website mentions in stories

[beaverhunter76]

It's been six months since I last put in a story, and after waiting 6 days, not only do I find my story rejected, I find two others that had been already approved and receiving great feedback, also rejected. Why? Becuase I mention in my notes that I have a web site featuring these stories. I never once put the address for it in my stories. I just mention that I have one. And my stories are rejected. I think that is totally unfair. I am submitting my work to what I consider a professional web site, getting no money for it nor asking for any, meanwhile they receive thousands of hits on it, and they advertise their sponsors on my work, but I can't mention that I have a web site. So they make money off of me, and I get zip.

 

[MathGirl]

tsk, tsk

 

[Rainbow Skin]

I got one bounced recently for this: I added a note at the end because I wanted people to see the picture I was inspired by (the lovely Marla). I wasn't aware of the ban.

It's mentioned briefly in the Submission Guidelines, point 8, 'No HTML links or web addresses are allowed within stories.'

Now that could be read as no actual hyperlinks rather than no mentioning at all. Presumably just beginning with 'http' wouldn't transform it, you'd have to use <a> tags if it were allowed. This could just be a formatting/programming issue.

However I notice the Forum Guidelines are much more emphatic about no blatant advertising, pop-ups, or placements. This makes sense, because once you allow linking to external sites you lose control. Another thing, many web addresses go out of date and turn into dead links very quickly.

Members can have their website in their profile, and it's seen in the WWW link on each post here, so you don't need to mention it in stories if all you're doing is promoting.

 

[English Lady]

I think its ok for you to put a link in your profile,so if you take it out of your story people would be able to go to your site from your profile

 

[Quasimodem]

. . . I am submitting my work to what I consider a professional web site . . . they make money off of me, and I get zip.

Wrong!

This is an amatuer site.

Were this a professional site, you would be being paid for your stories, and they would - of necessity - be worth the money.

As far as mentioning your Website, I am aware that several authors have their own Personal (Non-profit) Websites.

The question is - provided it was not merely bollocked coding, as Rainbow suggests - what other 'professional' activities were going on at your website?

 

[beaverhunter76]

Just to clarify, I never had a link on my stories. Just mentioned, "check out my web site", and "i have these stories on my site". That's it. Never put a link, never tried to trick the editors by hidding an address in it. I have my web put up on my profile, but I think I pointed that out only in 1 of the 3.

As for my site, its amateur, its free, very few pop ups, and yes it also has pictures and stories, but so does this site. And to try and make some money, I have banners and advertisers, like this site, but I have yet to make any money. 1.5 years, and I've only once had 1 person subscribe to something.

 

[Quasimodem]

. . . And to try and make some money, I have banners and advertisers, like this site . . .

"Quick, Watson, the needle!"

 

[hiddenself]

A misunderstanding on the part of the editors (Laurel) maybe? Or maybe not the reason your stories got rejected? What does the rejection response say? If all other troubleshooting fails and you think you're within guidelines, you can make your case in a (short) PM to Laurel.