diff --git a/marko/page/story-content/components/edit-story-modal/component.js b/marko/page/story-content/components/edit-story-modal/component.js
index 5afce46..99e577b 100644
--- a/marko/page/story-content/components/edit-story-modal/component.js
+++ b/marko/page/story-content/components/edit-story-modal/component.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ const moment = require("moment")
 
 const {storyApi} = require("../../../../../rpdata/api/Story")
 
+const ORDINAL_REGEX = /[0-9]{1,2}(st|nd|rd|th)/g
+
 module.exports = class {
   onCreate() {
     this.state = {
@@ -45,11 +47,13 @@ module.exports = class {
     const values = this.state.values
     
     let fictionalDate = new Date(values.fictionalDate + " UTC")
-    if (values.fictionalDate != "") {
+    if (values.fictionalDate) {
       if (Number.isNaN(fictionalDate.getTime())) {
         this.state.error = `Could not parse ${values.fictionalDate} as date.`
-        if (values.fictionalDate.includes("th")) {
-          this.state.error += " Try to remove the 'th'."
+        
+        const ordinal = values.fictionalDate.match(ORDINAL_REGEX)[0]
+        if (ordinal != null) {
+          this.state.error += " Try to remove the '"+ordinal.slice(-2)+"'."
         }
 
         return