A case study I presented on emergent forms of Writing on Wattpad at Transmedia 101 in 2013. Download the slideshare for the presentation notes. Talking Points below (I will be editing it into a proper essay somedayish):

1.

Things I learned about the Platform during a 3 week intensive study of the top wattpaders:

1. • Youtubers/Bloggers → hit upon something and can that be translated
   • Web series: social, serializes, SINCERITY, niche←no rules: sets of best practices & strategies → THE AUDIENCE is YOUR POWER
   • TV PRODCOs move over bacon here’s some thing meatier: mistakes I see traditional writers do; bunch of amateurs→ugh this is so amateurish→well 15 year olds will read 15 year olds
   • Underutilized audience: RABID FANBASE → why I think there are avenues to monetization; SHOJO!! Sincerity→teenage girls acting like teenage girls←immaturity
   • Margaret Atwood → understood the fanbase: werewolves and shopping;

2

READ AT OWN RISK: similarities to Youtube’s early adopters

• • TWO WRITERS: THE BET & STOLE MY SOUL
  • Both esl writers – niche audience→circumventing traditional publishing→ underserved; catholic
  • READ AT OWN RISK→AS an Aesthetic: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; 50 Shades of Gray
  • LOWER COST→Editing cost time and money; Casts; Editing footage; editing a paragraph
  • INCUBATION→community editing; COVERS
  • Immediacy→don’t have time to describe location: here’s a picture

3

FANNING

• Fanning vs not fanning: Ash Catherwood XXXSkaterGirl
• Dedicated chapters to audience
• COMMENT VOTE FAN: COTE
• Incentivising or Fan Gating: I’m thinking of a number!
• THE EVIL AUTHOR’S NOTES; FUCK YOU I HAVE A LIFE TWO YOU KNOW

4

Responsive →never ending Story Horizon : THE SANDBOX

• Hi-concept loglines that work→traditional publishers
• Teasers: chapter
• Expanding horizon→star wars model
• Shifting perspectives: POV → teenage girl →DOUBLE the chapters for HALF the work→ Stephanie Meyer → teaser content throughout:
• The double take; fake out
• The One Shot; Incentivised One shot
• THE RAW DRAFT→ distributed narrative
• Shifting narrative
• Rated R content
• Monetizing chapters → full experience → premium experience
• FAN FICTION: Margaret Atwood again→ROI→reach and influence
• Genetic quirk: we get it; we get you – WHINING Authors

5

Low barrier to entry: THIS IS NOT AN ARG – but has ARGish elements which I like to call Realia → APP; REPEATABLE; Tentacles – big red squid; Editable → I DON’T have to do everything at once→ maximizing reads: come back a third 4rth time

6

• LOW INVESTMENT → cast/locations/music

7

Maximizing cross promo’s to maximize reach→RUN THIS LIKE A PRODCO: VALUE EXCHANGE: Partner with Platforms; Partner with Nuts & Bolts; Partner with Creatives → for monetary exchange &

• Tracklists
• Curated tracklists: songza
• MUSIC SCORE!!!
• Pinterest → Fashion
• Locations→
• Cast of Actors – Pepper & Atticus
• Instagram
• TEAM OF WRITERS → alternate realities →
• Illustrator

8

PR: Spectacle and Murmur

9

Control of IP → Nuno Bernardo

10

Telescopic audience development → and business model

• Wattpad + Merch
• Comic book
• Crowdfunding campaign
• PRODUCER/AUTHOR/PUBLISHER
• The PERSONAL EXPERIENCE → Darcy wrote you letters
• Scott walker
• GEEK CULTURE    TWIHARDS→ denigrated a lot: SHOJO→harem→smut→ecchi→KOREAN WAVE→ASIAN AMERICANS = THE SWEETSPOT