The Community | Official Handbook

FAQ

FAQ:

If you want to become a member of the Elite Community, the first step is reading through our Official Handbook (hi, you're here!) to be sure you understand the ideals of the club, as well as what is expected of every active member. 

The fact that you are reading this means you're off to a good start...yay!

From there, you'll want to head over to our Membership Log, which holds (1) more information on the membership, and (2) our application form. Applications for the 2020 membership season will be accepted until January 25th, 2020. That gives the Founders ample time to sort through interested members and make our decisions before the start of February. Members will be announced no later than February 2nd.

Now, your next question is probably: "Well, what if I'm not accepted? Does this mean I can't be part of the community?"

Membership wise, yes. 

We want to be sure that the community is made up of strong writers who can be a useful resource for others in the Wattpad community. But even if you aren't a member, the community is a place for all. Whether you need a new cover from our graphics shop, a review in our upcoming Review Book, or a partner in our Beta Buddies Program (coming soon to non-members), the Elite Community is here for you! 

And don't be discouraged if you aren't accepted this time around — membership refreshes biannually, so there's still an opportunity to join when we open the application again in June!

"So then...what does membership even mean? What's in it for me?"

Another excellent question. What comes with a membership to the Elite Community?

1. Being apart of a group of writers with strengths that can help you with your own work. Our rigorous application process means we weed out those just looking for reads or follows, leaving only those looking to put in the work to improve both their own writing, and the writing of those in the club.

2. All members will be added to our Discord chatroom, opening up communication to allow friendships to form and grow. We want this club to be a space where we can get to know each other beyond just our writing. It's important to the Founders that our members genuinely care about boosting each other up.

3. A laidback club experience. Unlike other book clubs on Wattpad, there are no requirements for reading other members' works, or leaving a certain amount of comments in a given week, or any other limiting rules that add pressure to being a member. Reading should always be a choice, something you enjoy doing on your own time as a way to relax and unwind. Because of our Beta Buddies Program, we ensure members are matched up with stories we know they'll love, eliminating situations where people are reading simply to meet club requirements. if your matched up with a story you genuinely enjoy, the reading will come naturally!

4. A realistic timeline and expectations for club events. We understand that Wattpad is not your whole life (it certainly isn't ours), so we've blocked off the year accordingly, scheduling in times of hiatus to ensure the club doesn't run people down to the bone and eventually make members want to quit. There will be times when it's all hands on deck, especially when the Elite Awards is up and running. But there will also be quieter months (i.e. holiday seasons), where we'll either have (a) smaller events that require less manpower, or (b) nothing at all. This allows members to relax, and dedicate more time to life offline (!!!). It's all about balance in the Elite Community, which is something we take very seriously.

5. An opportunity to help others. This is not a place to stroke your ego. Being an Elite writer does NOT mean putting others down — in fact, it's the exact opposite. It is expected of all members to contribute to external services (reviews, judging, cover shop, etc.) in a professional, yet warm, way. We want to be a resource to the wider Wattpad community, a place people can turn to get constructive feedback. If you're expecting this club to be ELITIST, I got some bad news for you. That's not how we roll here...in any way, shape, or form. Please reference our definition of "elite" in the opening page of this handbook!

These are just a few of the MANY reasons why you should consider joining the Elite Community. Got more questions? Shoot us a message or leave a comment! We'll also be compiling a list of common questions as they roll in, so check out this page for updates to see if your question is answered here.