Wattpad Update #2
If you missed the first update, go here.
I wrote the first chapter of Book of Shadows on November 9 and wrote the last on December 31. As of this morning, Book of Shadows is at 6K reads (#99 in Vampire) with 801 votes and 552 comments. I’ve submitted it to be featured, so right now we’re waiting to see whether it will be. Keep your fingers crossed! I’m also, as you know, if you follow me on Facebook, beginning to take notes for the sequel. At the end of Book of Shadows I gave readers the opportunity to weigh in on whether they wanted a sequel and what, if so, they were hoping it would contain. I’m exceedingly gratified, to say the least, that for the most part what people seem to want jibes with what I’m already planning on writing. I’m even more gratified that so many people have been so generous with their time, commenting not only on this issue but on each chapter.
Seeing as how I’ve reached two major milestones, breaking the top one hundred in my category and actually completing the book, I thought it was time for another update on what I’ve learned.
Pay attention to your bio. A lot of writers, even really good writers, have a hard time remembering that literally every word is an elevator pitch. How you write about yourself in your Wattpad bio, just like everything you say on Facebook and Twitter, previews the writing in your book. If your bio is boring, then–rightly or wrongly–prospective readers are most likely going to decide that your book is, too. Don’t skip the “other stuff,” figuring it doesn’t matter as much as your book. The “other stuff” is what convinces people to take a chance on reading your book. And for your bio especially, remember: Wattpad is not a dating site. Keep the information you offer short, sweet, and to the point.
Pay attention to your blurb. Your blurb might be one paragraph, or two, but you have until the end of the first sentence to convince anyone to continue reading. If–again, your pitch–doesn’t grab your reader right away, you’re going to lose them. Remember: they don’t know you, they don’t feel any personal loyalty to you. They only have so much free time, and you need to give them a reason to devote that free time to you.
Pay attention to your cover. People do judge books by their covers. The amount of care that appears to have gone into a cover–how well designed it is and, overall, how professional it looks–is going to directly influence a potential reader’s impression of the book. Appealing books have appealing covers. Conversely, covers that seem amateurish or slapped together convey (again, rightly or wrongly) the message that this author isn’t really trying.
Remember your audience. There are a lot of platforms out there, including your own website. There’s a reason I sell my jewelry on Etsy instead of Amazon. It’s impossible to say, with any certainty, who’s on Wattpad and who isn’t; but Wattpad seems to model the greater reading (and purchasing) spectrum in that it’s populated hugely by opinionated teenage girls. Now, you may be writing for a different demographic–or think you are–but if you think you’re above the type of reader who’s made Wattpad famous in the first place…then this isn’t your platform. People can tell when you’re looking down on them. Just like I, as a writer, notice when other writers make disparaging comments about my genre. That doesn’t make friends and influence people. It makes you come across as a stuck up turd.
The bottom line is this: before you put that first chapter up, put as much work or more into creating an appealing environment for it. Be professional, interesting and, above all, be welcoming–because, while you might imagine your target audience, you can never truly predict what that audience will (or won’t) be and so trying to limit, or to appeal to a certain kind of person, can only alienate potential (potentially really enthusiastic) readers. Because remember: these types of constructs are based on–almost always faulty–assumptions. And you know what they say about assumptions.
And, too, be yourself. One of the great things about Wattpad is that it isn’t stuffy. It provides an opportunity for authors–famous, infamous, and everywhere in between–to interact directly with their fans. Ivory tower bullshit…well, it’s going the way of the dodo everywhere, in my opinion, but it never really flew on a number of online fora. People don’t sign up for Wattpad because they want to hero worship. Some traditionally published authors think of it as they’re deigning to join Wattpad but…just last year, several teenagers walked away with really lucrative Big Five deals because their stories (including a Harry Stiles fanfic) were just that popular.
Stay humble.
