is there a logic to any of this?

I see no logical reasoning at all. Throwing my hands in the air

 

[EmilyMiller]

Thank you, Cheer Captain, for leading the charge in this thread.

Welcome - hope you get your story published soon

 

[EmilyMiller]

So, is there a logic to any of this?

No there is none. It’s a random glitch, with a human process overlay, IMO.

 

[cw5523729]

I should probably knock on wood before I type this, but my story is still on the same track for approval of 1 part per day. I see in the portal that parts 14, 15, and 16 are all approved and scheduled. Those last two were 8k and 6.7k words. Hopefully saying this doesn't jinx me.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I should probably knock on wood before I type this, but my story is still on the same track for approval of 1 part per day. I see in the portal that parts 14, 15, and 16 are all approved and scheduled. Those last two were 8k and 6.7k words. Hopefully saying this doesn't jinx me.

 

[The_Unicorn]

I have a chapter that's been in Pending for 22 days, submitted 10/10/2025. The post about 72 hours mentions don't touch it if it's less than 15 days, but doesn't say what to do if it's more than 15 days.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I have a chapter that's been in Pending for 22 days, submitted 10/10/2025. The post about 72 hours mentions don't touch it if it's less than 15 days, but doesn't say what to do if it's more than 15 days.

Delete it and resubmit. You are currently in a black hole.

 

[cw5523729]

The post about 72 hours mentions don't touch it if it's less than 15 days, but doesn't say what to do if it's more than 15 days.

Throwing my hands in the air

 

[cw5523729]

Oh, and FWIW, despite what some people have reported, clicking on the pending entries, just so long as I don't modify or re-save them, has not seemed to have any effect on delaying the approval or "pushing it to the bottom of the queue"

Obviously re-saving them changes the submission date as you would expect

 

[EmilyMiller]

Oh, and FWIW, despite what some people have reported, clicking on the pending entries, just so long as I don't modify or re-save them, has not seemed to have any effect on delaying the approval or "pushing it to the bottom of the queue"

Yes, that text is BS.

 

[The_Unicorn]

Delete it and resubmit. You are currently in a black hole.

Okay. Thanks for the advice. I just did it. Finger's crossed.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Okay. Thanks for the advice. I just did it. Finger's crossed.

Good luck

 

[iwatchus]

After my second 3 week stint in pending, I broke down and resubmitted my how to. If it gets stuck again, I will let it go much longer unless we hear from Laurel or Manu to resubmit.

 

[EmilyMiller]

After my second 3 week stint in pending, I broke down and resubmitted my how to. If it gets stuck again, I will let it go much longer unless we hear from Laurel or Manu to resubmit.

Hope it gets published

 

[Phelipe]

Also i wonder what happens if someone uses AI only to correct grammar and other mistakes. Does it detect AI and reject it too or no.