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As Wattpad has gained much attention over the years, with users from Canada to India, people can use their writing and the platform to share messages they hope to convey, their dreams, hopes, present realities and so much more. However, with the boundless number of writers and a vast audience you can tap into, it can be hard at first to get Wattpad readers to read your work, instead of the various stories with ten thousand, hundred thousand and, sometimes millions of reads. Which is why, in this article, I will share my tips on how to increase the number of readers for your work.
Tags
Before publishing your first chapter, Wattpad will require you to include a maximum of 25 tags for your story, which helps increase visibility. These tags can include important keywords or the name of a specific genre. If you check the search on your Wattpad app/website, you will find multiple genres to choose from as a reader. Hence, if you want to increase visibility, in addition to your normal tags, I would suggest entering your books in categories that are less competitive but still remain true to your story. I used this strategy with my story, Weapons of an Empress. As the protagonist has posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it allowed me to enter my book in the Diverse Literature category. Some of the least competitive categories are Contemporary Literature (Over 550 stories), New Adult (15,000+ stories), Historical Fiction (32,000+ stories), Non-Fiction (33,000+ stories), and Paranormal (57,000+ stories). With a higher chance of ranking in the top 1000, reads from individuals who enjoy those categories will help you give an advantage in other, more competitive categories.
Read4Reads
One of the most used methods of today is the read4read strategy. Often, Wattpad users will create books where authors can comment that they wish to do a read4read. These comments will attract other authors to take part in this transaction by reading their work with payment of reading yours. I suggest using this method when you have the time and energy to read the other person’s work, instead of just scrolling through the chapters, as there have been instances when they ask you for your thoughts. Furthermore, don’t simply comment that you wish to participate in a read4read and expect to receive hundreds of messages and replies. Instead, once you find some authors who wish to do a read4read, text them through Wattpad’s private message system, and wait for their response. Another thing to consider is when you are searching for someone to do a read4read with, check the date on which they posted the comment. The more recent the comment is, the more likely you will be able to do a read4read. After all, the last thing you want to do is message someone who asked for a read4read two years ago, and they are no longer interested in doing it anymore because they are now busy.
Read other works
Like the first, I highly suggest reading other people’s works, yet with a specific strategy in mind. When you have the time, read works by new authors and give their chapters a vote. Ideally, read stories with less than 50 reads, as it will make it easier for you to get noticed by them when you vote on their story. Then, after you click that wonderful button to show you enjoyed their story, the authors will see that you have done that and will thank you for reading their stories. Once they show their gratitude, it is the best way to advertise your work, as they will want to check out your work to show their appreciation as well. Also try to make friends out of them, as they are more likely to read any of your future works, and if they like you enough, they will advertise it on their announcements page for their followers and more to see.
However, if you are worried that reading and voting on their work will make their stories more popular, thus reducing your chance of hitting the top 1000 stories in your genre, simply read stories that do not share the same tags. Speaking of the top 1000, also make an effort to read most popular stories and comment on them. As these books gain more readers daily, anyone who sees your comment and replies to it gives you the chance to privately message them to advertise and make friends with them. When you read the popular works, make sure they relate closely to your stories’ genres, as people who reply to your comment will more likely to be inclined to read your work.
P.S. When you comment on their work, remain respectful and nice in your words. Also, it is best to comment on something interesting about the story, like a plot twist or a notable action by one of the characters, as people are more likely to agree with you.
Ask for Book Reviews
If you feel you have a well-written story with a good plot and original characters, you could try asking other users who have books where they record their critique of other stories to review your work. By doing this, if your work does well in the review, readers who look through those review books will find yours, and maybe decide to add it to their reading list of future stories to read. However, in the scenario that your book does not do well, the reviewer will offer some advice on how to improve your book and with that constructive criticism, you can better your book for any future readers. These reviewers may also be kind enough to read over your book once more after you have made the corrections and update that review with a better rating.
Enter Contests
Now if you have done the above strategy and gotten great ratings or have had a couple of readers tell you that your story is a remarkable piece of work, enter it into the contests hosted by fellow Wattpad users. By doing this, if your book makes it to the top three, they will add it to their reading list, thus increasing your visibility. The hosts will also follow your account, giving you access to a new set of readers. Winning can also attract other users who read through the contest, which is another benefit of entering it in this form of competitions.
Message Boards
Now, after taking all these steps, you will gain readers and you will want to send them a private message to show your appreciation by sending them a private message. But what if you could do one minor difference between where you write it, then can attract other readers? One thing I do when I see someone has voted or followed my account, is convey my appreciation to their message board. There, I don't only say thank you but also offer the names of my other works for them to check out. This way, the user will see it and be inclined to check out more of your work, along with bringing their readers’ attention to your work as well.
If you want anymore tips, feel free to contact me through Wattpad, at CahiraTheEmpress.