The Upside of Falling

There are two popular routes in the publishing world: traditional publishing and self-publishing. On each side, there are critics. Some argue that traditional publishing is too hard to break into, too rigid, and offers less creative control for authors. Critics of self-publishing argue that the process is unregulated, too easy to achieve, and often results in lower-quality work. However, self-publishing is an attractive option for those who want to write with more freedom, and many critically-acclaimed authors have launched their careers through self-publication. Websites like FictionPress, Wattpad, and Episode Interactive have allowed millions of aspiring writers to share their stories with readers worldwide. For everyday Wattpad user Alex Light, a humble story about love in a small town resulted in millions of readers and a massive fan following.

The website Wattpad was first launched in 2006 and boasts a monthly audience of roughly 90 million readers. Wattpad, like other self-publishing websites before it, was created to unite readers and writers and eliminate the walls between those who read and those who write. The website is predominantly visited by younger readers, especially those in the Gen Z and Millennial age groups, and the site is most often accessed through mobile devices.