Wattpad is a leading social storytelling platform and entertainment company with a global community of more than 94 million people who discover and share stories from science fiction to romance and every other type of story imaginable. Prensario interviewed Jenne «Jenny» Lam, president.
The platform has managed to establish alliances with producers and platforms to bring those stories to the screens. ‘Leveraging data and insights from 1 billion uploads, we turn the best stories with built-in fans into hit movies, TV shows and books. About 1,500 Wattpad stories have been adapted and we’re bringing together over 100 film and television projects in development right now’, she explained.
The platform community has grown significantly in recent years, especially in Latin America, with Mexico (+4 million users) among the main markets along with the USA, Indonesia, Brazil, India, UK, the Philippines and Turkey. ‘Spanish is the second largest language on the platform, and many Latin American and Hispanic stories have become so popular that the entertainment and publishing arm, Wattpad WEBTOONStudios, is adapting them’, said Lam.
The company recently announced its plan for two hugely popular Spanish-language original stories: Perfectos Mentirosos (+115 million reads), written by Alex Mirez from Venezuela to be adapted into a television series, and Boulevard (+84 million reads) by MexicanauthorFlor M.Salvador, which is destined to become a feature film.
This announcement came after the great success of A través de mi ventana (+358 million readings) written by the 26-year-old Venezuelan author Ariana Godoy, and which was adapted by Netflix becoming the #1 foreign language film worldwideon the streaming service, with more than 108 million hours of viewing to date.
“Wattpad is an amazing platform because our millions of readers tell us which stories they want the most. Our job is to find them and take advantage of them through our team of content experts, while working with our authors to adapt them on different platforms. We look for stories that are supported by data and that share a unique / diverse perspective of the world, ”said Lam.
And she emphasized: ‘We are democratizing the stories that are told. Our goal is to be the best place in the world for writers to take control of their careers. For example, the launch of our recent Wattpad Creators Program with a USD 2.6 million investment in writers and their futures. And this is just one of the many ways we’re helping writers make money: from paid stories and brand partnerships to book and movie deals, we support building a creative economy for authors.»
There’s room for every type of story: ‘From action, sci-fi, Muslim romance, LGBT+ adventure and everything in between. We have long recognized that diversity is our strength. Our company culture, teams, our ability to innovate and ultimately our product are strengthened by the variety of perspectives, experiences and voices that comprise it.”
Lamconcuded: ‘Wattpad is known as one of the safest places online because it is an open and welcoming environment for everyone. People feel safe sharing their stories, perspectives and identities because we have taken a zero-tolerance approach to harassment in any form’.
