˒⠀S O T T . . . 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙸𝙰𝙲

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❛ IF WE 𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑵, WE BEEN
HERE 𝑩𝑬𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬. WHY ARE WE 𝑨𝑳𝑾𝑨𝒀𝑺
𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑪𝑲 AND 𝑹𝑼𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑴
THE 𝑩𝑼𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑻𝑺? ❜

symbols & fonts! ━━ no. 038
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     HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 of this book, also known as the final act!

     In this closing portion, I will cover an array of aesthetic topics (layouts, graphics, apps, etc.). Aesthetics is my least favorite thing to talk about because I spend so much time making them that it now gives me a headache. However, I will speak about it in this book portion.

     Disclaimer: I am not an expert regarding anything I talk about in this book. So please, do not take my word as gospel. This is simply a resource where I provide personal tips and advice on various topics and present research that has proven helpful to several authors.

     Now, buckle up. Today I will be presenting an introduction to aesthetics. Or also known as the (unofficial) most dangerous game to play, especially on Wattpad.

     Honestly, I don't even know where to start because I have so much to say, yet nothing at the same time. The subject of aesthetics is not discussed in-depth like this. Typically, one person asks another on Wattpad, "Hey! Where'd you get that?" or "Hey! Where do you find those symbols?" However, I'd like to take a different approach.

     First, I'm going to start this chapter with the truth: having a nice layout, a pretty aesthetic, and a profile/layout theme is annoying. People who use symbols and fonts heavily in their aesthetics rarely admit this. I am not one of those people. Creating an aesthetic, keeping it, and putting it in all of your books for continuity and consistency is an ass and a half. It's annoying and a hassle that isn't necessary, but people, including myself, want to have a pretty book. So, we put ourselves through dozens of headaches and time staring at a screen.

     And as much as nobody wants to admit it (although it's true), a pretty book attracts more attention and readers. A book could be poorly written but have an incredible layout and receive more reads and votes compared to a brilliantly written book with a strong plot with strong characters but it's set up in an "aesthetic" manner. But people aren't ready for that conversation yet.

     Second, creating an aesthetic and applying it to your books is a dangerous game to play. You might like the layout for a couple of days or weeks, but inevitably, you will change your mind and want to do an entirely new layout. It's taxing and takes time, only for you to hit the remix button and remake it again days/weeks/months later. I've done this many times, so I experience this struggle.

     Third, I will shut up because I know people are here for tips, answers, and symbols, not to read an accumulation of my thoughts on aesthetics. Let's get into it.

     The world of aesthetics is multifaceted and has a lot of different elements to it. There are visual graphics (gifs, pictures, banners, and headers), keyboard symbols, fancy fonts, themes, usernames, layouts, and bios. It's a lot, and I will break them down for you. Visual graphics, symbols, and fancy fonts will have chapters dedicated to them.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓 ⸝⸝ ⇗

          ╰─── Theme. All right, so your Wattpad theme is basically like your opening statement in an essay. It's what captures people's attention and either draws them in or pushes them away. Your theme is also a marketing tool, in a sense. Depending on the book genre or fandom you write about, you want to tailor your profile to fit that demographic. I'm not saying you need to or anything, but most times, people's themes naturally match their stories and what they write about, regardless if it's intentional.

          Furthermore, your theme is essentially the first impression you give to someone. What they see on your profile is kind of how they'll envision you. So, keep it clean and organized, and consider color schemes. There are tons of themes that you can choose from and create; the possibilities are endless. (Tip: You can find many ideas on themes on WeHeartIt and Pinterest.)

          Some people choose only to use pictures of the same person on the cover of all of their books (it's me, I'm people), others choose a color scheme or filter that they put on each cover,  or they choose pictures that have similar backgrounds (a field of flowers or city backgrounds with a person somewhere in the photo).

          My number one tip for themes is to ensure your photos are high-quality and aren't blurry! That turns people off from a book pretty quickly, I've discovered.

          ╰─── Layout. Everyone is talking about how important layout is in aesthetics, and I'm here to confirm that they are correct. Layout, in my opinion, is the most essential part. A concise, organized, neat, and clean layout is key. Those with profiles and books whose layouts are clean, edited, organized, and managed are watering their garden correctly. You wouldn't want to have your own plant family, leave them out, and not take care of them. You would want to water them and put them in sunlight, ensuring they get everything they need to thrive and live.

          Similarly, think about your layouts. Don't overwater your plant. In other words, don't let your books and profile layouts become too cluttered.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐒 ⸝⸝ ⇗

          ╰─── Usernames. Creating a unique username is literally the hardest thing ever because anything you can think of is most likely already in use. It took me two hours to come up with a username for my backup account... and I still hate it. The struggle is real; once you can get the username you want, it's nearly impossible to change. (Such as mine, which is cardiiac. It's what I'm known by now; I can't really change it if I want my readers and mutuals to recognize me.)

          In a sense, your username is your brand— what you want people to know you by. So, you should find the right one. I suggest something short and simple, nothing over the top, and ridiculously long. Also, avoid using numbers in your username if you can. Numbers have this way of making usernames look cluttered, in my opinion. If you do use numbers, don't do something like butterfly5803. That's not necessary. Maybe use only one or two numbers, not all of them.

          If you ever have trouble coming up with a user, dozens of websites are designed to help you (for free)!

          ╰─── Bios. Bios with nothing but symbols aren't cute. It's cluttered and can be distracting from your stories. To craft an "aesthetic bio," use simple symbols and make use of all the text headers and borders available online. Keep it minimalistic to a degree and simple. You can share your name, age, pronouns, sexuality, who you stan, favorite food, or the fandoms you are in. Quotes and song lyrics are also cute to add, especially with fancy fonts. Perhaps include a list of your books at the end that states which is ongoing, on hold, coming soon, or completed. Or maybe include your social media handles if you would like. However, for your safety, don't get too personal. Don't reveal sensitive information.

          I only share my name, preferred pronouns, age, sexuality, and zodiac sign. That isn't overly personal information. No one knows where I live, where I went to college, what I look like, or my full name— nobody needs to know that information. Do you know how many Graysons who are over twenty identify as she/her and are Capricorn exist? Probably a ton more than I will ever know.

          Like I said before: keep it minimalistic and simple. Don't overdo it, and don't overshare. On Wattpad, people are here for stories, not always to meet people or get to know the authors too personally. However, remember also that your bio is part of your first impression with others. Make it unique and your own without cluttering it.

     I hope these were all helpful and if you have any questions or want more tips on this topic, let me know! (I don't know if this was helpful, but we'll see.)

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❛ WE 𝑫𝑶𝑵'𝑻 TALK 𝑬𝑵𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯, WE
SHOULD 𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑵 𝑼𝑷 BEFORE IT'S
𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝚃𝙾𝙾 𝙼𝚄𝙲𝙷. ❜
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