Underage problem

[litchipking]

I submitted a story about two weeks ago and last week it was rejected. The reason given:

* Was there an underage (under 18 years old) sexual relationship in my story?

I went back through my story carefully and I honestly don't know where I crossed the line. My character's background involves meeting as kids and growing up together but never do they do anything, even hold hands or kiss, before the age of nineteen.

I sent a note to the Lit Gods - saying that I wasn't angry or disgruntled, just confused about where my story was inappropriate but never got a response.

Is there someone willing to look at my story and tell me what I have to fix? It's currently in a Word.doc.

Thanks in advance,

Chip King

 

[LadyCibelle]

I submitted a story about two weeks ago and last week it was rejected. The reason given:

* Was there an underage (under 18 years old) sexual relationship in my story?

I went back through my story carefully and I honestly don't know where I crossed the line. My character's background involves meeting as kids and growing up together but never do they do anything, even hold hands or kiss, before the age of nineteen.

I sent a note to the Lit Gods - saying that I wasn't angry or disgruntled, just confused about where my story was inappropriate but never got a response.

Is there someone willing to look at my story and tell me what I have to fix? It's currently in a Word.doc.

Thanks in advance,

Chip King

You need to send a PM to Laurel, no email. Just state your case and ask her to review your story; if there are truly no underage characters she'll post it.

 

[sr71plt]

I submitted a story about two weeks ago and last week it was rejected. The reason given:

* Was there an underage (under 18 years old) sexual relationship in my story?

I went back through my story carefully and I honestly don't know where I crossed the line. My character's background involves meeting as kids and growing up together but never do they do anything, even hold hands or kiss, before the age of nineteen.

I sent a note to the Lit Gods - saying that I wasn't angry or disgruntled, just confused about where my story was inappropriate but never got a response.

Is there someone willing to look at my story and tell me what I have to fix? It's currently in a Word.doc.

Thanks in advance,

Chip King

You might try just refiling the story and in the comment line note that the story was originally rejected on the possibility that it contained underage content but that you affirm that it doesn't.

I had a story rejected on the same possibility that there was something inappropriate in it. I just refiled it with the answer that no, what they thought might be in it wasn't even remotely there. And the story got posted as originally submitted.

I think the reason why they post a rejection like this in the form of a question is just that some flag was raised on a possibility--it doesn't mean they actually read the story and found objectionable material.

 

[starrkers]

I think stories are initially run through a bot that looks for anything suspect or atrocious grammar and spelling, to save the human editors some time. Sometimes those bots get it wrong.

Adding a Note to the eds should guarantee a human eye gets to it.

 

[litchipking]

Thanks guys. I have yet to post where I don't get an immediate, and helpful, response.

 

[litchipking]

While I'm here, is there an editor who would like to help me with this story? I have contacted four editors with no results and have recently discovered the boards. I've been impressed with the quick response time and the encouraging help I have received here.

I am looking for help in grammar and word choice, possible underage problems, and overall comments about the story. I am receptive to criticism and am truly looking to improve my story.

 

[Darkniciad]

While I'm here, is there an editor who would like to help me with this story? I have contacted four editors with no results and have recently discovered the boards. I've been impressed with the quick response time and the encouraging help I have received here.

I am looking for help in grammar and word choice, possible underage problems, and overall comments about the story. I am receptive to criticism and am truly looking to improve my story.

The problem is that most who post here regularly are overloaded already. There's time for some quick give and take, but an in-depth review takes a while and there are usually several already on the old plate.

When looking through the VE list, look for those who have updated their profiles in the last year or so ( and don't have a notation that they're backlogged ) You have a better chance of finding someone who is still active and has time to work on your story that way.

You might ask for something akin to an advanced "first-read". An editor might not have time to dig into the nuts and bolts of grammar, but they can give you a knee-jerk reaction to the story, some general impression of word choice, possible Lit posting guideline issues, etc. ( maybe even general grammar issues that crop up a lot in the story ) without having to interrupt their schedule of in-depth edits too much.

I'd offer, but I have an edit I'm in the middle of, my own work, and two of those "first-reads" already on my plate at the moment.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

While I'm here, is there an editor who would like to help me with this story? I have contacted four editors with no results and have recently discovered the boards. I've been impressed with the quick response time and the encouraging help I have received here.

I am looking for help in grammar and word choice, possible underage problems, and overall comments about the story. I am receptive to criticism and am truly looking to improve my story.

You might get a better response if you switch on your Private Messages. Go to User CP (top left of this page) then click on Edit Options (in the left hand column) and then tick Enable Private Messaging in the second box down. Finally click Save Changes at the bottom of that page.

 

[litchipking]

Editor Found

I received a PM from a VE who agreed to GSP my draft (I feel so cool using all of those letters). I hope to have a second story submitted soon.

Thanks so much to all who posted. I am learning so much and I really appreciate the guidance and patience I have been shown.