The 10 Reasons Indie Authors Should Write on Wattpad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I843-TEqHKUIf you’re an indie author you know all too well the work that’s required to create, edit, market and sell your work. Chances are you have a good system for how to promote yourself, but if you’re like most, you’re always looking for opportunities to reach a wider audience.
That’s where Wattpad comes in. We have a global audience and are a dream for serious indie authors who are looking for exposure, feedback and validation. Not only that, but Wattpad can also help provide you with a platform in which to promote your books.
Why you should write on Wattpad:
1. You can reach a global audience of millions of readersThere’s nothing worse than writing a great book and then struggling to find readers. Other social networks aren’t wired for long-form reading like Wattpad. Our community of over 40 million people are hungry for great stories and spend 13 billion minutes per month on Wattpad. On Wattpad, readers make up 90% of our community. This means that for every one writer there are ten readers. This is great news for you!
2. Your work in progress is warmly welcomedOn Wattpad you don’t have to have a finished manuscript to post and share your work. And in fact, it’s better if you don’t. Serialization is what works best on Wattpad. Think of your work like a television show, with a new episode airing every week. The audience loves to be there beside you as your story unfolds. Releasing your work one chapter at a time provides you with continual enthusiastic feedback as you work on finishing your book alongside a growing audience who is there with you for the ride.
3. You can write or edit your work on the go, whenever inspiration strikes Wattpad is designed for mobile with 90% of the community logging in from their mobile phones; both readers and writers. One of the most advantageous benefits of using Wattpad is that you can read, write, or edit your work from wherever you are - even offline. You don’t have to be tethered to your computer. You can be sitting in a doctor’s office, on a train, or standing in a line while you read, edit and refine your work, or write a new chapter.
4. You retain rights to your work always and foreverOn Wattpad, you retain all rights to your work and are protected by copyright law in areas such as distribution, performance and creation of your work. When you post your story on Wattpad, we automatically insert into the file the date of publish on that story for you. We take copyright very seriously and always want our authors to feel protected. Our goal is to support writers and enable author success.
5. You can use Wattpad for free, foreverYou will never be charged a fee to use Wattpad. Our commitment now and forever is that Wattpad will always be free to use. This is one of many reasons why we are able to attract such a large user base. Access to free content is what makes the community so desireable, but authors have also found that this access has helped promote book sales too! Win-win for authors and audiences.
6. You can make money and build your careerWriters who invest in the Wattpad community and build a decent following are invited to apply to our Wattpad Stars program. This program provides opportunities to writers to write fun branded content and get paid to do it. Our Wattpad Stars receive many paid opportunities and continue to build their audiences while attracting the interest of publishers, brands, the media, or agents who regularly peruse our site. Additionally, we provide Wattpad Stars with exciting non-paid perks like speaking opportunities at conferences and media interviews. Sharing your latest crowdfunding campaign or linking to sites where fans can buy your book is easy on Wattpad.
7. You will receive enthusiastic feedback from readersWattpad is an extremely positive community. When you post your work on Wattpad you will find that the audience is genuinely interested, helpful, and emotive about your work. You will receive enthusiastic feedback and comments that can be insightful to the development of your work. You will find that your fellow writers are very supportive of your career and when you are just getting started Wattpad ambassadors are always available to provide you with help when you need it.
8. You will be inspired by the great work of othersOn Wattpad 24 hours worth of reading material is posted every minute of the day. So there is never a shortage of great stories to read. By regularly perusing the hot and featured lists, you will see what is gaining traction on Wattpad and what most people enjoy. The Wattys (Wattpad’s annual digital writing contest) is also a great place to browse for crowd favourites if you’re looking for new stories to read or research. Trending stories on Wattpad can provide tons of inspiration for you as you build your audience and credibility.
9. You can get discovered by agents and publishers You don’t have to be a Wattpad Star to get noticed by publishers and agents. In fact Harlequin hosts their super popular So You Think You Can Write annual romance contest on Wattpad and provides valuable feedback to romance authors and a 2-book publishing deal to the grand prize winner. There are many contests hosted on Wattpad that provide high visibility opportunities for talented writers to become noticed and discover new readers who appreciate your work.
10. You can access audience analytics We know that our writers are numbers-obsessed, so we launched audience analytics to help authors see their stats in an interesting way. You can identify which country your readers are from what time of day you get the most comments, which chapters get the most votes, comments and more! Having this level of insight into who your readers are will help you better understand them and have a meaningful relationship that makes you a better author all around.
If you are interested in joining Wattpad, growing your audience, or becoming a Wattpad Star, head over to our writers site to learn more.