An Intro To Wattpad

Source: http://www.wattpad.com/writers

 Wattpad is a social media forum that exclusively connects readers and authors. In perhaps more relateable terms, it's been deemed YouTube for writing because it lets any writer show their work to the public, and lets the public actually view the writing and interact with the writer.  

I won't get too in depth in this short intro post, but with more than 30 million users, only around 90% of which are readers, not authors, Wattpad can be a powerful (and free!) tool for authors to increase their readership and promote their books. Not convinced it's worth your time? I won't twist your arm, but here are two great articles that should make it clear that if you write Young Adult or New Adult fiction, you should be using Wattpad.  
How To Use Wattpad As An Author With Ashleigh Gardner
6 things every author needs to know about Wattpad

The Basics

Like most social media sites, your Wattpad account will have a profile page with a newsfeed showing your recent activity (including public messages you have shared and public messages posted to you by other users), a handle/username (as seen above, mine is @NinjaTat), your name (as you list it), a profile picture, a cover/background picture, and a short "about" you section. In addition to these elements, your profile lists works that you have published to Wattpad, which users follow, who follows you, and reading lists that you can share.

There is also a personalized newsfeed that shows you user actions and works that may interest you, based on your activity and who you follow. This can be accessed anytime you are logged in by clicking on the "wattpad" icon at the top left of the page or by going to watpad.com.

The "Discover" menu is Wattpad's search feature used to find books and people on the site.

The Basics of How to Use Wattpad

After you've set up your account and profile, take a look around. Follow users with similar interests, read, comment, vote for, and add stories to your library and reading lists. This will help you establish a presence on Wattpad. Click on the "Community" button at the top of the page to check out Clubs where you will find chat and informational forums.

Post your own books, chapter, deleted scenes, snippets, etc. at your own discretion. As Wattpad encourages, post a little bit at a time. I choose to post some, then a bit more after my followers have requested it. As a general rule, the more you post, the more people will read, and the more popular you'll become. But only post what you're comfortable with! Many authors choose to post only rough drafts and incomplete stories to give readers a reason to buy the published book.

Whatever you decide to post, be sure to take advantage of Wattpad's "Writer Tools" and Media options. You can include a picture, video, etc. for each chapter. And don't forget to add your buy and social media links at the end of each section!

More about Wattpad coming soon. Still have questions? Ask them in the comment section below or email me at lauralynnwatkins at gmail.com I'll do my best to answer them via direct reply or future blog post. In the meantime, sign up for my email updates so you'll be in the loop.

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