Wattpad gets a bad rep, but I’m here to tell you why Wattpad books ARE worth the read!
If you’re unaware, Wattpad is a serialized fiction app that anyone can access and create an account. People can be writers, readers, or both!
You can access Wattpad through a web browser, or you can download the app on your phone!
Many of the novels uploaded on this site have gone on to be traditionally published.
And many have secured movie deals!
Does After ring a bell? It originally started out on Wattpad as a One Direction fanfiction.
What about The Kissing Booth? This ALSO originated from Wattpad.
Now, I don’t know what you’re opinions are on these stories and this blog isn’t to discuss these (non)cinematic masterpieces.
These movies are two examples of one of the reasons that Wattpad gets a bad rep.
Both of these adaptations came from toxic storylines and cringy plot lines. And, with slapping the Wattpad label on them, people come to the conclusion that ALL Wattpad stories are like these.
But they aren’t!
There are SO many amazing stories on Wattpad, it just takes a bit of digging to find them!
Especially in the prime time of Wattpad (when those stories were originally being published), finding amazing stories was extremely challenging.
The algorithms and the app itself showcased the stories that had millions of views and reads.
And, admittedly, these stories weren’t always the best quality in terms of plot and writing.
However, it was also a bunch of 12-14 year old’s trying their first hand at writing. It was a different time!
But Wattpad has grown SO much and doesn’t just hold cringy plot lines and fanfictions. Although there are many GEMS that fall into these categories.
There are some fanfictions out there that are written better than traditionally published books!
But that’s not the focus here.
Although, it leads me to my second point that people need to stop expecting 100 percent perfectly edited books.
Because news flash, most Wattpad books are first drafts.
First drafts are messy, riddled with plot holes and spelling errors, and a way to get the story out there.
They haven’t gone through intensive editing like traditionally published books, so people shouldn’t go on Wattpad expecting that level of perfection.
Because it very rarely exists.
There are many novels on Wattpad that are almost perfect in terms of editing and plot structure, which is great, but there are also ones that are messy.
And that’s perfectly okay.
I am a total grammar police, and I’ve turned many books away because of the dialogue or punctuation or spelling.
But I’ve also found many books that I’ve loved that are riddled with errors and I didn’t care.
I think starting to publish my own stories helped me overlook errors, but sometimes they’re fun to spot.
And, a lot of the time, my brain will automatically correct them, anyways.
Thirdly, I’ve seen a lot of negative discourse over paid stories on Wattpad.
When it was first announced, admittedly I was upset, too. There were many stories that I was in the middle of reading, then one day, they joined the paid program.
But writers deserve to be paid for their work. Period.
For years, authors on Wattpad have been giving you full length novels and series for FREE. Do you know how much labor goes into writing these things?
The answer is a lot.
And if authors can have the opportunity to be paid for their work, more power to them! There are many different options to get coins to unlock stories.
But there are also many great stories that are still free to read.
The point is that many Wattpad books ARE worth the read, you just need to know where to find them.
And not judge an entire database off a few bad seeds.
I’ve been on Wattpad for years, and it’s where I publish a lot of my own written stories.
I know mine aren’t spectacular, but it’s where I’ve learned to grow as a creator.
And I’ve found some of my absolute FAVORITE reads on this site!
So, to get you back on Wattpad’s side, I’m going to give you a list of my favorite Wattpad reads.
And, the best part, they’re all FREE and COMPLETED!
This story is now published under the title Clickbait!
If you’ve been following my blogs for a while, you’ll know I LOVE this book. And I originally found it through Wattpad!
This is my comfort Wattpad read. I’ve reread this book more times than I can count!
This story is also published under the title Textrovert.
But between us, the Wattpad version is 100 times better.
This story WILL be published soon on Kindle Unlimited! And I think? it’ll remain free on Wattpad, but I’m not sure.
I will forever associate All of Me by John Legend to Kenna and Noah.
This book is also recently published under the same name!
Another comfort read I’ve read too many times!
If you want to cry, here’s the perfect story for you!
This is NOT A LOVE STORY! This is about sexual assault, so tread carefully if you want to read.
Here are another five just for fun!
- Smitten Kitten by hyrule
- Heavy Wears the Crown by ObsceneIrrationality
- Bedroom Window View by mica_blue
- Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart by HonorInTheRain
- How To Be Human by MADcreations
So, I hope this post has been useful for anyone that’s on the fence about Wattpad. Or is just a hater.
There are so many books are Wattpad that are worth the read, and I hope you give some of them a chance!
Let me know YOUR favorite Wattpad books!
<3 Mara