
doi: 10.7202/1122236ar
This article examines Wattpad’s annual writing contest—the Watty Awards—as a key mechanism of discoverability for Wattpad writers. Launched in 2010 as an informal popularity prize, it has transformed into a coveted award that has led to publicity on the platform as well as publishing and film adaptation deals. My study, which is based on qualitative interviews with Watty Award winners, reveals that being “discovered” translates differently according to factors of language, literary genre, award category, and jury composition. Discoverability, I argue, emerges as a notion in constant transformation due to several forces—Wattpad’s commercial strategies, first and foremost, but also, significantly, the tactics of the award winners themselves.
the Watty Awards, concours d’écriture, content monetization, découvrabilité, writing contest, prix Watty, monétisation du contenu, Wattpad, discoverability
the Watty Awards, concours d’écriture, content monetization, découvrabilité, writing contest, prix Watty, monétisation du contenu, Wattpad, discoverability
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
