It surprises me how often I’ll chat online
with author buddies to discover they don’t know about Wattpad. Wattpad is a
fantastically useful platform for indies like us. Here’s the short and skinny
on the site.
with author buddies to discover they don’t know about Wattpad. Wattpad is a
fantastically useful platform for indies like us. Here’s the short and skinny
on the site.
Wattpad
is a place to discover and share stories: a social platform that connects
people through words. It is a community that spans borders, interests,
languages. With Wattpad, anyone can read or write on any device: phone, tablet,
or computer.
is a place to discover and share stories: a social platform that connects
people through words. It is a community that spans borders, interests,
languages. With Wattpad, anyone can read or write on any device: phone, tablet,
or computer.
As it says, you can read it on any device –
even some of the really slow phones can handle Wattpad. This is because it
keeps the HTML of the site as simple as possible. There’s no fancy chapter
headings or pretty POV changes like you see in the Amazon copies of my books.
even some of the really slow phones can handle Wattpad. This is because it
keeps the HTML of the site as simple as possible. There’s no fancy chapter
headings or pretty POV changes like you see in the Amazon copies of my books.
Why Wattpad?
It’s free. It’s easy. It’s rapidly growing.
Any work you put on Wattpad is read for
free – keep this in mind because if your works are in KDP Select you won’t be
able to put more than 10% on (same amount as a person can read in the preview
on Amazon). Many writers actually keep their work in progress on Wattpad,
interacting with interested readers as they develop their stories. If you’re a
person who requires constant feedback then this might be something you want to
consider.
free – keep this in mind because if your works are in KDP Select you won’t be
able to put more than 10% on (same amount as a person can read in the preview
on Amazon). Many writers actually keep their work in progress on Wattpad,
interacting with interested readers as they develop their stories. If you’re a
person who requires constant feedback then this might be something you want to
consider.
Your work is protected, so no one can steal
it. That said, do be aware that anything on the net can be and is pirated – all
my books are pirated on certain sites. It’s just something you have to shrug
off.
it. That said, do be aware that anything on the net can be and is pirated – all
my books are pirated on certain sites. It’s just something you have to shrug
off.
Like with any social network it’s all about
garnering followers so you can get ‘found’. I found a fairly simple way to do
this was to contact Wattpad to see if they would put The Arrival up as a
‘featured’ read. Anyone can have their work displayed as a ‘featured’ read,
your story needs to be complete and a good cover will help too. Then you just
email Wattpad and ask.
garnering followers so you can get ‘found’. I found a fairly simple way to do
this was to contact Wattpad to see if they would put The Arrival up as a
‘featured’ read. Anyone can have their work displayed as a ‘featured’ read,
your story needs to be complete and a good cover will help too. Then you just
email Wattpad and ask.
The higher the number of ‘reads’ on a book,
the higher it will show in the rankings though Wattpad staff do work hard to
mix it up. You can choose to look for books with the lowest reads if you want
to find someone undiscovered. Wattpad is heavily used by tweens to young
professionals so YA stories do tend to do best on this platform.
the higher it will show in the rankings though Wattpad staff do work hard to
mix it up. You can choose to look for books with the lowest reads if you want
to find someone undiscovered. Wattpad is heavily used by tweens to young
professionals so YA stories do tend to do best on this platform.
If you want to have a look I’ve included my
Wattpad profile here (it’s also one of the favicon in the top right – the W).
See if you can be the next Wattpad sensation!
Wattpad profile here (it’s also one of the favicon in the top right – the W).
See if you can be the next Wattpad sensation!
