1 ) Have you heard of this website? & 2 ) Do you have an account/post stories on there? Feeling curious because I am a member on this website and I have posted just a little bit of stuff. The stories on this website are pretty great and it seems this place is quite popular in the creative writing world.
I have an account but I've never used it. I am aiming to get published in the future and as a result, I am very wary of what I post online.
Well as long as you don't post something online that you later want to be published that probably isn't much of an issue, I do see your point though.
I just found out about the Wattpad site. I understand it is a sort of (potentially monetized) self-publishing site. I don't really know how it works. I would say that the fact that it can be monetized leads people to take this route for self-publishing their stories. It seems these days having a following--devoted readers--can substantially help getting published. If you aspire at becoming a published writer, how effective is Wattpad in building a following? Are there other sites that get more eyes?
Not at all. The people on Wattpad want things for free. Converting them to a paying audience is virtually impossible.
I know some Wattpad stories get made into movies or get publisher deals. Netflix's The Kissing Booth was first posted on Wattpad and if you google you'll find other books that are now published that were originally uploaded on Wattpad but honestly I think it's mostly luck. In my opinion, Wattpad is where teens go to find young adult/teen romance novels and a story on that site will get a lot of positive feedback and viewership because it's what the people wanted to read, but that doesn't necessarily make it a publishable story, if you get what I mean? I guess it just depends on how lucky one gets. /shrug.
I wasn't clear, sorry. I didn't mean that I expected to make money as a published author on Wattpad. Rather, I meant to ask how feasible it is to build a following of readers who will buy your books when you publish one via traditional publishing or self-publishing in another venue. I read an agent's post explaining that building a following of readers who will presumably buy your books can help getting your work published if a potential publisher thinks there will be likely sales. But I gather that Wattpad readership is mostly seeking YA romance of some sort. Am I correct? and I am adding this emoticon just because I think it is so cute!
Yeah, I hate to say it, but Wattpad has develped a reputation as a honey trap for those who think 'exposure' is a marketing strategy. Having said that, I do think there's value in 'the first one's free' - just that I want to use it to drive users to platforms I control, like a mailing list or website.
there is - but you need to position that offer to catch people who would otherwise pay... filling your list with freebie seekers isnt ideal
The pencil sketch on a napkin that passes for my marketing plan at the moment considers contest submissions as 'the first ones free' situations. And any social media I might end up doing. Flash fiction on Twitter or FB, for example. Blogging. I think on spec work like that might be the only way for a beginner to engage potential customers, even if they're only a fraction of the followers/contact list when the first chargeable book eventually launches. And even then, the first book may be a loss leader into a profitable readthrough series.
first one free is a tied and tested aproach - actually first one perma free, second one free on list sign up, use the back matter of the first to promote the second... is also common. but the key is where you promote the free book(s) - if you advertise them you get a lower take up than you do from say a book promo or newsletter swap but you are more likely to get actual buyers on your list rather than freebie hunters... since the fee for your ems will depend on list volume, you want to avoid filling your list with people who won't buy
I come from a tech background, and manage my own lists, I have my own server. There's no cost associated with list size, aside from my time managing it, pruning junk mailers. But I agree that the list's purpose is to store real leads, and by definition people who want something for free (and only that) are not potential customers. (I'm saying this having edited newspapers, which is a model where the authors aggressively accumulate nonpaying readers, who are not customers, because they can justify soliciting advertisers, who are in turn the paying customers in the model... but yeah)
What I know about Wattpad: 1) A top story might be utter crap. I have no idea how this works but it seems like quality writing has nothing to do with the majority's voting. 2) You don't have to even worry about vocab or spag. No one seems to give a crap. 3) A lot of smut. A LOT of it. 4) A lot of fan based stuff. 5) Most of fan based stuff contain smut. 6) A lot of stories left in the middle 'cause the writer got bored with it and went MIA. 7) Wattpad's support or guidelines are utter bullshit. Their voting system is questionable by many. 8) Might get your whole profile deleted without even a notice first, so if you intend on starting writing there, be sure to keep a backup! Overall, I don't think it's a good platform to promote one's writing. I have a profile there, used it for a while, got the idea of what exists there and very soon got bored of it. Never used it to post anything though. What it has, which I find useful is translations of novels that are not programmed to be translated officially. At least not yet. Some claim that they are licensed but who really knows? Some older translations which thank god, I managed to read have been taken down. Perhaps people do tend to lie. I don't know. The thing is that I've been searching for other options to promote my writings on the go (wattpad, patreon, buy me a coffee, etc) and figured out that it certainly isn't for me. You've got to become at least a yt personality and be very active upon promoting your art by getting further away from actually doing it. If you think you'd like something like that, then go for it, but it's gonna be a lot of work outside from writing. The positives are that you might get instant gratification, which might motivate you into being consistent with writing your story and yes, if you are nice enough you'll get to make a couple of followers or even friends. Why not? I see wattpad mostly as a means to communicate instantly whatever you are so passionate about and connect with people that have the same fetishes in a sense. Not bad, I don't judge upon this content, but not really relevant with promoting one's writing cariere if what you wish to write is more serious literature. I mean, there might be some awesome writers on wattpad, but that's not where I would look up for them. But this is only my opinion. Others may differ. Respect! Oh! And one thing to keep in mind: Nothing is really for free. If you're not paying for it perhaps it means you are the product.
so...Wattpad is basically a quasi-fanfiction site? is Quotev kind of the same? about ff, I did read some damn good ff (in general, outside of Wattpad) but for the most part, I think ff is about putting your favorite characters in situations that you enjoy and that tickle your fantasy, more than writing to express a voice based on quality writing (many ff are not polished). I think often ff are very emotional, and I found some that I got sucked in in ways great authors may have failed, that is where I think most of the ff worth lays. But I write because I enjoy expression and use of the (English) language. Whether I manage to achieve those is another story, of course. The point being, if Wattpad is mostly ff, then it sounds like it is not the best place to find readers, because I do something rather different, especially I don't write ff.
Wattpad is great! Depending on what you expect to get out it. Sure, there are a LOT of books on wattpad that aren't that great, but it does have some real hidden gems and some brilliant storytellers. You just have to know where to find them! Would I say it's a good option for people who want to go down the 'traditional' writing route? No, in fact it may make things harder in the long run. Some publishers are more inclined to say no if you have work on wattpad, why? Beaucase it's technically already published. (I'd recommend using a pen name and saving anything you might want to publish later down the line) If you just love to write stories then great. Upload to wattpad. People love a freebie and it's easier to get more readers than trying to sell a book would be. On the other side of that point. Convincing people to spend money on something they previously had for free is not easy and unless your Anna Todd it's not likely to happen. Having said all of that, Wattpad has changed in recent years. Its now it's own publisher, (bought by Macmillan) and even has a movie production team. There is also the introduction of premium stories, where more and more writers are charging people to read their stuff. - yes it does have lots of fanfiction but its categorised just like anything else. Personally I don't write fanfict on wattpad. But some of wattpads recent success stories have come from fanfict and have been exponentially successful. Whether people think they are well written or not is down to them. I see a lot of people worry that their work will be copied on wattpad, but if someone is that keen to steal someone elses work, then they can copy it from a book just as easy. If people are that concerned about it then I wouldn't recommend they publish anywhere at all. I used to design clothes and recently found some of my university work being sold on a clothing website I had nothing to do with! (One of my fellow students is now the CEO) Go figure! Personally I write on wattpad because I love to write and it's a quick and easy way to get your work out to the masses! Hope this gives you some more insight to the world of wattpad - Josie
My engagement of Wattpad is from the fanfiction side of the house (I write both original and fic), and frankly, the search function at Wattpad feels like it depends in part on arcane witchcraft. Now, many people say the same thing about AO3, which is perfectly intuitive to me as regards its search function paradigm. I've posted stories to both sites and have enjoyed a great deal of reader engagement at AO3, but at Wattpad, I felt like my story was posted down an abandoned well. Never mind no one reading it. I couldn't even find it in a search after having signed out - my own story.
