By My Side - Wendy Lou Jones - 4*'s Book Review

Ok this is a weird one for me as I loved this story... loved it... but I hated the ending and didn't see the need for the beginning either so I am awarding it 4*’s. (Contains spoilers so I can explain what did and didn't work for me)

Here are the reason why I initially gave it 5*'s.

• I sat up too late reading this story and couldn’t wait to restart it the next day, that is a 5* in my eyes. 

• I was invested in the characters, felt twinges in my heart, got offended and frustrated when they did... so 5*’s.

• The author was a doctor so her medical terminology is spot on for the times and she has insider knowledge of how fast gossip spreads around the hospital.

Why did it lose a star? 

Mainly the fact I hated the ending and that was a big sulking moment for me. I could have taken away more stars for the bits I will mention below, but seeing as I loved Katy and Adam's story it was worth 4*... if it had just been about them and not Lena or the dodgy ending, I would have given full marks. Hell I would have give it 6* out of 5* ;) Remember 4*'s is a nothing to be sniffed at!

The Author is Wendy Lou Jones, she came up with this story after seeing a redhead in a Chemist. She recently hunted her down and freaked her out by confessing she used her as a character in her book. Oh and made her pose for a photo (I am sure an injunction has been issued haha) Wendy is also obsessed with Richard Armitage so I think he is her 'Adam' in this novel, as the descriptions match.

I like to picture Katy and Adam like this in my mind. ;)

THE BLURB

The blurb was a bit confusing, I was expecting to read a story about a woman who had been cheated on and how she overcame it with help from a stranger. Then there was a bit underneath where two people are mentioned 'Katy' and 'Adam' and I realise they are the love birds... so who is Lena and why do we need her in the story... let me clear it up for you. Lena is a character who had been cheated on, failed her exams and attempted to kill herself to escape it all. Despite that her mother takes her to a funeral of a stranger. There someone begins to tell her the love story of Katy and Adam, who met shortly after Katy's Grandfather funeral, and how they were destined to fall in love as they were perfect for each other... not exactly what you want to hear at a funeral, let alone when you have had your heart broken and recently tried to put yourself in a coffin because of it. It just seemed really inappropriate and insensitive, plus her mother taking her to a funeral and leaving her alone to get her ears chewed off was weird. 

My main gripe with the book blurb is that I don't think it sells this book, it is misleading as Lena is not the main character she is more like a witness or a walk on character with maybe six lines throughout the entire book. To have the blurb based on her and not 'Katy' and Adam' was a misleading in my eyes.

SHELF APPEAL

The book cover doesn’t do the story justice and I am not sure the title is right either. I would have preferred Bed Side Manner as that was mainly what was in question from the start. Katy is not happy with Adam's bedside manner and he is well known for being a grump.

By my side, doesn't sound like it is a romance novel set in a medical profession and neither does the cover. I know a number of people who look for medical romances, especially my friends who work in hospitals or the medical profession, so it is missing a marketing opportunity there. ‘Bed Side Manner’ would have been more suitable. 

The cover is a hand holding a butterfly, I have no idea what that refers to other than a soul visiting at a funeral, and whilst we start this story at a funeral, there is far more scope for a cover set in medical romance. Even something basic like a stethoscope in a heart shape on a pair of scrubs, or hanging around a doctors neck would draw in those medical romance lovers. 

Yes it is a beautiful cover but I didn't feel it was relevant to the story and to me books with covers and titles like that usually hold a depressing story about abuse or trauma. I avoid them. This had a depressing ending but the main story was a delight to read.

ENDING - WHAT WAS THE ISSUE?

I mentioned I didn’t like the ending but I won't say exactly why, as it is a huge spoiler. It is safe to say the entire Lena part of the story was a put off for me. I would have preferred the story to just be about the protagonist Katy and her love interest Adam. Set in a hospital... simple. 

I didn’t like the jumping back and forth in time like the Princess Bride meets the Note Book, to someone being told a story at a funeral and I most certainly did not like the end. In fact the words ‘are you F***ing kidding me’ were yelled at my kindle. Good on the author for making me do that but the depressing ending wasn't explained either, I was left wondering what the hell happened. Like I nodded off and missed the end of the movie.

If I had my way, I would chop the end off and get rid of the third person, Lena, as she wasn’t needed. It turned a beautiful romance into something morbid. It felt a bit like the story was being turned it into a Greek tragedy for the sake of shock tactics. In romance the whole point is to see a happy ending without the macabre side. That detachment and melancholy of having a story end with uncertainty or tragedy is not for me. I would start it where Katy is at her grandfathers funeral, cut out Lena, embellish the two of them finally admitting they love each other and give me a 'they live happily ever after but argue frequently' ending.

In the debut novel from this author I struggled with the damage inflicted on the characters health and felt it was unnecessarily grim but hey life is cruel sometimes. I was hoping for a healthier outcome in this case so to see that type of ending again, and to the extreme, made me realise I am never going to get a happy ending from this author. There will be a tragic or fragile ending. No rainbows and unicorns here.... more like life’s a bitch and it’s gunning for you so get shagging everyone before you die.

FRUSTRATION

I spent hours reading this and wishing they would hurry up and sort themselves out. Admit their feelings and have hot make up sex which ends with a marriage proposal and kids... Yep I am that soppy.  Look I even picked out a baby grow.

When I got to the sex, it faded to black... I wasn't happy. To top it off when the characters are to all intents and purposes going to have 'the talk’... it was skipped and replaced with ‘but we had tonight’. Effectively booting me, the reader, who has invested hours in this book over the space of two days, out of the story and closing the door behind me. Only to be replaced with a time jump back to Lena and an ending I could throw rocks at.

I didn’t get to see what they had to say to one another, after ten chapters of ‘will they’ or ‘won’t they’. I felt robbed. I would have preferred to leave that door open and witness what was being said. Jeeze we read romance for confessions of the heart, not narrative from a third party sometime in the future. I want to be there, in the room like a fly on the wall when they confess their love for one another and get naked.

Plus I then had to read the ending that makes your blood run cold and your mood turn from happy to ‘what was the point in reading the story’. You can’t fan the flames of passion, snuff out the light and thrown dirt on it without readers feeling like your story has been hijacked by George R Martin and turned into an episode of Game of Thrones. It was an unnecessary twist of fate for the characters, which was cruel and disappointing. I felt like it was for shock tactics, even though I had an idea it was going all Bruce Willis a few chapters in. I just hoped the author didn't take that road... boy was I disappointed.

I had envisaged the characters singing songs like this at their wedding... No such luck.

I would recommended it, but with a warning to skip the ending as I wish I had. I even forced a friend who works in A&E to read it immediately to see if she felt the same about certain parts and 'yes,' she did. I didn't even tell her what niggled me and she sent near verbatim feedback in her email... like me she loved it, just not the Lena bits or ending. Oh and the skipping the 'talk' made her mad.

So I am going to pretend this is the ending... (the dancing bit before the shoulder tap) 

KISMET - THE STORY BEHIND THE SUBMISSION

I posted a status on facebook a few weeks ago where I admitted that I had sent a manuscript to a publisher back in May but have heard nothing from them. A few people messaged me saying they would never be brave enough to admit that, especially on Facebook, as they saw it as a 'failure'. I don't see why, as that is the journey all writers face and I am happy to share my failings as well as my successes...and here is why.

I submitted a story to a publisher and that is something to be proud of. Some people can't even finish a novel but I've completed 16 since October 2009 and have several in progress. My work has been read millions of times on-line, been number one in Romance, Chicklit, NonTeenFiction charts. It had received both good and bad feedback. That prepares me for the critics.

One of those stories is made it to the top 25 of Harlequins SYTYCW (So you think you can write) contest on Wattpad, where there was a chance to win a 3 book deal. Regardless of whether I 'won' or not, I still entered. I wrote the story in 23 days and designed my own book cover. People enjoyed reading it and it received over a million reads in a month.

The same goes for my story 'Kismet'. I had a story in my head, I typed it out and let people read it for free so I could get feedback. I designed the book cover for the entire series and that is another string to my bow.

So I've decided to share this books journey in the hope you will see why anyone who submits a story should be patting themselves on the back and not hanging their heads in shame. For the record the only time I hang my head is to look at new shoes, talk to small children and animals... or when I am drunk ;)  

Where it all began:

I started posting draft work on a writing site called Booksie in October 2009. At the end of 2010 I started to write a story called 'Kismet'. It was written in the style of a soap opera and in first person so the readers could feel like they were the character and become emotionally attached. I updated it several times a week, writing a couple of chapters after work and posting them. A bit like telling a tale around a camp fire before bed. Every morning I would find comments from readers all around the world who loved it and begged for more. They started to call themselves 'Kismet Junkies'.

I wrote 4 books in the series between 2010 and 2012, along with several other stories. It became one of the most popular books on the writing site I was using. This led to the site owners contacting me and expressing an interest in publishing it. As well as owning Booksie, Booksie Silk (adult), they also own 'The Next Big Writer' and have laughed a publishing company. However, I declined as it wasn't ready yet and I didn't feel that they were the right publisher for the series. At the same time I received offers from other publishers of the same standard, who I felt were again not aiming at my target audience or offering me anything I couldn't do for myself via self publishing.

(For those who don't believe, here is proof with anything that could identify people blurred out)

Instead of accepting the offers, I started to edit the series in-between writing other stories and working full time. I wanted to be ready to publish if a deal came along worth accepting. I also started to post Kismet on another writing site called Wattpad for more feedback. I started receiving offers on that site from Independent publishers, and again I said no. I want a romance publisher as that is my target audience and the editor would be one with a passion for romance and not figures. For the record publishers are not allowed to create accounts to contact members on Wattpad, so were quickly tapped on the shoulder and asked what they were up to when I received mine. They soon disappeared which speaks volumes for their professionalism. Eeek!

In September 2012 I was given the heads up that Harper Voyager were looking for submissions. Unfortunately I was in hospital having surgery so didn't have time to meet the deadline. I hadn't finished editing Kismet and wasn't sure which of my novels they would prefer given the publisher was more sci-fi, fantasy than romance. I asked them to choose and they chose 'Marriage Made in Heaven' a Supernatural Romance. They told me not to worry if I couldn't get it through to them as a submission as they would take a look at it on Wattpad. I couldn't believe my luck. What a lovely thing to do!

Unfortunately, that didn't happen as they were inundated and obviously the submissions took priority. However, a couple of months later I received a message saying 'Just to give you the heads up, we are launching a new brand called HarperImpulse and they are looking for Romance submissions'. There was no deadline so I shared the news with all my writer friends and gave Kismet the once over.... deciding it needed more editing.

I set about editing Kismet and stopped writing anything else. I booked time off work and got my head down. Unfortunately everyone who said they would help me with editing got caught up for whatever reason, in other aspects of their life, and I was left to do it alone. The wasn't the first time that has happened so I figured 'you wrote it alone, you can edit alone,' and that is what I did.

I spent a week editing, sitting up until god knows what time in the morning. On one occasion I noticed it was 7:00am as I was going to bed but my phone alarm went off and reminded me I had a 9:00am appointment so I went without sleep that day, and was still up editing at 6:00am the following morning. I would go to bed for 4-5 hours and get up to start again. I also redesigned the book cover, and for the first time ever put my 'real name' on the front, as apparently 'Maria' is far more romantic... but I'm not sharing my full name on this blog.

Things were coming together but like most amateur writers I can't afford an editor. Plus they would need to be British, as I use English Dialogue and UK spelling. There is nothing worse than sending off a chapter and getting it back weeks later... Americanised! 

In May I finally submitted it to HarperImpulse but by this time, they were inundated with submissions from authors who were far more prepared.Some were already signed with other publishers, others were self published or ready to click submit the day submissions opened. They were 'polished' and could helped launch the brand immediately. That meant Kismet had to take a seat in the email box gathering dust in HarperImpulses office.

I was happy to leave it there and started talks with Avon Books, Harlequin, Beachwalk Press etc. The only issue was my stories were too long. They had to be 50,000 words or 65,000 max. We agreed I would write something for them instead as I didn't want to cut my current stories in half. Also Harlequin US were referring me to the UK branch but the UK branch replied saying they only accept series from their 'own' office. In the end I spent far too much time trying to get one office to talk directly to the other and gave up. I decided to focus on writing new stories to the 50K word count instead. 

The word count started to niggle at me and got me thinking about Kismet and how I wasn't happy with the end of book one. I discussed it with others and agreed a new place to end book one which would lower the word count. That meant I had to withdraw it from HarperImpulse but I didn't think they would mind, as it had been sat in their inbox for 5 months... it was now September and I'd bet a case of wine they hadn't even looked at it. 

I advised them that I wanted to change the end of the first book and transfer it to the beginning of the second. This would lower the word count. They agreed, I fixed it, formatted it with the help of another author and sent it back. I also had 4 other stories ready to go. I wasn't sure if they wanted them so asked and they said 'Ooo yes please'. I got them ready and sent a quick email asking if they needed to be one email or separate. They were 'excited' to receive them and each was sent separately. I felt better about this submission... until my laptop connection went 'tits up' and I wasn't sure they received them. Lucky for me I received email confirmation. Job done... move on!

It has been 8 months since my initial submission and 4 months since my resubmission, with the 4 additional works. I have not heard anything from HarperImpulse other than the automatic email response. I haven't sat back and worried about it or convince myself they don't like it, as I know they will. That is not to say they would ever publish it, just that I have confidence that should they take the time to read it they would probably wonder why they left it there so long. 

Kismet is realistically still sat in an email box with a pile of other stories... 4 of which are mine, and the chances of it being read this year, zero.  I know authors who HarperImpulse have already published, who have sent through their next novel as requested and been told don't expect to hear back for a few weeks as they are a small team and very busy. I know other who have been given 'the call' and are busy working with the publisher to get their novel released. 

KISMET will have it's day! (As will my other stories), at the moment it is 'my friends' day. 

I don't sit on my bum worrying about it. During Kismet's stay in the HarperImpulse inbox I've wrote three new books, finished two others, carried out reviews and entered writing competitions for the first time in my life. I've met hundreds of other authors on line and built wonderful friendships. Been given advice to help me becoming a better writer and been read millions of times. 

HarperImpulse have published some great stories this year. To do that they have had to read countless submissions, agreeing offers, cover art design, editing, marketing, attending lush award etc. I bet there are days when they don't want to see another bloody submission. They want to go get drunk and talk about anything so long as it isn't 'Romance Novels'. 

I am not sitting waiting on them to open my email and read my story. That would be foolish and unambitious. I am carrying on as normal. Writing, editing, cover designing, entering competitions, researching other publishers so when they are looking for submissions I am ready like the others were before. Not forgetting my personal and work life that demands attention and isn't as easily sated by 'wifi' as my writing life.

I am not putting all my eggs in one basket either. Next week I have two more stories going to a publisher one of which took me a weekend to write and is about to be featured on a writing site, it is called 'Love In Bloom'. I wrote it in the space of one weekend. 

A few weeks ago Harlequin asked for the full MS of 'Do Not Touch' for SYTYCW which took me 23 days to write. I let readers chose the names etc... all except one. Annie, as the book is dedicated to my aunt who passed away a short time before I started to write it. The story didn't win SYTYCW but Harlequin are going to send me 'feedback' and were impressed with the high standard. That in itself makes it worth the submission.

I also participated in NaNo again this year and won with over 70k word count, despite a late start due to SYTYCW and designing covers for others who were taking part in NaNo. Wattpad have a competition where you can win £2k for being part of NaNo and sharing your story on their site :) I'll have some of that thank you.

So as you can see there is nothing for me to feel a failure about. Plus I have received this from Wattpad! Mae Day has achieved a 'milestone' as one of their 'Most Read' in 2013 with nearly two million reads. I didn't even know there was such a thing but I still screamed and clapped like a sea-lion when I read it. It made my day! 

Then I received another email from them announcing I had achieved another Milestone. 'Love is in the Heir' was also one of their Most Read of 2013. It has over two million reads and was used to celebrate the Royal Birth, which made me one proud Brit!

I was so proud of my stories success that when I received the next email congratulating me on being one of Wattpads Most Active Members e.g. Followed, posting stories and interacting with users via comments sections on my stories etc, I was stoked!

In reflection, Kismet may be sat in that 'Inbox' waiting to be read but it is also on Wattpad users phones, tablets, Laptop etc all over the world. It is being read at this very moment by someone who doesn't care if it is sat waiting in a publisher inbox. They are just happy to read it for free as some of them don't have access to libraries or money to buy books. That is why I post on writing sites like Wattpad because now I can truly say I have been read by millions of people, worldwide from every background. At present I have nearly 12,000 followers (fans) and that is the best focus group any writer can ask for. :)

Here is to another successful year! (Pats self on back and holds head high!)

UPDATE: I still hadn't heard anything by the end of January 2014. As such I figured it's been 9 months and that is long enough to leave a story in an email box, let alone the 4 other stories. I didn't receive a reply to three emails asking if they had been received ok. Also enquiring if the time to hear back was still 3 months', one in November, December and January.

I spent a sleepless night pondering over a decision I had wanted to make the previous week but held off as I didn't want it to be 'knee Jerk' reaction. The next morning I was absolutely positive I wanted to do it and withdrew my submissions.  I've had no reply to my email to withdraw them either.

I felt much better for the decision. I was taking the power back instead of waiting and waiting... it was like exam results. Was your work up to scratch? When I made the decision I shared it on my social network, several authors congratulated me on being brave enough to do it. Some even shared their own experiences and it confirmed I have made the right choice.

I am now going to use my time to edit and consider serial publishing. It is far more productive than waiting in an email box. Wish me luck! 

Confessions of a Chalet Girl - Lorraine Wilson (5*)

Take the chill out of your bones with this hot little read!

Any novel that references a Pushme-Pullyou and used the word acquiescence gets my vote!

A lovely quick read with plenty of nookie to get your knickers fizzing and ready for a romance of your own.

Having never been skiing and no knowledge of chalet life other than my 'posh' friends seasonal snaps and my horrific experience of snowboarding in Leicester (eeek!), I was a little worried that I wouldn't get the terminology or be able to picture the scene clearly but I was wrong... my eyes got frost bite just reading about the snow and my glasses steamed up with the frisky bits. Wooo hooo!

I was cheering on Holly to get her man who I thought was bit of a cocky got at first but hey ain't they all. He was angst ridden, and a lovely bit of rough and ready who I wouldn't mind having a go on my slopes!

All in all a fabulous little Novella. Five stars for making me want to go skiing... well go get drunk in the snow and lose my bra in the bar! (Usual winter antics no matter where I am)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D64IQ9E/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

HARPER IMPULSE TAKING SUBMISSIONS

Harper Collins have a new brand called 'Harper Impulse' who will focus on Romance and they calling for Submissions e.g. novels, short stories, novellas etc so pass this on to your writer friends. 

This is what they say:

HarperCollins are launching a brand new romance imprint, and we are giving you the opportunity to submit your novel, novellas and short stories to us for consideration.

We are looking for new authors with fresh voices, strong storytelling abilities, original ideas and compelling storylines. So, if you believe your manuscript has these qualities, then we want to read it!

Successful manuscripts will be edited, designed, marketed and published digitally by HarperCollins under a new imprint. HarperCollins, Publisher of the Year 2012, has a long tradition of publishing high quality fiction by authors.

We’re seeking all kinds of adult and new adult romantic fiction for digital publication, but particularly contemporary, historical, new adult and erotic fiction as well as short form content.

If you have a manuscript to submit, follow these easy guidelines and move one step closer to making your dreams come true …

How To Submit A Manuscript To submit, e-mail us at romance@harpercollins.co.uk with your completed manuscript and the following information:

Your contact details

Genre

Approx length

A short synopsis

A little about you...

Submissions Guidelines

How long does my book need to be? We are looking for novels of any length!

Can I submit a manuscript that I am still working on? No. Please only submit full-length manuscripts that are completed and polished.

What font/margin/size should I use? Your manuscript needs to be double-spaced, readable, and submitted in MS Word format.

Can I submit more than one manuscript? Yes, you can send in more than one manuscript but you will need to submit each separately. If your work is a trilogy or series, please only submit the first manuscript.

Can I submit someone else’s material? No. The manuscript must be your own original work. If your manuscript is accepted, you will be asked to sign a declaration stating that it is all your own work.

Will you accept a manuscript even if the subgenre isn’t listed? Yes, we will consider other subgenres

I’m an agent. Should I use this to submit my client’s manuscript? Agents should pitch and submit projects in the usual fashion.

Can I submit if my manuscript is under consideration with another publisher? Yes. But please be upfront with us.

Do you accept manuscripts that have been previously published, including self-published? Yes, we will consider work that has been previously published if the author has retained full volume rights or had full volume rights revert to them. Please provide the publication details.

I have submitted my book to HarperCollins in the past and it has been declined. Can I resubmit? Yes. But it might be best to submit something fresh.

Which editor should I address my submission to? There is no need to specify an editor.

Will I be notified when my manuscript is submitted? Yes, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your submission. Please check your junk email filter for this automated email. If you do not receive an automatic response, please email us at romance@harpercollins.co.uk with the title and date of your submission.

How long will you take to respond? Due to the volume of submissions, we will only be able to contact you if your project is the right fit. If you have not received a response in three months time, unfortunately your project wasn’t right for our current list.

Will there be any feedback? We can’t guarantee feedback but we will try!

Will you publish my book into print? This is a digital first imprint – so whilst there is no guarantee there is a possibility that submissions will be published in print as well.

Does submission guarantee publication? No.  Once submitted, our editorial team will review your manuscript to determine if it is the right fit for our list.  If it is, we will contact you and you will be required to sign our standard publishing agreement before we proceed further.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarperImpulse

Email address: romance@harpercollins.co.uk

More info here.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/harperimpulse/how-to-submit-a-manuscript/518241241547417

And here.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/harperimpulse/submission-guidelines/518241354880739

I have created this checklist to ensure nothing is missed... get editing and good luck!

REVIEW LIST

I am receiving a lot of requests from authors, agents and publicists to review books. Please email airambooksie@gmail.com I can add you to my list but be warned if I don't like the book, I won't finish it and I won't write a shitty review. I will give feedback to the author but not post a review. 

I only post the reviews of books I like or have potential to improve with the help of a professional publisher as I review Indie Authors too. 

I have a review coming up for Fifty Shades of Grey as I promised Erica and being there from the beginning of Fanfiction.net where FSOG was 'Master of the Universe'... I am finally getting around to it. 

Also a review of an Indie Author who is about to self publish a collection of Short Stories and poems which are ideal for coffee breaks. 

I didn't get to submit my work to Harper Voyager during the call for submissions the October as I had my operation but they sent me a message when I came out of hosptial wishing me a speedy recovery and told me to concentrate on getting well as they will look at my Wattpad account instead. Thank you Harper Team!

WATTPAD - WRITING SITE WINNER REVIEW AND TOUR

I carried out my review last week in relation to 'writing sites' I have used for the past few years. I chose a winner based on what they had to offer, could you use it easily on the move, plus the scope for you as a writer to be able to reach readers and receive feedback. The winner was Wattpad!

I promised to share my experience of Wattpad and how I use it daily with a quick tour. Here it goes, I hope it makes sense and does the site justice. 

What is Wattpad?
Watt stands for Wattage as in electronic and Pad is book, 'Ebook'. At least that is how I look at it.

(These are stats taken from an email I received back in May)

Wattpad is the world's largest community of readers and writers. It's the free and fun way to read online! Whether you’re an avid reader or an aspiring writer, Wattpad is the best place to discover and share unlimited stories. Everyday millions of people use Wattpad to read great fiction or share their own creative writing. It's the only community that offers a mobile, social, eReading experience!

Also, here are the latest stats about us: 

From About page:

• 3.2 million stories posted with another 300,000+ added every month
• 8 Million unique monthly visitors
• 1 comment posted every second
• Many popular titles have over 10 million reads and more than 10,000 comments

Extra info:

Usage doubles every 6 months

1.5 billion minutes a month spent on Wattpad

One of our most popular unpublished teen writers (xxSkater2Girl16xx) has a story with almost 20M reads

Here are the team... yep real people!

Wattpad is worldwide and used by millions of people not just English speaking so there is a language choice:

They have 'Watty Awards' each year which as you can see includes prizes! If you are writing work which is G rated to PG13 you can enter Watty Awards. (RRated is not accepted)

They have competitions e.g. Poetry which is called 'Atty's as it is run in conjunction with Margaret Attwood who is a Wattpad member.

Evidence of accomplished writers supporting Wattpad: 

Margaret Attwood http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Atwood

Paulo Coelho http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Coelho

Vincent Lam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Lam

Success Stories of writers being found on Wattpad by Publishers: 

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Authors/11436/abigail-gibbs

What did the Publisher see on Wattpad to make them offer Abbie a deal?

So how will things look to you when you start to use Wattpad... here is my profile. I initially joined in Oct 2010 but didn't start using it until March 2012. You can see how many fans, reads, votes, dedications etc I have just from six months. 

It is so easy to use and it is incredibly rare for the servers to go down. If they do they are back up before you have a chance to flag it.

Here is an example of what your work could look like on Wattpad. *Note there is 'chat' just like Facebook.

Wattpad allow RRated work to be on their site but should something have content which is 'risque' they will mark it 'Private'.  

Wattpad rules of site:

R - The story's content is considered "adult". Stories that are rated R cannot qualify for Wattpad's "What's Hot" listing. The violence, sexuality and story lines are not suitable for all readers. Occasional description of sexual scenes are included and characters may act violently and with dark motives. Please note that pornography is not considered adult and will not be permitted on Wattpad. R rated content may include stories that touch upon or refer to, BUT DO NOT DESCRIBE IN DETAIL mature themes, such as: serious drug use, prostitution, suicide, and all types of abuse. Graphic depiction of any of the preceding may result in your story being removed from Wattpad. In an R rated story characters swear and use impolite, derogatory terms. Actions and things can be described using swear words or impolite, derogatory terms.

Please Note: The story content includes textual and any images and videos associated with a story. Wattpad reserves the right to remove stories that do not follow these guidelines.

Wattpad encourages authors to self rate stories they have uploaded and to report stories that they think deserve a higher rating.

RESTRICTED MATERIAL

Do not submit any material that is unlawful, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, pornographic, harassing, hateful, racially offensive, or is otherwise inappropriate. We will promptly remove any such material submitted to the service.

If you want to read more adult content you can click the 'mature' button to have them included. It is a new feature and a work in progress. You can also chose to only show 'completed' work so you are not left waiting on chapter updates. (You will get an email when someone updates if you are a fan). You must also know the name of the book you are searching for and chose the category and length e.g. short story 6 pages to read over coffee at work.

If you know the person you are looking for you can search their name. 

Wattpad have Forums, Clubs etc where you can get advice, share you story or discover new ones that people are recommending. 

Wattpad have Ninja's... yep Ninja's or Ambassadors, where writers volunteer to keep and eye on the 'forums' or 'meet and greet' new users etc. Below is one example and this writer prefers to write 'short stories' which I enjoy as they are quite 'Twilight Zone', he is also a volunteer and helps keep things running smoothly. http://www.wattpad.com/user/TheOrangutan

If you have an issue there is a help desk which actually 'Helps'. No attitude, or waiting days for a reply. It is received, acknowledged, assigned, you are emailed and stick with the same person until it is resolved.

What does the helpdesk ticket look like?

Who is dealing with your request? 

As you can see it is a quick tour, and I am sure you will love it and find it has everything you could every need as a reader or writer. They also have Meet Up's all around the world e.g. London, Toronto, New York etc. I attended the 'London Meet Up', Allen Lau was there who is one of the co-founders and a delightful chap who didn't mind getting his hands dirty dragging chairs around when more and more people arrived. Maria was also in attendance and as you can see a user know most of them on a 'first name basis'. Kevin is a very helpful chap on the Helpdesk. Eva who is pictured above is lovely and has a passion for poetry which is infectious. What other site do you use where you know peoples names, have met them face to face, who know about you and your stories,  who never see it as a chore because they are passionate about writing like you? The other thing they are passionate about is your success.

I have recommended Wattpad to so many people in the past few months e.g friends, family, people at work, in cafes, nightclubs, pubs, gym, doctors, nurses, facebook, twitter etc and all love it. With the recession in full force in the UK lots of people couldn't afford new books, or a night out so love the free reads, the endless library of talent at their finger tips and were in awe of the cover art and trailers made by users. Several of my friends were avid readers but never dared to write as they felt 'silly', now thanks to Wattpad they are addicted to getting the words on a page and writing their own books. 

What you waiting for join over 5 million other users and become a Wattpadder http://www.wattpad.com