UPDATE
I've been doing a bit of experimentation with ads on some Wattpad books, and it seems that (1) the first ad you see pops up after the first 2 or 3 chapters, (2) after that, the advertisements appear after around every 30 minutes of reading, (3) some of the advertisements aren't really videos, and you can "close" them almost immediately, and (4) the video ads can be closed about 10 seconds into watching it.
So given the above considerations, I don't actually mind the video ad so much. Several advertisements I saw was literally an image slideshow of a product, which I could close immediately and continue on with the story without losing (much) momentum.
That said, I will keep my original post up because my general principle regarding forced video advertisements still stands.
OLDER POST
I stop reading.
Remove from library.
I'm sorry. I completely acknowledge this makes me an a-hole.
But in all honesty. Watch a video?? Ain't nobody got time for that (no, not even 30 seconds). Not to mention it severely disrupts your (my) reading experience and continuity of the story.
Not to mention those of us who have poor internet connection, limited bandwidth, etc. etc.
You know what would be much less disruptive, less of a pain, and perhaps even a lot more beneficial for authors?
A donate button. Lord knows how many independent software creators I've purchased content from. How many indie or self-published books I've bought (at a reasonable price).
An option to donate anywhere upwards of x amount of money can go a long way. Of course the practicalities of this still needs to be looked at (ie. direct donations through credit card and/or paypal? Or points system à la deviantart?) and alternatives for those of us who don't have a credit card yet (since I daresay the majority of wattpad readers are youngsters, most of whom probably don't have credit cards) ... but all that is besides the point.
YOU ARE READING
Watt the Pad ?!
RandomThe rants and raves of a long-time book reviewer and blogger. Think you've got what it takes to be a writer? Think again. The industry is cold, brutal, heartless ... and it may just rip yours to shreds. Enter here for what works, what doesn't, and w...
