In 2006, two Toronto-based entrepreneurs, Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen, started Wattpad. It began as “Wattpad 1.0,” an app for sharing and reading stories on mobile devices. Lau and Yuen wanted to use mobile tech to make a place for writers to freely share their work and readers to find a huge collection of stories.
Wattpad’s goal was to make storytelling democratic. They created a platform for everyone to write and share, no matter who they were or where they came from. This approach quickly drew in a crowd of enthusiastic writers and readers excited to connect and share their love of reading.
Wattpad’s Expansion and Changes
The founders saw room for growth beyond mobile devices as Wattpad’s popularity grew. In 2009, they launched a website version, making Wattpad available on all platforms. This new move allowed writers to reach more readers and introduced readers to even more stories to discover.
Wattpad did not stop evolving, it kept adding new features to improve user experience. A big stepping stone was the 2014 Wattpad Stars program. This program acknowledged talented writers on the platform, giving them exposure and potential publishing deals opportunities.
In 2016, Wattpad made a notable move by launching Wattpad Studios. The division’s role is to turn Wattpad stories into various media—movies, TV shows, and web series. This highlighted Wattpad’s strength as a tale-telling platform. It also allowed hopeful writers to see their work in different media.
Present-Day Wattpad
Wattpad now claims an impressive base of over 90 million users. Also, more than 565 million stories are uploaded to date. It’s a worldwide community, linking writers with readers, allowing feedback, and recognizing writers’ work. The platform features various genres—romance, fantasy, science fiction, etc.—and caters to varied tastes and interests.
Besides its online influence, Wattpad is involved in major entertainment partnerships, for example with Sony Pictures Television. This has led to bringing Wattpad tales to the big and small screens. Successful examples include “The Kissing Booth” and “After,” which were both initially popular Wattpad tales before transforming into successful movies.
Wattpad in the Future
As Wattpad continues its growth and changes, the founders stick to their initial goal of empowering writers and linking them with global readers. The platform’s achievements have paved the path for hopeful writers to showcase their skills. It has also transformed how stories get discovered and shared.
Recently, Wattpad launched a feature called Paid Stories. In this setup, fans can decide to pay for specific tales. Writers now have a fresh method to make money. It motivates them to create more enjoyable reads.
Wattpad is well-known for its fresh take on sharing tales. Its community of authors and readers is loyal. Wattpad is still ahead in the literary game, changing how stories are made, exchanged, and relished.
