Ask Me Questions

Getting Reads

This was requested by joshhutchersonlover2.

The question is: How did you get so many reads?! Any advice on how to get more?

To answer the questions. When I first started writing I didn't have many reads. I didn't really start getting reads until I was toward the end of my second book, so by that point I had Wattpad for over a year. It honestly takes time. You have to wait until people start discovering your stories. 

1. The tags on your story matter. Make sure they are relevant to your story. Don't put random words, make sure what you put is relevant to the story. 

2. How often you update matters. You need to update often. When you update it moves your book up the list. Some of the most recently updated books are towards the top. That's because they organize books by the amount of recent reads, so when you update and your readers read it, your book gets moved up some. 

3. If your book is completed it helps. Personally, I prefer to read stories that are completed. I feel like people are more likely to read your story if it's completed because they don't have to worry about if they love book and wondering when you are going to update. 

4. Your book doesn't have to be completed to get reads. If you are still in the process of writing the length of your chapters is taken into consideration. Some people post short chapters. If you do you'll want to update more often. These don't take as long to write, so it's like you're expected to have something up sooner rather than later. If you write longer chapters, you can get away with updating a little less because longer chapters take longer to write. Personally, I prefer the longer chapters because I'll catch up on what's been updated over a weekend. 

5. Remember to remind people to vote and comment. The more votes and comments you have the more your story gets out there. 

6. If you get a comment, reply to them. It lets your readers know you actually do read their comments. Even if all you say back to them is a simple thank you. 

7. Dedicate chapters. Readers love when they get dedications, and it helps them get out there themselves. 

8. Add media. Add pictures, add YouTube videos, make a trailer for your story. 

9. Make a cast list. Those people in your cast list will have your story show up if someone searches on the actors on your list. 

10. Make a cover of your own not using Wattpad's cover creator. It's not very good on here. I use pic monkey to make my covers. 

11. Post on your message board. It let's readers know you still are active on Wattpad. Some people kind of update and vanish into thin air and you don't hear about them forever and wonder if they'll ever come back.

12. Post about your book on social media. Twitter, facebook, google+, tumblr. I personally use tumblr most of the time. 

13. I just found out you can do this one. Email stories@wattpad.com and ask them to feature your story. 

14. Write sequels. It makes readers excited. 

15. Read, vote, and  comment on others stories. That's how I found most of you guys. You guys kept commenting and voting and after I saw your username pop up in my notifications enough I get curious and checked your profiles out. I read through your story descriptions (which I forgot mention earlier, I will after this) and if I was curious about the story I read it. 

16. Descriptions are important. Don't give everything out. Make it a teaser to draw people in. 

17. This is the most important piece of advice I have and this is what you should really take away from this. The read count doesn't matter. What really matters is that you are writing for you. Not for someone else. For you. You should write about you are passionate in. If your passionate it doesn't matter what others think. Your opinion is the only one that matters. 

If anyone else has any questions they want advice on or if you guys want me to do another questions tag, just comment below. 

~ Alexis