Wattpad 101: Your guide to the world of Wattpad

The 7 Sins of Wattpad (What not to do)

Wattpad is about 50% reading and writing, and 50% social media website. That being said, there comes a list of things that are okay to do, and things that are giant NoNos. Now if you've read my Wattpad 101 stuff up until now, you know I hold a few controversial stances. Don't demand payment, don't write in present tense, don't use hyphens. However, with the things in this list, I think it's fairly universally accepted that you just shouldn't do them.

1) Trade stars for stars and follows for follows -

First of all, it's against Wattpad policy to star trade. That is, without reading each other books, you star my book; I'll star your book. Exchanging follows is a grey area. However, I have to wonder, do you really want to be followed by someone only because you are following them? Someone who has no interest in anything you write? Is that what you want? Just gain stars and follows the old fashion way. It may be slower, but even if you do get 100s of followers and 100s of stars by trading, it will show. If your work and demeanor on this site aren't good, this kind of behavior isn't going to help you become "found".

2) "I need a critique or editing" posts - 

These are another Wattpad policy violation. In the Improve Your Writing forum, there are two pinned threads. People regularly post to offer their services in those threads. If you need a critique or edit, go there. If you want to critique or edit, post there.

"But Dorian," You say, "No one will answer my PMs!"

People are offering these services out of the kindness of their hearts. If they don't have time for you, get over it. Sometimes, you'll need to PM a few dozen people to get one or two responses. Sometimes you might not even get a response after that. And sometimes, you might not be getting responses because the way you ask isn't polite. I'm sorry but ...

"Critique this! www.wattpad.com/sjshkjs"

is not a polite way to ask someone. The more you write and the more you try to invest your critiquer/editor into your work; the more likely you'll get a response. On top of that, how your profile looks will dictate it too. If your work is an unedited mess, no editor is going to tackle something you clearly spent no time even looking at. An editor provides an outside view to fixing stuff up. It's not their job to turn your mess into something legible. It is the same with critiquers. If they see you mouthing off to other critiquers, or having a completely rude personality, they won't waste their time on you. This brings me to my next point.

3) Excuse your work/ Insult your critiquers -

Now, if you've read my etiquette and critiquing advice, I am ALL for defending your work. Critiquers in here are not infallible, and by defending things they can learn lessons as easily as you. After all, this site is all about learning to be a better writer. However, I don't want to hear, "Well I wasn't trying that hard anyway." Or "Well other people like my 1D fanfiction." Or worse "Lalalalala, I'm not listening". If you aren't going to take a critic's suggestions to heart, then why are you asking for critiques? I mean, you can disagree with a critic, but you shouldn't ignore a critic. They took time out of their lives to read and provide an opinion on your work. Don't dismiss it. Chances are, the critical critique will be far more useful than the dozens of "Great Jobs" you get from all the others out there.

Don't even think of insulting them. Treat people how you want to be treated, even if you aren't treated that way.

4) Not following through with your promises -

This jumps back to the other side of the spectrum. If you do make an agreement with someone, follow through. Think about whether you have the time and the capacity to do what you're saying. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't bail out on people last second because you were too embarrassed a week ago to say, "You know what, I can't really do this." This goes for everything. Story sharing, coop writing, critiquing, and editing.