I published my first story not long ago it gained a shelf but still there are some days I can’t help but feel overwhelmed, anxiety hits me and several what ifs runs into my mind, what if I get trolled, what if my story gets taken down.I never received any negative feedback but still some days I’m an emotional wreck I can’t bring myself to code.
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I was feeling this way after being featured. Here are some things that helped me…
- Ignore anyone saying congratulations! It will feel overwhelming to open 100s of comments, messages, mentions, and more.
- Don’t check fanmail if you have it on. Some people will have opinions, doesn’t mean you have to look at them.
- Don’t check reads, engagement, or other metrics. I was extremely disheartened to know that my completion rate for my first chapter went from 98% to 20% in a matter of hours. Just know, that people are trying out your story, and maybe your style isn’t what they want. Doesn’t mean you won’t grow and find new dedicated readers.
- Make a thank you post (if you want/can). I felt guilty not being able to answer everyone, so making a thank you post felt like I had truly answered everyone, even if I didn’t answer everyone right away.
- Take some time away from Episode. Enjoy your time outside of Episode. Be happy that you reached an incredible milestone, but it can be overwhelming to completely focus on it, so try and do something else. I found watching Netflix and catching up on tv shows really helped me out.
- Work on Episode. At some point during this process, I started feeling antsy about not writing. I have a separate program where I write out my outlines for chapters and plan out new stories. This way, I didn’t open the portal to see reminders about my current situation, but I still didn’t feel antsy because I did something.
- Celebrate! If you talk about Episode with your close friends like I do, I found it helpful to do some celebrating. Maybe make a cake or eat out or something. Do something that makes you happy.
If you do get any negative comments, just know that you have a support system around you that will help you! I think the worst I got was that my chapters are short, but it felt soul-crushing (even though that is a part of my brand LOL). Feel free to reach out to me or any Episode friends, I’m sure we can help you out. I hope this helps a bit!
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I totally understand 
but I have to say your story is one of my favorites it’s such a good story and you did an amazing job and you should feel nothing but proud of yourself 
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Moved to Episode Fan Community. Make sure to check out our Forum Tutorial for more info about creating topics, and feel free to PM me if you’ve got questions. 
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Thank you 
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I’m honoured 
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