Hello, I’ve been writing on episode September 2019 and published my story December 2019 before New Years and I’ve only got 43 reads , but they’re from read for reads , I’m writing because I love it but I need loyal readers to read it , how can I actually promote my story properly ?
Thank you if you see this thread and answer it xx 
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Being active on forums and instagram is a good way to get yourself notices. Even if you’re not always talking about your story, people will start to know your name and if they like what you’re saying, they’ll be likely to check you out on the app
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Sorry if I’m asking so much questions , on Instagram shall I post screenshots on my story and interact with other authors ?
Thank you for replying 
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It’s up to you what exactly you post. I usually post sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, and then post when I have updated with a new episode. But you can post other things too. Like if you’re good at art, sharing your edits is a good way to build a following, or if you have some writing tips, people might be interested in reading those too. Then your reads will naturally grow from there
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Thank you so much I will take that into consideration xx
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Hi, I am a first time publisher who started with 0 followers and readers. Now I have almost 40k reads. …so I guess I was not so bad in promoting my story
What I did and what I think helped or what you can do:
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this is not about promoting but it is in my opinion most important - WRITE GREAT STORY with great directing.
Than there is a big chance people will start to recommend it. Also, this assures you that the reader will stay and read newly published chapters - and this helps to get your story higher in the app trending and if you get high enoug you will gain new readers just because thay will notice it on the app. …my story is most of the time among the top 1000 in general and in the top 100 in its genre and from my experience, this helps most to gain new readers…It always jumps up after I published new episode because the fans are eager to read it and I in the same time get new followers - most of them come within the first 5 days after publishing …which is the time the story is ranking highest…but of cause, his will not happen when the story is completly new fro this you need first some fan base (unless it is on the shelf for new stories). -
I was asking for feedback to find out if my story is actually interesting for readers and adjusted some things based on the feedback - I actually believe this is a must for every first-time author. But you should not ask for feedback if you are not ready for a negative reaction on your story or if you are not willing to change it and you do it only for reads (this is really not what is feedback for)
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R4R - but as you have already found out this is good only on the very start and most of the people will not go on reading after they read the agreed amount of chapters.
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being active on forum - I actually have no proof this in any way helped to get reeds but I know some of my readers have found my story here. Because I am mostly in the helping section and I am not the type who is making here the epy forum friends (not that I would not want to but I don’t have that much time for the forum) - but it you are the type to make discussion friends than your friends will most likely read your story and support you.
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promoting actively in a lot of threats in the promote section (I did this on the beginning, now I do it here and there) - again dunno how much it helped but this ensures that the people who are here promoting too will see your story many times and some of them might try the story - sometimes there are people who ask really for recommendations of stories and want just to read (not R4R) - I got some loyal fans through through telling them about my story
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Having my own promoting thread just for my story…even people do not write there much t was read over 1 thousand times so I guess some of these people have given my story a chance - it is important to update it regularly because it will drop down pretty quickly.
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Having Instagram account and being active there - post sneak peeks and info that I published new episode and react on fans’ comments.
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React on fan comments in the portal.
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Ask for promoting on insta groups who help small authors, and ask for promoting / review on insta - honestly, this was difficult to find and most of the one who proclaims thay do reviews on insta actually ghosted me but… this is also a possibility.
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pay for promotion - I never did this because I just write for fun but I noticed that Joseph Evans was offering active promotion if you pay him - the conditions are on his web if I remember right - there might be more successful authors who are willing to promote your story for money …but because I was not interested in this I was not deeply searching this.
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What was the bigest brakthroung on the begining - I published my story in an episode contest - this helped a lot to get the first 1000 reads because lot of people do read the contest stories and some of them become my first fans…of cause this is not aplicable if you already published your story but I have to mention this because I believe this was the most important part which helped my story to be visible/noticed on the very beginning even I haven’t won the contest I am sure this helped me a lot. An I gues I would not the where I am now if it would no be a contest entry.
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Oh thank you so much! I’m struggling with this and I have no problem with paying for promotion but I think Joseph’s Patreon is deactivated at the moment 
Thank you so much, when you say ask for promotions on insta groups do you know any accounts that do it , so I can try it out, but thank you for replying xx
I’m literally asking the same thing but I am considering paying for fb ads, not sure how effective it’ll be.
I’m also kinda using my music to help as well, so pretty soon I will write a soundtrack to my story and sell it on iTunes and stuff.
Just try be creative, do something unique (easier said than done) but yeah. I’m always looking for stories while I wait for people who I already have to update their stories.
Good luck xx
try epy_helpers.small_authors
Thank you so much xx
Thank you, I really appreciate it xx
hi as I say I was not looking for this type od advertisement you probably have to google it…
some more info to theme of how to get mor reads:
Also just before you pay for promotion - I recomand to check first it it is OK with the episodes rules (via ticket to episode team) - thay do change them here and there so better safe than sorry.
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I probably won’t do payed promotion but I’ll do the other stuff you say, thank you so much xx
I definitely recommend read for reads. Thats how ive gotten most of my reads, and even made some good friends on episode because of it. 
I’m doing read for reads, but they’re not loyal readers if you get me xx
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you are welcome.
Also what comes in my mind
nice cover and good story description also might help …if your story is visible on the app…unfortunatelly after the guidelines change episode (hopefully no permanently) started to show only the top 1000/100 overall/genre stories so if oyu rank below common user of the app will not actually see it (nut sure if it is still so but was not so fahr ago)
And ordinery user of the app decides first based on the cover and second by the description…
Some authors (seems to me aspecially kids) do have …how to say it… “not good” art really looking like small kid did it and it will most likely not atract readers.
Most sucesfull stories have great covers but oyu usually have to pay for the art. If you do not nave friend who can make digital drawing and dont want to pay you still can make pretty decent covers just using the cutted characters - lot of people will do this for you for free (look in to the art section) or you can try by yourself
I did my cover myself using his hints…but honestl I cant say if it is aluring or not for readers. 
Also the description is important…
For me this was a nightmare - as you see I am tolkative. :D…so write short yet telling a lot description was really not easy for me.
Ah and also do not forget in portal in the story description use the tags…sometimes people do look for stories not knowing exact name like thay want to read vampire story so thay write in app vampire .if oyur story doesnt have vampire in name and you have no tags it will not show your story in his search.but if you ad tag “vampire” it might apeare in his search.
I’ve made my friend do the cover as she’s talented af and you’ve been very helpful also what kind of tags does it attract the reader most?
lol I dont hve made research so I don’t know. I can just guess… the most famouse stories are about love so words like love romance bad boy atc can’t be wrong…
but if your story is not at all about it the reader will probalby not read it anyway. like lot readers love mafia storieas…but if your story doesn’t have mafia at all in it I am not sure such tag will help you…but who knows honestly.
Try to think in his way - what is my story about and the type or reader who likes this kind of story might like also… and here you have your tags.
Foe example my story is about fallen angels - I a have “angel” as tag but this is no very common theme on episode and I think not many readers look for story about angels… but I think people liking vampire stories might like mine too even there are no vampires …so one of my tags is “vampire”
So you can use similar way of thinking to choice your tags…
so I personally would keep it at last bit related to your theme.
Well I doubt I’ll get good reads like you but thank you for your help xx