Why I Hate Wattpad

Important Statement

It turns out when you're in the middle of a global pandemic, there are more people online on Wattpad. I'm getting a hell of a lot of messages and comments from people.

'If you hate Wattpad why do you use it?'

In short - I don't use it to read at all. There is only one book I am reading on Wattpad and that is Dawn of Darkness by EmilyTheHorcrux because that fanfiction is epic.

Otherwise, I only really use this app for publishing Harry Potter fanfiction. 

Most of my fanfiction is published on other websites/apps like fanfiction.net and ao3. The primary reason is is that these sites are often the only places with a readership for fandoms in which I am writing.

I have a different account, for example, exclusively for my Downton Abbey fanfictions.

I have written many original books but if I were to ever publish them I am unsure if I would put them on Wattpad. I am very supportive of paying for original work published on the app, as I am for advertising on original works.

My discomfort with the Wattpad premium and advertising changes has always been centred around the fanfiction side of the app. 

You should not have to pay for the ability to download more than two fanfictions when you can download unlimited fanfictions on ff.net's app. Why would I pay to download more than two of my favourite Harry Potter fanfictions when they are also published on ff.net and therefore I could just download them for free on their app?

You should also not be forced to otherwise watch advertisements between chapters in fanfictions when you can read that same fanfiction on another site that runs purely off donations, advertisement-free, and yet has an infinitely superior search functions and quality of writing.

Wattpad should separate the fanfiction and original works areas of the apps. Premium is a perfectly reasonable idea in the context of original works to avoid advertisements and contribute to the foundation of the app. I might have been interested in getting Premium if you were provided with a sophisticated search function and genuine action towards the shockingly dangerous romanticism of domestic abuse, kidnapping and rape in fiction published on this app.

So I guess I should probably re-word what I have said about Wattpad.

I do not read on Wattpad anymore.

I publish on Wattpad.

I am still concerned with the dangerous romanticism of many things including rape in books with millions of reads on the app.

I also wish the original and fanfiction works on the app where separated, and you would not be pressured to pay to access fanfiction.

I can still rant about it.

Cheers.