Cia

How do I edit a story? Click on the Stories tab in the red menu bar Click on the My Stories button below the story categories and above the stories in the recent updates area. Click on the Story Title Click on the Manage Story drop menu below the story meta data and above the chapter listing Select the Edit Story option Make changes to the original story submission form as needed Click on the last Step tab and Save Do NOT edit story after you have set publish date. If you are in the Mod Queue, editor story will remove your approval until the story is reviewed again.

Before adding a chapter make sure you're not submitting more content per day than allowed: Click here to go to FAQ topic Definitions: Save Chapter - Adds chapter to the story and makes it visible to author and staff. If you are still in the moderation queue, this sends the chapter to moderation. You can edit the chapter in this mode but editing an approved chapter that has not been published, it will unapprove the chapter until a moderator reviews it again. Publish - This makes a chapter saved in the system visible publicly. You can only publish 1 chapter per story per 24 hours. Steps to add a chapter: Click on the Stories tab in the red menu bar Click on the My Stories button below the story categories and above the stories in the recent updates area Click on the Story Title Click on the Story Menu Button (has a cog image) below the story metadata and above the chapter listing Click on Add Chapter in the menu options Fill in chapter title, notes, text, and end of chapter notes. It is strongly advised that you save to the system and publish separately if presented with the option to publish. *Nothing but the story text should go into the chapter text box. Please use the appropriate title and note boxes for other content.* Save (or submit to moderation) So long as you did not choose to publish chapter, you can now edit the chapter to make sure it looks as intended. It will be flagged as either Unpublished or Waiting Approval. If you are satisfied with how it looks, then you can choose to publish once it has been approved. (approval is automatic if you are out of the Moderation Queue) All chapters should be completely edited and ready for publishing before author set the Publish time. Followers are notified when authors update their content, so please do not publish and then immediately unpublish chapters as this will create what appears to be an error to readers which often results in site staff being repeatedly contacted with reports. If you accidentally publish the wrong content, or have extra chapters publish for some reason, please contact Cia via PM to have it deleted. If you decide to publish, you need to toggle the "Publish Chapter" toggle. If you have not posted a chapter in less than the time shown, then you can also toggle "Publish Now" if you want to publish immediately. Otherwise, the Chapter Publish Time defaults to 24 hours after the last published chapter or 5 minutes from when you loaded the page. You will not be allowed to publish a chapter sooner than 24 hours that the previous chapter. Important: If you are just adding your Prologue and/or Chapter 1, then go to the publishing FAQ next: https://gayauthors.org/faq/authors/author-questions/how-do-i-submit-a-story-to-post-date-and-publish-at-a-late-date-and-time-r28/

This has changed with latest Story Archive software update. Saving stories into the system has been separated from Publishing the stories publicly. Process flow for Author in Moderation Queue: Add story to system Add chapter 1 to system Add Prologue to system, if you have one. Make sure you have everything edited and ready for approval. Moderators will review your Story, Prologue (if it exists) and Chapter 1 and approve them. (you will have an orange banner until it is approved) Do NOT edit a story, prologue or chapter 1 after approval and before you publish, as you will lose approval and have to go through the process again. Once approved, you'll see the publish button at the top of your story. You can then choose to publish and either choose Now or set a date and time. Process Flow for Authors Not in Moderation Queue Add story to system Add chapter 1 to system Add Prologue to system, if you have one. Make sure you have everything edited and ready for publication. Once everything looks the way you want it, you can then choose to publish and either choose Now or set a date and time.

I’ve purchased author/editor status and completed all my edits, so how do I submit my story? *Important Notes* You must submit your story before you can add the chapter content. Complete all 4 steps to add your story content first. New stories are automatically posted with Prologue (Optional) and Chapter 1 as one unit. Do NOT add additional chapters until the story is approved. System requires Story, Chapter 1 and if added, Prologue all be approved before you can set publishing time. All stories or poetry under 1k in length must be posted as part of a flash fiction collection. Do NOT add photos, links, videos, etc... in the story text box. Photos can only be added in the cover photo area, and links and videos should only be added in the story or chapter notes. These must also adhere to GA content guidelines. Gay Authors is intended to be a Story Archive that people return to read old favorites. Do NOT post stories intended to be published off GA for profit. We understand that occasionally authors unexpectedly publish some content but removing stories from the site means authors cannot post later stories in the timeline if it is a series (becomes bait & switch requiring readers to purchase eBooks to understand series timeline/plot) and will prevent authors from ever becoming a promoted author on GA. One option prior to publication could be moving a story to our Premium Content subscriber only section to limit access without deleting the story from GA. Authors interested in requesting a review and possible move to Premium should contact Cia prior to publication. Where do I submit a story? On the site menu bar, click ‘Stories’. Click on the 'Add Story' button below the story category list and just above the recent updates list of stories. Note: If you don't have this button, you have not become a site author by purchasing free author status (look at the very top of this page). Please complete that step before asking for help. This brings up a pop-up window to select the story category. Use the drop menu to select the proper category (fiction, fan-fiction, anthologies, etc...). Click outside the drop menu box to close the drop menu, if necessary, then click on the Continue box. There are 4 Steps on 4 separate tabs to complete (unless you choose FanFiction, it has 5 Steps on 5 tabs). Click on each tab near the top of the webpage to complete: Step One Title: Your title will display everywhere, check your spelling. Link Title: This will self-fill when you type in the title, don’t change it. Authors: Your name is automatically added, and you can add any co-authors. Editors: You can add your Editor(s) if they are a GA Member. Beta Readers: You can add your Beta Reader(s) if they are a GA Member. Scroll up and click on Step Two in the bar above the General Details title Step Two Description: This will tell people what your story is about in 500 characters or less. This is the same as a Book Blurb. Do not post images in this text box. This description should be for all audiences. If you copy from another site, it is recommended you use the 'paste as plain text' option below the text box that appears to remove extra formatting. Story Note: Similar to Description, but this is a personal message area to readers that will appear under the story information when the story is posted. This is also the field to use if you need to add relevant images that adhere to the site posting guidelines to the story detail page. Images should be hosted in a GA Gallery album and uploaded using the Insert Other Media option. Story Copyright: Basic copyright automatically added. Change if you have a custom copyright notice. If you post fanfiction, please adjust this automatic notice to reflect that information. Story Banner: Select browse to choose an image from your computer*. This is the story banner only promoted authors can use on a story. *Images must comply with site content guidelines. Story Cover Image: Select browse to choose an image from your computer. This is an image that will appear below the chapter listing. Please limit your image to a reasonable size and follow the signature guidelines in regards to gif/animations. *Images must comply with site content guidelines. Scroll up and click on Step Three in the bar above the Details title Step Three Genre: Set Sub-Genre. Choose 1-3 for contemporary stories and no more than 6 or 7 for speculative fiction. For more details, see Genre FAQ: https://gayauthors.org/faq/stories-archive/author-questions/how-do-i-select-the-correct-genre-r138/ Audience Rating: Everyone = No sex, explicit violence, excessive swearing; Teen= off-screen sex, or non-explicit touching/making out, violence, swearing; Mature = Graphic sexual content, violence, other graphic content of any kind on-screen (Note: These ratings can be utilized for violent or graphic content other than sexual, but specific warnings should be included using the story/chapter note areas); Mature - Member Only = Same as mature, but only people logged into their Gay Authors account will be able to see it. Status: Complete = Done; In Process = Working On It; On Hold = Currently Not Working On. Do NOT post a new story in any of the On Hold categories. Those are utilized by an automated system that will change the story rating as needed. Scroll up and click on Step Four in the bar above the Groupings title Step Four Tags: Select up to six. These help readers find your story, so make sure they apply to the story content. If you have sensitive content requiring story warnings, you must use the applicable tags as well. For Some FanFictions, Scroll up and click on Step Five in the bar above the Tags title Step Five Custom Tags: Create / Select up to six. Custom Tags are limited to FanFictions as of 9/2023 update. These help readers find your FanFiction story, so make sure they apply to the story content. If you have sensitive content requiring story warnings, you must use the applicable tags as well. Click Save Story (Or Submit to Moderation) (only after ALL 4 or 5 Steps are complete) *After the story is saved, chapter content may be added. Your Story is Now Added to the Archive, Now What? Once your story is added, it will display a bunch of status banners at the top. Each of these banners tells you the actions that need to occur. Included picture shows a FanFiction example, which has extra fields to add. (Fandoms, Characters, Relationships) Next step: If you are a FanFiction story, your next step is to click "Setup Fandoms" and add the correct Fandom(s). Optionally: Set up Characters if there are any listed for your Fandom. You may also set up Relationships if you have characters listed. Otherwise, you are ready to add Prologue and/or Chapter 1: https://gayauthors.org/faq/authors/author-questions/how-do-i-add-a-chapter-to-an-existing-story-r29/

Does Gay Authors have minimum quality guidelines? Yes. Prior to submitting your story, please run it through a spelling/grammar checker and read it over for anything the checker missed. Stories with a multitude of spelling and grammar errors could be rejected until the errors have been fixed. If you need help polishing your story prior to posting we encourage you to review the many topics in our Writer’s Forums. A single space should be used between each paragraph, with a double space used to indicate scene or timeline jumps. *See below to remove extra line spaces in Word* Do I have to be a seasoned author to post at GA? No. GA allows both seasoned and first-time writers to submit their stories. We do not expect grammatical and structural perfection in every piece. We do expect as you post to apply the suggestions from readers and your editing team, should you gain one, to hone your skills as an author. Can I post poems or flash fiction stories on GA? Yes. However, all poems or flash fiction stories under 1k in length MUST be placed in collections. You cannot post them all as individual stories. You may create different collections, such as one for free form poetry and another for haikus, but please do not post more than 4-5 collections total. Making a collection is as simple as choosing a title like “Author Name Poems” and then submitting each poem/flash piece as a chapter. What are other tips so my story doesn't have any posting guidelines issues that would prevent it from being approved? Do not resize text size in the editor since this will eliminate a reader’s ability to re-size the text. Only chapter text should be in the chapter text box. There are other areas for chapter titles, chapter notes, and copyright information. Disclaimers or content warnings should be placed in the story or chapter notes. The text editor was chosen because of its compatibility with Word formatting. While it offers a lot of options, not all of them work as expected. Using ‘bold’ and ‘italics’ is okay. Much more than that and the formatting from the editor conflicts with the formatting for the site and you get unintended consequences. Bold and italics are for brief highlights and are NOT to be used in large amounts. This is an accessibility people for some people. *If you use Word, you can have hidden paragraph breaks that will cause double spaces between paragraphs in our editor. Complete these steps to remove that hidden break yet still see a space between paragraphs when you write in Word* Before posting into the story text box, select all your text in Word. Click the “find and replace” option. Insert ^p^p into the find field and ^p into the replace field. Then go to your paragraph/line spacing option. Using the pop up box that appears, scroll down to paragraph spacing. Set the ‘before’ option to 0 and the ‘after’ option to Auto. Then click save. You can now copy your text and paste it into the chapter text box on GA.

What steps must I complete PRIOR to posting a story? First you have to gain the ability to post in GA Stories by gaining Author status. You can do this by visiting the GA store and purchasing them for free. Once you have selected “Activities” from the red menu bar, locate "Store" in the drop menu. Under the “Member Groups” area, choose the Author or Poet group and follow any additional directions on the screen. Starting Dec 29, 2024, you can select your member group on sign up or from your account settings. (Member/Author/Poet/Editor) I purchased Author/Poet from the store, but my title did not change, what do I do now? Log out of GA, clear your cache, and log back in. Your title should change after this step.

What types of story content are banned from GA? Stories with characters that are not like age groups. A 15 and 18 year-old couple in high school are a like age group even if one is technically ‘overage’. A 13 and a 19 year-old couple are not like age groups. Minors and adults are NEVER like age groups. Stories sexualizing children and preteens 12 and under, or portraying them in a light to appear sexually arousing to adults. Stories solely adult in nature. All stories on GA must have a plot that exists beyond the sexual theme of the story. We recommend no more than 50% of the story be focused on sexual activities or themes. Stories with necrophilia. What types of story content will trigger a story review by the FMT on GA? Stories with rape or sexual abuse for titillation, glorifying suicide or drug use, bestiality, or cannibalism are moderated content. Any stories with these themes are subject to further moderator review and may be rejected.* *Any approved story containing content listed above MUST be properly rated Mature, have accompanying tags, and include written warnings in the story note and each chapter note that contains questionable content so readers sensitive to these subjects will not be unaware of the story's themes.

What will prevent me from becoming a Promoted Author? Things such as complete removal of stories from GA, for self-publishing or subbing to publishers, will preclude authors from being promoted to Promising or Signature. While we understand some stories are removed for personal reasons, using GA as a beta/editing service for later publication is unacceptable. Some stories may be eligible for movement to the site Premium section, but authors should check with site staff prior to making the decision to remove stories for publication. Poor site behavior, including antagonizing readers and members Not engaging with the community at Gay Authors The best approach for promotion is to post quality content, engage members and readers in a friendly manner, avoid controversy, and don't post and remove stories.

Promoted Author Criteria: Promising Authors: Demonstrate a basic level of writing ability Actively seek and accept assistance to improve their writing Participate in and contribute to the GA community Promote the GA site (ex. If posting elsewhere, link back to GA) Show initiative in promoting their work and growing their reader base, and/or are open to learning how Actively engage their readers (respond to reviews) Promising Authors must be willing to agree to post concurrently on Gay Authors any new material with the exception of personal blogs Signature Authors: Have an existing body of quality writing Established a strong reader base on GA Actively participate in the GA Community Cross-promote and link back to GA when posting stories elsewhere Encourage off-site readers to join the GA community Actively engage their readers (respond to reviews) Signature Authors must be willing to agree to post concurrently on Gay Authors any new material with the exception of personal blogs Classic Authors Signature Authors can request "Classic Author" status if they have reached the point where they will no longer be posting new stories on a regular basis. Authors that have already been established on other sites and are coming to Gay Authors to post their content, can apply to be considered for Classic Author status. How do I let the team know I want to become a promoted author? Nominations can be made via PM to any Author Promotion Team member. You can find the list of Author Promotion Team members in the Staff Directory. The Author Promotion Team is also actively watching for authors that meet the criteria. Who can nominate an author? Any member of GA can nominate an author for promotion, including the author themselves.

What does it mean to be a Signature, Classic, or Promising Author? A Promising, Classic, or Signature Author is an author who has achieved a level of performance, gained some recognition by the staff and membership at GA, and have entered into an agreement with Gay Authors concerning the hosting and promotion of their stories. What are the differences between Signature, Classic, and Promising Authors? Signature Authors are active authors who consistently produce high quality stories and represent some of Gay Authors' best writing. Classic Authors were at one point Signature Authors but either do not post regularly or have retired from writing altogether. Classic Authors can also be authors recognized for their works posted to other sites over the years. Promising Authors are Gay Authors up and coming authors and will typically be promoted to Signature within a year or so. What is the purpose of Promising Author status? The purpose of Promising Author status is to help develop writers who have already shown initiative in improving their writing and promoting themselves; to give up-and-coming writers exposure and help them build a fan base prior to being considered for Signature Author status. Promising Authors: Demonstrate a basic level of writing ability Actively seek and accept assistance to improve their writing Participate in and contribute to the GA community Promote the GA site (ex. If posting elsewhere, link back to GA) Show initiative in promoting their work and growing their reader base, and/or are open to learning how Actively engage their readers (respond to reviews) Promising Authors must be willing to agree to post concurrently on Gay Authors any new material with the exception of personal blogs Signature Authors: Have an existing body of quality writing Established a strong reader base on GA Actively participate in the GA Community Cross-promote and link back to GA when posting stories elsewhere Encourage off-site readers to join the GA community Actively engage their readers (respond to reviews) Signature Authors must be willing to agree to post concurrently on Gay Authors any new material with the exception of personal blogs

What is the Moderation Queue? Authors with a reputation of less than *250 in GA Stories* must have their stories/chapters approved by site staff before they can be viewed by the general membership. Once an author exceeds a reputation of 250 their stories receive automatic approval and will be visible within the hour. *This is the reputation on your author account which can be found when viewing your author profile in Stories, not your overall site reputation found on your general profile. What do you check in the Moderation Queue? Stories in the moderation queue are checked to make sure the author has followed the Stories guidelines for content and posting, the story falls within a basic editing standard, as well as a plagiarism check. When does the Moderation Queue get checked? Typically the moderation queue is checked once per day. If you have waited longer than 24 hours since you posted your new story or chapter, please check your personal messages (envelope in the upper right corner) to see if you have a message from site staff regarding your content. If you don't have anything there, please PM Cia.

What are the purpose of “Likes”? Each “Like”/"Reactions" helps to raise a member’s reputation, which is especially important to help Authors get out of the Moderation Queue and Peer Review. IMPORTANT: Reputation earned from Stories, Chapter, Story Comments, Reviews, Chapter comments count towards Author Reputation. This number is visible on an authors story listing page. (My Stories). How do I get more likes and raise my reputation? Anytime someone follows you as an author or follows one of your stories, it counts as a like and raises your reputation one point. Also, anytime someone “likes” one of your forum posts, blog posts or replies, stories, or chapters it raises your reputation by one point. Moderation Queue promotion counts only Story/Chapter/story review/story comment/chapter comments "likes". How do I give an unlike? Once you have given a “like”, the button will change to “unlike”. In order to give an “unlike” you have to have already given one. Simply find where you gave the “like” and take it away.