Greetings Fellow Storytellers,

In our last article, we talked about Inkitt, a platform for writers and readers. Today, we're focusing on Wattpad, another big player in digital publishing. Wattpad has its own rules, community, and opportunities for writers. We'll compare it to Inkitt and explore what Wattpad has to offer.

Table Eleven’s Performance on Wattpad

As we start this analytical journey, let's focus on "Table Eleven," my literary brainchild, and its journey on Wattpad. Armed with equal measures of anticipation and strategy, I introduced "Table Eleven" to Wattpad, hoping for a big success like many others on the platform. But as with any story, there are unexpected events.

The Numbers Speak:

• Reads: 1.1K
• Likes: 73
• Comments: 46, predominantly from book club engagements

Comparing Platforms:

Inkitt and Wattpad were launched at the same time and promoted equally. However, the story "Table Eleven" had different results on each platform. While Wattpad showed low metrics over a three-year timeframe, the story had an outstanding journey on Inkitt. This shows how each platform has its own dynamics, from user engagement to how the algorithms work.

Beyond the Numbers:

It wasn't just about the numbers going up. The Wattpad experience was a mix of interactions, feedback, and community involvement. Every like, comment, and read was a story on its own, adding to the overall story of "Table Eleven's" online presence.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of Wattpad, comparing them to the experience on Inkitt.

Wattpad’s Pros and Cons

Every tale has its highs and lows, and my journey with Wattpad is no exception. Like any robust platform, Wattpad offers a blend of opportunities and challenges, each shaping the writer's experience in unique ways.

The Bright Side:

• Community Engagement: Wattpad's vibrant community is its beating heart. The platform thrives on reader-writer interactions, making it an ideal ground for gaining immediate feedback and fostering a community.
• Diverse Audience: Catering to over 94 million users, Wattpad is a melting pot of cultures, languages, and tastes, offering writers a global stage.
• Support for Emerging Genres: With a penchant for popular genres and fan fiction, Wattpad provides a haven for stories that might not find a home in traditional publishing.
• Potential for Visibility: Success stories of Wattpad turning narratives into movies or publishing deals paint a picture of potential fame and fortune.
• Wattys Award: An encouraging beacon for writers. The annual Wattpad Awards recognises one winner for each genre. Also, the Wattys Award now recognizes ongoing books, offering a ray of hope and recognition for works in progress.

The Flip Side:

• Technical Challenges: My experience with this was less than stellar. I remember the abrupt disappearance of one of my books from the platform, with a vague justification of guideline violation, which left more questions than answers. There are no warnings to point out what you're doing wrong for a chance to correct it. You wake up one morning and your story is just gone. It is frustrating and annoying as hell!
• Inconsistent Policy Enforcement: The absence of clear communication and the arbitrary nature of content removal posed significant hurdles, overshadowing the creative process.
• Comparatively Modest Performance: Despite employing all the known tips and tricks, "Table Eleven" garnered 1.1K reads over 3 years, a very low figure in comparison to its performance on other platforms.
• The Predominance of 'Big Fish': Wattpad's ocean teems with writers, but the spotlight often falls on those with already swelling numbers. For a new writer, this environment can feel like an uphill battle against established giants. For someone with a full-time job, there are not enough hours in the day to dedicate to trying to get your story in the limelight on Wattpad.
• The Community Platform Challenges: The now-defunct community platform, once a lifeline for emerging writers, has shifted the burden to book clubs and communities. While these groups offer a semblance of support, the effort required can be taxing.
• Content Theft Concerns: Wattpad's writers face the threat of mirror sites illegally siphoning Wattpad content, endangering their intellectual property and copyrights. For authors sharing their work on the platform, this issue increases concern.
• Ads Between Chapters: This has to be one of the top reasons I stopped reading on Wattpad. Those ads take you right out of the story. The worst part is the authors don't get paid when these ads show up in their stories. Their premium subscription is the only way to remove these ads. It's unfair for the authors and especially frustrating when the ads are intrusive and take away from the readers' experience.

In comparing Wattpad with Inkitt, there are both benefits and challenges. While they provide opportunities for growth and recognition, there are obstacles such as standing out among established writers and dealing with content theft and community dynamics.

Wattpad's Unique Features and Community Dynamics

Wattpad does have many features for writers and their stories. Let's take a closer look at these features and how they are used in "Table Eleven."

The Features That Stand Out:

• Multimedia Integration: Unlike traditional platforms, Wattpad allows for a richer storytelling experience with the inclusion of multimedia elements. This feature opens up creative avenues, enabling writers to enhance their narratives beyond mere words. Some authors use fancy fonts, others use character casts, and I noticed that some books can be read aloud in the app.
• Real-Time Engagement: The platform's real-time feedback mechanism, where readers can comment on each chapter, provides immediate interaction. This feature not only fosters a sense of community but also offers valuable insights for authors.
• Tagging System: The sophisticated tagging system on Wattpad helps in navigating the vast ocean of content, making it easier for specific stories to be discovered by targeted audiences.

Community: The Heart of Wattpad:

• Diverse Readership: Wattpad's global community brings together a diverse readership, offering a wide range of perspectives and feedback.
• The Struggle for Visibility: In this crowded marketplace, new authors face the daunting task of standing out. Despite quality content, "Table Eleven" contended with the challenge of breaking through the noise to reach its audience.
• Changing Community Platforms: The evolution of Wattpad's community platforms has shifted the dynamics of reader-writer interactions. With the community platform no longer available, reliance on book clubs and author communities has increased, demanding more from writers in terms of engagement and promotion.

Contrasting this with Inkitt, where things are different for readers and finding stories, Wattpad offers a challenging environment. "Table Eleven's" failure on Wattpad shows how important it is to not only write good stories but also to understand how to use the platform effectively.

Strategies for Success on Wattpad

Embarking on a Wattpad journey can be exciting and overwhelming. Here are some strategies to help navigate this unique platform, based on my experiences and research.

Crafting Compelling Content:

• Engaging Openings: Hook your readers from the start. An engaging opening is crucial in a space brimming with stories, especially when half the stories aren't very well written.
• Regular Updates: Consistency is key. Regular updates keep readers engaged and help maintain visibility on the platform. Readers anywhere, even on Inkitt prefer complete stories. If your stories are a bunch of ongoing without one finished story, readers scroll past your profile.
• Embrace Multimedia: Utilize Wattpad's multimedia capabilities to add depth and appeal to your stories.

Navigating the Community:

• Active Engagement: Interact with your readers. Respond to comments, participate in discussions, use your wall to keep active, and build a community around your work.
• Utilize Tags Wisely: Make the most of Wattpad’s tagging system to increase the discoverability of your stories. I use the tags to find stories to read.
• Join Book Clubs and Communities: While it demands effort, active participation in book clubs and communities can significantly boost your story's visibility.

Understanding Wattpad's Audience:

• Trend Awareness: Stay informed about popular genres and themes on Wattpad to align your content with reader preferences. The same as Inkitt, certain genres perform better than others, and some never take off. Know what works before investing your time and effort.
• Diverse Narratives: It's an undisputed fact that Wattpad has the most diverse audience. For better success, you need to incorporate varied themes and characters in your stories that span across these audiences without offending one or the other.

Handling Platform Challenges:

• Backup Your Work: I'm speaking from experience as someone who would get an idea and go straight to writing on Wattpad back then. Always, regularly back up your work somewhere else.
• Stay Informed: Keep abreast of Wattpad's changing guidelines and community features to avoid unexpected surprises.

These tips are meant to help both new and experienced writers succeed on Wattpad. While success isn't guaranteed, understanding the platform and using its unique features can help.

Epilogue: A Gratitude Note to Wattpad

As we conclude this post about Wattpad, it's important to take a moment and think about the impact this platform has had on my writing journey. Wattpad is more than just a platform. It has been a friend, a place where my stories found their first readers, a community where feedback and interaction brought my characters to life, and a place where LAIPA came from.

In this challenging literary journey of words and worlds, Wattpad was a steadfast ally. It offered a space where "Table Eleven" could unfold its narrative wings, even though it didn't perform as well as I hoped it would. It became a testing ground for strategies, a mirror reflecting the evolving trends in digital storytelling, and most importantly, a lesson in resilience and adaptation.

While the journey had its ups and downs, the gratitude for Wattpad remains strong. Every difficulty brought a lesson, and every obstacle opened up new possibilities. Wattpad played a crucial role in moulding not only "Table Eleven," but also the person who wrote it.

In closing, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Wattpad. Even though this part of my writing journey is ending, the stories, experiences, and lessons will stay with me for a long time.