"Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's."

-Stephen King.

No reads, no engagement. It's sad whenever the author sees no sort of a reaction to their work. It would make them feel as if no one cares about them and their content. Then one day, they slowly gain a few reads. They may be ghost reads, people who just read and don't comment, but at least someone's reading. What does a writer do if no one views their content but they need to continue writing? Will they even have the courage to keep going? We do have some tips, but let's first go over how one of us dealt with this type of situation.

The Rollarcoaster

 I, Stacie (ImTheGirl), had this experience. Five years before I joined Wattpad, I was a fanfiction writer for real pop groups, regardless if they were still functioning or not. This was during the late 2000s, I used mostly fan forums to post my works. It was something I did for fun while juggling my final years in high school and during my short break before going to college. I didn't care about getting critiques. I just wanted to entertain people with my soapy stories.

There was one platform that was connected to the main fan website. The archive was very similar to Wattpad. I had completed the first story of my fanfiction series and took advantage of the opportunity by uploading the entire story on there, which was about ten chapters or so. I didn't wait for people to tell me they liked my story, or tell me they wanted more before posting my chapters. I didn't even have an update schedule! I just went for it. Unfortunately, before I could get any sort of engagement, the platform was shut down due to technical difficulties. It was never brought back up again.

Sometime after that, I went to the forums. I relied on engagement to keep posting and writing my works. One of the fandoms I was in was slowly dying, but I still had engagement until around 2011 and 2012. By then, no one was on there. To me, I felt there was no point of continuing to post my works on that forum. Plus, I was on Wattpad at that point, posting my original works on there along with my fanfiction.

Another incident that occurred was when I was introduced to a much smaller forum. It was mostly a fan forum for American Idol, but it had the option to post original works. I had a story that I was writing, a precursor to The One Series called Press Pause. When I started posting the chapters, I had maybe one or two people viewing the story, but no comments. It was discouraging, and it was one of the reasons why I never continued that story. There were other reasons, but that's another article.

A few months later, I joined Wattpad after someone on Tumblr complained about my chapter post, which was an entirely different story, taking up their timeline. When I first joined, I posted the first story of a canceled series titled The Last One Standing. I remember gaining reads, mostly ghost reads. I remember I felt happy and encouraged, especially since this early version of Wattpad reminded me of the defunct fanfiction platform I was on for about a month. It also really helped that Wattpad had a forum thread where you could share your stories like there was no tomorrow.

Ten years later, and Wattpad is very different compared to what it was like in 2011. You don't get ghost reads the moment you upload a chapter. No, you get nothing. So it's discouraging to see that. 

The Tips

What can you do to gain readers and engagement? Both Rim and I have some suggestions:

Put tags in your story. You'll want to attract those who are fans of different things and such. You think your book will attract readers who like Riverdale and BTS? Tag them! Is it a romance? A fantasy? Tag them too!

Another option is to join a book club account on Wattpad. Depending on the group, they might only go over a few chapters of your book for a given period of time. Some will include long-term partners that will read your entire book. If these book clubs include communities, you can join and be exposed to a whole new different world with aspiring writers. They may be on different platforms, such as Discord and Reddit. You might be able to connect with a few of them and realise they too might have the same problem - A lack of motivation to continue writing due to little to no engagement. If we don't help each other grow now, when will you then? After all, there is no greater pleasure than learning and growing together.

Another way would be to submit your story to award accounts. Make sure your work is acceptable. Some accounts don't allow LGBTQ+ and mature works. Some may only accept works in their native language. Make sure you do your research before registering your work to these award accounts. This also applies to book clubs and communities.

Check out less popular authors' work and leave inline comments; those that are witty and fun to read. This is another way to gain an audience. They will definitely thank you; and maybe they'll check out your work. It will also help you build a healthy network of supportive friends and writers. A few things to keep in mind though: Do not advertise your work in the comment section of their work. It's frowned upon and greatly discouraged. Also, do not critique their work. If they ask for it, then go ahead. If they don't, don't bother. Just make light-hearted, positive comments, and they'll appreciate those.

Even though they may be a small audience, and may not even be on Wattpad, you can share your work with family and friends. Maybe even coworkers and teachers. Most of us are reluctant to show our work to the ones who know us best. Family and friends are our biggest cheerleaders. Those who truly care for you will be cheering you on as you start on your way up on the ladder. Just make sure you have supportive family members and friends. Some may not approve of your content based on their personal beliefs and such. Be wary of that; you might have to go at this without their support.

Now, if you're really serious about publishing your works, either on Amazon or traditional, create business social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram. Figure out what kind of aesthetic your story is, and post that on these platforms. Follow published writers that write similar stories to yours. Just keep in mind that Wattpad writers are somewhat stigmatized for being, well, Wattpad writers. It's bad, but don't let that discourage you from getting yourself out there while you write and post your works.

Positive Thoughts

  I, Rim (jhimrim), feel most of us write in order to escape reality. We have the power and control over the lives of our characters, something we might lack in real life. Or what if we simply just enjoy writing? Does it matter how many people are checking out your work? Did you start writing to please others? Would you have one consistent loyal reader who waits for your updates or have hundreds of them who only check out your prologue and immediately draw a conclusion that you might not be a great writer? I have given you the key but you need to make the choice.

Each of us has specific, unique ways of writing that will set us apart from others. Stop counting and focusing on your reads; instead, explore the depths of your potential and have people fall in love with your writing. Your writing is commendable. Readers will get drawn to your work just the way bees are attracted to mainly by blue, purple and yellow flowers. Most importantly, @mansi747, the amazing author of the Amulet Series advised me to first finish writing the entire book. Then the good things will slowly start to follow. Be fearless and present yourself to the world out there. Stop being afraid of people judging and criticizing your work. Have a little more faith in yourself; and believe in your dreams.

Book Ends

In conclusion, I, Stacie, faced a roller coaster of readers and engagement leading up to joining Wattpad, and even that platform had changed so much. Both Rim and I gave you some tips on how to increase engagement. In the end, it's up to you what you want to take from all of this. As the author, you have to make the effort to get yourself out there in order to get that audience. It'll be hard work, but the pay-off will be worth it. In the end, we all want to entertain people with our works. You will; just keep writing, rewriting, and showing the world what you have to offer.

About the Author

Stacie 

~ ImTheGirl ~

Hi! I'm Stacie! I'm a Young Adult/New Adult Drama/Romance author. I have my main series on Wattpad, The One. I have the first book, Let Me Be The One, available now on Amazon, both e-book and paperback! I'm also a pop singer/songwriter/producer with music on SoundCloud. My day job is working in a clothing store. I love shopping, makeup, Starbucks, and K-Pop.

Rim 

~ jhimrim ~

Hello everyone, I'm Rim! I have always loved reading as long as I can remember. I mean I would literally start reading anywhere - In a Mall or at a house party, you name it! Does that make me weird? Definitely, no. I am new to writing, so I hope to create some magic with my creativity and besides writing, I love to play table tennis, binge-watching shows, trying out a new variety of food or at times, just would love to laze around all day long. I am as normal and ordinary as any of you out there fangirling over BTS or cursing a pimple that miraculously appears on your face just before the day of a party!