Including fake email addresses in a story

[Katie_Mae]

Hi everyone,
I submitted a story earlier which was just now returned for the following:

• Were there URL links, site addresses, or other advertisements within the story?

​

There were no websites, but I did include a fabricated email chain, which included fake email addresses (with a fake domain). I'm assuming that is what triggered the return.

Does any one know if I can resubmit with an explanation the email addresses (including the domains) are fabricated, or if I'll need to reduct part or all of the fake email address?

Thanks!

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have included fake URL's in stories, but they have to be written in a manner that "breaks" any actual or perceived links.

For example, in one of my stories the URL is written as "tornwallpaper dot eu" (it was implied that the website was in Europe). The link was mentioned in dialog so writing it as it sounds worked fine. I would imagine that one character telling another character that their email address was "joe123 at yuckyuck dot com" would pass the scrutiny of the admin.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Thanks for the quick response, I'll give that a go!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks for the quick response, I'll give that a go!

Yep, do something like this, you'll be fine: joe@notarealemailaddress.com

 

[Bramblethorn]

Problem with fake addresses, whether emails or URL, is that they're not guaranteed to stay that way. Even if Laurel confirms that they don't exist at the time she moderates the story, somebody might set one up later.

One option is to star out part of the address. This is from a story that Laurel approved:

 

[Trionyx]

Problem with fake addresses, whether emails or URL, is that they're not guaranteed to stay that way. Even if Laurel confirms that they don't exist at the time she moderates the story, somebody might set one up later.

One option is to star out part of the address. This is from a story that Laurel approved:

View attachment 2389527

Same with phone numbers. I put in a string of x’s and y’s instead of only numbers.
123-432-xyxy for example.

 

[TheLobster]

Same with phone numbers. I put in a string of x’s and y’s instead of only numbers.
123-432-xyxy for example.

For US phone numbers, I believe the 555 prefix is set aside specifically for this purpose.

IETF had reserved example.com to be used in, well, examples for other testing purposes, but that's of course a poor fit for fictional addresses. I don't see why mentioning www.domainthatisdefinitelynotreal.com or even www.jakesfictionalcompany.com would be problematic, though. It strikes me as perfectly analogous to fictional names for people, places, and the like. As long as you put reasonable effort into ensuring that they aren't easily mixed up with a real thing, you shouldn't have to worry that someone registers your fictitious domain later. Should we be concerned about our character names because someone, later on, might name their child based on our creation?

 

[Lifestyle66]

Hi everyone,
I submitted a story earlier which was just now returned for the following:

• Were there URL links, site addresses, or other advertisements within the story?

​

There were no websites, but I did include a fabricated email chain, which included fake email addresses (with a fake domain). I'm assuming that is what triggered the return.

Does any one know if I can resubmit with an explanation the email addresses (including the domains) are fabricated, or if I'll need to reduct part or all of the fake email address?

Thanks!

The site doesn't allow any external links.

So, when I use a fake IP address or fake URL for some detail in the story, I alert the Admins in the "Notes to Admin" that it's a fake. This shows them ahead of time that you know the rules, and you are not inadvertently trying to slip one in.


EDIT: I did the same thing with my last story when referring to a woman who "looked very young". My note to admin said the story references a woman with "boyish" looks, but it also describes her as mid-thirties, and is merely there to make an incriminating video to frame another guy. Alert the Admins in those notes when writing anything which appears to violate their rules, and you'll save everyone time.

 

[Jorunn]

Unless a specific part of the email advances the story, it's probably better to write around it.

 

[AG31]

For US phone numbers, I believe the 555 prefix is set aside specifically for this purpose.

IETF had reserved example.com to be used in, well, examples for other testing purposes, but that's of course a poor fit for fictional addresses. I don't see why mentioning www.domainthatisdefinitelynotreal.com or even www.jakesfictionalcompany.com would be problematic, though. It strikes me as perfectly analogous to fictional names for people, places, and the like. As long as you put reasonable effort into ensuring that they aren't easily mixed up with a real thing, you shouldn't have to worry that someone registers your fictitious domain later. Should we be concerned about our character names because someone, later on, might name their child based on our creation?

You're right about the 555. It's so often used that it leaps out at you as fake in a worse way than xxx would. At least xxx is honest.

 

[MrPixel]

The one time I used a phone number, it was in a speech by the MMC, and it was spelled-out, ...three-one-four, one-five-nine, two-six-five-four... .

It's known to be a non-working number, and will always be. The "why" should be obvious to many.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Alert the Admins in those notes when writing anything which appears to violate their rules, and you'll save everyone time.

+1. This works!

Unless a specific part of the email advances the story, it's probably better to write around it.

Ditto

 

[SimonDoom]

I think the better course is NOT to use something that COULD be a real email address or real Internet domain. I referred in a story to OnlyFans, but without the toplevel domain ".com." No problem. I would do the same with email addresses. You can include the name, like "HotKittenXXX" but there's no reason to include the fact it's a gmail account. It doesn't add anything to the story.

 

[THBGato]

I had a story with a fake email address published with no issue. (I hadn't even given it a thought.)

 

[Carnevil9]

Does the reader really need to know the phone number or email address? Just say something like:

She grabbed my hand and wrote her phone number on my palm with a marker. "Text me sometime, handsome!"

 

[Katie_Mae]

Thank you everyone, but I've already followed BobbyBrandt's advice and the story has been approved now.

Does the reader really need to know the phone number or email address? Just say something like:

An email chain is a back and forward conversation by emails. It's not one character giving another a phone number. I could have "told" my character reading the emails but in this case I decided to "show" it for a number of reasons. I could have redacted the fake emails out of the chain, but I wasn't aware including fake email addresses were against the rules so it didn't occur to me to do so.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I included one in a story that was similar to rroyale@email.com. I had no issues submitting the story. For phone numbers, I use Jenny's, 867-5309.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Unless a specific part of the email advances the story, it's probably better to write around it.

The email chain covers conversations which occurred over several years, and there are a number of important things that it highlights, some of which he POV character doesn't pick up on until later (first person POV, they are reading an email chain between two other characters.) Showing, rather than telling the email chain seemed better in this instance, but of course every writer has their own style. (at any rate, the story is already written and approved so not going to mess with it further).

 

[Katie_Mae]

.....Should we be concerned about our character names because someone, later on, might name their child based on our creation?

Funnily enough, many years ago I published a story online (not Lit). It was a sci-fi time travel story told 50% through the narrative of the POV character and 50% through exchanges of letters of secondary characters (alternating between narrative and letters).

I had a comment on one of the chapters from a relative of someone who had the exact same name as one of my characters saying something along the lines "This is a fake letter! XXX XXX never wrote this, it is not related at all to XXX XXX, you need to redact this and post an apology etc..." The letter in question was just a cheery letter, didn't contain anything 'bad' or 'problematic,' so it was one of the strangest comments I'd ever received.

Of course, I googled, and find that this character has the same name as a deceased SF author. A reminder to google even minor character names, I guess.

 

[Carnevil9]

I included one in a story that was similar to rroyale@email.com. I had no issues submitting the story. For phone numbers, I use Jenny's, 867-5309.

I've used that number myself! I guess we are showing our age.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I've used that number myself! I guess we are showing our age.

We might be.