For spotlight-
Promote your story on instagram through groups, your handle etc.
Promote your story through threads on forums
Indulge in reads for reads, reviews by supporting fellow authors as well.
Participate in some giveways which offer story promotion or reviews/shoutout as prize.
And to answer your second question, yes episode needs to review your story before it can show up in the trending section or any other shelf.
Hope it helps 