# How to publish your Saga

A Saga is your own account of running apps on ElfHosted, in your own words. You write it with Sam in ElfBot and publish it on a site you own. Anyone can write one, and qualifying Sagas earn ElfPoints, whatever they say.

## What you need

- ElfBot, with your Saga written. Open the Saga page in ElfBot and answer Sam's questions: short answers are fine, and you can skip any that don't apply.
- A free [GitHub](<https://github.com/>) account. Your Saga lives in your own repository, on a free GitHub Pages site.

## Publish it

1. In ElfBot, choose **Review my Saga**. Read it through, tick **I've read my Saga and the checks above**, and download each file. Your Saga has up to three: `index.md`, plus `availability.svg` and `og.png` when it has an uptime chart and a share picture.
2. Open the [Saga template](<https://github.com/elfhosted/saga-template>), choose **Use this template**, then **Create a new repository**. Make it public.
3. In your new repository, choose **Add file**, then **Upload files**. Select all the files you downloaded and choose **Commit changes**. They replace the template's sample Saga.
4. Open the **Settings** tab, then **Pages** in the menu on the left. Under **Build and deploy**, choose **Deploy from a branch**, pick `main` and `/ (root)`, and choose **Save**.
5. Wait a minute or two, then choose **Visit site** at the top of the Pages screen.
6. Back in ElfBot, paste your site's address into **Send us your link**.

ElfBot checks your page for your Saga ID and the Saga note, then sends it to us. We look it over and, if your account qualifies, add your ElfPoints.

> [!TIP]
>
> **Downloaded a file twice?**
>
> Your browser may save the second copy as `index (1).md`. Use the newest copy and rename it back to exactly `index.md`, `availability.svg` or `og.png` before you upload it.

## What you earn

Anyone can write and publish a Saga. Rewards go to qualifying Sagas only.

- Your account qualifies once it has been paying for at least three months. We check each Saga before adding ElfPoints.
- A qualifying Saga earns 1800 ElfPoints (*18 credit\*), and each quarterly update earns 900 ElfPoints (\*9 credit*).
- Positive, mixed and critical Sagas all earn the same.

See [how ElfPoints work](</how-to/earn-elfpoints/>) for spending them.

## It stays yours

- Every Saga carries a short note saying you wrote it for ElfHosted's Saga programme, which offers hosting credit for an honest account, and that your opinions are your own. It has to stay for the reward.
- You can edit your Saga or take it down at any time: change the files in your repository, or delete the repository.
- Prefer your own blog? Use **Copy Markdown** or **Copy HTML** in ElfBot, keep the note and the Saga ID line in your post, and send us that link instead.