Uploading a word file for the first time

Katie_Mae

Really Experienced
Joined
Apr 11, 2023
Posts
200
Hi all.
I'm looking to upload a word file for an upcoming story. I've only ever copied/pasted in the submission box before, but I'm looking to do an illustrated story. (yes, I've read the guidelines on illustrations. Yes, I also know they take ages to be posted, it will take me ages to write/draw anyway, no rush.) It seems uploading a word doc would be far less work for the site than emailing my drawings to the site and having them insert them into my story at the required places, and less prone to error.

Imagine for a moment I am an idiot and know nothing about this, what do I need to know re formatting? Is there an "idiot's guide" you could link me to please?

Currently I write with all the formatting typed in as I go, eg I'll type the coding in the <> marks as I write when I need italics or bold etc. Do I still still do this if I'm writing in word? Or will I have to go through and delete these? (Yes, I did wait until I was about 6k words into the story before looking into this, haha)

Thanks for any advice.
 
You don't need to do anything other than upload your Word file. No additional coding or marking is needed. Once your story is published, the text will appear exactly the same as it was in the Word file.
 
You don't need to do anything other than upload your Word file. No additional coding or marking is needed. Once your story is published, the text will appear exactly the same as it was in the Word file.
Thanks, so I'll need to take the coding out and select the text and use word's formatting to format it? eg change all the instances of <i >italics</ i> to italics?
 
Thanks, so I'll need to take the coding out and select the text and use word's formatting to format it? eg change all the instances of <i >italics</ i> to italics?
Yes, I've always used Word's own formatting when submitting my stories. No HTML marking is needed. Use Word's italics, bold, and everything else.
 
Yes, I use bolding and italics without difficulty.

Buuut, does anyone know if strikethrough translates from a .docx file?
 
Thank you! Looks like I've got a fair bit of CTRL Fing to do. :ROFLMAO:

Another question, how does paragraph spacing work? My story will have some parts which should be formatted as poetry. When I copy and past into the box here on lit, if I only put a single break between paragraphs (or lines of poetry) then the website converts it to a double pace. To get single line spacing for poetry I have to use the <br >

For uploading a file would I put the paragraph formatting in singe space, hit one return at the end of each like of poetry and two at the end of each paragraph to render single spacing for poetry and double spacing between paragraphs? Or not? Appreciate the help :)
 
Hi all.
I'm looking to upload a word file for an upcoming story. I've only ever copied/pasted in the submission box before, but I'm looking to do an illustrated story. (yes, I've read the guidelines on illustrations. Yes, I also know they take ages to be posted, it will take me ages to write/draw anyway, no rush.) It seems uploading a word doc would be far less work for the site than emailing my drawings to the site and having them insert them into my story at the required places, and less prone to error.

Imagine for a moment I am an idiot and know nothing about this, what do I need to know re formatting? Is there an "idiot's guide" you could link me to please?

Currently I write with all the formatting typed in as I go, eg I'll type the coding in the <> marks as I write when I need italics or bold etc. Do I still still do this if I'm writing in word? Or will I have to go through and delete these? (Yes, I did wait until I was about 6k words into the story before looking into this, haha)

Thanks for any advice.
A "Beginners Guide" for uploading documents (or tips and tricks) would be interesting.
I had one story I uploaded which had some embedded characters which caused confusion.

Thanks
 
A "Beginners Guide" for uploading documents (or tips and tricks) would be interesting.
I had one story I uploaded which had some embedded characters which caused confusion.

Thanks
The safest "advice" is to submit using the text box, because you can Preview, see what it will look like when published, and fix it within the Form itself. Mostly, getting your html right.

I've found over the years that .txt .rtf .doc .doc(x) have all caused me problems eventually, but using the Form and using plain text to the maximum extent possible, never an issue in the last five years.

Using the Form always works; loading files, glitches happen.
 
The safest "advice" is to submit using the text box, because you can Preview, see what it will look like when published, and fix it within the Form itself. Mostly, getting your html right.

I've found over the years that .txt .rtf .doc .doc(x) have all caused me problems eventually, but using the Form and using plain text to the maximum extent possible, never an issue in the last five years.

Using the Form always works; loading files, glitches happen.
This is my preference, but in this case it sounds like more work for laurel, and also more prone to error. Eg something getting lost or missed between the text being uploaded in the form and the files sent by email and everything coming together where and how I want it to.
 
This is what I just did in my last story
  • authored it in MS word (not saved to onedrive for privacy reasons)
  • "save as html"
  • close the original documents (to avoid confusion)
  • Open the saved html file in my browser of choice."
The uploaded file was very close to the local html version. I probably cloud have found a local html editor or conversion tool if I looked hard enough (I would personally not upload to one of those online services)

One advantage I found was that by reading it via a browser, it was as if I had a fresh copy, which helped me to pick up some typos and issues with tenses (past vs present tense).
 
I just upload the document as is. If you're on a computer, I would do as Smashwords advise, and wipe all of Words formatting, so only the formatting you do is present. I've never had problems submitting either way, but one less site that I have to copy/paste, and do other bullshit to, is nice. I hate all that shit the most, when it comes to publishing a story online. Especially sites where I need to put my formatting back in, like on sexstories and FFN.

Uploading a document isn't that complicsted. You'd have only needed to add html tags if you're copying into a plain html text box. Which Lits is. Most basic html boxes--which the forums text box is--will retain formatting... usually.
 
In my experience, uploading a file might take an extra day or two to get approved, but it's worth it.
 
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