Tips to Conquering Wattpad
Technology is the budding writer’s best friend. It allows us to share our stories at a speed never before possible. And with the surge of technology came Wattpad, a wonderful website through which people could upload their stories and read others. I have had a Wattpad account for years, so I’d like to think that I know a thing or two about the service and how to best use it to your advantage.
This will NOT be a guide to getting more reads. Rather, it will be a collection of tips meant to help you feel more comfortable with your Wattpad account and publishing your writing!
1. Understand that certain stories will always rank higher than you based on certain factors. Unless you're writing a romance, LGBTQ+, or fanfiction story, it's likely not going to be as popular as it would be offline. This is because the latter two categories are very tough to find in the "real world," and humans cannot seem to get enough romance. As a result, many science fiction and fantasy books on Wattpad tend to get pushed to the sides.
2. Don't write for the fame. If you're writing a book, it should come from the heart. Don't write what you think people will want to read unless you're truly passionate about the topic.
3. Accept that it will take a while for anyone to notice you. It took weeks - upwards of a month, if I'm remembering correctly, for me to gain my first follower. Now, of course this varies based on how much you put yourself out there, what messages your profile conveys, and even the works that you produce as soon as you're on Wattpad. Even if you begin gaining followers, however, this is not a promise that the popularity of your books will skyrocket. It's going to take a long time for people to notice your stories - but have hope!
4. Always back up your work. Please. I have had so much writing deleted that at this point, I'm rather dulled to the situation. I don't want you to ever have to experience the heart-dropping sensation while opening up your latest draft only to find that Wattpad accidentally deleted a thousand words. I would recommend always backing up your work with Google Docs - malfunctions through that service are incredibly rare.
5. Don't let technological errors set you back. Building off of my last tip, your work is going to be deleted at some point. Something is going to happen that leaves you shaky and perhaps sobbing for the next half hour (or hour if you're me). You can take as many preemptive steps as you want, but no matter what, you need to be prepared for this harsh reality. Have a survival plan and coping mechanisms at the ready!
6. Read my other Wattpad-aimed guides found around this blog. Is that a shameless self-promotion? Yes! Do I believe the articles that I've written are genuinely helpful? Absolutely! While reading my writing help articles is not needed to succeed at Wattpad, the articles that I've written specifically for Wattpad users might be worth checking out.
