This is the worst site ever for getting things done!

[Dikk_Turpin]

I love Literotica and the stories there. As a reader, it is quite easy to navigate around the stories. So after 5 years of reading, I wanted to submit a story.

Big mistake.

I got it refused, due to "punctuation". Fair enough, I read the guidelines, and tried again.

Three days later, I got the same message. I read through my story, but for my life, I can not locate any more incorrect use of quotation marks. So I submitted. Again.

Three days later, I once again got the same message. By now, I am getting frustrated. I consider using the voluntary editors. They are listed one after another, probably several hundred of them. So now I have to send my story to a larger number, just to be quite certain it might be read by at least one of them? This system I have experienced on the net previously, and it rarely works.

Dear Literotica. Please make it easier for us aspiring writers to post our stories. I am about to give up and have my story posted some where else. This is like battling a machine. For instance - have a common mail box for all editors, and have the submitted stories checked as they are read.

I hope this thread gets posted, but I fear I might just receive another message about it lacking punctuation. In three days time.

 

[AchtungNight]

Getting rejected is a pain, friend. My sympathies go out to you. However, it's no reason to get you down. Lit makes sure only the highest quality stories make it up, and IMO that's a good thing. The sheer amount of stories here, and the number that are added every day, along with the fact that all are enjoyed, speaks volumes about how good the site is. It's taught me to be a better writer, in many ways.

If you need a volunteer editor and don't want to sort through the list, drop me a page. I'm glad to take a look at your story. Quotation marks, eh? I can work on that. Hope to hear back from you, and good luck.

 

[michchick98]

I love Literotica and the stories there. As a reader, it is quite easy to navigate around the stories. So after 5 years of reading, I wanted to submit a story.

Big mistake.

I got it refused, due to "punctuation". Fair enough, I read the guidelines, and tried again.

Three days later, I got the same message. I read through my story, but for my life, I can not locate any more incorrect use of quotation marks. So I submitted. Again.

Three days later, I once again got the same message. By now, I am getting frustrated. I consider using the voluntary editors. They are listed one after another, probably several hundred of them. So now I have to send my story to a larger number, just to be quite certain it might be read by at least one of them? This system I have experienced on the net previously, and it rarely works.

Dear Literotica. Please make it easier for us aspiring writers to post our stories. I am about to give up and have my story posted some where else. This is like battling a machine. For instance - have a common mail box for all editors, and have the submitted stories checked as they are read.

I hope this thread gets posted, but I fear I might just receive another message about it lacking punctuation. In three days time.

The best way to get an active editor is to post a message here, as you have done, requesting help. There are more active editors here than on the list.

I'm not actually taking on any more editing jobs right now, but I'm sure there are plenty here who are who would be happy to give your story a look.

As far as one common mailbox for the editors, that'd be a astronomically bad idea. There are hundreds of editors on that list, as you've noticed. Each has his/her own email address. For one common mailbox to be possible, there would only have to be two or three people handling all the editing.

They (we) do this as a volunteer effort only. While some editors may prefer to do only Romance or Erotic Couplings stories, others may prefer only BDSM or Interracial. Each editor has a different skill level. Some have had schooling, some do it professionally as part of their job.

I'd hazard a guess that most, however, are (or were) amateur writers here once upon a time and decided to toss their hat into the editing ring to help others.

Patience is a virtue here. If your story is continually rejected for the same things, take time out to read through other stories on the site and see what sets them apart from yours.

Sometimes the worst stories get through. The story itself isn't so bad, but the grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc leaves a lot to be desired. Other times, a couple of typos will get the story rejected. Having an editor or even just someone with a fresh set of eyes read your story will help.

After you've read, re-read, re-read, and read some more, even the tiniest of mistakes can slip through. That's what the moderators see....the stuff your eyes no longer see because you've read that story so many times. It's frustrating to say the least.

In any case, over and above all my rambling, your best course of action would be to post a plea here on this forum (the Editors Forum) for help with your story.

Good luck to you, and don't lose hope.

 

[michchick98]

In any case, over and above all my rambling, your best course of action would be to post a plea here on this forum (the Editors Forum) for help with your story.

Good luck to you, and don't lose hope.

See? Someone answered you already. I tend to get long winded in my posts sometimes, don't mind me. I'll just take a seat on the sofa over there. Anyone got some lemonade?

 

[LadyCibelle]

See? Someone answered you already. I tend to get long winded in my posts sometimes, don't mind me. I'll just take a seat on the sofa over there. Anyone got some lemonade?

No lemonade, Mich, but would Iced Tea do?

Dikk_Turpin: As you've been told, your best bet to get your story edited is to post a thread here, or go look at the stickies at the top for the 'Active Editors" thread. Those on that list are definitely active and you'll haver a better chance to get help than sorting through the editors' list.

Unfortunately, that list doesn't work but there's nothing you or I can so about it.

 

[sr71plt]

You may not need something as hard to get as a full edit of your story, Dick. It very well may be the system has rejected your story simply because it was British style in quotes use rather than American--using single quote marks where the American system always uses double quotes at the first level or consistently putting the period outside the quote marks as you did in your posting here. (The American system puts commas and periods inside the quote marks in almost all instances.)

As a first step you might take Achtung up on the offer to take a look at it to see if the punctuation can be an easy fix (or you can e-mail attach it to me at sr71plt@lycos.com, and I'll take a look at it. The punctuation problems might not pop out in a PM).

Finding full editorial help here can be very frustrating--and even if you do hook up with with one, you might not get an editor in the system they have here who knows any more than you do about editing. There's no real reason trying to go down that path if someone can help you with a quick punctuation fix.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Finally...

It's a great site stop being a baby.

This is a wonderful site, I'll agree. Laurel works very diligently to approve stories.

But she also has Administer privileges.

Enough said.

 

[Dikk_Turpin]

I'm in!

I don't know how, but I got my first story in! Thanks for the advice, and it's good to know I got some editors out there to consult for my next installments (because there will be)!

C ya!

 

[AchtungNight]

Congrats!

 

[ellynei]

Btw, in dialogue, when you go:

"Chit chat," said someone

or "Chit chat," he said

or Someone said, "Chit chat."

or "Chit chat," yelled, mumbled, hissed, etc.

It is a comma at end of dialogue, not a period.



"Chit chat." His voice was hoarse.

"Chit chat." He ran a hand through his hair.

etc

is period.

They aren't always so strict on this rule when deciding whether to submit or reject a story though. Maybe it is a matter of not having time to closely read every submission, maybe it is a matter of giving newbies a chance to get something up there and then improve from the feedback.

I don't know.

I have had some stories approved in spite of horrid punctuation, and I am very happy for it. It has been the foundation of improving, and learning.

Not saying your punctuation is horrid though, it's better than mine was when I started posting, might even be better than mine still -- can't tell for sure, I'm not good enough at it yet to know (besides it's inessential, hehe)

Do you submit by file or paste?

I've heard sometimes accidents can happen on file submission if using a certain text program to save the file in. (Someone once told me he submitted a file containing section markings provided by the text program, but when submitting that the section marking suddenly filled pages. Whereas on other text program it submitted as it should.)

Just in case, if you usually submit by file, try paste. Maybe you got an evil goblin residing in your text program

Cheers.

The story looked good btw, even though I only just skimmed it.

 

[The_Trouvere]

Compose your stories using Microsoft Word. It tags spelling errors and helps with grammar. It also tells you how many words are in your story.

 

[ellynei]

Microsoft Word isn't the only program with those features

I use TextEdit, standard text program coming free with the Mac OS X, my comp came with. With that I can spell check american english or british english after preference. It doesn't count words though, I use a freeware program on the side for that

Of course Microsoft Word makes it easier to communicate efficiently with volunteer editors, since many of them use it.

 

[ellynei]

and helps with grammar.

Ooh missed this part.

How does it help with grammar? (Haven't tried MS Words meself)

 

[oggbashan]

Ooh missed this part.

How does it help with grammar? (Haven't tried MS Words meself)

Click on "Tools" and the first item on the drop-down menu is "Spelling and Grammar".

It can be irritatingly pedantic and sometimes just plain wrong but it makes you think about your writing.

Og

Edited for PS. Also on that drop-down is Language. I have Word set to English (United Kingdom)

 

[ellynei]

I didn't mean how to make it help. I wondered how it did help

So it can like locate subject object and verb in sentences to give you standard suggestions for commas and periods?

Or does it just place different word types in the right order (as best to its abilities)?

If it can punctuate, I'd wonder if I'm better or worse than MS-word at it

 

[oggbashan]

Word has a range of checks that it can do on a document.

You set whatever you want.

However it isn't as good as a real live editor.

Og

 

[bisexualsmoker]

The last chapter I submitted I edited it myself.It got accepted on first
submission.Amazing really.I thought there would of been more of a
chance of me being hit by lightening.Truth is stranger than fiction

 

[Anna_Malia75]

I have Word set to English (United Kingdom)

Ah, yes. "English classic." Superior (superiour?) in many ways to "The New English" that they speak in "New England."

 

[michchick98]

Microsoft Word isn't the only program with those features

I use TextEdit, standard text program coming free with the Mac OS X, my comp came with. With that I can spell check american english or british english after preference. It doesn't count words though, I use a freeware program on the side for that

Of course Microsoft Word makes it easier to communicate efficiently with volunteer editors, since many of them use it.

I use OpenOffice myself, simply because this computer I'm on is nearly from the stone age. It has Windows XP and a decent processor, but as I told SweetWitch, it's woefully inadequate for all the fancy bells and whistles and I don't have the funds to purchase the programs I'd like.

OpenOffice opens most documents, at least I've never had a problem and it has a spell check (you can set it for UK English or American English among other languages) and it also has a word count feature.

 

[michchick98]

I don't know how, but I got my first story in! Thanks for the advice, and it's good to know I got some editors out there to consult for my next installments (because there will be)!

C ya!

While Gay Male is not my cup of tea as far as reading or writing goes, I will toss out some feedback for you.

As ellynei said, when having a 'he said/she said' line of dialogue, you need a comma after, not a period.

("He likes to watch," she said to her lover on the phone as she gazed at her neighbor hungrily.)

If you're using 'actions' incorporated in with the dialogue, commas are not necessary.

("He likes to watch." Sara sat on her bed, gazing out the window at her neighbor who was staring lustily toward her house. She was on the phone with her lover. "Yeah, he's watching now." She ran her hand seductively over her breasts, gently pinching each nipple.)

So, okay, you probably get that now since other examples were given.

I do have one other 'complaint' about your story, though. Shorten your paragraphs. When you're typing your story, keep in mind that 3 - 5 typed lines will convert to 6 - 9 lines when the story posts on Literotica.

You want to try to keep your paragraphs shorter for a number of reasons, the primary one being easier to read for people with smaller monitors or smaller screen resolutions. I know that even though I have a larger screen resolution, I still find it difficult to read a story with gigantic paragraphs. It tends to pull my interest from the story and focus on the length of the paragraph.