The content team at Wattpad HQ is here to share something completely new that we are so excited to talk about: Verticals. Verticals are our new way of publishing stories that help improve both the writer and reader experience, by branding them through clearly defined categories.
Why verticals?
To make it easier for YOU, our writers, to know what we are currently looking for. By no means do we expect all of our writers to write in only one of the verticals. Rather, verticals are a way to be more transparent in which genres we are currently monetizing stories in. The categories will also help readers, who will have interest in specific verticals, find stories and writers they are interested in more easily.
Wattpad's verticals
These are our six fun and fresh verticals:
Dangerous Love
These are our NSFW love stories. These love stories are taboo, they are not something your readers may ever experience, but that makes it even more intriguing to them. Whether it’s a mafia story, a psychological dark romance, or a romantic suspenseful thriller, these are stories that give your reader a hot escape.
Hot Encounter
These are our hot and heavy love stories. Whether it is a lighthearted enemies to lovers fiction between college students, a marriage before love story set in a recognizable historical time period, or a slow burn featuring a billionaire or athlete love interest, these are stories that make us believe in love—and lust—again.
LGBTQ+ Romance
These are our LGBTQ+ romance stories that are guaranteed a happy ending. These stories have complex, multi-dimensional LGBTQ+ leads that readers can relate to and/or root for. Regardless of the tone or pacing of these stories, one thing that readers should expect is a happy conclusion.
Werewolf
These are love stories that go beyond what humans can experience. With werewolves, they have this intense, primal love, loyalty, and connection that raises the stakes of romance. In addition to romance, these stories also have an element of empowerment for the characters that make our readers root for them. Altogether, these stories invoke intense emotional reactions for our readers.
Para-Romantasy
These are our love stories that may or may not be set in our contemporary world. If they are set in our world, at least one of the love interests should be a paranormal creature, perhaps a vampire, or an angel, or a demon, to help give our readers a love that they can only fantasize about. However, while these stories focus more on the individual characters, para-romantasy can also have stories set in secondary worlds where part of the appeal is getting invested in this different universe. These stories should also feature at least one love interest that is a mythical creature, like a warlock, or an elf, or a fae.
Speculative Fiction
These are our fantasy, science fiction, and horror stories that may not majorly focus on romance. Instead the appeal of these stories is letting our readers immerse themselves in a world that feels completely different to the one they know. We want our readers to feel like they are experiencing the story right next to the characters and go through an emotional journey with them.
And that's that! Wattpad's verticals are a new way of publishing stories that aims to enhance the writer and reader experience. These six categories—Dangerous Love, Hot Encounter, LGBTQ+ Romance, Werewolf, Para-Romantasy, and Speculative Fiction—allow writers to better understand the genres that the platform is currently monetizing, while readers can easily find stories that align with their interests. Each vertical is unique, offering readers a chance to escape into different worlds and experience various emotions. With this new feature, Wattpad is bringing a fresh and exciting approach to story publishing. Stay tuned to our blog and sign up for our newsletter for more in-depth details on each vertical.
Want to learn about how a story is chosen for an opportunity such as verticals? Visit our help center to learn about Content Opportunities & You.
