I wanted to share something that’s been on my mind for a while.
In the past, people used to come to Wattpad because they genuinely wanted to read stories. If they liked what they read, they would naturally vote, comment, and sometimes follow. It felt real and honest.
Nowadays, things have changed a lot. The platform is mostly driven by V4V, F4F, and R4R. I understand that not everyone who reads will vote or comment — that’s completely fine. Just reading is already a gift.
I also understand why writers support each other with these exchanges. What disappoints me is when authors offer votes or follows from a secondary account, while expecting others to do it from their main account. It feels dishonest. We all know how difficult it is for new writers to grow on Wattpad today, since the platform barely promotes new stories anymore.
That said, I have to be honest with you: I also do V4V and F4F now. I didn’t want to, and it actually pains me that I have to. I wish things were still like they were in 2016, when Wattpad felt completely different — more genuine, more about real reading and connection. But like most of you, I felt I had no other choice if I want my story to get any visibility.
Still, I believe we should try to be more authentic. It makes me sad when readers who don’t write books themselves leave comments asking for follows or to check out their profile, even though they haven’t read the story.
We should help each other — because we all want to share our art and reach real readers who truly connect with our stories. But we don’t need to hide behind multiple accounts.
I truly hope Wattpad starts helping new writers and new books again like it used to. Until then, let’s try to keep some honesty and kindness in our community.
