Can someone give me the Wattpad for Dummies explanation?

[Belle]

I went to their site and I guess you have to sign up for an account before you can see anything. I read about it on wikipedia and I am still rather confused. Who knows what this site is about and if I should look into it? Speak slowly and clearly...

[[deleted user]]

Hi-

Wattpad is free. You do have to sign up, but it's simple. The point of the site is to upload your book giving parts away for free in efforts to get more exposure and to help sell & promote your writings. Some people put just excerpts, while others put one chapter up per week to gain a following or another option is whole books or short stories all at the same time. If you have a Facebook following, you can transfer them over to get a jump start on your comments and ratings for your writings right away. I find Figment easier to navigate but people like Wattpad. Most people still have to take time to socialize and promote themselves like on any other social media. I have found there are mostly teenagers and college kids on these sights, but maybe that's just me.

Hope this helps, SK

[Belle]

That did help. Thanks for that.

[[deleted user]]

I recently opened an account with Wattpad after having seen a short post by an author who found success there. Regrettably I have not had the time to get into it yet but hope to soon. I did not realise it is mostly younger people who use it, which may not be appropriate for my writing. Nevertheless, I intend to give it a go besides which I am interested in seeing what and how others write.

[Justin]

People say Wattpad is a great tool in promoting but aside from posting your works and reading others work, what more is there to do?

It's basically a site where authors and writers can go to post free excerpts on their books if they wish or post poems and short stories of theirs. I myself post more poems and short stories then tons of excerpts of my own work, while I have them it's not the focus of my profile.

I have noticed that Wattpad contains alot of amateur or wannabe writers if you will. Teens who are trying to break the wall into writing but come up just short of being taken seriously.

[Mellie]

There are a few people emerging who have used Wattpad success to land substantial publishing deals. I know of a few now where writers have garnered a large following (10k users) and a high number of reads (1m+) and been offered large deals. It is another avenue to get a leg up in this industry.

[K.P.]

wattpad is a lot like booksie.