I'm On Tenterhooks!!!!!

[SlickTony]

Y'all, how long on average does it take for Our Esteemed Editors to make their decision about a story? I sent them something on the 5th and the suspense is killing me!

If they aren't totally pleased with it enough to publish it right away, do they come back at you with feedback as to how you can improve it? If they decide not to use it at all, do they notify you or is your story end up in oblivion? Do people ever re-submit stuff in hope that the stars will be in better alignment next time?

All you experienced people out there, please tell me!

 

[SexyChele]

I'm a little confused here.

Are you talking about submitting your story to a volunteer editor for review? Or have you submitted your story to Literotica?

If you've submitted your story to a volunteer editor for review, they should respond to you within 3 days - either with their suggestions or letting you know when they can get to your story. If you haven't heard from them by now, I would assume they either are no longer interested in editing or want out of the program. You may want to select another editor (or 2 or 3) to submit to.

If you've submitted your story to Literotica for publication, it takes up to 3 days. In fact, the last few of mine have taken exactly 3 days - there is just such a large volume of stories. If you've submitted for publication, and haven't seen your story posted yet, there might be a few reasons: your characters are underage, the story is not long enough (stories less than 700 words do not get published), or the subject matter is such that it might get posted to the extreme sight. From what I understand, if you story is rejected, you will receive an email indicating why your wasn't published.

You might want to email or PM Laurel to find out what's up, if you don't hear anything.

 

[DVS]

Well, maybe I am not a word smith, but I don't know what tenterhooks are.

If this is an editor situation you are talking about, you should do as SexyChele suggested, and check with a couple other editors. There are quite a few. And, try to pick editors who mention they will edit your type of story. Some are good in specifying their own tastes.

And, you might go to the below thread and mention your experiences there. Information is key, and you could help others in your situation from being in such suspense.


Editor Requests Query

 

[Axeltheswede]

tenterhooks

Sorry for the delayed answer. I was busy watching the Space Shuttle do it to a 747. What stamina.

"On tenterhooks" is just a state of suspense. Tenterhooks were used to stretch drying cloth and leather way back when. But, you had probably guessed that by now.

Let this response be my "comma fucker" contribution for the week.

 

[NoJo]

Waiting

My first story took aver a week to be acepted, promping vague anxiety that I'd made a fool of myself! Subsequent stories took around three days. Perhaps addition checks and setup are required for the first story.

 

[SlickTony]

Thanks, SexyChele. I'll take your advice. As to the possible reasons...

your characters are underage, the story is not long enough (stories less than 700 words do not get published), or the subject matter is such that it might get posted to the extreme sight.

...they none of them apply. One of my characters is approximately 50 and the other one is old enough to drink if not to run for the House or the Senate; the story, far from being less than 700 words long, is over 7000, and it hardly qualifies for extreme, being slightly on the romantic side, involving only human beings, and with only a teeniny bit of pain.

 

[SexyChele]

Thanks, SexyChele. I'll take your advice. As to the possible reasons...

your characters are underage, the story is not long enough (stories less than 700 words do not get published), or the subject matter is such that it might get posted to the extreme sight.

...they none of them apply. One of my characters is approximately 50 and the other one is old enough to drink if not to run for the House or the Senate; the story, far from being less than 700 words long, is over 7000, and it hardly qualifies for extreme, being slightly on the romantic side, involving only human beings, and with only a teeniny bit of pain.

You're welcome! The only thing I can suggest is patience. I know the first time I posted a story at Lit, I was checking almost hourly. I do know that Laurel usually posts them sometime between 9 and 12 Pacific time.

Enjoy this anxious period - it's fun when you look back on it! Now, when I submit a story, I don't even check until I suddenly get a feedback notification for it.

Good luck!

 

[SlickTony]

I take it the Laurel in the member list is the Laurel to whom I should direct my query? Thing is, I have been left hanging. I have not received an e-mail of rejection. Presumably that would at least give me a chance to work on the story and try to fix whatever's wrong with it if it's fixable. I'm sorry now that I didn't submit my story to the volunteer editor program, but I edit stuff myself all day long, and I didn't think I needed it. Maybe I was wrong--the kind of thing I'm trying to do here is vastly different from what I do at work.

 

[Weird Harold]

I take it the Laurel in the member list is the Laurel to whom I should direct my query? Thing is, I have been left hanging. I have not received an e-mail of rejection. Presumably that would at least give me a chance to work on the story and try to fix whatever's wrong with it if it's fixable. I'm sorry now that I didn't submit my story to the volunteer editor program, but I edit stuff myself all day long, and I didn't think I needed it. Maybe I was wrong--the kind of thing I'm trying to do here is vastly different from what I do at work.

Laurel is indeed the "Laurel in the Member list" although there is also a "contact us" link at the bottom of most pages on the site that sends e-mail to Laurel and Manu as well.

If you go to your site memebers page (login through the story index page like you did to submit your story) it should give you the current status of your story.

If it should say "rejected" there is a link beneath the word "rejected" that will take you to a form indicating the reason it was rejected. There is also an e-mail sent out at the same time, but I've noticed it seems to get lost quite often, or take an inordinately long time to traverse the net. (Based on the few comments I've seen by rejected authors.)

Since you submited the story on the fifth, it should have been posted no later than last night's midnight (PDT) update. If there was some special formatting requirements, illustrations, or other such mitigating factors it might take a bit longer.

FWIW, Laurel fields all of the e-mail from the BB and the rest of the site -- many hundreds of e-mails each day -- and it's entirely possible that the capacity of her inbox is strained to the point where some e-mails are lost. (She really does need a secretary to winnow through her e-mail to cut down her workload.)

 

[SlickTony]

Thanks, Weird Harold!

I'm now wondering if the story got lost before it even arrived. I looked at my profile and it said 00 submissions. Does that mean submissions submitted, submitted accepted, what?

 

[Weird Harold]

...it said 00 submissions. Does that mean submissions submitted, submitted accepted, what?

That would be a count of stories linked to your author name on the site -- at the time you checked the page.

A submission that was rejected and then purged from the database would not show -- at least I don't think it would. There might be a separate counter of submissions aside from just counting links, but I don't think there is.

If the story was listed and is no longer listed, I'd say it was rejected and purged. Howver, if you've never seen it listed on that page, the submission may not have taken.

If you submit your story via the text box using cut and paste, it should show up as "Pending" on your summary page immediately.

If it's not on your summary page, and you haven't recieved a rejection e-mail, I'd resubmit it and check to make sure it shows on the summary page where you can track it.

 

[SlickTony]

That makes me feel a bunch better, Harold! Because I have decided to make some changes to it anyway.

 

[lilrosie lips]

That makes me feel a bunch better, Harold! Because I have decided to make some changes to it anyway.

SlickTony... I am in the same situation you are... waiting to find out if my first story has been accepted... I just went to my profile page and checked submissions... said 00 too... but THEN I checked View under submissions and it showed the story name and that it is pending .... so I have hope it will be here in a few days....

 

[SlickTony]

just went to my profile page and checked submissions... said 00 too... but THEN I checked View under submissions and it showed the story name and that it is pending ....

Now I can't even find that. I went to my profile and couldn't even find anything about submisssions, let alone view.

 

[lilrosie lips]

just went to my profile page and checked submissions... said 00 too... but THEN I checked View under submissions and it showed the story name and that it is pending ....

Now I can't even find that. I went to my profile and couldn't even find anything about submisssions, let alone view.

Tony.... I don't know... but if it helps it was down the side of my profile page... submissions was the second choice.... then when clicked submissions... view was under that...

 

[DVS]

I went to my profile and couldn't even find anything about submisssions, let alone view.

Go to this link login to Your member Control Panel, and be sure you are logged in. If you aren't, you will have to log in to the system. After you log in, you will see your member Control Panel page. OK, in the left margin of that page, you will see

Main
Submissions***
Forum
etc.

With your mouse, click on Submissions. After that, click below that on View.
That is the page where you will see if your story has been accepted or rejected, or if it is still pending.

***
if you can't click on Submissions or View, click on the blue colored Members (just below the large Literotica logo at top of page) and log in again. I have had to do that, in the past.


BOOKMARK this page, or make it one of your FAVORITES. You will come back here often.

 

[the_bragis]

Hi Slick Tony,

I have been reading your postings. If your story has still not be posted by the time you read this. I will read it. In fact I would really like to read it. It sounds intriguing.

I am not an editor, I am not a brilliant writer, and I don't usually spot the little mistakes that some people do. . I have however read hundreds of stories in here... ( Yes I am sick little bunny aren't I?)..and I will give you my honest opinion.

So if you want to send it to me... do. If you would prefer not to, I will respect that also. I can wait.

Good luck Tony, and have a nice day.

Alex (fem)

Oh and DVS, if you were a DV8...you would know what tenterhooks were... just teasing... have good day.

 

[SlickTony]

What the hell, I mighat as well...probably this evening, though. Right now I've got maybe a half hour before I have to go to work.

 

[SlickTony]

Say, bragis, how do I send it to you? I clicked on e-mail and it doesn't look like it's set up so you can attach stuff, like MSOutlook is.