No, I'm not going to sit here and type out the secret to getting a lot of followers here on Wattpad. I wish it was as easy as saying 'jump up and down five times while saying Wattpad backwards, then drink a gallon of water and tap your pointer finger to your head once and TADA!'.
It doesn't happen overnight, the support builds slowly over time. There isn't anything special we did to get followers, we just posted what we wrote.
It takes 1/4 unique ideas, 1/4 basic grammar and spelling, 1/4 good personality, and 1/4 luck.
Unique Ideas. There are so many stories out there that are identical to each other, especially when it comes to fan fiction. I'm not saying you write about something totally unrealistic, just so that it's 'unique'. I'm saying to make your story your own. Step out of the box of cliches! Do the unexpected, readers LOVE to be surprised! Throw at them some plot twist but make sure it makes sense in the story. Don't overuse them because you ought to be realistic and many plot twists will take that away.
Also, something that will make your story unique is unique characters. If the reader feel your characters alive, if they can feel them coming alive out of the pages... then you are doing something good. Feel them alive in your head, then show that in your writing. Unique characters will lead to a even more unique story. It's pointless to have an amazing story if your characters are plain and don't evolve, that's why we talked about that before.
Grammar and Spelling. "I totes wnt 2 STARbucks 4 cofeee! lol" is not going to interest your readers. Knowing proper sentence scructure is extremely helpful! Mistakes do happen - typos are a very common thing here on Wattpad. Don't try to make it perfect, but don't make it sloppy! Be careful, do proof-reading, try to get a beta-reader to help you out. A better grammar, spelling and punctuation will make the story easier to read and more appealing. Don't overuse descriptions as this make the reading slower and will bore your reader.
Good Personality. "What? I don't get it. What does personality have to do with anything?" If you're constantly undermining other authors, being 'too good' for any of your followers, or even just being a snarky smart-ass, people won't want to read your stuff. Be nice! These are people who might be buying your books in the future! They probably won't support you if all they can remember about you is you being 'too good for them'. When you are beginning is super important to thank every single new follower for the support. Reply to all your comments. When I have the time I reply to them, even if there are over a hundred of them. If the reader feels like you care about them, then they will stick with you in your next story.
Be nice and people will be nice to you, too.
Luck. We're not the best writers in the world. We're also probably not the best writers on Wattpad. But we were extremely lucky when it comes to undying support from our fans. We posted the right things at the right time and that is all down to luck.
Don't be dead set on becoming the most wellknown author on this site. It's a place to get better at writing, to be critiqued, to make friends. Not just for popularity.
I would also add, be consistent. With your updates, with your story. You can't just start a story and then leave it there. If you don't take seriously what you do, no one will do. Think of your story as your baby, take care of it in the same way. Don't forget about it.
Hoping this helped,
-Katie, Moni & Tina.
...Next entry - How To: Basic Grammar
YOU ARE READING
How To:
RandomA book of tips for writers on wattpad. Just a bit of help, things we've learnt during our time writing. We hope it helps you. -Katie, Moni & Tina.
