Achievements (badges) reward you for being an active, valuable member. Earn them, collect them, and show them off on your public profile.
Points and levels
- Every action that helps the community earns you experience points (XP).
- XP accumulates and moves you up levels.
- Your points appear next to your name in the navigation bar.
Earning XP: First reader bonus
Most new stories never hear a word back. Be the first to leave a thoughtful comment on one and you earn 20 to 40 XP straight away.
- Pick a story from Waiting for a first reader — on the homepage, the Feed, or the full list at First readers.
- Read it. The comment box shows a short timer; the bonus unlocks once you've spent a little time with the story.
- Leave a comment of at least 12 words, written for this story (not copied from another comment of yours).
A story's bonus starts at 20 XP on the day it's published and grows by 5 XP each day nobody comments, up to 40 XP. Stories stay on the shelf for two weeks. Only the first qualifying comment earns the bonus. Replies and your own stories don't count, and you can earn up to three bonuses a day. If a rewarded comment is later marked as spam, deleted, or edited down below 12 words, its bonus is taken back and the story goes back on the shelf.
Spending XP: Reader Bounty
XP isn't only earned — you can also stake it. Setting a Reader Bounty on a post or book chapter escrows XP from your own balance as a reward for the first N readers who open it. Each qualifying reader's first read pays out automatically; if the bounty expires with slots unclaimed, whatever's left is refunded straight back to you. See Writing Posts and Books & Book Studio for how to set one.
Earning achievements
Achievements unlock as you hit milestones. Here are the main ones:
Writing & reading
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| First Post | Publish your first post |
| The Wordsmith | Keep writing — grows with your post count |
| Prolific | Publish a large number of posts |
| Widely Read | A post reaches 1,000 views |
| Viral Sensation | A post reaches 10,000 views |
| Legend | A post reaches 100,000 views |
Engagement
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| First Comment | Post your first comment |
| Conversationalist | Reach 100 comments |
| Community Voice | Reach 500 comments |
| First Upvote | Give your first upvote |
| Generous | Give 100 upvotes |
| Patron Saint (secret) | Give 500 upvotes |
Bounty Hunter
Four trails for readers who go looking for new writing, each with a bronze, silver and gold honour, plus one for finishing the first step of all four.
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| Bounty Seeker · Bounty Tracker · Bounty Hunter | Claim 1, 10 and 50 Reader Bounties from writers |
| First Reader · Lamplighter · Keeper of New Voices | Be the first reader on 1, 10 and 50 stories |
| Thank-You Note · Warm Reply · Voice of Thanks | After a writer's bounty pays you, thank them with a thoughtful comment (12+ words) — on 1, 10 and 50 stories or chapters |
| Early Cheer · Cheerleader · Champion of New Work | Like 5, 25 and 100 stories in their first two weeks |
| Master Bounty Hunter | Earn the first honour on all four trails |
Recognition from others
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| Helpful | A post of yours gets 10 upvotes |
| Inspiring | A post of yours gets 50 upvotes |
| Epic | A post of yours gets 100 upvotes |
Community & sales
| Achievement | How to earn |
|---|---|
| Community Builder | Follow 10 users |
| Networking Pro | Follow 50 users |
| Super Connector | Gain 100 followers |
| First Sale | Make your first sale |
| Century Club | Reach 100 sales |
| Elite Seller | Reach 1,000 sales |
Achievement tiers & XP
Each achievement belongs to a tier:
- Bronze — the first milestone (smaller XP reward)
- Silver — the middle milestone
- Gold — the top milestone (largest XP reward)
Unlocking an achievement awards its XP automatically — you'll see a toast and a notification when it happens.
Badges, spam and reversals
A badge can be taken back if the work that earned it is later marked as spam by a moderator. When that happens, the badge's XP is removed from your total as well.
If the moderator later clears the spam flag, the badge and its XP are restored. This only applies to a moderator's flag — if the automatic spam check catches one of your posts, none of your badges or points are affected.
Where to see your achievements
- My Achievements (account menu) — every badge, with your progress toward the ones you haven't earned yet.
- Your public profile — visitors can see the badges you've earned.
Progress
Some achievements show a progress bar (1) (e.g. "78% of the way to The Wordsmith"). Keep doing the activity — the bar fills up, and the badge unlocks at 100%.
Secret achievements (2) (like Patron Saint) are hidden until you earn them — the surprise is part of the fun!