Wednesday, January 7, 2015

After - Anna Todd

Welcome 2015!

It is officially a new year, which means new opportunities, new hopes, new dreams and new resolutions.  While I don't generally make too many actual resolutions at the start of a new year, I do think about what I would like to achieve or accomplish in the coming year.  

What would you like to achieve this year?

Do you want to learn a new language?  Take a class?  Lose weight?  Travel to a  new or favorite destination?  Write a book?

All of the the goals that I now have, seem like them are becoming a bit more realistic to achieve. There are apps, devices, and sites that allow you to monitor and track your progress toward achieving what you want.  You still have to put in the work, and make yourself accountable, but with all of the new technology, things that once seemed like they could only be a dream can now become a reality. 

Take Anna Todd for example.  In 2013, this 25 year old decided to write a book using the free social reading and writing app, Wattpad.  She wrote much of the book, After, on her mobile phone while waiting for various appointments and running errands.  As she wrote, she would publish new installments of the book every couple of days using Wattpad. By 2014, After had been read over 1 billion times and had more than 6 million comments.   As the popularity of her story grew, it attracted the attention of Simon & Schuster, who decided to publish the print version beginning in October 2014.   If you are interested in reading it, you can get your copies at Barnes & Noble - http://w.tt/wp or for your e-reader http://w.tt/sns2.



Who would have thought that a simple hobby, some free time, and a free app could create such an amazing success story.  It is truly inspiring to think what we each are capable of accomplishing with the right tools and effort.

So, what is Wattpad?  I know that is the question I was asking myself when I heard about this success story!

Wattpad is a new storytelling experience that connects authors and readers in a social way.  More than 40 million people have joined Wattpad, and there are more than 80 million free stories available. Many authors share their work one chapter at a time.  Readers receive notifications when a new installment is available.  They are then able to share plot suggestions with the author via comments and messages.  What a great way to get feedback on a story!  You know what people like as you're writing as opposed to after you've already finished your book.

Do I have any readers that are aspiring authors?  If so, check out Wattpad and see what you think.  I'd love to hear your comments and opinions.

Disclosure:  I participated in the After by Anna Todd blog program as a member of One2One Network. I received compensation but all opinions are my own.