What's Up In Wattpad® Issue #003

Interviews

Interview with @SallySlater

1.How did you discover Wattpad?

It was actually thanks to another longtime Wattpad user - @rebekahleemusic7. I was posting another story called Magical PR 101 on a website called One Page Per Day. She read the story on that site, and suggested that I check out Wattpad and start posting there. She's the first person I fanned - I owe her big time for introducing me!

2.When you first joined what were your thoughts?

I've loved Wattpad from the get-go. At the beginning, I didn’t have very many followers, but I was still amazed by how helpful and responsive the community was. I was even more amazed by how many young, talented writers used the website. Most Wattpad users were and are much younger than I am, and I couldn’t believe what prolific writers they were! I was beyond impressed by all the 14, 15, 16 year olds who had written full-length novels. I don’t think I would have been capable of that when I was their age

3.What was the first book you read?

It was a book called The Explorer’s Apprentice by @walkingsunshine. I believe it ended up winning a Watty Award. It’s very well written with an original concept, mixing contemporary with historical fiction.

4.What was the first book you posted?

The first book I posted was Magical PR 101. I’d heard the old adage that you should write what you know, so I attempted to combine what I love to read (fantasy) with what I know (my job – public relations). There were vampires and werewolves, and man, was the writing awful! I started writing Paladin at the same time, and ended up being much more passionate about that story.

5.How did you feel when you first posted your first book?

I was nervous! In college, I’d taken a creative fiction course on a whim (my major was political science), and received less-than-positive feedback on my writing from the professor. Maybe short stories just aren’t my thing, but the professor advised me to “stick to nonfiction”. So I was really concerned that my writing would not be well received. Luckily, I got a lot of positive feedback and that encouraged me to continue posting.

6.Have you ever encountered haters?

There are definitely readers who don’t like Paladin, but I wouldn’t consider them haters. Even famous, well-loved authors have critics who don’t enjoy their work. Personally, I can’t stand Catcher in the Rye, which is widely considered an American classic. Am I a hater for disliking J.D. Salinger? I don’t think so. So I can’t get angry at readers who post negative comments on my story – it’s unrealistic to expect my writing to be everyone’s cup of tea.

The only kind of “hating” I find unacceptable is personal attacks, and I have to say, I’ve personally never encountered that on Wattpad.

7.Any advice for new and upcoming writers?

Be open to criticism! Sometimes the most painful things to hear are the best things for your writing. That said, it’s also important to be able to discern good advice from bad. At the end of the day, it’s your story, and you need to follow your gut.  

8.overall how would you rate wattpad?

I am one of Wattpad’s biggest fans and advocates. It gives aspiring writers a platform to share their writing and receive feedback in real time. The community is the best part – you can connect with millions of readers and writers around the world. I’ve both learned from and been inspired by the writers who have had the courage to share their stories, and it’s what has given me the courage to do the same. And I absolutely adore my readers! Maybe every author feels this way, but I seriously think I have the best readers in the world.

9.Anything to add?

Let me talk a little bit about Wattpad popularity – probably the question I get asked most is, “How did you get so many reads?” The answer is a lot simpler than people think: be a good Wattpad citizen. Don’t expect people to read your story unless you read theirs, and leave the kind of comments you’d like to receive on your own work. And I’m a big believer in positive reinforcement – you should always have something positive to say, even if you’re not a fan of the work. We may have varying degrees of writing experience and ability, but all of us writers are on Wattpad because we love to write and we want to get better.

10. Has Wattpad affected your life in any way?

This might sound a little hokey, but Wattpad has truly changed my life. I have always loved to write, but I thought of it as a hobby or a skill I could put down on my resume. I never imagined that Paladin would get the reception that it has. I never even imagined writing a novel! If it weren’t for the encouragement of my Wattpad readers, I would never have written past chapter 3.

Since joining Wattpad, I’ve realized how essential writing is to my happiness. I’ve also gotten to do some pretty amazing things – in March, I spoke on a panel at the Digital Hollywood Content Summit, a big annual conference in New York, about my experience on Wattpad. And more recently, I signed with a literary agent who is helping me take my writing to the next level, with the goal of seeing Paladin traditionally published. Of course, he discovered me on Wattpad!

Interview with @john_chan    

1.How did you discover Wattpad?

 A friend of mine told me about wattpad. He knew that I'd tried to sell off my novel years ago without success. He thought maybe if I didn't mind not making any money off it, perhaps I'd consider putting it up on wattpad. At least this way, the story would get read. I never looked back   2.When you first joined what were your thoughts? 2. When I first joined, I thought, what a huge place! How am I ever going to get noticed? And all those writers with millions of reads on their stories! That's mind blowing!  

3.What was the first book you read?

The first book I ever read was, 'She's on Duty', by SixteenOhFour. She was the kindest person, ever. I read her story. She read mine. She gave me a lot of advice about uploading and covers and other things. She's really the one who got me started  

4.What was the first book you posted?

The first story I posted was Remember. It's still my most popular one. I have no idea why. It just seems to strike a nerve, somehow. That's so cool  

5.How did you feel when you first posted your first book?

. After my first book, I thought, well, here goes nothing. But at least I can look myself in the face from this moment on and say, at least I tried my best. Whatever happens from here on out, it was going to happen anyway.

  6.Have you ever encountered haters? 

Real haters...no. It may be surprising, but actually, I have not had a single bad experience here, so far. Now, I'm not asking for one! So please! Hahaha!