An Author's Musings

The 10 Types of Readers

Hello again everyone!

Wattpad, as you all know, is a truly enormous community. In fact, there are over 65 million users each month and 400 million story uploads in total. Not only that but there are over 65 million writers! That accounts for a huge amount of creating, browsing and of course, reading.  

With so many different cultures, countries and personalities, when we get down to it there are so many different ways people read on Wattpad. I myself have over 25 000 comments on one of my books, so I have had some time to analyze and think about the unique ways people express themselves in the Wattpad community.

Now without further ado, let's jump right into the different types of readers spun in my own special way that I hope will amuse you all. 

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The Ghost Reader

 The Ghost reader is a strange creature, elusive and near impossible to pin down. They float through the pages of a book without touching, voting, commenting or even stopping to tie their shoelaces. The only way you can sense the presence of a Ghost reader is by the slow increase of the number of reads when no one else is voting or commenting. 

While this may be discouraging to the authors of books Ghost readers peruse, sometimes their silence is due to not knowing how to interact or occasionally they are merely too immersed in the story to remember to vote. Either way, Ghost readers are by far the most slippery, invisible readers on Wattpad. 

The Peacock Reader

The Peacock reader is one many an author has facepalmed over. They believe they know all, are superior or simply like to preen their feathers for attention. These readers strut with their beaks in the air, making snide comments and starting unwanted drama with other readers or even the author themselves. 

Peacock readers are most noticeable for their traits of arrogance, jealousy, and pettiness. A reader like this truly believes that they know best and are never wrong when it comes to their opinions. You'll find them starting political debates, throwing shade and complaining about generally everything. Peacock Readers are not favoured by authors or by the Wattpad community as a whole. 

The Sunshine Reader

The Sunshine reader is a by the far the most enthusiastic and happy of Wattpad's many users. They have boundless positivity and can see no evil in a book they are reading. They shower the story with compliments and appreciation, often spamming the story with votes and comments. Sunshine readers have deep loyalties to the books they read and eagerly wait for updates, announcements and well, anything from the authors. 

They have an uncanny ability to make an author smile and inspire them to keep writing. Needless to say, most authors have a soft spot for the Sunshine Readers!

The Collected Reader

The Collected reader is a smart, educated and well put together Wattpad user who reads only stories they deem worth their time. They are picky with what they read but once they find a book they enjoy, they show surprising devotion. Their comments are few and far between, though they occasionally leave a comment in perfect English saying how much they enjoy the story. 

If there is one thing Collected readers avoid it is books with terrible grammar or weak writing. Collected readers are willing to spend money on buying hard copies of an author's book and are the voice of reason when something in the writing doesn't make sense. This reader is one many authors appreciate and value. 

The Sociopath Reader

The Sociopath reader speaks for itself. This reader is someone who takes everything to the extreme, from their rants to their truly horrific descriptions of torture they would inflict upon an unpopular character. While they are a small group, these readers are very vocal in their thoughts. 

You can find Sociopath readers screaming bloody murder, writing extra steamy, questionable fanfictions and unapologetically posting rants on their profiles that often send the most grounded person bolting away for safety. Needless to say, these readers are memorable ones.

The Downy Dan Readers

Downy Dan readers like to point out every flaw in a story, love to gripe over small details and generally whinge about everything. You can find them moping about, constructing their bio into a pinnacle of 'edgy new age kid' and commenting on books for the pure pleasure of moaning and groaning about how much they hate the story.

You can also find the variation of angry boi Downy Dans, the ultimate combination of teenage angst and nitpicky drama starters. They never vote and often skip chapters to get to the action - which they look forward to criticising. There is no doubt that authors like to avoid these readers.

The Grammar Nazis 

The Grammar Nazi is a peculiar and predictable reader who believes they are of a higher intelligence. With disdainful precision, these readers comment every single grammar or spelling error to be found within a book. They see no line between polite and constructive criticism and all out grammar assault. 

Without a doubt, most authors and often readers alike, find these readers truly annoying. While most authors appreciate people pointing out mistakes, Grammar Nazis take it to the next level when it comes to writing. They will never be sated!

The Qween Reader

The Qween reader is the ultimate fangirl or guy. They will create multiple ships, faint in delight when those ships sail and spend hours thinking up ship names. These readers thrive off relationships and feel truly alive when cute or sweet moments happen. And they won't hesitate to show it!

You'll find these readers gathering in flocks or 2 of more and on occasion, dozens will swarm to bask in like-minded readers theories and ships. Authors are often amused and entertained by these readers. 

The Stalker Readers

The Stalker readers are a two sided creature and there are many different levels of extremity to be found. Typically, a normal Stalker reader loves to peek through bios, sift through conversation boards and browse through comments on the story. They don't comment much themselves but enjoy perusing all elements of the book at their leisure. 

The more extreme Stalkers, however, have stranger tendencies. In addition to the above, they will attempt to stalk an author's Instagram, Facebook or other social media. On occasion, they may even Google the author's name! They are the first to pounce on drama and deeply involve themselves. Authors normally have very mixed feelings about Stalker readers.

The Sceptical Reader

Sceptical readers are Wattpad's finest selection of 'maybe I'll read this... in a year', 'well this looks horrific', and of course 'I've barely looked at the author's name and I can tell this is going to be trash'. They are true fence sitters, suspicious of any new books and notoriously picky with what they read.

Once they do find a book they love, they will have a loyalty akin to a faithful dog. They guard the books they love with a passion and are quick to discard of any stories not up to their standards. Authors who have Sceptical readers are very happy that they approve of their books!

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So there we have it, our 2019 list of 10 Types of Readers. What did you think, did I miss any readers?

What kind of reader are you?

Until next time,

Cherry Queen