Wattpad launches marketing program for self-published authors

From their press release:

In the first half of 2010, Wattpad has established cross-promotional partnerships with major self-publishing houses Smashwords, Lulu and Bubok.

To assist writers in connecting with readers on the site, Wattpad is launching the Self-Published Writers Program, a new marketing initiative that creates additional value for the time authors spend promoting their work online. Authors who have accounts with one of Wattpad’s Self-Publishing partners will be able to gain additional exposure through Wattpad channels based on their level of interaction.

Wattpad provides a platform for self-published authors to expand their online presence to a dedicated reading audience and is playing an increasing role in a writer’s marketing efforts.

The Wattpad community spends over a quarter of a billion minutes on the site every month, sharing all genres of fiction, recommending titles and interacting with writers and readers around the world.
J. Alexander Greenwood, author of “Obsidian”, explains his reasoning for joining Wattpad: “Wattpad is the latest social media community I’ve joined. I learned about it from Smashwords. I posted an award-winning short story of mine and instantly received useful feedback! I also garnered interest in my ebook. I am really pleased with the response from the Wattpad community.”

Writers can link their Wattpad account directly to Smashwords, Lulu and Bubok, creating a straightforward way for new fans to purchase authors’ work.

“We are always so impressed with the willingness of new Wattpad authors to not only share free content, but reach out to readers in order to grow their fan base” explains Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO of Wattpad. “As authors continue to take advantage of self publishing, they require more targeted social networking services to connect with readers. “We are excited about the many amazing authors who have decided to join Wattpad since partnering with these self-publishing companies and the Self-Published Writers Program managed by Wattpad is a natural fit.”