how to become a wattpad writer

Wattpad writing essentials

Wattpad introduces a creator program that can pay writers up to $25,000

Storytelling platform Wattpad is introducing a new creator program for writers that can earn them up to $25,000 in compensation. The company is also debuting a new metric called “Engaged Readers,” to help writers gauge readers’ interest in their stories, and Wattpad Creator Portal , a new site for writers to get tips and tricks about improving their content for the platform.

After introducing its Paid Stories project in 2019, Wattpad has paid more than $3 million to writers on the platform to date. With its new creator program, it plans to pay $2.6 million to writers just this year.

There are strict guidelines to be eligible for the payout program. Writers must have had a completed novel-length story (50,000 words or more) and they must have published at least one story chapter in the last three months.

Writes must also have at least one story in eligible genres like general fiction, romance, vampire, action, teen fiction and horror, with a minimum number of Engaged Readers for that genre. The criteria for Engaged Readers vary from 9,000 for general fiction to 100 for horror. While authors can tag genres for their stories themselves, a team of experts vets these tags for the new program so the story can be categorized as one of the eligible genres.

The company counts an Engaged Reader as someone who has spent more than five minutes on a story in the last 365 days. Wattpad also has other metrics like Total Reads, which is to measure the number of all-time non-unique reads on a story, and Unique Reads, which is the daily read or view by a unique user over 30 days.

Image Credits: Wattpad

Wattpad is not the first platform to try this kind of metric for paying creators. In 2019, Medium introduced a similar strategy by measuring read time on a post and paying writers accordingly.

The company has been testing the Engaged Readers feature with a few writers to gauge what kind of users are reading stories for a longer time. It claims that users spend more than 23 billion minutes per month on the platform reading various stories, so this new feature will give it more insights into where readers are spending more time.

“As webnovels continue to grow in popularity around the world, we are going to continue building new tools for writers to do their best work, grow their fandoms, and ultimately make more money from their stories. Engaged Readers is the first step in a number of new initiatives we’re planning for 2022 and beyond. We’re helping grow the global webnovel market alongside our authors, creating more opportunities for writers to grow their fandoms and monetize their work,” the company said in a statement.

Wattpad president Jeanne Lam told TechCrunch that when you compare this to traditional publishing, a bookstore can tell you how many copies are sold, but they can’t tell you if the buyer read that book.

“The Engaged Readers feature gives writers a new metric to actually understand how people are interacting with their stories in the past year,” she said.

The Wattpad Creators Program is currently rolling out to English-language writers, with the Philippines and Spanish-language markets arriving next. The company is targeting to include up to 3,000 writers in the program this year.

Lam specified that all writers included in the program will get editorial support, coaching for marketing and audience building, access to special writer tools and partnership discounts, and opportunities to work with brands. Wattpad also wants to give more insights to writers as to what kind of stories and plots are working well on the platform. However, not all writers will earn stipends, and there are different levels to reach the figure of $25,000.

“We’re building a creator economy, for authors, and investing in diverse writers from all over the world. And one of the things that we know to be true is how much our creators want to thrive on Wattpad.  So one of the most valuable things we can do is support them through a significant investment across their entire writing journey, which is something that we can be proud of with this program that we’re launching,” Lam said.

She mentioned that even if a writer doesn’t qualify for the program, they can learn more about different opportunities and techniques to improve their writing through the new Wattpad creator Portal .

Along with this, to make its platform more attractive for readers, Wattpad will launch exclusive stories from some marquee writers. These writers include romance author Tamara Lush, who wrote Drive and Crash ; Jessica Cunsolo, author of the With Me series — which has over 1 billion reads on the platform with a TV series adaptation in works; Kate Marchant, writer of the novel and upcoming Robbie Amell-produced film Float ; Sondi Warner, the author of fantasy novel Lead Me Astray , with more than 260,000 reads; and Claudia Tan, author of Perfect Addiction , another novel that’s being converted into a feature film by Wattpad Webtoon Studios.

The company claims that 1,500 stories on the platform have been converted into different kinds of movies and published books.

Last year, Medium revamped its creator program with referral bonuses, apart from relying on how much time a reader spent on the story. Other rival platforms like Ghost , Scribd , and Substack focus on the number of paying subscribers to distribute the money   amongst writers after taking a cut. Facebook also launched a new platform to support independent writers called Bulletin last year.

However, Wattpad wants to stand out by supporting webnovel writers by offering them multiple ways to make money: paid stories, brand partnership, potential book and movie deals, and now, a new creator program.

The story was updated to include clarification from Wattpad that 94 million users number is it’s the size of the total community and the firm doesn’t disclose monthly active users. 

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How to Achieve Fame on Wattpad

Last Updated: September 28, 2023 Approved

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 25 testimonials and 87% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 297,785 times.

Wattpad is a platform that allows people to read and publish their stories for free. While many Wattpad authors write and publish their stories just for fun, some have become famous and even published books! To publish your work on Wattpad and stand out from the crowd, start by writing great stories. Publish your work frequently, use the tags and categories correctly, and engage with users on the site to gain attention for your work.

Writing a Great Story

• Romance and fan fiction are two very popular genres on Wattpad. Focus on one of these for the widest audience.

• Once you've profiled your main character, move on to the supporting characters.
• Your story doesn’t need to include all the details you put in the profiles. However, the more you know about your characters, the easier it will be to write them. [1] X Research source

• A great way to start thinking about the plot is to think about questions you want your story to answer. For example, the Lord of the Rings trilogy answers questions like, "What happens when the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a hobbit?” and "What happens when friends embark on an exciting and dangerous adventure together?"

• Don’t focus too much on grammar and spelling at this stage. Correct basic stuff as you go, but you'll do intensive editing later.
• Wattpad stories can be different lengths, from novelettes (about 7500 words) to full-length novels (over 40,000 words). Write as much as you need to tell your story without padding it. [3] X Research source

• Ask friends and family to read your story, too. They can give you important feedback as you make your revisions. [4] X Research source

Standing out on Wattpad

• The image doesn't have to be of yourself. It can be any cool picture you've taken!

• You could write something like, "I'm a part-time writer, a full-time dreamer who explores reveries, hallucinations, nightmares, and visions. During the day, I moonlight as a psychology student at Berkeley."

• If you have friends that are good artists, you can ask them to design a cover for your story. Make sure to give them credit on your profile. [7] X Research source
• You can find high-resolution stock photos on websites like Pexels and Shutterstock. Most of these websites aren't free to use, but you may find the fees worth it.
• Don't neglect the font when designing your cover. The font color and size should make the title stand out, and the font style needs to match the tone of the book. For example, if you're writing a humorous story or one aimed at younger audiences, you might be able to opt for a quirky font; for a more serious book, however, choose a more sophisticated font.

• Use action words and strong verbs in your titles to get attention, like "Things Fall Apart" or "Breaking Through Barriers."
• Try something mysterious to interest readers, like "Caves of Crystal and Blood" or "The Light in the Ruins."
• Consider a punchy, one-word title, like "Torrential" or "Wanderlust." [9] X Research source

Finding and Growing Your Audience

• For instance, if you write war fiction, use tags like "history," “WWII,” and “war." [11] X Research source

• Make sure you don’t miss an upload date, as this will hurt your number of readers. Life happens, and if you do miss a promised update on rare occasions, it probably won't mean the end of your Wattpad popularity. However, you should avoid doing this routinely as it can cause your readers to lose trust in you.
• Try to make sure your updates seem worth the wait each time, and especially when you have to take a longer break than usual.
• If you write your story before you start uploading it, you won’t have to worry about struggling to keep up. [13] X Research source

• Some readers might post criticism of your story, constructive or not. Accept any feedback you get graciously unless it’s insulting.
• Thank your readers for any polite comments they share, regardless of whether those comments are praise, constructive criticism, or a combination of both.
• You can delete insulting or hateful comments posted on your story.

• You can contact Wattpad staff through their help center. Be humble and respectful; Wattpad’s staff probably receives a lot of requests.

• Check out Wattpad's current contests by visiting https://www.wattpad.com/go/writing-contests/ .
• The Wattys happen yearly, offering multiple awards for plot development, one-of-a-kind, and breakthrough stories. They’re the biggest awards on Wattpad. [15] X Research source

Community Q&A

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

• Try to avoid cliché stories and plot points. This might be easier said than done, but after spending some time reading other stories on Wattpad and getting a feel for what's already been overdone, it'll gradually get easier to avoid common clichés and come up with something unique. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Be patient. Achieving fame on Wattpad takes time and dedication, but as long as you remain committed to quality content and positive interactions, the goal is still achievable. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

• Don’t advertise your stories on other people’s profiles. It’s against the Wattpad terms of service. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 1
• Don't respond to hate. It can discourage you and make you lose confidence. Also, know the difference between hate and critique because some people are just pointing out mistakes and you may take it as hate while they're just trying to help. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ http://www.creative-writing-now.com/fiction-writing-tips.html
• ↑ https://goinswriter.com/first-draft/
• ↑ https://people.safecreative.org/showMagazine/48
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vI_nY5qUU&feature=youtu.be&t=90
• ↑ http://writersrelief.com/blog/2013/08/great-title-for-your-book-or-story-or-poem/
• ↑ https://support.wattpad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201409640-Add-Tags-to-a-Story
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/suwcharmananderson/2013/11/20/wattpad-serialise-your-writing-and-build-an-audience/#51a20afffcd7
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vI_nY5qUU&feature=youtu.be&t=33
• ↑ https://www.wattpad.com/go/writing-contests/

About This Article

A lot of people on Wattpad use the site for fun, but you can also achieve fame for your work if you know how to draw readers in. While you’ll want to develop interesting characters and an intriguing plot, there are other things you can do to draw readers to your work. Upload an interesting profile image that captures your writing style. You’ll also want to post an interesting profile description that includes some fun facts about you. Use engaging, high resolution covers for your stories and pick attention-grabbing titles that represent important parts of your story and draw the reader in. To learn how to grow your audience, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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7 Useful Tips To Become A Recognized Wattpad Writer

Wattpad is a website as well as an app for readers to read free books and also for writers to publish their works. It’s a completely free app all we need to do is register. The main aim of Wattpad is, to create social communities through stories for both amateur and expert writers. It has a total of 80 million users (2019) worldwide, who can directly connect with the writers and share their thoughts and opinions too.

Wattpad has a total of 49 languages available, while 77% of users prefer English to read and write. It has a variety of genres like paid stories, adventure, diverse lit, fanfiction, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, humour, LGBTQ+, Mystery, New Adult, Non-fiction, Paranormal, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Teen Fiction, Thriller, Urban and Werewolf.  

About Wattpad 

Wattpad was founded by Allen Lau, and Ivan Yuen launched in December 2006. Their headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada. It has a total of 145 employees and is served worldwide. The slogan for its website from December 2006 – 2019 was “Stories you’ll love,” which was changed to “Where stories live” in February/March 2019. Though its primary language is English, many users are working on translating the stories to continue building the platform. 

Wattpad was made available on the App Store in 2011, attracting around 1 million registered users and a $4.1 million funding. “ The Kissing Booth ” was written on Wattpad by Beth Reekles and then turned into a Netflix Original Film in 2018. In 2014 After became the most-read book on Wattpad, published by Gallery Books, and became the New York Times bestseller. 

Wattpad launched its standalone app “ After Dark ” in February 2015, focusing on the adults’ romance genre. “Tap”, a chat stories app, was established by Wattpad on 21st February 2017, which offered stories in the form of text as if the reader is reading someone’s private conversation. On 13th November 2018, “Wattpad Next Beta” early access was launched in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, And the Philippines; later on 11th July, it was launched worldwide.

Wattpad also arranged many online contests for all professional and upcoming writers, like The Watty Awards, in 2011, which had three levels (Popular, On The Rise, and Undiscovered). These contests are open to any Wattpad users who have an account. In 2012 during the summers in collaboration with Margaret Atwood, Wattpad held a “Wattys” contest for poets, which is still ongoing. 

1. Decide your goal 

Every writer who ever plans to write a story should keep their goal for writing that particular story. 

• Are you a published writer and want Wattpad to help? Start by introducing your works to new readers who are interested in your type of writing. Make sure to keep the book free of cost to spark the public’s interests. Give your readers a platform to interact with you directly. 
• A beginner? Wattpad will help you. Well if you are a beginner, Wattpad is a good choice to test your writing skills as well as to collect people’s responses on their type of reading. It can help one analyze the readers’ market as in what they are searching for. 

2. Covers Catch The Eye 

To attract readers make sure your cover is attractive and catchy. A terrific book cover creates interest in the eyes and minds of the readers about the book. If you don’t want to spend money on getting a cover for your book, then there is a community of graphic artists by Wattpad. This community creates low-cost or even free covers for your story according to your wants. The portrayal of the story’s description after the cover is one of the most critical parts that will help the reader decide whether to read the story. 

3. Keep It Short And Use Tags

Tags help readers to find your work, so make sure to add proper and reader-friendly tags. Tags also help Wattpad rate your story, which helps other readers list and discover your story. Ensure that the chapters don’t cross 1000-2500 words , as there are many young readers and many use phones. It irritates them to read long paragraphs. So cut them short and set a word limit.

4. Cliffhangers

Cliffhangers? I know they are sometimes irritating, but that’s the thing that keeps your readers hooked. Some find it annoying, but that depends on how intriguing your cliffhanger is and how many times you use it; if you include cliffhangers continuously in all chapters, leaders will lose interest. So make sure to have cliffhangers at only important chapters and collect your readers’ reviews about what they think would happen.

5. Author’s Note

Make sure to add authors’ notes at the end of some chapters, skiing them to vote or their opinion on the chapter. This will always help them to not forget about voting, but also you will keep them engaged.

6. Update consistently

Keep a fixed schedule for posting your chapters. Make sure to post chapters at least twice or thrice a week. Remember to post on the intervals you have been previously posting the chapters.

7. Post Complete Stories

One of the best ways to get noticed is to make sure your story is completed. Readers hate to wait for an ongoing story if it’s not that interesting to keep them hooked, so better try to complete your story at the earliest. Also completed story stand a chance to get featured and participate in the various contest that Wattpad organizes.

So here are a few of the tips which I have discovered and observed while using Wattpad. I hope they helped the new writers on Wattpad. One needs to find ways of being in the public’s eye through his methods, experience, and observation.

Kaustubhi Sarang

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