Other potential subjects that kids may encounter include depictions of incest, toxic relationships, predation, and torture. However, like any site with user-generated content, identifying and removing stories that violate the terms can take time, which means that they’ll be up and able to be read for a while. To sidestep the Wattpad restrictions, many writers and commenters will get around the rules by purposely misspelling or asterisking explicit words. When you take a deeper look into Wattpad’s content guidelines for its users, it seemingly bans lots of other potentially harmful subjects. Unfortunately, despite this rating system, no content on Wattpad is age-gated, which means kids of all ages can read these stories. Graphic depictions of violence including but not limited to: sexual, verbal, emotional, and physical abuse.Self-harm themes or scenes (including suicide and eating disorders).One of the most popular genres on Wattpad is romance, which often leads to a rating of “Mature” on the site. And while we can all probably agree that it’s generally a good thing when kids want to take pen to paper (or, in this case, thumb to screen), Wattpad has a dark side that parents need to know about. It’s easy to see how this could entice kids to spark their creativity and compose stories that could lead to fame and fortune. On the way to this level of success, there’s also the chance for writers to be paid for their stories on the platform. Multiple deals - including recent success After - have followed for other writers on Wattpad since then, and they show no sign of slowing down. Netflix purchased the rights shortly thereafter and made it into a popular film. 17-year-old Beth Reekles earned a real-life book deal from her runaway Wattpad success of The Kissing Booth. The success of stories published on Wattpad goes far beyond just the usual social media accumulation of likes and views.
WRITE WATTPAD STORIES FREE
Some of the most popular works have hundreds of thousands of views, which is no easy feat for a free self-publishing website. Stories are voted on for quality, and users can see stats like the number of views, favorites, and more.
You can even design book covers to make it feel more realistic. For writers, Wattpad adds an air of legitimacy to the writing process, enabling the uploading of creative content in a stylish format so that others can find it easily. Many users browse by categories like Fan Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Werewolf, and LGBTQ+. 90% of its users are between the ages of 13 and 35, and the majority are women.įor readers, there are stories available for any taste and in any genre.
What is Wattpad?įounded in 2006, Wattpad is a website (and an app) that aims to build a community for people who love to read and write. More than 90 million people use Wattpad every month, and if you’re wondering how that can be possible if you’ve never even heard of it, don’t worry - we’ll explain it all. Wattpad is an incredibly popular social storytelling platform where users can post their original stories and read the works of others. Content warning: This post discusses potentially triggering issues including sexual content, sexual assault, and incest.ĭoes your child love getting lost in their favorite universes - immersive worlds like the ones found in Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel, and more? Do they love writing about these worlds or making up awesome new adventures straight from their imagination? If the answer to these questions is yes, you may want to learn more about what Wattpad is all about.