Wattpad 101: Your guide to the world of Wattpad

Unreliable Critiquers and Authors

Normally in the Wattpad101 book I try to put helpful advice and tools that people can use in order to help themselves on their journey to becoming a better writer. Occasionally, I point out glaring flaws, the things that bother me the most or I see the most frequently across Wattpad. Usually, when I write about something, even if the content bugs me, I'll try to veil it behind a decent lesson that I think we can all benefit from. This article is not going to be one of those. This article is purely a rant, and in the end the people this is about either will not read it, or they're going to assume it's about everyone except them. On top of that, the people this isn't about are going to think it's about them and then get angry. Of course, that's just the nature of rants.

I've briefly mentioned unreliable critiquers before. I know that critic is the "correct" word, but to me critic implies a certain degree of professionalism that most critiquers on wattpad haven't earned in my opinion (myself included), so I'll continue to use the word critiquer until reality beats down my will enough. My articles on 'etiquette' and 'what not to do on wattpad' have already encouraged people to do what they say they are going to do. You should follow through with your promises. Most of us would agree that sounds like reasonable advice. Most of you would be shocked how many people on wattpad don't follow it.  

Now some of you may not know this, but I created and ran the Mission Impossible Club on wattpad. For those of you who've never heard of it, MIC was a club where I collected a coauthorship of about 20-40 authors and got us to write a completed book in under a month. As the manager tasked with getting my authors to produce their content, I can tell you quite a few lessons from this experience, but that's for another article. Today, I'm going to focus on just one of these lessons.  

I've found that out of every ten people who will agree to join a club and produce content, maybe three will actually do so. Of the remaining seven, maybe two will realize they spoke too soon, and let you know that they really couldn't handle it and they are sorry they wasted your time. The other five don't give a crap about your time, the success of your project, or anything else.  

They will agree to do stuff, and keep agreeing to do stuff... until it comes to the point where they actually have to, you know... do stuff. Then its excuses, excuses, excuses. I know most of you are in school, I am too, but when you have three weeks to complete a project, telling someone you have a test the Monday it is due and that is why you couldn't do it is ridiculus.  

It's not like people twist their arm to get them to volunteer. They freely came and volunteered, and then they disappeared into the wind, leaving their foul stench behind. A lot of you have probably experienced this if you have ever joined (or tried to join) a book club. How many clubs have failed because of those 70% of unreliable readers who will join and then never be heard from again, or worse, join, keep promising results, but never deliver?  

Of course, there are amazing people out there, great critiquers and great authors who really try and put out effort. I'm dedicating this chapter to the minimalist club for that reason. They are ABSOLUTELY amazing group, probably the most organized club I've seen on Wattpad. They combine people into groups of 5, manage the group, send reminders, and expect results. Those that don't participate are removed and the club runs incredibly smoothly. I'm with a great group of people that are reading each other's books from beginning to end... it is basically what a book club SHOULD be.  

However, the minimalist club is a rarity, and so many authors will join clubs only to never answer another pm and never complete their work. Some will make excuses about shotty internet connections, which magically don't prevent them from updating their work or socializing on the forums, but somehow keep them from completing the things they actually promised they'd do.  

It makes little sense to me that you'd promise to do something and then not do it. You can always say no if the task looks daunting. And if you accidently say yes... you can still change your mind within a day or two and it will probably be no harm, no foul. So why do you agree to something, and then forget about it?  

At the time of writing this, I was looking for a full book critique on my recently finished story. I went to the find a critic section and asked different critics if they would critique my story. I was not looking for comments every chapter, just to have my book read and the impressions on the whole story beyond "this chapter had a spelling error, and this chapter was too short". I ended up with four critiquers who agreed to do so after I read and commented on roughly equal amounts of chapters on their books. I followed this request for all four critiquers. It has been a month and a half since that happened. Guess how many have actually returned the critique that they advertised they were giving? If you guess any number over zero, you'd be wrong.  

Two of them still respond to my PM reminders and one has actually made it to chapter 3. And that's it. They say "I'll do it this weekend" and then don't. Then they have an exam, or a test, or the holidays. It's funny how you can be constantly busy for three months straight, finding plenty of time to write your own stories, other shorter citiques, and perform in NanoWriMo. My favorite argument in my Mission Impossible club was that they couldn't write their chapter because they were busy with NanoWriMo. For those of you not aware, NanoWriMo is a month about writing as much as possible, not about writing something specific, so saying your too busy to write because of NanoWriMo is like saying your too busy practicing basketball to play basketball.  

Now, I can forgive a critiquer that freely offers service. If you don't respond to my email, that's fine, you're busy and you don't have to. If you do respond and agree to do it, then don't, well, people can lose an email, or get busy, or just plain forget. And even if I remind them and they turn around and say they can't do it... that stuff just happens. What do you expect for free? However, when payment is rendered, that is a whole different ballpark.  

If someone gives you the payment after you've agreed on it, not following through goes beyond unreliable. That's just rude. That's disgusting. That is stealing. You effectively just stole something. Someone gave you payment (comments, dedications, or follows) and you didn't render a service in return. That makes you a thief.  

Now, maybe my critiquers will one day come back and finish my story, maybe it really just took them longer than they expected and they are still fully geared towards doing it. I'm not really writing this to shame them or make them feel bad. I understand that these things happen and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  

However, when it becomes a pattern on wattpad, when this isn't a problem you occasionally come across but the standard expectation when dealing with people on wattpad; that speaks volumes. It speaks negatively about the maturity and responsibility of the people on here. You're representing your community, your age group, and your peers. So when you act unreliable, you give everyone a bad name.  

Like I said, this is more of a rant than anything. I certainly don't expect people to change. However, it would be nice if people were more considerate. You can say no. You can be honest. Yes, you might annoy me by agreeing to something and then the next day saying you can't. However, I guarantee you that I am far more annoyed and far angrier at those that never respond; those that lie, and procrastinate, and waste my time. And if I've already paid you and you want to tell me now you can't do it? *&^% You. Seriously. You give me an honest no and I nod and move on with my life. You waste my time and I'll write an angry rant and call you out on it. Which honestly wastes more of my time? Jeese, now I'm doubly angry, I'm going to go rage eat some cookie dough icecream.