The Delights of Wattpad - Come Join the Fun
Okay so I meant to post this yesterday, but got hung up on other things :) hence the Writerly "Almost" Wednesday.
I am really into Wattpad these days and post over there a lot, and I wanted to share the joy (
My Profile on Wattpad).
About the Wattpad Community
Wattpad isn't like Amazon or Smashwords. It is not a site where you put your books for sale and run. Fiction on Wattpad is free, but it has some
amazing opportunities for writers, as well as a phenomenal amount of content for readers.
There are some ads, but that's how the site supports itself, so it's only fair, and they are non-intrusive (unlike some sites I could mention). If you want a completely ad-free experience and to support Wattpad more, there is the
new Premium service that is explained here.
Wattpad is also
not just a site for fanfiction (that would be the wonderful
AO3) - although some people seem to be under the mistaken impression that this is what Wattpad is for. We do have a thriving fanfiction community - I know, I post to it, but there is a huge amount of original based content too - I post to that too.
And for those worried about plagiarism (which I have seen bandied around when I've mentioned Wattpad on here before) - there is a strict code of conduct and systems in place to stop this from happening, or remove offending content if it does occur. Wattpad takes such things very seriously (
Copyright FAQ).
To experience Wattpad to its fullest takes engagement - it's a community and to appreciate it best we have to become part of the community. But for a little effort, the rewards are countless. Not least of all, making friends!
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| click image to visit my profile |
Wattpad is all about engagement. It has an Ambassadors program of users who volunteer to help Wattpad support the community. Ambassadors do things like help run certain profiles (
Directory of Ambassador run profiles), and they are also there to help users.
There is a very comprehensive explanation of what the Ambassadors do on the Wattpad support site for those who are interested:
Wattpad Ambassadors. And a great piece on them on the
Wattpad Writers' Portal (more on this later). There is also the
@Ambassadors profile which has lots of useful information too.
First things first, Wattpad is a Canadian company and we all know what a reputation Canadians have for being nice. Well Wattpad is the epitome of that - they want to do everything they can to make sure their users have the best time on their site.
That being the case, there are Ambassador teams for other languages - so the site is not just all about stories in English. Wattpad has users from all across the globe and they work hard to support everyone they can.
Wattpad is for readers and writers. It has aps as well as a website, so just about anything you can do on the website, you can also do on your phone or your tablet, and vice versa.
Writing on Wattpad
Now, I will be the first to admit, when we start with Wattpad it seems a little daunting. One little account among millions with no followers and it can be like shouting into a void when we post our stories. However, Wattpad want you to find readers, they want you to succeed, hence there is:
The Writer's Portal is there to give us advice on:
- how to become a better writer,
- how to grow our audience
- how to be inspired
- as well as tell us all about programs and opportunities for writers on Wattpad.
It is a one stop shop for all the info we need to get started and to grow.
Wattpad is also not just for fiction, there is a non-fiction and a random category. Want to share your recipes with the world? Create a recipe book. Have an inner Wordsworth trying to get out? Publish your poetry. (There are comprehensive
Content Guidelines here if you are worried what you want to post is not allowed).
Reading on Wattpad
Want to just read amazing stories? That's okay too, you don't have to be a writer to be on Wattpad, and writers will adore you even more if you vote and/or leave comments on the stories and story parts that you enjoy.
- Wattpad has recommended reading lists and features stories to help us find the best of the best.
- Ambassador run profiles have reading lists for their genres/subjects and some have anthologies full of contest winners
- The tagging system makes it easy to find what we're looking for (Searching with Tags).
- Prominent covers and easy to see descriptions help us to find stories worth a look.
With every account we have the ability to create our own reading lists so we can always find the stories we really liked again, and to keep up with updates on serialised fiction. Some accounts become a hub of reading lists to recommend stories to other users too.
There are also
the Wattpad Clubs to find like minded people, talk about particular genres, tell the world about our current story (we just have to make sure we do that in the right thread
), and everything like that.
In Summary
So basically, what I'm trying to say is Wattpad is a great place for writers and readers alike. It has a community behind the stories and profiles, that is rich and diverse.
If you're stuck, ask an Ambassador for help (look for this symbol
beside the profile name) and they will point you to where you can find the solution. Or there is
Wattpad Support who have a comprehensive help FAQ and are very good at sorting out user issues that aren't covered in the documentation.
Wattpad is a rich community with some amazing quality fiction, as well as enthusiastic new writers with some brilliant new ideas. It is a platform for newbies and experienced creators alike. It is a platform for anyone who loves stories. Come and join the fun.
Any questions?
~*~
