Wattpad is a reading platform that describes itself as “the world’s largest storytelling community.” On this platform, users can write digital novels of all kinds and lengths, or simply enjoy being readers of these stories. Through this platform, many authors have achieved their dreams: becoming published authors, and even having a movie or series adapted from their story.
Some examples include successful movie franchises like “After” or “My Fault“, and series like “Summer I Fell in love“, available on Prime Video.
Do you remember the fanfics that were popular on internet forums in the early 2000s? These stories blended fiction and reality, featuring famous characters as protagonists. In these tales, you might find the singer of your favorite band shopping at a local supermarket in a small town and falling in love with a simple girl reading a book in the frozen food section. A typical scenario, right?
This social network for writers and readers gained popularity due to these types of stories. Therefore, most of its users are millennials or belong to Generation Z, as these generations grew up with fanfics on platforms like mySpace.
Wattpad was created in 2006 and in 2009 announced the addition of over 17,000 e-books from the Project Gutenberg. This project, initiated by writer Michael Hart in 1971, aimed to convert public domain books into electronic text files, making them accessible to anyone with a computer. By that year, the app had been downloaded over 5 million times.
In December 2011, Wattpad opened an office in Toronto, Canada, which remains operational today. That same year, the platform received $3.85 million USD from its current investors, along with W Media Ventures, Golden Venture Partners, and Union Square Ventures, who have also invested in major social media platforms like Tumblr and Twitter.
According to their website, Wattpad has over 89 million users (as of June 2024) from 190 countries. The platform’s stories are available in more than 50 languages. In recent years, it has gained followers due to the booktoker phenomenon on TikTok, where “booktokers” are influencers who recommend books.
To use Wattpad, you must create an account on the platform. You can sign up with Google, Facebook, or an email address. You will need to choose a username and select your top 3 favorite genres so the platform can recommend readings based on your interests: fantasy, science fiction, poetry, horror, teen novel, new adult…
Additionally, you can build a community around your profile (an important factor if your goal is to become a writer on the platform). You can follow writers whose stories interest you, ensuring you don’t miss any of their creations. You can also follow friends to see their readings or find people with similar interests to share theories and conversations about your favorite Wattpad novels.
One of its most useful features is the reading list. In this list, you can add all your active readings to keep them organized in one place.
Alternatively, you have the option to write your own story. By selecting the “Write” option, you can set up the main characteristics of your story: title, description, characters, category, language, copyright, story status (complete or incomplete), etc. These features can be added or changed at any time.
With the new “Story Notes” feature, you can detail aspects of your protagonist with Wattpad’s guidance: their personality, purpose, evolution, and more.
Adding a cover is also an option, with the use of Wattpad Cover Creator being recommended, though other design tools such as Canva can also be used.
Wattpad suggests publishing your story one chapter at a time, similar to a TV show that releases an episode weekly. This approach can help you attract followers and grow your community on the platform, thereby increasing engagement. You can continue adding chapters to your story, either by using Wattpad’s text editor—which resembles a blog editor—or by writing on an external platform.
The platform offers a variety of programs to foster creator creativity.
Furthermore, anyone who shares their stories on the platform has a chance to win a “Watty“, which are the awards Wattpad gives out annually. This year’s winners have already been announced and they will be eligible for prizes that can help them reach a wider audience and achieve their goals.
They also organize various contests throughout the year, such as a challenge to write for 30 consecutive days, to write 8 new chapters of your story, or the Portal Project Contest, where you can adapt one of the 5 stories from the Wattpad Originals program into a webcomic. The winner of this last contest will receive $7,500 USD.
Image: Wattpad
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