Secrets To Writing

(5f) How To Establish Yourself On Wattpad In 6 Easy Steps

Establishing an online presence as a budding author can be a daunting process, especially if you're still trying to pick a platform.

While indie authors primarily build their readership by promoting through their personal website and social media, linking up with a storytelling community could bring you a whole new audience.

Since launching in 2007, Wattpad has established itself as the preeminent "global multi-platform entertainment company for stories", with a monthly audience of over 80 million readers.

It's a great platform for writers of YA fiction, as 90% of users belong to either Gen Y or Z – those born between 1981 and 2012. But YA is not the be-all and end-all of Wattpad.

With over 20 categories ranging from non-fiction to thriller, there's a little something for everyone – even fan fiction writers and poets.

Nothing in life is perfect, however, and Wattpad isn't without its cons. With over 350,000 stories published across 50 languages, getting your work discovered can be difficult and unrewarding.

But if you're keen to tap into this vast wealth of readership, check out our six-step guide for getting started on Wattpad, embracing this rapidly expanding platform, and maximising your chance of exposure.

Step #1: Pick the Right Username

What's in a name? Juliet has long pondered the meaning of names and the power they hold, and as an up-and-coming author, you should too.

Choosing the right username or pen name is a crucial step in establishing your online writing presence. After all, your name is directly linked to your brand, and choosing one that's misleading could result in a loss of audience.

On Wattpad, you can't choose an existing ID as your username, so there's a smaller chance of having your work confused with someone else's – something that can happen in the real world.

If you have a common name, you may be familiar with the need to use random numbers to establish a point of difference. However, when selecting your Wattpad ID, this is not recommended.

The addition of descriptors such as 'author', 'writes' or 'the' creates a point of difference without the unprofessional look of random numbers. 'JohnSmithAuthor' is preferable to 'JohnSmith39584'.

Your username has the ability to establish your niche, and if you're writing across multiple genres, picking something that has broad appeal will yield the most benefit.

For example, even if you dabble in K-pop fan fiction when not working on your urban fantasy, selecting the username BTS-lover-19 might not be the best choice, as it leans too heavily towards your side hustle.

Writers of genre fiction such as sci-fi, fantasy and crime often rely heavily on pseudonyms to help fit into the market.

Psycho-thriller author Allison Potter, for example, adopted the name Ali Knight to fit more appropriately with her genre.

If your real or pen name, Wattpad ID and Twitter/Instagram handles are all the same, you can solidify your online brand and open up clear channels for cross-platform promotion – which you're still going to need, even with the power of Wattpad's readership.

But more on that later.

Step #2: Harness The Power Of Tags

Getting discovered online can feel impossible when there are hundreds of thousands of potential competitors. To have the best chance of reaching your target audience, you need to increase your story's visibility through the clever use of tags.