Marketing Tools: My Wattpad Experience

Over at the #NALitChat on Twitter (Thursdays, 9pm EST), we've been talking a lot about marketing. And one subject that has come up a lot is Wattpad and discussion about what kind of marketing tool it is. There are lots of success stories of authors gaining popularity there and selling tons of books--sometimes even getting publishing contracts like Abigail Gibbs who landed a six figure publishing deal for her vampire novel. But like all forms of marketing, these success stories don't spell out a guarantee for other authors. The big question seems to be this: Is Wattpad worth it?

Short answer from me? Yes.

I posted an older version of my first book Heirs of War on Wattpad last summer, and the book was featured in September, just a month before the release of the published version (read: the version that had an editor). The people at Wattpad were great. I originally had the book listed as Adult (it's actually New Adult, but there isn't a category for that) but they suggested I switch it to Teen in order to reach a larger audience. The promotion they gave the book was stellar--they posted a "Cover Off" for readers to choose between two covers (which ultimately helped me decide) and posted about it on Facebook and Twitter.

Eight months later, my book is still ranking on their lists. It's currently #146 for Fantasy with over 800k reads. (Quick explanation: The amount of reads you have is actually a total of every chapter. For me, Chapter 1 has almost 600k reads, but Chapter 25 has almost 10k. So I think around 10k people have finished the book.) I have 2k followers on there and am constantly getting new ones. People are still commenting on the book, and I love getting to see what they think of specific parts.

Now, the big question a lot of authors might have for Wattpad is whether or not it will help drive sales. I can't really say until the second book comes out this summer (though I will be sure to post an update), but I can try to answer some of the questions I've seen about Wattpad based on my experience.

If you post your book for free on Wattpad, won't you lose sales? 
Mmmm....yes and no. On the one hand, if you have the book for free, then why will people buy it? But some people will. The great thing about Wattpad is that there are loyal readers there. You give them something, and they are going to give back and continue to follow you. One on one interaction is key in building strong reader-writer relationships, and Wattpad is the perfect place for that. And Wattpad has put my book in front of an audience I might not have been able to reach otherwise as a debut author.

But won't people expect you to post all of your books for free on there too? Especially if it is a series?
Again, there's some truth to this. First of all, your book might not be available to every country that Wattpad can reach. I've had quite a few readers from the Philippines and Africa who have told me that they can't find the book for sale in their areas. So what do I do? I ask them to tell me who they shop through, and assure them that I will do everything I can do get my book out there. Recently, this meant expanding my distribution to Google Play, which is something that hadn't occurred to me before.

That being said, there's a negative side to this as well because *some* people will get mad that you aren't offering your other books for free. I've had maybe a handful of people get snotty with me when they found out the second book won't be available in its entirety on Wattpad. And that's after I explained in my FAQs that I have an editor and a cover artist I need to pay (and those little things called bills that adults have to deal with). But those people are few and far between, even if they are quite loud. More often than not, I have people telling me how excited they are to buy the next book or promising to buy everything I write for the rest of time. Will all of those people follow through? Probably not, but the support still means something.

Isn't Wattpad a huge time commitment? I'm already on every form of social media known to man.
I guess it can be, depending on how you use it. It isn't for me, but I skipped a lot of the audience building by having my book featured. If you are doing a serial, then it can be more time consuming as you try to engage readers in the "clubs" (forums) and leave reviews for other works in hopes that the author will return the favor. I haven't had experience with this side of Wattpad since I skipped ahead with getting featured. I do take some time with it, but much less than with other forms of social media. I try to respond to every message and comment I get, and some days they add up more than others. But I wouldn't call it a huge time commitment. It's honestly one of the best parts for me. I love seeing what people have to say and answering their questions and theories about my series.

Isn't Wattpad just another place to post fanfiction?
Yes, but there's a lot more to it than that. With big name authors who have best sellers under their belts like Kevin J Anderson, Margaret Atwood, Kim Harrison, and Jessica Sorensen (just to name a few) joining in and featuring their works there, it's hard not to see the benefits of Wattpad. Brandon Sanderson's WarBreaker was featured the same week as Heirs of War. Is there fanfiction on Wattpad? Yes. After all, fanfiction is where some authors (like me) start. Are there original works on Wattpad that will make you cringe to read? Yes. Heck, the version of Heirs of War that is on Wattpad is enough to make any professional writer cringe. But as the Wattpad site and community continue to grow, so does the level of professionalism that might be seen on there.

If I'm not using Wattpad to drive sales, then what is the point?
To connect with readers! Thanks to Wattpad, Heirs of War has been embraced by readers all over the world, and I've been able to connect directly with those readers. And I continue to engage them with things like my Fan Favorites Contest and Shipping Wars, where they vote for their favorite character or relationship and are entered to win a chance to appear in an extra scene or write a scene with me. I get a lot of requests to read people's stories on there or to cowrite, so getting a chance to work with a reader is great. I hate having to say no, but realistically I have to because there just isn't enough time in the day. But contests like this allow me to still get that opportunity, which is so rewarding. I've also posted preview chapters for the second book and will be using Wattpad to post deleted and extra scenes for the entire series. I might not be able to give the readers all of my books for free, but I can do my best to give them as much as possible as a thank you for their enthusiasm and support.

The bottom line is this: Word of mouth is essential for authors. While Wattpad reads don't necessarily equate to sales for everyone, what it does mean is that you are reaching more people and building direct relationships with those readers. And they'll remember that. To me, those relationships are the best marketing tool you can have. You might not reach a million followers like some of the other success stories, but that doesn't mean the ones you do gain don't matter. They do, and I think it will pay off in the long run.

What are your thoughts on Wattpad? Do you have questions about it I didn't cover? Let me know! I'm always happy to help.

Writerly Lesson: Success Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

We all know by now that I'm still a bit of a newb-sauce when it comes to the writerly world. Which is why I love sharing my little epiphanies with you guys. And lucky for you, I had one today.

I've been in a funk all day. I haven't wanted to write. I haven't wanted to read. All I've done is play Candy Crush Saga (I caved and joined the craze yesterday) and listen to music with the general attitude of blarg. But I haven't been able to figure out why.

At first I thought it was because I had just written a really really rough death scene yesterday. (Trust me, it's bad. Like, people might come after me with pitch forks kinda bad. Hell, I want to come after me with pitch forks after what I wrote. But I digress...) I don't think it was that, though. Yes, that sucked. But this wasn't my first death rodeo. Just my worst.

So what else could it be? Things are pretty awesome in my writerly world right now. Wattpad is going amazingly. I have over 1000 followers and votes now and close to 100,000 reads. And I was lucky enough this weekend to go meet two of my critique partners, Leigh Statham and Heather Raglin. Leigh is quite the social butterfly, enthusiastically going around to authors she might might not have even heard of and chatting them up. She would introduce me, and tell them that my book is coming out next month. And they would congratulate me, which left me turning beat red.

Why? Because I wanted to brush off the congratulations in the same way I do with my friends and family who are excited about my book being published. I want to tell them "Pfft...I'm doing it myself. It's not that big of a deal."

And that's what has hit me tonight. You see, it is that big of a deal. I want to downplay it because, in my mind, it's not like anyone has chosen to publish me. No one has picked my work out of the slushpile and said "Yes! This!!" No one chose me, so I don't deserve the congratulations.

But they did. The thing is, those Wattpad views, followers, and votes mean something. As I type this, around 1500 people have finished reading my book in the three weeks since it has been featured on the Wattpad site (only around 20 had finished up to chapter twenty-five before). Does that mean I am destined to become the next Amanda Hocking? No. But it's a pretty good start.

I suppose that is my point. Success comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't have to mean sales (especially if you aren't selling anything yet) or contracts. You don't have to become an overnight success. But those people that are reading your work and encouraging you? They matter more than I can say. That is how we as authors should measure our success. Because let me tell you, the highlight of my day is reading the comments people leave me and answering the messages they send. Sometimes I think my book can't possibly good enough to warrant this, but in the end, I'm not the judge of that. The readers are. And I have to say, my readers are pretty freaking awesome.

The Ups and Downs of My Writerly World

I'm sitting here, thinking I should take a nap before I set off for my evening plans. Why is a nap necessary? Well, in case you don't follow me on Facebook, here's the long and short of it:

My doctor tells me I have carpal tunnel AND tendonitis. Because, you know, I'm an overachiever like that.

So my meds make me really sleepy and it is seriously hard to type with this thing on. But I have to wear it for three weeks. And I still have the nerve conduction study to look forward to. *grumble*

That's pretty much the "down" part of my writerly world right now. The "up" part is what is keeping me awake right now. I set my release date for Heirs of War. September 13th! The cover reveal will be August 30th. I know, I know...that's cutting it closer than most. But I have a reason for that. A reason that involves even MORE good news and excitement.

Wattpad has agreed to feature Heirs of War starting September 11th! If I could dance a jig without threatening to break something or cause myself further injury, I would. As part of their promotion, they will be doing a "Cover-Off", which will help me decide which cover to use. Because, honestly, sometimes Gretchen is just too good. Since the cover-off is the deciding factor, I won't be revealing the cover until around a week after.

And, to keep the good news rolling, one of my nearest and dearest is also setting up another marketing promotion type thing for me, which she informed me of last night. More on that as it unfolds. :)

So where will I be in the weeks before my book launches? At DragonCon, of course, waving my fangirl flag high and proud. I just found out I'll have a bit more money than I expected to spend, which means my dream of being in the middle of one of the sexiest sandwiches ever for a fangirl (James Marsters + John Barrowman....Yup: Captain Jack and Spike!!) might be coming true.

Now...what was I saying about that nap? Oh, right. Not likely! =D

P.S. I redesigned the blog, too. Hope you guys like it!

The Paranoia That Accompanies Posting Your Work Online

As I talked about in my last blog, I decided to post Heirs of War on Wattpad as I edit. I've posted all the way up to chapter 16 and am currently banging my head against the brick wall that is chapter 17 and the changes that need to be made.

But I digress. So, I've been trying to become active in the Wattpad community because, well, that's what you do. I tried to do the same with Figment, but in getting so overwhelmed by spam, I just deleted my account. Which I feel bad about because I promised some people I would read their story. One thing I have learned to be annoyed by is the people in the writing community who want something for nothing. Don't expect people to read your work or comment on your work in a contest if you aren't willing to do the same. Make a commitment to the community and you will reap the rewards.

That's a soapbox for another day, I suppose. Because the point of this blog is all about writerly insecurity. Yup, I has it. I didn't think I did. Well, not that bad anyway. But man does this whole read counts and voting system really screw with a novice writer's head. I might even blame it for my current dilemma with chapter 17. You see, I have (currently) 155 reads according to my title page with the blurb. Does that mean 155 people have read that page, or total for the story? No clue. I explored the site but didn't find an answer, got frustrated, and went back to writing.

Moving on. Chapter 1 has 61 reads, and chapters 2 and 16 have 9. But! Some of the in between chapters have as little as 2 reads. Does that mean people are skipping around? Or the reads count is inaccurate? No clue.

Moving on. Out of 61 reads, I only have 2 votes (both by people I know). Does this mean it sucks? Or do people wait until the story is complete to vote for it? No clue.

And not sure if I should move on. I'm wondering if maybe this whole Wattpad thing is creating more of a fuss in my head than it has the potential to give me reassurance that all my effort is worth it. I'm not willing to do the whole "Read/vote for my story, and I'll read/vote for yours" thing that annoyed me so much on Figment. I've got a list of stories I am going to critique, but I made it clear they owed me nothing but patience in return. If someone is going to read my story, I want it to be because they like it, not because of some deal.

Maybe that means I am the wrong kinda author for sites like that. I'm going to give Fictionpress a shot since they don't appear to have anything like the systems used on Wattpad and Figment. And I suppose I will keep posting on Wattpad until the story is done...but not with much confidence I will gain anything at this point.

Why I've Decided to Post on Wattpad

Now, I know this doesn't sound like a big deal. But it is, I swear.

The thing is, I have edited the crap out of Heirs of War. I've also queried the crap out of it. There are a few critique partners who still have it, and a few have offered their insights already. Of course, I know that you can't make everyone happy, so I've been working on incorporating some of those suggestions while I mull over a few others. I'm still working on that. I've also sent a sample to my editor friend to see what kind of editing she thinks it would need before self-publishing.

Where do I start??

Because that's what I've decided to do. Honestly, I think I decided it a while ago and was just querying out of habit. I mean, why else would I go ahead and hire a cover artist if I hadn't, somewhere in the back of my mind, decided self-publishing was the way to go? Gretchen is still working on the cover, but I'm using the last mockup she sent me in the meantime. Why? Because I can't help but show off all her awesome work.

I digress. You might be asking yourself why I would decide to post my MS on Wattpad since I am A) still editing, B) still waiting on my editor friend to get back to me along with CPs, and C) intending to self-publish anyway. The answer is simple, really.

To find out if it is worth it.

I know, I know. It sounds silly. I should have said something like "To help build an audience before I publish", which is part of the reason. But the real reason is simply validation. I've been trying to decide what to do with Heirs of War for months now, shying away from even looking at it because that question is so complicated. Do I self-publish and possibly shoot myself in the foot for future endeavors I might want to get published the traditional way? Do I rewrite the entire series to cater to the requests of the publishing world, telling the story of only one character instead of five? (Had multiple professionals advise this) Or do I shelve it completely, hoping something else I write works out better and opens the door for this to get published down the road?

Is your head spinning? I know mine has been. But then something funny happened when I watched the season finale of Doctor Who.

Who am I to argue with the Doctor?

I decided to write a one-shot fanfiction because this nagging little epilogue scene wouldn't leave me alone. I loved sharing that one moment of my fanfiction. I got reviews, the story gained followers, people favorited the story...And I was exhilarated. I wanted to write more. And believe it or not, that fanfiction helped me remember why I got into this gig to begin with.

I want to share my story, the story of these five girls embarking on five different epic journeys that will ultimately lead them all to the same path. Every trial, every romantic moment, every heartbreak, every loss--I am chomping at the bit to share these moments with all of you.

So I am going to do just that. And I am going to keep editing, keep incorporating my CPs' notes, chat with my editor friend, and gush over the new cover. When I get the finished product, I'll start the process of self-publishing. Or I'll just leave it there as I move on to book 2. Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride.

You can find Heirs of War on Wattpad. Chapters will be posted as I finish editing them (this go round, anyway).