Wattpad Block Party - Summer Edition IV

Lightning_Stryker Presents: How to Build Your Readership

Another aspect which hugely impacted the traffic to my stories was social media. Which brings me to my next topic...

TIP 4: Make social media accounts for your writing.

I literally cannot emphasize how much of a difference social media has made for me. When it comes to social media, it seems like Instagram and Twitter are the most effective for building a fanbase. Instagram is great to inform your readers of exciting updates and for behind the scenes secrets of your writing process. I find that Instagram is most effective when you use a lot of hashtags related to your post. It helps more people find your post, which could potentially lead to more people checking out your work!

Twitter on the other hand, is super effective. You're able to connect and chat with writers not from just Wattpad, but also those who are on Tumblr, who have their own blogs, and who are connected with different aspects of storytelling as well (Episode, Webtoon, etc.). It's an amazing tool for sharing little facts about your stories and also to participate in chats that give you tools and tips on how to strengthen your writing. Out of all of the tools I've used to expand my audience, I can honestly say that Twitter has helped me in ways that I never even imagined. Plus, there are Twitter analytics that give you a detailed breakdown on how much interaction you're really getting on the site. It's really great and I highly recommend all writers to make one for their stories.

TIP 5: People do judge books based on covers. And blurbs.

And here comes the visual aspect. Unfortunately when it comes to books, the first thing that captures a reader's attention is the book cover. With that being said, you want to make sure that your cover is not only appealing to the eye but also correlates with your story. If your story is about a valiant knight who embarks on a quest to save his kingdom, it would be odd to have a cover with just unicorns and fairies on it.

And if you're not the best in the graphic design department, there are tons of cover shops available on Wattpad who would be able to provide you with a cover for a small payment (often a read on their story and a follow, not real money). There are tons of talented authors out there!

Another important aspect to have is a very well-thought out blurb. Blurbs can get tricky. They have to have the perfect balance of length, content, and appeal. Length and content wise, you want to make sure that you give enough information to keep a potential reader interested in your story, but you also want to make sure that you don't give away too much information about your story. You want to leave them wanting more.

You also want to make sure that your blurb appeals to something- whether it be emotions, senses, or something else. You want to leave a lasting impression on people and the first one they get of your writing is the very cover and summary displayed at the front page of your story.

TIP 6: Updating frequently really helps.

For those of you who have been on Wattpad for a while, you know how hectic keeping regular updating schedules can be. Often times, readers stay more invested in ongoing stories when they are frequently updated. It keeps them engaged and willing to read more if they know that updates are consistent.