Wattpad Announces New Creators Program and $2.6M in Writer Stipends

The program will see some of Wattpad’s biggest authors share their work exclusively on the platform

In addition to millions in stipends this year, the Wattpad Creators Program will offer writers new marketing and editorial supports, writing resources and more

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading webnovel platform, today announced the Wattpad Creators Program, a new program and investment to empower writers to produce their best work and earn money on the platform. The company has plans to pay out $2.6M in writer stipends this year, and some of Wattpad’s most popular stories will become exclusive to the platform.

The Wattpad Creators Program is part of Wattpad’s ongoing commitment to be the best place in the world for writers to build a global audience and make money from their work. Today’s announcement consolidates and expands some of the company’s long-standing writer perks, supporting more writers as they build a career on the platform. Participants will be eligible for marketing and editorial support, sponsored brand partnerships, and for the first time, cash stipends of up to $25,000.

The Wattpad Creators program will see some of the company’s biggest stories become exclusive to the platform. Among the first cohort of now exclusive Wattpad writers is romance superstar Tamara Lush (@TamaraLush), author of Drive and Crash and many other steamy hits; Jessica Cunsolo (@AvaViolet), whose With Me series of novels has accumulated nearly 1B reads on the platform and has a series adaptation in development from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Sony Pictures Television; Kate Marchant (@toastedbagels), author of the hit novel and upcoming film Float, starring and produced by Robbie Amell; Claudia Tan (@claudiaoverhere), author of Perfect Addiction, in production as a feature film from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Constantin Film; and Sondi Warner (@sondi_is_on), author of the 259M-read phenomenon, Lead Me Astray.

As part of the Wattpad Creators Program, the company recently rolled out a new Engaged Readers metric for writers. Engaged Readers offers a snapshot of story performance and engagement over the past 365 days, specifically highlighting how many readers spent more than five minutes reading a story.

The company has also launched the Wattpad Creator Portal. Available to all writers, the Wattpad Creator Portal is an online resource with information and tips to help writers hone their craft.

“We’re in the business of helping writers build a global audience and make money,” said Jeanne Lam, President, Wattpad. “With this program and investment, we’re putting millions of dollars directly into authors’ pockets, and helping them hone their skills with new editorial support and educational programming. Our goal has always been to create multiple, scalable ways for writers to make money and build a writing career on Wattpad. The Wattpad Creators Program will do that for more writers than has ever been possible before.”

The Wattpad Creators Program is the company’s latest program and investment to support a diverse community of authors around the world. In 2019, Wattpad launched its Paid Stories program, enabling writers to make more money directly on the platform. The program has grown to support hundreds of writers around the world, paying out more than $3M to writers in the first three years. Wattpad also supports writers with brand partnership opportunities, as well as TV, film, and publishing deals via Wattpad WEBTOON Studios.

The Wattpad Creators Program is currently rolling out to English-language writers around the world. Spanish-language markets and the Philippines will roll-out next, with additional markets to follow in 2023. Educational programming and writer resources will be available for over 3,000 qualifying writers this year, along with over 500 writers who are eligible for cash stipends.

The Wattpad Creators Program is currently open to eligible writers, including those who:

• Have published a new story part in the last three months
• Have at least one completed novel-length story of 50,000 words or more in their catalog
• Have at least one story in an eligible genre¹
• Have achieved a minimum number of Engaged Readers as indicated by Wattpad’s Story Statistics resource

For full program eligibility and information, please see here.

¹ A complete list of eligible genres are available on the Wattpad Creators Portal