Give Wattpad Another Try

If you spent two minutes in heaven, would it change your life?

Wattpad.

Yes, I know, you've tried it. I've tried it. It doesn't work for serious authors. Most of us have posted our novel, or a snippet of our novel, on Wattpad, and watched in awe as a grand total of 17 people viewed our book that we sell on Amazon for $2.99. And then we realized that those 17 people were actually one person reading 17 chapters. And you posted 38.

Where are the millions of views? We are real authors, writing polished books, and 17 (really, one) people flock to our free offering while a twelve year-old girl named potterfan114 is getting 5 million views on her story about an Alpha (whatever THAT is) who falls in love with a high school cheerleader.

Wattpad may be the single most frustrating writing platform on the internet. Know why? Because it's not a writing platform. It is--say it with me--social media.

Ahhh, the collective groan at the mention of those two evil little words.

But you know the rules. They've been pounded into our heads lo these...four years. When using social media to promote your books, you. must. socialize.

And that's the big Wattpad secret. Let me ask you Facebook fans a question: if you did nothing on Facebook but drop an ad for your book and never return, how many followers would you get? How many books would you sell? 

So why would you expect better results from Wattpad?

Here are a few facts about Wattpad:

• There are currently 14 million users worldwide.
• Most of those users never write, they are there to read stories and talk about them with the authors and other readers.
• The demographics are still weighted toward teens and pre-teens, but it is shifting toward us...ahem...older teens (as is always the pattern with social media...Facebook started out as a place for college kids to hang out).
• Many authors on Wattpad have gained tens of thousands of followers who have gone on to buy their published books.
• There is only one social network that lives solely for the purpose of bringing readers and writers together.

Did you read that last one twice? Do it again. As authors, it simply makes no sense to spend more time on Facebook and Twitter, where 1 of 10 people are avid readers, and zero time on Wattpad, where every single member is either a reader or writer (and writers are always readers). And every single follower you gain is interested in what you are writing. My not so humble opinion? I'll take one Wattpad follower over 100 Facebook followers. Because that Wattpad follower is as close to a guaranteed fan as you'll ever get on social media.

Here's what I want you to do. Get thee to Wattpad.com and set up your account. Use your real author name, of course (potterfan114 is already taken), and...are you ready?

Don't post any of your writing!

That's what I said. Before you post a syllable, I want you to socialize. Read poorly written chapters and comment. Encourage the younger writers. Give them advice (caution: active teen hormones at play). 

Then check out that drop down menu at the top of the screen called “Community.” Yeah, I was shocked to discover its existence, too. Start with “Clubs.” Join The Café and Improve Your Writing to start with. Peruse them and jump in on a conversation. Yes, most are silly. But be silly. You can do it. I’ve seen you at conferences.

Then I want you to look up a good friend named @KatherineArlene. She is a Wattpad ambassador. Yes, they have those! And you'll also be interested to note that she is one of us "advanced" teenagers. She is always happy to help you navigate the waters of Wattpad, as are all the ambassadors. Add her book, “How to Get Reads Votes Comments” to your library and, of course, read it. Be sure to vote (click the little star) and comment as you go.

You can also follow me! I do not have 14 million reads, but my following is slowly growing. I’m @RonEstrada (chickmagnet was taken, too).

In our next episode, I’ll get into strategies for getting the best use of Wattpad. Now, if you must post a story, published or otherwise, before September, follow this rule:

Post no more than one chapter every five days. Preferably, one chapter per week on the same day and time. Followers learn to expect your posts. And the Wattpad algorithm gives you better rankings if you spread out the posts. But more on that later.

For now, go make friends. Be fun. Be encouraging. And, by the way, you’ll find a huge harvest field where you can share your faith. And by the way again, wait until you see what some of your younger brothers and sisters in Christ are doing on Wattpad. It will be a proud moment.

See you on Wattpad.

If you spent two minutes in heaven, would it change your life?

Josh Baker has everything a guy could want. The fastest runner in his state. An amazing girlfriend. A bright future.

But on one snowy night, all that is stripped away from him. Even his life. For two minutes.

When Josh opens his eyes after his disastrous night, he begins to really see for the first time. 

But is it too late to save those he loves the most?

NOW I KNEW YOU is available free on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and others.