Not sure. I think the Halloween contest last year had the same requirement. Maybe it’s something about scary stories that they want them to be completed? I think it would be a good idea for other genres too though.
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I agree with the thread you linked me a lot.
But I can’t help but feel if you’re a small author & don’t get much reads, there has to be a reason behind it. (Examples, not even promotion, bad directing, bad cover, etc.)
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Hahaha, you could be right there 
Then again, I’ve read so much stories with so much potential & all the boxes checked, yet still getting less than 10 reads per day. @Maggy has a really good story, “Jungle Fever,” that I’ve read. I wish it had more traction then it does, but its getting somewhere.
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I’ve never seen it as a problem. If popular authors enter contests I don’t think they do it to get more followers or reads because that’s exactly what they already have.
I think it’s natural for any author to keep on pushing themselves to be better and I believe the contests are a good way of doing so as you only have limited time to write in plus you have to make it a specific genre. I think it’s a great way of always stepping up your level and I definitely don’t think anyone enters the contests to ‘steal’ from small authors.
Also, writing an Episode story is not just about getting followers and reads. It’s about telling a story that you’ve made up and want to share with the world - if you’re just in it to get reads and thereby get paid, I just don’t think you belong.
Furthermore, some authors actually make a living out of writing Episode stories so they might have to enter all contests to make sure they earn enough money.
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I agree,
If a big author wants to join an open contest, they should be allowed to. Its not their fault their story gets a lot of traction. Plus, I’ve seen big authors enter contests yet their story only gets very few reads compared to their popular ones. I also feel like if Episode didn’t allow big authors to rightfully win a contest, it’d be discrimination against them just because they have a lot of reads and it’d unfair to the big author who’s story is better than others.
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I love that story! Haven’t read all chapters yet but it’s a great story.
It definitely has potential to become something big - and I believe it’s going to as well.
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THE COVER ART THOUGH, whether she made it or not, its perfection. Perfect for her story.
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I assume popular authors enter contests for the same reason smaller authors such as myself do: they’re fun, the theme inspired them to write, or they wanted to challenge themselves by meeting a specific deadline.
It isn’t always about gaining readers, and honestly? Reads shouldn’t be the only reason anyone enters a contest. Yeah it’s good for promotion, but there’s more to writing than that.
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Contests always have themes that push authors to think outside the box and be creative, and that’s always challenging and fun especially if you feel stuck in a rut.
I don’t think they’re stealing anything from anyone, it’s good fun for them as it is for anyone else joining the contest 
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Thank you for your recognition, I really appreciate.
It is hard to get this story out there but I hope it will one day xo.
Lol what’s the challenge if episode automatically notices a story by a popular author. Like I’ve seen the contest winners in previous contests. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out what’s going on and that is that episode feels like an oligarchy sometimes.
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Not saying they’re not alllowed. 
it’s a contest everyone’s allowed so let’s stop with the victimization. I’m just curious as to why. But it makes sense now. They have privileges of getting recognition much more than a struggling episode writer because episode tends to favor them.
Sometimes it is about gaining reads because I’ve seen stories go from nothing to literally 100 thousands just because of a shelf spot. It could change everything for a small author and I’ve seen it happen yet significant amount of shelves go to authors who already have recognition
I would imagine that “popular” authors enter mostly for the same reasons as everyone else (minus the potential “recognition” I guess).
I’ve entered a few contests and the main reason that I like contests is for the challenge. I am a little competitive so the contests give me something to work towards and they also give me a deadline. I’m much more focused when working on a contest entry 
. I also like that we get “prompts”.
There have been plenty of “big” authors who have entered contests and not won. There have also been plenty of “small” authors who have won in the past. The only thing that I think could potentially sway things in favour of a larger author is the reader retention simply because the fewer reads you have, the bigger impact there’ll be (to your retention percentage) if just one or two people stop reading.
Technically, wouldn’t Episode want the newer authors to win? If a big author wins they’ll be put on the shelf, gain more reads and Episode will have to pay them more
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Ditto what @EliseC said,
I have seen big named authors enter and not win.
I’ve also seen contest where rising star authors have won, or recently unrecognized authors won.
As an author, I entered because within an hour of the contest being announced, I had a plot in mind and I was driven to write the story. I also entered because I wanted to push myself both in directing and in branching.
I wasn’t planning on entering the new contest, but there was a story that I was wanting to tell in the future, and a friend convinced me to write it now. Whether it will be a contest entry, it will depend on if we can meet deadline as I am writing it with my daughter.
As far as reader retention goes, I don’t think it benefits larger authors. Sure, they may get more reads, but if people do not find their story intriguing, they will stop reading which reduces retention.
Likewise, smaller authors may have fewer reads, but if their story is unique, engaging, and captivating, their retention would be high giving them a better chance.
I do have my own problems with the retention, but I won’t go into that here.
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The challenge isn’t to win or to get noticed by episode. It’s the contest theme and the contest deadline, like I said.
But also, the way contests work really doesn’t have anything with Episode themselves noticing stories, it’s the readers. At the end of the day, it’s determined by what everyone’s reading and what they’ve enjoyed.
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I think they enter for the same reason most do - beacuse it’s fun!
I don’t think it should be looked at as stealing someone elses opportunity. Everybody has a right to join, which is part of what makes it so much fun, in my opinion!
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