I hardly have to introduce the subject of this interview. If you're reading this, then you are well aware of Wattpad and just how special it is. What you don't know is what chocolate chip cookies have to do with the site that we all know and love.
I'm really grateful to Eva Lau and the rest of the team behind the big orange W for taking a few moments to answer my questions and satisfy my curiosity.
So without further ado, I give you Wattpad.
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1. How did Wattpad get started? Whose idea was it and what did they have to do to get it running?
Wattpad was founded in 2006 by Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen. They were both pioneers in mobile technology and, although they had used to work together, had ventured into different paths. Separately, and out of boredom, they were both thinking of ways to be able to read on their mobile phones. Fate brought them together again and they were fascinated to discover that they shared the same idea.
In just a few months, they created Wattpad for mobile, for readers to access the titles they want to read from anywhere. From the beginning, Wattpad has been an open platform allowing readers and writers to exchange ideas freely.
To help readers find what other readers were looking at, Wattpad created the "What's Hot" and "What's New" lists, both of which have become permanent fixtures of the site and apps.
Today, Wattpad's cloud based platform is the most popular ebook community in the world connecting millions of readers to almost 100,000 new works shared every month.
The name Wattpad comes from watt which means electric power and pad which suggests book.
2. How long did it take from conception to operation?
The engineers at Wattpad are amazing and we're never done upgrading our apps and website. From the original idea, it took less than two months to make the first Wattpad app. We also get great response from the Wattpad community, providing suggestions on what they'd like to see, which is really helpful.
3. Are you a writer, a dedicated reader or just a very savvy businessperson?
We are all three! Everyone at Wattpad is an avid reader and all of us have done creative writing as well.
4. How many people actually work for Wattpad and what kinds of jobs do they do?
Right now, there are ten people working at Wattpad. There are people who just work on apps (there are over 1,000 different apps!), people who just work on the website, people who manage the community (like when someone has a question), and people who do everything in between.
5. Is the Wattpad HQ in an actual office or do you all get to work from wherever you are?
We do have an office and it's awesome! We have an always-full chocolate chip cookie jar and a fridge full of juice and soda.
6. Are you ever surprised by just how popular Wattpad is?
Sometimes. We're most excited about how popular many of the writers on Wattpad are. More and more writers are crossing the "1 Million Reads" mark each week, which is a huge accomplishment!
7. What is the most unexpected thing that has come from starting Wattpad and how have you dealt with it?
Over 100,000 new stories are uploaded onto Wattpad every month, so our biggest challenge is finding ways for readers to find these new stories. We've added the Undiscovered Gems genre and hold writing contests. We're planning on some new ideas as well, so stay tuned for that.
8. What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
We all love chatting with the Wattpad readers and writers and figuring out how to make the site better. Getting recommendations for books on Wattpad is awesome too.
9. Do you have any favorite stories?
Too many! We all like different genres, so it's hard to name just a few. We love when we find something we all like and then see it become popular to Wattpad readers as well.
10. Are there any big plans in the works for Wattpad soon?
We're working on tons of stuff right now. Improving our apps for both readers and writers and creating new ways to recommend stories are two big priorities for us right now.
11. How many countries have Wattpadders? Is there any way for you to know that?
We're in almost every country in the world - over 160. The most readers come from the US, UK, Canada and Australia because most of our content is in English, but we also see a lot of Wattpadders from South East Asia and Spanish speaking countries as well.
12. What is the one thing that you most wish that every Wattpadder knew?
If you're a writer: stick with it! It sometimes takes a while to connect with readers. Don't give up on your talent if no one finds your story right away
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I hope you, as a reader and a Wattpadder enjoyed this as much as I did and here is a link where you can find an in-depth explanation of Wattpad's beginning in Allen Lau's own words.
http://allenlau.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/how-did-wattpad-start/
Also, if you haven't yet noticed the 'About Us' link at the bottom of the page, here is the link to see what the team have to say about Wattpad.
http://www.wattpad.com/about
