The world’s largest online community for connecting authors and readers in genuine and engaging ways turned seven years old today, and is celebrating with the launch of something new. Wattpad Stories, which goes live at 10am ET, takes an in-depth look at people whose lives have been transformed by the power of writing and storytelling, and by the ability to instantly share that creative work with an audience of over 20 million users.
“Ivan and I started Wattpad as a way to read on our mobile phone and give writers a platform to share their original stories. It’s remarkable to see our idea resonate with so many people around the world,” said CEO and co-founder Allen Lau in a press release. “Seven years ago we had a few hundred stories on Wattpad; today we have more than 25 million uploads and we’re on track to surpass the total number of books that have been published since the advent of printing.”
“Before the iPhone, before Kindle and before the rise of ebooks and self-publishing, there was Wattpad,” continued CTO and co-founder Ivan Yuen. “It’s incredible to have created a platform that empowers people to read, write and socialize in a way fits their mobile lifestyle.”
Over 28 million works have been uploaded to Wattpad in the past seven years, and the availability of mobile devices has opened up the ability to read this content anywhere, as nearly 90% of the traffic through Wattpad is now coming from readers who access the site via mobile devices; at last count, nearly 5 billion minutes per month are being spent by users who are engaged with the content, all of it free to read. With the launch of Wattpad Stories, readers have a whole new opportunity to connect with the authors of the content, as it brings a more personal understanding of the writing process for some of these creators and the way that writing and reading have transformed them.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.