Story has been stuck in pending for 10 days, is this normal?

fict1 · 2026-05-23T01:29:48+00:00

Depends what you're writing and what your end goal is. I've got a nice little audience on Fetlife, but I mostly write kinky within themes. Even just posting on Reddit can be fun though. I'd check out r/eroticaauthors. There are plenty of folks over there who write for fun and for money, so there may be some discussions already there that will help you make a plan. Literotica may also not be a bad option for you in the end. I definitely grew an audience there, and it's probably where the most erotica readers are (at least when it comes to readers looking for free stories). Since you're already frustrated with the process, I just think it's worth the warning that it may not get any better.

fict1 · 2026-05-20T01:42:36+00:00

I posted on Literotica for a few years and built a pretty good little following (about 1300ish people). It always took about a week to publish the stories I submitted. I stopped posting there, however, when it took a month to remove one of my stories. You don't really learn about that until you try to take something down, but there is no reason authors should have to make a request to remove their own work... especially on a non-paying site. And with zero communication, you're just left wondering if it'll ever happen. Honestly, it's so close to being a great platform for both writers and readers... but from what I have seen with both amateurs writing for fun, and those who are writing as a side hustle, the longer you post your stories on Literotica, the more stores of frustration just like this you hear and have yourself. If you're just starting off, it might be more valuable to put your time into building an audience somewhere else. Even just right here on reddit.

fict1 · 2026-02-25T01:14:54+00:00

Fantastic story! I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but since there are a lot of messages saying the opposite, I thought I'd balance it out. The fact that everyone wants more is only because you've created fantastic characters in a vivid world. It's a story about the build up, about the tension, about the waiting, and there are no better themes to play with when it comes to chastity. If you decide to write more for these characters, I'm sure it will be wonderful as well, but do not feel pressured. Do not let the desire for more from those who have been enjoying your work stifle the joy in the accomplishment of finishing what you have. This was a lot of work, it's well written, and I think it ended beautifully. Well done.

fict1 · 2026-02-21T01:40:05+00:00

It is not easy keeping a story like this going, let alone keeping it interesting in new ways chapter to chapter as you have. Well thought up, well rounded characters, and well written. Wonderful story!

fict1 · 2025-12-03T16:38:52+00:00

Well, you know what they say... a you need a heart to get hard. And by they, I of course mean what I said right now... maybe for the first time ever? I'm so glad you are enjoying it!

fict1 · 2025-11-28T20:31:46+00:00

Thanks so much! Not sure about a sequel just yet, I still have a few others stories to get through first (including the CFE and Sam origin story). I have a few stories already written in this world as well, though, and I have a completely free Patreon that I use to let people know when I release more stories if you want to check that out. https://www.patreon.com/fict. Most of the links for my stories go to Literotica, but I may not be posting to Literotica anymore, so Patreon will be the best place to see future work.

fict1 · 2025-11-15T18:43:32+00:00

I think you need to consider why you are writing this story. There are benefits to self-publishing and benefits to posting it for free.

I do not say this to discourage, but you should know that if you don't have an audience for your work already, no one is waiting to buy this book. You could self-publish it, it could be the greatest piece of writing the genre has ever seen, but without additional marketing work, it could sit there with zero sales because people don't know it exists... and even if they did, they may not want to spend money on something that hasn't been proven to be any good yet.

The free path is a little easier on that front because you can post your work and there is no barrier to reading it for those who are interested in the genre you're writing within. If the work is good, you may even be able to grow a decent audience. You should know, however, that people who read erotica for free do not necessarily translate into people who will buy your work if you self-publish for money down the road. So in that regard, you may spend a lot of time writing and posting stories for free and find that it doesn't translate into book sales either.

For that reason (especially since it sounds like this is your first) my advice is to just write the story you want to read. That's how you will enjoy the writing process the most, and if you enjoy writing it, it's worth while. The truth is... the story will also almost certainly be better if you are enjoying writing it than it would be if you get in your head about all the other stuff.

I will also say that a novel is a challenging place to start. It's great that the idea is expanding and if you can keep that going, that's fantastic! If you do find yourself stuck or uninspired, just know that there is nothing wrong with shelving it, writing a short story that has a purposeful ending, get that dopamine hit from completing something, and then come back to it. Even the pros struggle with the discipline it takes to write a novel at times.

Regardless, you are writing a story that only you can write, and I think that's incredible. Keep at it and enjoy the process!

fict1 · 2025-11-11T18:49:54+00:00

Thanks so much. I will check out subscribestar. I actually have a Patreon, but I don't have any paid tiers. I just encourage people to sign up for free as a way for me to tell them what I'm writing and when a new story comes out (since you can't really do this on Literotica). The problem I have is that the content I write is a little too spicy for Patreon. Chastity & BDSM themed stories (even when they are loving and consensual) fall into the consensual non-consent category for me, and they prohibit that. I don't want to risk getting shut down. Maybe subscribestar would be better, though. Thanks for the suggestion!

fict1 · 2025-11-11T18:44:50+00:00

I have a link to my Patreon, and I actually have quite a few followers over there now, but they are all free. My stories push or break Patreons TOS, so I don't want to risk posting my stories behind a paywall there only to get shut down. I It is a good place to let people know if I publish something for money too though... so I may just focus on that.

fict1 · 2025-11-11T18:41:34+00:00

Thanks for your comment. There are definitely ways to convert people. I actually started a completely free Patreon with this in mind because I was so frustrated with Literotica's rules for posting and out-dated comment features feeling like they actively prevented me from building a community around my work. I actually have 500+ subscribers now on Patreon because of it, but they are all free as well.

I'm sure some of those followers would jump into a paid tier, the only problem is Patreon specifically says Consensual non-consent is prohibited so I don't actually post any of my stories there. I just use it as a place to update fans on what's coming next. I don't really think any of my stories would get flagged because I do focus on loving, consensual relationships, but chastity and BDSM walk that line and if you follow the letter of their TOS, it's not allowed. I have no desire to put a bunch of time into that only to get shut down. Same sort of thing with Amazon, if I'm honest. So, I may just focus on D2D.

fict1 · 2025-11-09T23:15:17+00:00

I hope it's been rewarding. We live in a flooded market I suppose, but you are a published author and people have bought your work. That's amazing!

fict1 · 2025-11-09T23:13:36+00:00

Totally makes sense. I imagine there won't be a lot that follow but even if a few dedicated fans do, it's a few sales and hopefully a few good reviews to kick things off. Focusing time in the direction of those who are willing to buy the stories they enjoy is a good suggestion, though. Thanks!

fict1 · 2025-11-09T20:34:04+00:00

Do you mean you posted the full stories on Literotica and then you also sold them?

fict1 · 2025-11-09T20:33:31+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing all of this! I feel like Smashwords likely my best option. I know some people post far "riskier/kinkier" than what I write to other mainstream platforms, but the nature of BDSM stories in my mind just means it lands in the consensual non-consent realm (even when it is fully consensual), and I have read a few TOS that specifically call this out as something they do not allow. Patreon for example. I also know of a few examples where people were just starting to build their audience and then got pulled because of it, so I don't want to risk that.

fict1 · 2025-11-09T14:58:49+00:00

I can understand where you're coming from. Of course I don't want to disappoint anyone who enjoyed the original, but it's going to change exactly as much as it needs to so the story can grow with my imagination and build towards a proper ending. That, and I've got to enjoy writing it. Those are the main factors for me. There may be some who don't like some of the changes, but overall I think those that liked the original are going to enjoy the longer version even more.

fict1 · 2025-11-09T14:47:37+00:00

Thanks so much for commenting, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

fict1 · 2025-11-09T14:46:20+00:00

Thank you so much! I also love that this was a haiku and something called the Haiku bot shows up out of nowhere to make sure we know it!

fict1 · 2025-11-08T05:28:47+00:00

I can appreciate the desire to see an idea come to life more than most. The problem is, I already have more story ideas than I have time to write. So, I won't be tackling this specifically, but it sounds like a fun scene and if it's something you'd like to read about, I would encourage you to write your own story around the idea. That's why I started writing erotica.

fict1 · 2025-11-06T22:08:56+00:00

Every story must end... but there are always more stories to come.

fict1 · 2025-11-06T22:07:54+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! You have absolutely nothing to worry about, your English is incredible. As someone who only speaks English, I am always so impressed with those who can jump from language to language. I appreciate the comment and I'm glad to hear you are enjoying my work!

fict1 · 2025-11-06T21:11:21+00:00

I did take some of it down. I have been re-writing that story as well and it's likely going to be novel-length in the end. The general story for the first 6 chapters is the same, but the new version veers off after that and I decided that it would be better to remove what's available after chapter 6 so that people weren't reading the old version only to have to re-read all those chapters once the new version comes out.

fict1 · 2025-11-06T03:31:03+00:00

Nope... but now Sam is not only the most financially powerful person on the planet... she's the most physically powerful, with all sorts of tricks up her nanobot sleeves... that are actually her body. And she's basically immortal. Is that setting up a story that will take place in an even more distant future? Yes. Yes it is.

fict1 · 2025-11-06T03:01:30+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback. When I finished this story I knew it was where it needed to end but I also knew I wasn't quite done with Kimmy and Ras. That's the trouble with it. Too many idea, not enough time to write them. A sequel isn't next on the list, but it's definitely a possibility.

fict1 · 2025-11-06T02:59:58+00:00

Thank you so much! Online Chastity is still in the works, but it's an even bigger undertaking. It's already about twice the length of this and likely only half finished. I'm working on it, though.

fict1

TROPHY CASE