#37 Is Substack the New Wattpad?
Similar in format, but very different in content. Why do writers prefer publishing on Substack?
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Today, every creative professional with something to say is publishing content on Substack. It has become a space for newsletters, reviews, thought pieces, and a space to grow your audience as a writer. Though the platform is relatively new, the opportunities it offers writers are endless. Recently, Killing Eve’s creator, Luke Jennings, has turned to Substack to continue the series. He is now publishing his novel Killing Eve: Resurrection in a serialised format on Substack for fans to read for free.
Salman Rushdie has also been publishing stories in the serialised format on Substack since 2021 which are available to his paid subscribers. For literature students, this is reminiscent of how Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins used to publish books in the serialised format in magazines; and for more recent fans of fiction, this is much like Wattpad.
Wattpad, for the uninitiated, is a website for reading and publishing original written fiction and connecting with fellow writers and readers. While Wattpad is aimed at fiction and its user base is largely females aged 13-24, Substack seems to be gaining popularity among corporates and independent professionals to publish newsletters, thought pieces, and even full novels.
Further, it offers the chance to monetise your content in all formats. Wattpad also offers opportunities to monetise but it operates on an invite-only program, which is exclusive and not open to all its users.
Despite their differences, both platforms are incredibly successful within their own demographics. The popularity of both platforms stems from the fact that they offer the freedom to publish on your own terms. As Salman Rushdie has mentioned in his Substack bio:
“The point of doing this is to have a closer relationship with readers, to speak freely, without any intermediaries or gatekeepers.”
The ability to engage with readers and form a community seems to be the ethos of both platforms.
Though the content on these platforms is self-published, these writings are in high demand and do not face the same stigma that self-published books do. Largely because the writings are free and Substack, as a platform, is viewed with more legitimacy as compared to other platforms due to the presence of many renowned writers publishing on the platform.
While many Wattpad stories have been picked up by international publishing houses and adapted into commercially successful movies; the platform is not looked at seriously due to the fanfiction and romance tag attached to it and due to its largely young and female readership.
Substack is also the go-to place for many corporates as well as young writers due to the ease with which you can monetise and other creator-friendly features like the ability to host a podcast on the platform.
Although many young writers began their writing journey with Wattpad, many seem to prefer Substack due to the above reasons. It might not be long before Substack is also looked at as a platform where mainstream publishers may go to find new writers and acquire rights to existing works.
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