Publishing Contest Submission Error

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minniemouse91
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Publishing Contest Submission Error

Post by minniemouse91 »

I'm trying to submit a blurb to the publishing contest and I keep getting an error saying the blurb is too long. But at the bottom of the form it says I have 2 characters left. I double-checked the character count in Microsoft Word, and it is indeed 248 characters (including spaces!), just under the 250 character limit. I've tried different browsers, copy/paste, and also just typing it directly into the box, but every time I get the same error. What am I doing wrong? Does the book title count towards the character count? I can cut out a word or two, but I really like my blurb exactly how it is... :(
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Scott
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Post by Scott »

@minniemouse91 My bet is that Word is inserting special characters that actually take up more than '1 space' so to speak even if they do not.

If you want to post the blurb here, I can figure it out for you.
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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minniemouse91
Posts: 13
Joined: 09 Oct 2015, 15:45
Currently Reading: Mistborn
Bookshelf Size: 71
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-minniemouse91.html
Reading Device: B00GQDBS7O
Publishing Contest Votes: 12

Post by minniemouse91 »

@Scott

Thanks for your help!

Title: The Sleep
Blurb: Yesterday, my mission was to cure the incurable. But then my mentor disappeared, leaving behind a shocking note. “I found the cure, Jenna. Thirty years ago.” How could he hide this from me, from the world? I will find the truth, no matter the cost.

The form says that there are 2 characters remaining before I click submit, but then I get the error stating "The blurb is too long."
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Scott
Site Admin
Posts: 4068
Joined: 31 Jul 2006, 23:00
Favorite Author: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
Currently Reading: The Unbound Soul
Bookshelf Size: 340
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-scott.html
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
Publishing Contest Votes: 960
fav_author_id: 248825

Post by Scott »

The problem is these: “ ”

They look like they take up 1 space but they actually take up many more in the actual computer file once they are converted from Word's format.

I suggest replacing them with a single mark: '

This should be done after copying and pasting it from Word because Word will probably auto-convert that into a fancy thing too.

I hope this helps. :)
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
User avatar
minniemouse91
Posts: 13
Joined: 09 Oct 2015, 15:45
Currently Reading: Mistborn
Bookshelf Size: 71
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-minniemouse91.html
Reading Device: B00GQDBS7O
Publishing Contest Votes: 12

Post by minniemouse91 »

Aha! That worked. Thanks a bunch! :D
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