Discussion: Wattpad
19:00
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There are lots of places on the internet where writers can
post their work for free. One of the most popular websites is Wattpad. This
website allows you to post whole books, chapter by chapter, upload a cover,
receive comments from readers on individual chapters, or even lines, and
interact with the other users through message boards, private comments, and
forums. Whether you just want to share your book with the world without the
hassle of self-publishing, or you want a place to post your book in order to
get feedback on it, Wattpad is a good option.
Now, I’m not really a Wattpad
user myself, though I’ve definitely had a look around the website and tried some
of the books on there. But recently, I was in a Twitter chat where writers were
talking about the ways Wattpad could be used. And it got me wondering, as
writers, how do you guys use Wattpad?
Do you just use it to read other people’s books, rather than
sharing your own writing? And if so, how do you find good quality books? Do you
interact with writers on their books, or prefer to read in silence? And, if you’ve
ever read a book on Wattpad that has also been published, have you ever felt
like buying the book after reading it?
If you post, do you post for the fun of it, to get feedback,
or to raise interest in your project? Have you ever considered using it for
promotion of a published book? And if you post, at what point do you post?
First draft? After a couple of passes? When you’re sure it’s finished?
Or maybe you don’t actually use Wattpad. In which case,
would you ever consider using it for any reason? Why, or why not? Or would you
rather use a different website? And if so, what?
14 comments
I've heard a lot of good things about Wattpad - lots of writers have been picked up and published from there! It sounds kind of like a big blogging community but for books :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a fantastic idea for sharing your work online. From what I've heard, Wattpad seems to be the biggest of this kind of website. I'm actually really pleased that traditional publishers are picking people up from Wattpad. There are a few publishers with a big presence actually, like Harlequin, who I've seen have quite a few books from their writers on there, and host an annual writing contest as well. Wattpad definitely seems to be a great new avenue for writers to get their work out there, don't you think? Do you use Wattpad at all? And if not, do you think you ever would?
DeleteInteresting points Imogen. My answer is kinda long winded so I'll trim it down.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started posting my work online, it was on fanfiction dot net. Eventually there was a particular fandom I was invested in and I moved over to a separate forum. What was great about that was the community. I got to know the styles of the forum-users so well, and I actually cared about the girls behind the stories so if one of them had been like; "Hey guess what my fic's a book!" I'd be like, "I'm going to Waterstones RIGHTNOWTHISMINUTE."
That community drifted apart over time, but that was when I noticed many other communities popped up. I only joined Wattpad last year because I thought it would be rewarding to be part of a community like that again, so I'm currently posting the Sorcerer's Secretary miniseries that is also posted on my blog. I didn't think too much about using it to boost a writing career, but Wattpad always feature their published authors to across the site as a kind of Look-At-What-You-Can Achieve incentive, I guess. To be honest, I'm not really invested in Wattpad as other people seem to be, but I think it can be a useful resource.
Now I have a question for youuu. c: Will you be getting/have you got a Wattpad? If so, how are you thinking of using it to grow your writing or your presence as an author?
I've heard some really positive things about fanfiction dot net from some of my friends who have used it. And that seems to be one of the greatest things that can come out of sites like this, that sense of community.
DeleteWith your miniseries, posting it on Wattpad as well as your blog sounds like a great idea. Do you link to it on Wattpad in the latest installments? Just because it would be a great way for readers to easily catch up on chapters they might have missed.
Wattpad definitely seems to be doing more and more to support their writers and make their site an important part of publishing. More and more I've heard of writers being picked up from Wattpad, and published writers use it to share bonus content, sneak peeks, or even whole books sometimes. I've even seen some of the publishers have accounts now, and are getting into the culture somewhat, which is so cool, don't you think?
Ooh, the tables are turned! I've been reading on Wattpad a bit, but I wouldn't really call myself a user. But I have been thinking more about using it in the recent weeks. If I did, I think I would be sharing drafts of my series that I plan on self-publishing to generate some interest before I actually publish the books. I also think it would be a great way to share my books with people from the blog eventually, if there was interest. But I can't quite make up my mind whether or not to join yet!
Good questions all. Right now, I only use it to read Cait's "The Dead Boy and the Paper Cut", but eventually, if I feel I have the time, I might peek into some other stories there. *nods*
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd post any of my work on Wattpad. I already have to get up enough courage to post snippets on my blog, and I'm always a little afraid someone is going to steal my work. (I'm really paranoid.) So I don't think my personality would do well with a site like that. But I do think it can be a great jumping off point, and I've heard of several authors there who gained a decent following before getting published, so it's totally a good idea if you're brave enough. And who knows, maybe I might write a novella or a novel specifically for Wattpad. *shrugs*
'The Dead Boy and the Paper Cut' is sooo good, isn't it? I'm behind on the last couple of chapters, but I'm so happy Cait's posting it for us all too read. Wattpad is definitely good on that count.
DeleteI can definitely see the sense in that. The Wattpad environment is definitely not for everyone. But at the same time, I am interested in the idea of writing something specifically for Wattpad. I know, for me, I never feel quite ready to share a whole draft of my serious work. But maybe writing some specifically for Wattpad would be a completely different affair? Maybe something for fun and relaxation instead? That would certainly be something interesting to try.
Thanks for your thoughts Liz!
I use Wattpad and like Liz I only use it to read Cait's Dead Boy XD XD I used to post on Figment a lot and that's where I met many of my earliest writing friends, but that place is turning writing and reviews into a commodity. So I switched to blogging instead and I think that while these writing sites are great starting points, you really can't stay there forever.
ReplyDeleteI was scared off from posting my entire ms on any site at some point, though, because apparently these writing sites can then charge you royalties or whatnot if you finally get published. Better safe than sorry, I suppose!
I did not know that about writing sites. It would definitely be a prudent idea for writers to check the legal side of things when they're planning on posting a book they want to publish later. I haven't heard anything like that with Wattpad yet, but I would be interested to do some research into this side of things.
DeleteAnother issue I have heard with trying to publish books that have been posted on places like Wattpad is that some publishers don't like to consider publishing them because they count them as having been previously published, and it is so much harder for any writer to traditionally publish a previously published novel. But at the same time there are quite a few writers being picked up from Wattpad because their work is on there. It's quite the contradiction, isn't it? Personally, I think that publishing houses are going to have to evolve to keep up with the way writing and writing communities are evolving. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
I've been looking into Wattpad recently to see what it's all about and wondering if I should try posting something there. I don't think I would go and post there something I intend to get published later on but I think it would be a great place to post some experimental side project of mine I'm toying with to get some feedback and to monitor people's reaction to it. Also, I imagine I would get more exposure there as opposed to posting it just on my blog, and by linking it to my blog (if it's possible) get more people to come over there.
ReplyDeleteBut from looking at some comments left for the story of an author that I know it struck me that a lot of people are there just for the free stuff. The author in question is posting there the first book in her trilogy that was published some time ago. The second and the third books are already out and can be purchased online but the problem is that people who read the first book for free on Wattpad don't want to go and buy them. Instead, they demand to have them published there too. So, the comments section is littered mostly with their demands as to that and feedback pertaining to the story itself is virtually non-existent.
That would be a good use for Wattpad, testing out a new project you're not quite sure about. I also think that one good thing about putting your book up on Wattpad rather than on your blog is that Wattpad has quite a nice reading experience, especially on the app, where as, personally, I know I struggle reading long things on blogs. Plus you can get exposure on Wattpad, and also like to the book from your blog, so you can get the best of both.
DeleteThat does sound like a bit of a flaw in the whole promoting your books on Wattpad. Personally, does reading the first book for free make you want to go buy the rest of them ever?
I'm using Wattpad only because a lot of people were asking to read a project of mine this year, so that was the easiest way to get it out to everyone. Now, though, I'm also using it to read some of my friends' work. I'm not super into it, but it's fairly easy to use.
ReplyDeleteI have found it a very nice way to read other people's writing, especially app version. It's super convenient like that. Once you've finished posting that project of yours (your vampire novel if I remember right?), do you think you will post anything else on Wattpad at all? Or are you just planning on using it for this one book?
DeleteI know Liz said this up above, but I wouldn't use Wattpad because I wouldn't want anyone to steal my work. And I know it probably wouldn't happen, but I worry about that, even with posting simple snippets on my blog. I just don't want people to take my stuff. Because it is mine.
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess unless it's fanfiction reading long stuff online has never really appealed to me. It is something I have grown out of. :P
I completely understand that concern, and certainly it is a legitimate concern, especially when you're posting long fiction online. I know there are quite a few people on Wattpad who have complained that other writers steal their ideas and write almost identical books. It's something to consider carefully before committing to putting your work out there.
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