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One of our most popular unpublished teen writers (xxSkater2Girl16xx) has a story with almost 20M reads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

SEXY NEW PAPERBACK - THE DARK HEROINE - ABIGAIL GIBBS

Harper Voyager Books - Show off Paperback of The Dark Heroine By Abigail Gibbs
Sexy Book Alert!!! The dark edge of these pages match it contents. 

Kaspar may sound like a friendly Ghost but far from it. He bites... literally! 

A shimmering silver sticker to entice the reader with promises of naughty business!

Face it, it will look so pretty in your book collection.

The cover art is understated, two tone with an appropriate splash of 'blood red' that will make you look cool wherever you chose to read it. 

Plus you are supporting a young writer embarking on a career. 

The writer may be young but her writing isn't. Like this rose... her writing has colour, depth, character, velvety tones to seduce a reader and yes there are a couple of pricks in it but that's life... or in this case death. He's a sexy prick!

Download The Dark Heroine on e-book now, at the introductory price of only £1.99 (price rising to £2.99 on Monday, September 24th 2012)

Amazon.co.uk

Waterstones.com

Apple iBookstore

Or if you are after one of the gorgeous paperback editions with the sprayed edges, they will be a high street (WH Smith and Waterstones) exclusive from 11 October 2012.*

*The paperback will of course be available to buy wherever books are sold, but sprayed edges editions will only be available through WH Smiths and Waterstones in-store.

Book Review - The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire

As a follow on from my previous post where I introduced you all to Abigail Gibbs... 
http://airambooksie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/publishing-deal-for-wattpad-writer.html

Here is a quick review. 

The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire... is a story where a young girl goes out with her mates for a night on the town in order to drown her sorrows. She sits by the fountain to rest her sore feet, curse at her high heels and pine over the cheating ex boyfriend. In the meantime her mates go get some chips or a kebab around the corner... typical weekend for a girl of her age. Only problem is that whilst sitting there she witnesses something she shouldn't and having drank a fair bit she doesn't quite believe her eyes. She thinks it another weekend where a bunch of pissed up morons have a scrap in Trafalgar Square, it happens. She tries to stay in the shadows and silent so as not to get caught up in it, a bit like when a drunk guy comes up to you at the end of a night swaying all over the place like a drunk Elvis and wants to serenade/seduce you... it never ends well. She soon realises that throats being ripped out, bodies strewn everywhere is not a punch up and that the pale guys drinking the blood are not anaemic! Has her drink been spiked? No... the only spikes are those in the dead men's hands. 

She is kidnapped by Vampires! Cool already... right. 

Why she was not killed, is not only a confusion to her, but also to the heartless Vamp who just proved that he has no qualms in committing mass murder, in fact he finds it a delightful hobby. A bit like a football hooligan out on the beer with his mates! He has no idea why he didn't just break her neck or drained her but something stopped him. It plays on his mind as he locks her up in his family mansion. Yup, he's rich! He lords his power over her and although she pretends to have balls of steel and a mouth so sharp it puts his fangs to shame, she is still not killed. 

Eventually she become a political prisoner as they discover who her father is. Kaspar drives her insane like a boy pulling your pig tails at school, he delights in tormenting her. Throw in the next hot vamp with a heart of gold. We have a triangle. The 'love to hate you' of Kaspar is the exact opposite of the relationship Fabian has with Violet. In the meantime, Kaspar the 'manwhore' is off poking more than his fangs into whatever he can lay his hands on. 

Come forward in time and the book has you willing the serial killing, kidnapper, to win her heart and not the smushy guy.... wait is that even rational? This book has given me a medical disorder... Stolkholm Syndrome. (Does this mean I get a week off work?)

Sex plays a big part in this book, as does blood lust... which takes me to the part where 'you' the reader may want him to win her heart, but he doesn't. Yeah he wants to seduce her and drain her blood like every other girl with tits and a pulse (pulse optional), but he doesn't give a flying 'hoo har' about her. Lust is a big part of being a vamp. The countless sleepless nights of him proving that, noisily, through the bedroom walls with various conquests only annoy Violet even more to the point where she sets about planning to sabotage his 'lust life'.

The book has politics, a history, dimensions, ballroom dancing, costumes, sex, blood, cars, and characters galore who are each as individual as the next. You get to hear the inner dialogue of the character all the time, dependant on which point of view the writer is using. There are not many writers who like to chop and change POV for their characters, as writing in first and second can be confusing for reader.  As such, a writer may naturally back away and stick to one tried and tested method. However, the author of this novel achieves the switch quite successfully, yes there was the odd moment where I had to stop and take my bearings, as the switch was too quick for me to realise, but they were few and far between. It may also have been my own fault for trying to race ahead to the next 'face off' between the characters.  

You slip between 'Violet' and 'Kaspar' view point, from chapter to chapter quite easily, it gives the story a wider scope and there is also a reason for this writing choice towards the end of the book. How many novels are written where an author receives a request from readers to give the male perspective? Loads! If you are a looking for escapism into a book that is fun, young adult and fiction, then this is a good choice. 

I've only given you a taster of what the book contains in the first few chapters. The author is very descriptive, sometimes overly, but nothing I couldn't speed read through. I got sick of Kaspar calling Violet 'girly' I would have ripped my own throat open just to escape that if I were his hostage, but young adults will love that term of endearment.  

I would recommend this book for mature teens and up, as even grown women like me who just want to escape into a book and have a good perv at a vamp will love it. The author may be young but her writing is not. Well done Girly. (Damn... get out of my mind Kaspar... did I mention they are physic?)

If I could match a song to this book.... 

PUBLISHING DEAL FOR WATTPAD WRITER ABIGAIL GIBBS

I am sharing this exciting news and brilliant success story as it is AWESOME!

Abbie has been a teen writer on Wattpad for about three years. It is also where she met her boyfriend Chris Tackett, he read her story and fell in love with the words and her... adorable!

Her story 'Dinner with a Vampire,' was inspired by the Twilight Saga. She loved the romance element but felt it needed a bit more blood and guts so she started to write her own. Now three years on she has just turned 18, passed her exams, due to start studying English Literature at Oxford University and... has secured a six figure advance, two book publishing deal with Harper Collins! 

Let us all take a moment to give a fellow writer a round of applause. Go Abbie!

I'm going to let Wattpad take it from here and tell you how proud they are. 

http://blog.wattpad.com/post/31175094962/publishing-deal-for-wattpad-teen-writer-abbie-gibbs

WATTPAD

We’re happy to share the news that Abbie, a long-time Wattpadder (known as Canse12) and winner of the first-ever writing contest on Wattpad back in 2010, has announced the publication of her novel The Dark Heroine: Dinner With A Vampire. 

Wattpadder Abbie Gibbs is one of the youngest writers in the UK to become a published author.

Her most avid fans remember that Abbie originally started writing this novel serially on Wattpad as Dinner With A Vampire: Did I Mention I’m Vegetarian, which had over 17 million reads before getting picked up by Harper Collins UK for publication.

Abigail Gibbs’ message to the Wattpad community:

Gratitude doesn’t really cover what I feel about Wattpad, its team, members, and especially my fans based on the site. I think it’s actually undying love, and that the past three years has been one long and happy romance.

Without Wattpad, and all the praise, feedback and support the community provides, I highly doubt I would ever have seen my novel The Dark Heroine: Dinner With A Vampire in print, let alone finished it. So this is a thank you to all my Wattpad fans, but also a promise to try and do the site proud.

Congratulations, Abbie. We’re really proud of you and everything that Wattpadders continue to achieve through their immense talent and creativity.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! We look forward to seeing writers continue to build a fan base, develop their writing, and discover the joy of storytelling on Wattpad.

The Dark Heroine:

Ebook: available in all the usual places, but to help you out: 
Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Dark-Heroine-Vampire-ebook/dp/B008ZU6B3C (from 13th Sept).
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-heroine-abigail-gibbs/1112757135?ean=9780062248749 (from the 18th Sept).
Paperback: available in the UK on the 25th October 2012 (later in the US, Canada and Australia. Will keep this updated as and when there is news). 

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/abigail.canse12.gibbs?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/228823349259/ 
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/AbigailGibbs.Canse12#!/AbigailGibbs.Canse12 
Twitter:@AuthorAbigailG