Sis, I started your story the other day and I can confirm that it is for sure good enough. Please do not quit. You deserve all the visibility you are getting.
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if you’re a black author and your seeing this, and looking for reads or something, I really wanna read your stories so if you have an instagram use the hashtag: #blackepisodeauthor or #blackepisodeauthors
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I haven’t read any of the stories on this shelf 
but I just started reading one big happy and it is so great! This is my first impression from the first episode. A few of you know that I love seeing smaller authors get recognized for their talent and hard work. So, I’m pleased with this shelf.
I also love when the BHM shelf comes out because it’s always so hard to find stories that were written by black authors with black characters. One Big Happy has exceeded that. 
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Kinda off-topic, but this is my thread and I have to get this out of my chest
I think this is exactly what’s happening right now. If you look at the numbers, none of these authors are known, even if they had other stories on a shelf before.
I actually know quite a few authors who have millions of reads, and yet they keep getting featured with new stories. I even noticed that there is a popular author who gets featured with literally every story she writes. Currently she has 9 stories on her profile, and I swear all of them were featured. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I’m not blaming her. If Episode wanted to promote me, I wouldn’t say “No, thanks” either. I’m just sharing this example because I usually don’t see people having any problem with this. Which is good actually, because I really don’t understand what’s wrong with featuring an author twice, especially with different stories.
As you said there will be another shelf, and if you really know amazing stories that would fit, I hope some of them will be up there. But… honestly it bothers me a little that the community is never happy with anything. So many hidden gems were featured lately, but it kinda seems like we expect Episode to find all of them.
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We don’t, but they did ask us for our input when putting together the shelf. I’m not expecting episode to look for anything. But if you ask, and people are giving you recommendations then take it into consideration.
I’m not saying that anyone should decline being put on a shelf, because it’s exciting and obviously they deserve it. But on any of the shelves they put out, I wanna see some hidden gems, that are harder to find, that people suggest. That doesn’t just go for black history month. Small authors are working hard to get their stories out there and it would be awesome if they had a fair shot rather than people who already have millions of reads.
I guess it’s just me, but I just really want small author visibility, regardless of the shelf.
But I guess that’s what I follow story recommendation pages for so I shouldn’t expect that from episode.
Also, it’s not fair to look at only this specific story reads and say none of the authors are known. They may not be known for the specific story, but look at overall story views on the profile. (Which only goes for the people who have already been featured). Everyone else on the shelf, like I said, I am glad they are getting visibility.
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OK, I shouldn’t have get that out of my chest…
@star.mgx, @EmpressVanessa, if you would like to continue this discussion, please create a separate thread. This one is for discussing stories that are on the shelf
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Hiding this because it's kind of off topic
I’m sorry if this is off-topic, but I just wanted to say I agree with you, Annie. It’s so easy to act as if Episode isn’t doing enough, but they’ve actually been really good about finding hidden gems/smaller authors and featuring them on these shelves. It’s silly to expect them to be able to feature every single small author who gets recommended.
Also I just looked at the shelf and the highest number of total reads as of right now is 130.1k (meaning the author has a total of that right now). That’s way more than I have (and a lot of others) but that’s still not exactly what I would call “big author reads” not to mention the fact nearly all the authors here have more than one story.
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So… Has anyone else read one of the stories and has something else to say about the story besides I liked it or the author deserves it? 
Because people like me like to have an idea based in the favourite scenes or something that stood out. 
These threads are to support those who are featured no matter how many reads they have.
And bashing out Episode even if somewhat justified doesn’t belong here.
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Ross summed it up perfectly! I was not featured on the first shelf and I felt no ways about it. People DMed me saying that my story should have been up there but I was just happy for BLACK authors getting some visibility. I was happy to find those stories that I may have missed.
The community is small, what happens once most of the community has been featured on the BHM shelf? Do we now limit the shelf because ppl are asking that authors be featured only once? No other authors on other awareness or heritage month shelves requested this. I’ve seen the same author be featured consecutive years on some of those shelves.
Personally for me as someone who strongly believes in unity within the community it was very sad to see.
I hope those who feel slighted are on the next two week shelves. I published Fair Trade in December and was surprised to see it up there but I’m happy that it is there.
Congratulations to everyone featured. I’ll be reading your stories.
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Thanks very much. I appreciate it. 
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Well, One Big Happy has really great comedy, and the content is wholesome even though some of the characters are messy, lmao. Messy in a good way not in a problematic way. I can’t say too much, I read only two episodes. But, if you like comedy and wholesome comedy about family, then you will like the story.
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Hope I’m hiding this correctly, it’s off topic.
This isn’t your story? Being the third wheel? I love it, the plot, the characters and the directing. It’s such an amazing story and I was glad I found it through the Black History Month shelf last year.
I could be wrong about the author though. Either way, I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for stories by black authors.
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Thank you! That is my baby. I was referring to the first shelf, the 2018 shelf. Situationships was recommended but didn’t make it.
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Also off topic.
Situationships is also an amazing one. Regardless of whatever problems we have with each other, you know as a small black author last year, I inboxed you raving about how I loved all your stories. I’ve read them all, I’m still a fan of your work regardless of whatever.
So it’s sad to see that you or any other author would feel as if it’s sad or bringing down the community, or any type of way when I want an opportunity for small black authors. I’m grateful I found your story on the BHM shelf, and in turn read all of your other ones. That’s the chance I want for other black authors and that’s the point I want to get across. There was never any hate and I’m sorry if you or anyone else felt that way.
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I’ve read Clue: The Devil is in the Details and One Big Happy, and I really enjoyed them. I’m still reading Clue, but it’s a unique story with a well developed black male MC, which is something we rarely see on here. Of course, I love One Big Happy because LG always comes through.
Also...
Additionally, a reminder that out of the 9 authors, only 2 were featured before. When we used to ask Episode to include small authors way back in the day, the purpose was to make sure there wasn’t a disproportionate amount of the same big authors over and over again. The intent was never to fully claim the shelves as something that only small authors who have never been featured before can be on. There is room for everybody on these shelves and nobody is entitled to be on any of these shelves over the other. The two authors didn’t take anybody’s “spot”. I am glad Episode has been listening and giving more room for never before seen authors, but that doesn’t mean we need to push everybody else off the shelves. TWO authors. TWO out of nine were featured before. TWO, and neither one is anywhere near having millions of reads. It is indeed bringing others down to declare they don’t belong on the shelf because you want to be on it instead. Especially with the BHM shelf. We do not need to live in the mindset of lack and fight over scraps. We should be celebrating every talented black author with a quality story and meaningful representation who has gained a bit of visibility, not limiting ourselves to one feature per our entire Episode careers. There is more room than that and Episode has been listening to feedback and making necessary adjustments, so there always will be room as long as we can stay together in a unified voice instead of turning on each other.
For the love of all things Episode I hope y’all are featured next so we can all move on and celebrate everybody on the shelf.
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After all these recommendations, I started with reading One Big Happy and I wasn’t disappointed. The characterisation is great, and here I have to mention that the mothers instantly became my favourite characters, which like, never has happened to me before. But then I quickly started to like the MC and pretty much all the siblings, so at this point I don’t know anymore who my favourite character is. And when the grandma entered, oh my God! She is so funny. And so extra, lol.
To sum up, I enjoyed this a lot. The plot is so clever and I love how everyone gets dramatic over everything 
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I did 
(Sorry if I didn’t say much, I’m always scared of spoiling some story 
)
OMA: I think that the first time I read Oma was because Rosemary asked me to right after she published it. Right after I started I was so happy to see that it takes place in Africa! There aren’t many stories out there that take place there so it was honestly an amazing surprise. The story had a common premise: an orphan girl, treated badly by her host family but with a little twist that makes the story more interesting 
I loved how even if it’s romance story Oma always relies on herself, she’s strong but still looking for love and this is something that I appreciate a lot. I still have to keep up with the latest episodes but so far it’s definitely a story I would recommend
Lost summer love: this is the peak of romanticism, one of those stories that you need to read every now and then because they just melt your heart. If you’ve seen any other post about other shelves you would know that I don’t really like romance, yet this story is my guilty pleasure 
As OMA, lost summer love has a quite common premise: a shy girl bullied at school that get pushed by her more extrovert friend to live her life and again, as Oma, the story develops in something more original and unseen. The reason why I said that I was happy to see Tami there is not only because she’s my friend, but also because (I think) I read every story of hers so I know that she’s a good writer, she just hasn’t been recognized before. So this was an amazing surprise!
I tried to keep it spoilers-free but I hope that they triggered someone’s curiosity anyway
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I agree with you on OMA and as for Lost Summer Love will have to check it soon 
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You did and it was appreciated. (This May get flagged as I don’t know how to filter or hide from my phone)
I don’t consider disagreements problems or issues. As long as all parties are respectful I walk away having said my peace, and having heard theirs. We won’t always agree and that’s fine. I only block ppl who are very problematic. We disagreed respectfully, so I didn’t think that problems or issues exist between us. I didn’t feel like I had to block you or feel harbor any type of ill feelings.
“I’m rooting for everybody black.”
And yes, we all want that chance for other black authors. We are all in the same or similar boat. Especially when you have a non customizable black MC. Let’s be real many ppl aren’t reading those stories and when some do, we deal with ignorant commentary and demands for customization. I just think that it’s dangerous to introduce a precedent for only featuring a black author on the BHM shelf once. I also feel that infighting on these post is not a good look. It makes it seem like we are fighting each other for scraps.
As others have mentioned, we shouldn’t only be recognized once per year. Each shelf that there have been seems to only have one, maybe two black authors or POC on the shelf. There is something to be said about the commitment to diversity being ignored for three years now.
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