How can I get my amazing story discovered by Wattpad HQ?
The Talent Scouts surface stories by looking through data and then selecting the strongest stories. We are drawn to great concepts, good writing, and amazing covers. We wish we could outline the exact criteria for why specific stories are chosen for opportunities, but it's not a straightforward process. The needs of our off-platform partners (think publishing houses and entertainment companies) are often variable which makes it hard for us to specify what will make one story more appealing than another.
Do you only select popular stories?
The Talent Scouts are on the search for ALL great Wattpad stories, popular or not.
When looking at stories, what genre is usually emphasized more? Do short stories have a chance?
As long as your story has a strong plot and captivating characters, it stands a chance of attracting the eye of someone from Wattpad HQ to potentially share with our entertainment partners. That said, stories that are longer tend to have more character development and advanced plot lines which our partners look for.
Are you interested in fanfic?
We love ALL fanfiction at Wattpad, however, stories that include property-based fanfiction cannot be considered. Property-based fanfiction leverages existing characters created and owned by another author (ex. Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, Jon Snow) and since that infringes on someone else's copyright/intellectual property, these stories cannot be considered.
That said, we do have a look at real person fiction. This type of fanfiction is about real people as opposed to the characters they play in TV shows and movies (ex. Dylan O'Brien, Harry Styles, Selena Gomez). This type of content is permitted.
Do reads or votes matter when considering my story?
We are looking for stories that are high quality and unique but they don't need to have a high number of reads or votes.
Does my story have to be complete?
We can have a look at incomplete stories. As long as you have enough content with which to create a logline and summary, it's fair game!
How do you judge whether a story is "good" or not?
We usually read the story focusing on the quality of writing and the story's development and characters. We also share the story with other teams. If we all agree on it being a good fit for a specific opportunity, we contact the writer.
What catches your attention in a story?
We love finding stories that are unique, diverse and reflect our vibrant community. An original storyline with interesting, unique characters is a great start...with a description that does it justice! Having a great cover is another great way to catch our eye (as well as the larger Wattpad community!)
How do stories get selected? Who is involved in the whole process?
We wish we could outline specific criteria for why specific stories are chosen for opportunities, but it's not a straightforward process. The needs of our off-platform partners (think publishing houses and entertainment companies) are often variable which makes it hard for us to specify what will make one story more appealing than another.
The best advice we can give is to write the best story you can - write the story you want to tell and work on finding an audience for it on Wattpad.
Are you looking at stories in other languages that are not English?
Unfortunately, at this time, we are only accepting English submissions. If we do open it up to other languages, we will post an update on our profile, so be sure to check back.
Is age a factor when looking for talent?
No. As long as you're able to conceptualize a really unique plot with characters readers can't help but fall in love with, your story has a good chance of standing out. Whatever your age, use that to your advantage and tell a story that only you would know how to tell!
