Writer's Guide 101 (Wattpad Edition)

LXXIV. Leaving Wattpad?! Σ(ﾟДﾟ；)

I have actually been thinking about this for a little while now. Yes, it's obvious we've all been bummed by the stuff that's happening on Wattpad. A lot of people have migrated to other sites where it's pretty much lax and there is a deep sense of community.
Honestly, I had no clue where else to go once the people - whom I've met here and known to have supported some of my books - started leaving this platform.
Fortunately, I had decided to jump into Tumblr after being inspired by one of the writers I've been following for a while.
I know my first impression of the site hasn't been that great due to a lot of drama surrounding it but now this small microblogging site is thriving once again and has gotten a little better. Now, it's important to know that interactions are solely based on "reblogs" (basically sharing posts) and using the right tags. There are also other forms of communications such as DMs or the user's Ask box.
I tend to make all sorts of content there - from fanarts, book promotions, a sprinkle of commentary/opinions, media recommendations and maybe some tips along the way. I also hear people suggest traditional publishing but with how I've become wary of companies owning the rights to your IPs and YA romance novels gain more attention, I think I'm gonna stick with crowdfunding instead.
If there is anything I learned so far, it is to never put your eggs in one basket. Don't quit your day job and expect to get a million bucks on the Internet within the year. Have a few other platforms where your fans can reach out to you in case your main one starts to die down.
A lot of platforms should also realize that without their loyal userbase, they are nothing. People want a place where they can be part of a community and connect with the rest of the world. The Internet can have rules while still being made easy to navigate and not censoring stuff.
It is sad to see how places like Wattpad went from "Where all stories live and you can post photos (as long as you credit the source)" to "A place where stories that don't fit our brand gets shoved in the back burner and you're only allowed to share original content or royalty-free stock photos from the Internet."