Does anyone use Wattpad to create a platform?

ACAuthors

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I read an article about using Wattpad to gain attention for an already published novel. This would be for authors not restricted by KDP select. The blog said that publishing your book one chapter a week on wattpad (a free reading and publishing website) with a link to purchase the book at the end of the chapter for readers not wanted to wait for more was an excellent way to sell a book.

Anybody else tried this? Or use Wattpad in some other way? I've got a sample of my book on there and some fanfiction, but I was wondering how other people felt about wattpad.
 

waylander

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I'm on there with some previously-published short stories but they are getting very few reads. I spend more time on there answering questions about agents and publishing.
 

LJD

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The audience on Wattpad skews young and female. So you may have the most success if you write something that appeals to teenage girls.

I have posted more on my Wattpad experience here. Since writing that post a year ago, I have put a third story on Wattpad, as well as an excerpt from one of my published novellas. (I do not have permission to put the whole thing on Wattpad.) While I have lots of reads, particularly for my story that got on the Featured List, I don't think any of those people are buying my published books, so it hasn't done much for me in that respect.
 

ACAuthors

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I read the thread you posted. It was really helpful! I suspect I might not do that well on Wattpad since my own writing may not appeal to teenage girls. I deal in the paranormal, but it has more adult themes. Thanks for the input!
 

Graylorne

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I have one book on Wattpad, the #1 of my Shardheld Saga. It is permafree in all stores, so it wasn't much of a risk. I posted the 15 chapters between January and this month, and I arranged with the Wattpad people to have it posted as a featured book.
Up to now I have 1.3k reads and 39 votes, and some 40-odd followers in 35 countries.
Of my readers is 54% female, 30% male, the rest private. Age 13-18 is 37%, 18-25 is 22%, the rest is over 35 or undisclosed.

At first it wasn't much, but after I got featured, the numbers started to add up. Hardly any comments, though and those only complimentary, but nothing about the content as such.

I don't think it will help you with sales. I find many readers are both young and living in places where books are (too) expensive. So to them Wattpad is a popular way to read books.
 

ACAuthors

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I have one book on Wattpad, the #1 of my Shardheld Saga. It is permafree in all stores, so it wasn't much of a risk. I posted the 15 chapters between January and this month, and I arranged with the Wattpad people to have it posted as a featured book.
Up to now I have 1.3k reads and 39 votes, and some 40-odd followers in 35 countries.
Of my readers is 54% female, 30% male, the rest private. Age 13-18 is 37%, 18-25 is 22%, the rest is over 35 or undisclosed.

At first it wasn't much, but after I got featured, the numbers started to add up. Hardly any comments, though and those only complimentary, but nothing about the content as such.

I don't think it will help you with sales. I find many readers are both young and living in places where books are (too) expensive. So to them Wattpad is a popular way to read books.

Have you posted book two yet? Is that free? Do you think that's helped you with sales for book 2?
 

Graylorne

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I posted only book 1 from the trilogy; the other two are not free. The links where to buy them are in my profile. I don't know if it helps me with sales, not in the short run.

I started this to see how my story is received, especially by a younger public; Wattpad has some handy statistics. But ten days is too short for anything conclusive.
 

Woollybear

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A friend of mine is looking into these sorts of avenues and I've also been intrigued by wattpad in the past.

I intend to post free novellas on my website and thought it might be a way to increase interest in the published novel. She pointed out I could also post chapter-by-chapter of the novellas on wattpad as another marketing tactic to drive traffic to the website or to the novel.

So, question: Is this information still fairly accurate? From this thread it looks like watt pad doesn't really help with sales (of other stuff). Still true, or do some of all y'all have other experiences about it?