They are in their twenties, they write literature and are read by millions: the Peruvian stars of Wattpad

Launched in November 2006, the free online platform for reading and self-publishing wattpad has revolutionized the way authors and readers can connect. Due to its characteristics, it became the favorite of young people who found the possibility of spreading ideas; In addition to finding readers. During the beginning of the pandemic, where more people stayed at home to avoid contagion, users of the service increased throughout the world; Peru included.

Trade spoke with Angélica Solorio, Layeska Dávila, Donna and Giovanna Di Biagio, four Peruvian writers who found in Wattpad a way to introduce themselves to the world and make their novels known.

Your arrival on the platform

Each of the authors had a different beginning. The sisters Donna (22) and Giovanna (19) Di Biagio devised their first book, “Alba”, during 2019, but it was not until 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 quarantine, that they began to write it. “It was very strange, because once we got into the platform, we just realized what it really is and the great opportunities it can offer you”Donna said.

Each author creates the story in their own way, and the Di Biagio sisters decided to capture some aspects of their lives to reflect them in their novel. “Derek (one of the characters) races in Formula 1 and we have grown up with our dad, who has always seen this on TV. Also, we are half Italian, so we know a little bit about these insults or curious expressions in Italian, and we put that aspect into Ava (the protagonist). They are little things from our environment that we adapt”Donna added.

For her part, Angélica Solorio (22) has been a Wattpad reader for years and in 2021 she began to publish weekly “When I see you again”. “I really wanted to write, but I didn’t have enough time to focus on the plot. To publish on Wattpad you have to be constant, because readers are excited to know more about the story. I was encouraged to do it because I thought it was time, it was a project that I wanted to fulfill for years”.

Regarding her characters, the young writer revealed that some are based on people around her; although the plot is fictitious. “I always put some things about my life or about the life of someone very close to try to raise awareness of those problems (of daily life) that often occur and we do not pay attention to them.”

Meanwhile, Layeska Dávila (19) entered the world of Wattpad in 2016 and discovered that she could enjoy free books. Her stories within the “Hermanos Roque” saga are completely focused on the mafia, a genre that is not very common on the platform. She became interested in this due to previous experiences. “When I was little I lived with my grandmother and she watched ´The Queen of the South´ and it interested me more, in addition to the books I found on Wattpad filled me with curiosity and little by little I was introduced to the subject”.

New opportunities

Due to the reception that “Alba” received, which has more than 5.2 million views on Wattpad, Donna and Giovanna decided to continue with the sequel, “Abyss”, and are currently writing “Azar”; the end of his trilogy. “There are more stories to tell and we decided to add the third book to wrap it up. Since we are writing this trilogy, we want to write much more because there are always new ideas that come. It is a world that, when you enter, you no longer leaveGiovanna stressed.

“When I see you again”, written by Solorio, started with about 5 thousand readers, but now has more than 1 million views on Wattpad. The great reception of the book led her to make a decision that will probably excite her readers: it will have a sequel. And it will not stop there, but the writer already has ideas in mind to create new stories.

“I am very excited, I did not expect this reception and much less the support of the people who write to me, who follow me and ask me to continue with the story and to update as soon as possible. I feel very loved and I always thank you”he stressed.

As for the “Hermanos Roque” saga, Layeska Dávila revealed that she began her adventure thinking of writing a single book; But as she further established her ideas, she realized that she could deepen the story with a tactic well known to TV creators: more characters, which means more plot. “In 2018 I published my first book. But I said that the protagonist would need a brother to trust, to have a support; so i added another one. I was thinking of doing something short, but I made it longer”, he emphasized.

more than just a trend

A good example of all the exposure authors get through Wattpad is Flor M. Salvador. The Mexican writer arrived in Peru in September 2021 to present her new printed book “Silence”, after the success of “Boulevard”; both works born on the online platform. She would participate in the Sixth Lima Lee Metropolitan Book Fair; However, hundreds of her followers arrived at the venue and formed long queues, which generated crowds and the event had to be cancelled. Later, Salvador had the opportunity to meet with her readers. “Signing my printed books seems surreal to me,” she told El Comercio.

A good example of all the exposure authors get through Wattpad is Flor M. Salvador. The Mexican writer arrived in Peru in September 2021 to present her new printed book “Silence”, after the success of “Boulevard”; both works born on the online platform. She would participate in the Sixth Lima Lee Metropolitan Book Fair; However, hundreds of her followers arrived at the venue and formed long queues, which generated crowds and the event had to be cancelled. Later, Salvador had the opportunity to meet with her readers. “Signing my printed books seems surreal to me,” she told El Comercio. Metropolitan of the Book Lima Lee; However, hundreds of her followers arrived at the venue and formed long queues, which generated crowds and the event had to be cancelled. Later, Salvador had the opportunity to meet with her readers. “Signing my printed books seems surreal to me”he told El Comercio.

Asked about the secret to catch their readers, the Di Biagio sisters recognized that they write the story they want to read; in addition to offering a bit of different genres within the same narration: love, mystery, comedy, among others. At that point, Yaleska agrees, who began to be interested in mafia issues when he was 15 years old. “I started writing on Wattpad because I couldn’t find books that I would like to read, of the same genre that I was looking for”.

The success shown on Wattpad has led publishers to approach the Di Biagio sisters to publish their novel in physical format. “We never thought it would happen, much less before we finished the books. It feels like a nice achievement to know that there are publishers out there that have seen potential in us, in our history. It seems crazy to us. At the moment, we are not in any process to release it physically because we feel that it is not yet the time “Giovanna stressed.

For their part, Angélica and Layeska plan to send their proposals to national publishers that are interested in reaching the youngest. I have it planned for May. I’m trying to finish this story of ‘When I see you again’ to send the proposal to a publisher “said the first. “I would love to edit the book, change some themes and send it to some publishers. As a writer I must focus on treating the issues well. As I dedicate myself to mafia, there are some strong themes and I have to adapt it a bit because those situations are lived in real life”, added the second.

Likewise, Wattpad Webtoon Studios announced that it will seek to make series or movies based on stories from this platform. Asked about the possibility, the four Peruvian writers agreed that it would be a very good opportunity to expose their talent; although they have doubts about what the adaptation of their books could mean. “I really like the audiovisual and I would be interested to see how to turn the story”said Donna Di Biagio. “It would be a great opportunity. If it were presented, of course I would analyze it and perhaps I would accept it because it would be one more dream achieved “Angelica Solorio added.

Relevance of social networks

Growing on Wattpad doesn’t happen overnight, it takes daily effort by each of the authors. Andrea Godoy (“Through my window”), Anna Todd (“After”), Mercedes Ron (“My fault”), Alex Mírez (“Perfect liars”), among other writers are representatives of this new generation of self-publishing in digital media, which have relied on other platforms to achieve their success.

Thanks to social networks like Tik Tok and Instagram, Peruvian writers have managed to make their stories go viral and capture more readers who are interested in the literary genre they are passionate about.

“In February 2021 we uploaded the first video on Tik Tok to test. At first it didn’t work, until we realized the formula of this social network: use hashtags, play music and participate in a ‘trend’. We began to do the content like this and little by little the visits grew. There was one that went viral and many people started asking for the link to our story. The book grew a lot thanks to Tik Tok and our promotions that, when we started reading the second one, we already had readers who were following us and asking for updates. Tik Tok became a space where people can reach you without having to follow you”emphasized Giovanna Di Biagio.

For her part, Angélica Solorio highlights that, in recent years, young people have focused a lot on social networks; which has allowed the creators to use them as means of promotion and, consequently, to find the hidden readers of the internet. “It was the biggest opportunity for me. Editing videos and making it known that I am also writing made them notice me and give ‘When I see you again’ a chance. A few days after I published one of the first videos, I saw results. People began to come to my novel and suddenly the statistics grew until it reached what it is now”said.

Finally, Layeska Dávila had to identify the type of content that people might like to see on the internet and, at the same time, spread her novel. “When I entered Tik Tok, the ‘bookstagram’ theme was not that strong. I started uploading videos with phrases from my books and little by little they had more visibility. I had more visitors and was discovering what people liked. I also started Instagram because I realized that it attracted many readers who really enjoyed my content”ended.

Angélica Solorio, Layeska Dávila, Donna and Giovanna Di Biagio recognize the great talent that exists in Peru for writing and that is probably hidden behind the screens. “There is potential for very good Peruvian writers in the Wattpad community; just waiting for them to be given a chance and the possibility of being read, so that they realize that their writing is very good and just needs some attention”Solorio concluded.