Discussion: Should “Popular/Big Authors” Be Banned From Entering Contests?

[Screaminbanshee]

I have been summoned.
Oh god that’s me. Yeah I do have an IG but literally if I go on it five times a month that’s a lot. I’m so happy that some people actually enjoy my story!

To stay on topic with this thread:

1.Do you think this would be a good idea? Why or why not?
Bad idea. Contests should be open to everybody no matter how much or how little experience you possess

2.Do you think contests are for smaller authors to benefit? Why?
I’m not really sure if that’s the intention of these contests. But I do believe it can help small authors get noticed when they decide to enter.

3.If you’re an author with more of a readership (I know this is a vague thing, but for the sake of this discussion let’s say if you have 100k+ reads) do you feel awkward/bad about entering contests because of this?
Not an author with a lot of reads. I just do it for the lolz. If I was though I hope I wouldn’t feel bad.

4.Additional thoughts?
Generally, I just enjoy the app and the abilities it gives you to make a story. Personally I think it’s fun to enter the contests because it motivates me to actually publish something on the app.

[Briana_M]

1. Do you think this would be a good idea? Why or why not?
   No, I don’t think it’s a good idea for popular authors to be banned from entering in contests. Every author of any status is welcome to participate in any contest Episode announces. That would be unfair to stop popular authors from participating in contests.
2. Do you think contests are for smaller authors to benefit? Why?
   Well, I do think small authors can benefit from particpating in contests. They have a chance to have their story featured on a shelf. If their story ends up being on a shelf, their story has a huge chance of getting noticed by more readers and the episode community as well. Not to mention, their story will gain more reads.
3. If you’re an author with more of a readership (I know this is a vague thing, but for the sake of this discussion let’s say if you have 100k+ reads) do you feel awkward/bad about entering contests because of this?
   Personally, I don’t enter in any contests because none of them haven’t really caught my eye yet. But, when I do enter a contest, I won’t feel awkward about entering the contest because it wouldn’t make sense to me. I truly enjoy writing and it’s my passion, and nothing can stop me from writing a story for a contest. However. if many people are bad mouthing me and coming against me because of my high status of an author, then I would be a bit hesitant about participating in a contest. 9 times out of 10 I could careless about what people think of me because of the number of reads I have. Nothing can stop me from writing.
4. Additional thoughts?
   Nope.

[Baleigh_episode]

@thebutterfly_episode

While the 100 reads thing seems harsh, there is no other way to a work out the retention. There needs to be enough reads for them to be able to generate the retention rating, otherwise you could have stories with poor retention going through and they would have the advantage over other stories as retention is a huge part of how they pick the winners.

I agree that the 100 reads thing seems harsh, but I agree. I will also say that I’ve noticed there have been quite a few times when I’ve checked out stories with less reads for fun and I’ll realize they aren’t really up to par.

@thebutterfly_episode

Realistically if authors are able to promote their stories on the forums, in groups that do reviews and via Instagram, then word of mouth gets out about underdog entries. Plus larger authors have been doing promotion for smaller stories to give them better visibility (myself included.)

This was honestly something that helped me with the k&t contest, promoting on my own instagram, here on the forums, posting my story title on posts by other people asking for recommendations, etc. It’s some extra work but it’s totally worth it.

@thebutterfly_episode

I see so many authors so bitter about their lack of reads but at the same time they do nothing to improve themselves, they just keep picking others apart and tearing them down. Dimming someone else’s light doesn’t make yours shine any brighter

[Baleigh_episode]

@FlowerFluff

It doesn’t matter how big you are! You must have perfect story. Directing,storyline etc.

Yes, the quality of your story does determine a lot on whether or not anyone at any reads level deserves to be placed on a shelf.

@EliseC

I get why there’s a 100 read benchmark, but I’d like to know how long stories actually have.

This has probably been answered already, but I think I’ve seen 7-14 days, and based on when I got my email that I was approved (which I’m guessing is the hint you get that you’ve passed retention) I’d say 10 days is fairly accurate?
But I agree it’s confusing. I’d say if you get them within a 3-7 time period you’re for sure good, but for some people that’s not exactly possible.

And it’s been answered:

@Cee

They’re given a range. I believe 7-10 days. Or maybe 7-14. I only retained that the minimum was 7 because the upper limit doesn’t matter if you want to be sure your reads count.

@Cee

I genuinely don’t think it’s unreasonable to consider every Episode contest entry. That doesn’t mean they have to read through the third episode of every one if they can tell within the first episode that it won’t place well on the rubric.

My worry with this has always been that it would make the time to get contest results take longer but I think if they ditched stories once they realized they weren’t going to be good fits and moved on it might not put things back too much.

[Baleigh_episode]

@Screaminbanshee

Personally I think it’s fun to enter the contests because it motivates me to actually publish something on the app.

It is fun!

[Baleigh_episode]

@Briana_M

9 times out of 10 I could careless about what people think of me because of the number of reads I have. Nothing can stop me from writing.

That’s a good attitude to have!

[PoojaI]

@Baleigh_episode

I’ve noticed there have been quite a few times when I’ve checked out stories with less reads for fun and I’ll realize they aren’t really up to par.

I mean that’s why they have retention right? It’s their best judgement of what stories are most enjoyed by the masses.

@Baleigh_episode

It’s some extra work but it’s totally worth it.

I’ve seen a lot a that’s sometimes people just publish their story (not necessarily a contest entry just a regular story sometimes too) and don’t take any effort to promote it. Don’t do R4R or submit for reviews or anything, just assume that people will find it and read it. And then get sad when no one reads it.

Like if it was a regular book or movie, there goes a lot of time (and money) into promoting it. You need to make effort to promote your work or no one will know it exists

[EliseC]

@Baleigh_episode

but I think I’ve seen 7-14 days

Weren’t the MC winners announced after like 10 days?
So after 7 days they then moved all stories with 100 reads to the retention phase and managed to grade all qualifying entries in 2 days? I guess that would be doable, but I suppose to be safe, you’d really want to hit the 100 reads in under 7 days.

[E_11.x]

Well they shouldn’t necessarily get banned but contests would be more interesting to see if the small creators have a big potential .

[Alusza]

I don’t think anyone should be abandoned from participating the contest,
I also think that creating that topic is a little inappropriate, even if the answers here are pretty consistent that it’s a bad approach, the title suggests that it’s something worth considering and it very harmful 🤷 it’s like creating and other excluding topic. I don’t think it’s something that should be discussed.

[GiaCereni]

I think Episode should do contest for middle and small authors because that’s a way to promote our stories. I think too that Episode should do contest ONLY for big authors and the prize should be in the Episode shelf or Editors shelf. Don’t know.

[Baleigh_episode]

@Alusza

I also think that creating that topic is a little inappropriate, even if the answers here are pretty consistent that it’s a bad approach, the title suggests that it’s something worth considering and it very harmful it’s like creating and other excluding topic. I don’t think it’s something that should be discussed.

With all due respect, I created a topic based on something I’d seen and wanted others’ input. Believe me, if you read my answer you’d know I’m not for anyone being barred from entering contests. This is a discussion post because I was curious about other people’s answers and ideas.

[Baleigh_episode]

@EliseC

Weren’t the MC winners announced after like 10 days?
So after 7 days they then moved all stories with 100 reads to the retention phase and managed to grade all qualifying entries in 2 days? I guess that would be doable, but I suppose to be safe, you’d really want to hit the 100 reads in under 7 days.

Yeah, I don’t know. I was just going based on what I’d read in other threads. But yes, I’d imagine to be on the safe side you’d want to get them in under 7 days.

[Baleigh_episode]

@PoojaI

Like if it was a regular book or movie, there goes a lot of time (and money) into promoting it. You need to make effort to promote your work or no one will know it exists

Exactly.

@E_11.x

Well they shouldn’t necessarily get banned but contests would be more interesting to see if the small creators have a big potential .

I think there are usually some smaller authors that get on the winners’ shelf anyway. I will say, a hidden gems contest like once a year might be a cool thing for episode to try.
What the reads amount would be, I don’t know.

@GiaCereni

I think Episode should do contest for middle and small authors because that’s a way to promote our stories. I think too that Episode should do contest ONLY for big authors and the prize should be in the Episode shelf or Editors shelf. Don’t know.

The big issue with this is that no one can quite decide the line between big and small. I also don’t really think it should be separated into separate shelves. Also, contests aren’t really there as a means of story promotion. Obviously if you win/your story goes on to get some success that’s one thing but you shouldn’t be entering a contest with the intent of: Oh this could be good promotion for me.

[GiaCereni]

I don’t know but some good stories are there without being noticed. I did read excellent small authors stories doing read4read, and those never get noticed because some story called: Pregnant by The Bad Boy Vampire or something like that, and that’s fine, people love them. But how can we get those good stories with excellent plots get noticed? People hardly read a story that don’t have 10k even if that story it’s the same plot on and on and on… I think that, maybe stories can be classified as in television.

[Briana_M]

I do think that cold be a good idea. However, I do think small authors should be offered the chance to be on an Episode shelf or the Editors shelf as well. It’s all about equality and fair treatment.

[GiaCereni]

Exactly! But they never get to notice small authors stories to pick them for a shelf or something.

[EliseC]

@Briana_M

I do think small authors should be offered the chance to be on an Episode shelf or the Editors shelf as well.

They have been.
I think Episode’s doing a much better job with this now. There was a story recently on a shelf with <100 reads.
There have been multiple shelves now where more than half the stories have <5k reads too.

[Briana_M]

I’ve been noticing that. I like that Episode is doing that for small authors. They need the recognition more than anyone else. Sometimes story promotion doesn’t do the job for many authors, and some exposure from Episode is very beneficial towards them.

[Alusza]

I know you did, and this conversation is pretty civilised at well as topic thread, but the title itself and making this topic is just… Many people only see the title somewhere there and start consider it as a good option without reading the thread. It’s just giving people ideas 🤷 I’m not sure if it will do any good. If you replace it with any other thing, it would be harmful.