70 Deadly Wattpad Sins (The Book Of Evil Advice!)

Sin #15: Life After Wattpad (Is there life on Maaaaaars?)

It's a god-awful small affair

To the girl with the writing flair

But her editor is yelling "No!"

And her publishing agent has told her to go...

You're not doing the whole song, are you?

Well, not anymore. Some people wouldn't call this one a sin, but I'd say it's worth putting out there regardless. It might just be wishful thinking, but I imagine that a handful of you might dream of becoming successful, real-world authors one day.

I don't mean to imply that Wattpad isn't 'real writing'... I mean, of course it is. Why would so many people continually support a free-to-read writer's network, if it wasn't useful? Most users come here looking for an outlet, a place to dump all of their slam poetry and Steven Universe fanfictions.

For those select few who are a tad more serious about writing, this site is similar to our training wheels. At some point, you've gotta learn how to take them off and play in the big leagues. But where do we start?

At the start, genius.

Right you are. So you've decided that you want to publish your story. Immediately, you begin with two options; find a publishing company and send them your manuscript, or take it upon yourself to self-publish your story.

I'm not going to talk lightly on this one; when you are starting out, no one will know or care who you are. Your job is to make them care, and by registering on Wattpad, you've already built up a backlog of works that will help out a lot.

I would highly recommend self-publishing, for two major reasons. One, you'll be able to start instantly without being turned away (even the Harry Potter series was rejected by publishers 12 times!), and two, you'll get a much better grip on how to market your own book.

You want me to be my own publishing company? Do I look like I crap money?!

Surprisingly, it can cost absolutely nothing! Although, you would be pretty dumb if you never spent any dough on promotions throughout your story's lifecycle.

There are several places online that will let you self-publish e-books, the most prominent of which is Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). You can try your hand at other vendors such as Smashwords, Draft2Digital or Google Play, but chances are that most readers will flock to Amazon. Why?

KU (Kindle Unlimited), that's why. I don't want to get too deep into specifics here, but this is a monthly subscription service that lets readers download and read your e-book for 'free' if you enroll in their program. In return, your story would gain much more exposure and Amazon would pay you a small amount per page read.

So let's say we're going full-Amazonian. When do I start raking in the big bucks?

Woah, easy! There are a few things to consider first. If you decide to self-publish, you would need to register with the tax office as self-employed. This can be done easily online, although it depends on where you live. Also, you would need to be at least over 18 to publish through KDP.

Once you've checked both boxes, that's it - just one automated tax interview later, and you're ready to take on the big world of e-books! At any point, you can upload your manuscript online, design your cover and click 'publish'. It's really as easy as that!

Anyone can do it, which is what makes it such a volatile marketplace. Rules are constantly being broken, and because people are willing to buy these books for several bucks a pop, it becomes much more serious than what you're used to on Wattpad. Here are some pointers to keep you on track: