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Wattpad is allowing writers to generate income from stories posted on their site through external adverts.
The Wattpad Futures programme, billed as a “simple way for writers to increase their earning potential”, will place adverts between the chapters of stories. The author will earn money every time their story is read, although Wattpad did not say how much it would pay per view.
“The dynamic Wattpad community is unlike any other social platform. It’s the interconnected community of storytellers and audiences that makes the Wattpad Futures program a viable income source for writers,” said Wattpad’s co-founder and c.e.o. Allen Lau. “Readers have always encouraged their favourite storytellers with messages, comments, and votes. Now, they can support Wattpad writers in a way that increases the writer’s income, without having to pay out of pocket.”
The programme will allow advertisers to connect with “mobile-first millenials and generation Z”, he added.
Wattpad launched in 2006 as an app-based community writing site. More than 2.3m writers use Wattpad every month, the company claims, and some, such as Taran Matharu, subsequently get publishing deals.
However, the site has also faced criticism from authors who claim their work is often plagiarised on the site. In May, www.thebookseller.com/news/daugherty-plagiarism-rife-wattpad-329805">C J Daugherty said she had found more than 20 illegal versions of her Night School books on Wattpad.