Everything You Need to Know About #NYCWattCon
I am very excited to be able to share all the information you guys need for the incredible WattCon that will be happening in New York City on October 1st - an event I will be a part of! I think a lot of people already know that I will be a panellist during the upcoming WattCon, as I haven't stopped telling my friends and family all about it, but I will now be able to share more of the details of what will be happening at the event, who will be joining us, and how YOU can attend.
First things first, attendance at the NYC WattCon is totally free - which means all you have to do is visit this website and click to register for your ticket so they will have your name at the door. Seriously, it will not cost you a thing to attend! There is no age-restriction, but they do ask that anybody under the age of 14 to be accompanied by a responsible adult (18+). Also, you may want to bring your own food and drink, but fortunately there are some local bites and coffee shops so you won't have to go far if you do need to get something to eat or drink.
Where is it being held?
Sanctuary Theatre at West Park Presbyterian - 165 W. 86th Street, Upper West Side Manhattan. This is just a couple of minutes walk from the 86th Street Subway Station. It is in a very easily accessible location so don't worry about trying to find it. Below is a map of the location you need to get to:
The doors will open at 10.30am so you can sign in and mingle with the other attendees and other people from Wattpad. The event itself will begin at 11am, with an introduction and welcome from the amazing hosts - Vic James and Kelly Anne Blount. The first of five panels will then commence at 11.15am, leading up the fifth and final panel that will end at 5pm, with many breaks between for you to refresh and mingle with the others attending, as well as some exciting things that I will reveal further down.
So who is attending NYC WattCon?
The line-up is incredible and I still cannot believe I will be among these superstars - I still pinch myself wondering if it is all just an elaborate joke at my expense (though trust me, it's not, it is actually happening)! Below is a list of the panels and who will be on them - including information on how you can stalk them on social media, and be sure to check out their wonderful books too!
THE HOSTS
Vic James is the organiser of NYC WattCon, and she also successfully ran the London Con last year also. She is the author of the upcoming novel - Gilded Cage - which you can order an advanced ARC copy here. The story won a Watty Award in 2014, then under the name of 'Slavedays', before being picked up for publication by RandomHouse in the U.S. and PanMacmillan in the UK.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Kelly Anne Blount is a USA Today bestselling author, as well as a 2014 Watty Award winner for her horror novel, Captured, which has been optioned for film and has amassed over 12 million reads alone. Kelly has also written other successful stories, including Under, The Dentist, and the Nicoh Saga. As a Wattpad Star, she is also the host of the Wattpad Block Parties.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
PANEL 1 - HOW TO BE AWESOME ON WATTPAD
11.15am - 12.00pm
This panel will reveal all the things you need to do to become more awesome on Wattpad. Want to know how to rack up your reads and gain more popularity on the social platform? These authors know exactly how to do that, mainly because they are among the most popular authors on Wattpad - it's like asking the Queen of England how she rules (and these are the Wattpad Queens). Kelly Anne Blount is going to be the chair for this panel, also a Queen of the Wattpad.
Leah Crichton is a New Adult / Young Adult author who is part of the Wattpad4. Successful in her own right, she has worked with One Direction and Emblem3 for their official fan-fictions, and has written several stories that have been read over a million times on Wattpad, including What Makes You Beautiful, Amaranthine, Before Sunday, and more. Leah's novel - The Enchantment of Emma Fletcher - is to be published by Pocket Books in Spring 2017.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Teen fiction author who also happens to be a Wattpad Star, Jordan has become very successful with her multiple Watty Award wins. Her current multiple-million read stories on Wattpad include A Proscriptive Relationship, A Surreptitious Relationship, Believe Me, I'm Lying, and many more. She is currently writing Hired to Love, and has been published by Random House (Gold Rush).
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Karianne Giard (pen name) goes by her Wattpad username - DarknessAndLight - and has amassed tens of millions of reads on her teen fiction stories. As a French international writer, she wrote the hugely successful book, I Sold Myself to the Devil for Vinyls... Pitiful I Know, and is currently writing the popular The Virgin and the Whore.
Wattpad | Facebook | Instagram
As a Wattpad Star, Ariana participated in the successful anthology that also featured author Anna Todd, titled Imagines, published 2016. Ariana has been hugely successful on Wattpad, with over 463,000 followers, and millions of reads on her stories, including My Wattpad Love, Growing Up, and Chained, while also winning a 2012 Watty Award for Sweet Madness.
Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Rachel is a Wattpad Star and a member of @RomanceSparks on the site. She proves how amazing she is in her writing as she tackles tough topics, and in the process has won multiple Watty Awards - in 2014 for My Brother's Best Friend and 2015 for Jefferson Lake. She has an impressive catalogue of stories, some of which have millions of reads, including One of the Boys, Along For the Ride, and many more.
Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
PANEL 2 - IMAGINE ... MEETING THE WATTPAD STARS
12.05pm - 12.50pm
The Wattpad Stars are certainly part of the elite, and they have so much wisdom, they will make Gandalf and Dumbledore look tame. This panel consists of authors from the anthology Imagines, as well as the co-ordinator of the Stars programme on Wattpad. This panel will feature the sensational Monica B Sanz as the chair. Want to know how to become a Star? Then this is perfect for you.
It would be an understatement to say Rebecca Sky is one of the most successful authors to feature on Wattpad. Her paranormal story, The Love Curse, has over 11 million reads alone, while her total works amass over 20 million reads. She wrote a story about Rebel Wilson in Imagines, and as a Wattpad Star, she also makes up 1/4 of the incredibly popular Wattpad4.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
Debbie Goelz has a whole load of accolades under her belt during her time on Wattpad, and uses her pseudonym Brittanie Charmintine, where she won a 2014 Watty Award for Mermaids and the Vampires Who Love Them. Her other stories have become successful, and most recently, her story My Love God Went to Hawaii and All I Got Was This Lousy Papaya won a place in the 'Once Upon Now' anthology by Target.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Another Wattpad Star and Imagines author, Katarina has amassed millions upon millions of reads on her imaginative stories, with Omertà , the first in the Vendetta series, has over 32 million reads alone. Her other successful series includes the Death is My BFF series, while her stand-alone Imagining Frost has almost 2 million reads! Be sure to catch her Q&A video on YouTube.
Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
The first of Wattpad HQ to be featured on a panel, Caitlin is the Co-Ordinator of the Stars Programme. Not only does she work for Wattpad, but she has also published a chick-lit story to the site too, titled How to Tango With Tom Collins. She will discuss more about the Stars Programme, what it's about, how they find Stars, and what lies ahead for the programme.
Wattpad | Twitter
Another quarter of the Wattpad4, Monica is also the chair of the panel. Her stories have become majorly popular on the site, leading to representation, as well as the publication of Finvarra's Circus (which has over 2 million reads on Wattpad). Her other popular stories include A Witchling's Rites, The Awkward Love Song of Abigail Archer, and so much more.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
1pm - 2pm
Break for lunch and socialising
PANEL 3 - INDUSTRY INSIDERS: WATTPAD AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
2.00pm - 2.45pm
The main goal for writers is to be published, so we hear from those who have succeeded in catching the attention of industry insiders, who will also tell us what they look for in potential projects. This panel is all about learning what it takes to make it, and is chaired by the incredible Lindsey Summers.
Under the username Fallzswimmer on Wattpad, Ali has become one of Wattpad's many success stories. Her books, My Life With the Walter Boys and The Heartbreakers are both published by Sourcebooks. Ali will be accompanied on stage by editor Annette Pollert-Morgan, and they will both talk about the author-editor dynamic - which is possibly the most important relationship in the writing industry.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Aron Levitz is the Head of Wattpad Studios. What is Wattpad Studios? Well, Wattpad Studios is like a network that will partner with the entertainment industry to co-produce Wattpad stories for print, film, television and digital platforms. It will open up new opportunities for writers on Wattpad. Aron was also instrumental in launching the Wattpad Brand Stories and the Wattpad Stars Programme.
Wattpad | Twitter | Instagram
Ed Glauser is a Group Chief Executive at the Komixx Media Group. He is also a creative content producer who has optioned a couple of Wattpad stories for film, including Beth Reekle's The Kissing Booth, and our own co-host Kelly Anne Blount's Under. He will discuss why Wattpad is currently a hot property for independent producers, gaining insight into the industry.
Komixx Website Profile | Twitter
Taran Matharu is the New York Times best-selling author of the Summoner series. A London-based author, Taran's stories have become widely read on Wattpad, with the first in the Summoner series - The Novice - currently has over 7 million reads. His stories have been translated in over 11 languages, he landed a top UK agent to represent him in his publication journey.
Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Also known as Viv, A.V. Geiger has been on Wattpad since 2013, and in that time, has managed to secure a publishing deal for her debut novel, Follow Me Back, scheduled for publication by Sourcebooks in 2017. Besides that, she has a series of Adam Levine fan fiction stories that have been extremely popular on Wattpad, with the first book - Obsessed - amassing over 2 million reads.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Under the username DoNotMicrowaveX on Wattpad, Lindsey is soon-to-be published with her novel, Textrovert, previously titled The Cell Phone Swap. As a Young Adult writer, her catalogue includes the 2014 Watty Award Winner Honor Among Friends, as well as iAmTalon, a short story with over 1 million reads. The Cell Phone Swap has over 81 million reads. She will also be the chair of this panel.
Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
PANEL 4 - ASK WATTPAD ANYTHING
2.50pm - 3.30pm
As an open-mic session, this panel will be taken over by the incredible people from Wattpad HQ. Audience members will get a chance to literally ask Wattpad anything they want to know, while also gaining insight into the company and what it is they do.
Also known as TheOrangutan on Wattpad, Gav works as part of the site's Community Engagement Team. He is also the Ambassador Program Manager, and if that isn't enough, he also spins his own tales with some popular stories, including Merlin's Gold, that has over 1.8 million reads. He was also given an honourable mention of the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future website.
Wattpad | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
Alessandra is a Community Engagement Specialist at Wattpad. Incredibly creative, she has followed passions in theatre, comedy, music and dance, as well as penning the One Direction fan fiction, If I Could Fly. As a screenwriter, she has been involved in several projects including Curbed, Coup de Grace, Le Devoir, and I'll Miss You Someday. She is always on the lookout for new talent.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Instagram
Suzanne Spence is the Head of Brand Partnerships at Wattpad, meaning she is always busy forging relationships with new companies every single day. She is also a passionate media maven and always looking to bring to life the stories that brands have to tell. She will be discussing all things to do with Brand Partnerships to help give better understanding to the amazing job she does.
Wattpad | Twitter
The first of Wattpad HQ to be featured on a panel, Caitlin is the Co-Ordinator of the Stars Programme. Not only does she work for Wattpad, but she has also published a chick-lit story to the site too, titled How to Tango With Tom Collins. She will discuss more about the Stars Programme, what it's about, how they find Stars, and what lies ahead for the programme.
Wattpad | Twitter
3.30pm - 4.15pm
Break for Coffee
Meet and Greet with the panellists
'Imagines' Book Signing
Coffee Corner with the Wattpad staff
PANEL 5 - MY WATTPAD STORY
4.15pm - 5.00pm
Every author on Wattpad started out the same way - with a blank profile that, over the years, developed into so much more. They've shared their stories and put their hearts into the fanbases they've conjured up, and there's always a story to tell when it comes to our Wattpad journey. This panel will discuss how their lives have been changed by Wattpad, and unlike the other panels, this one will be all about friendships, community and our personal stories.
There really isn't that much to say about myself, especially after the amazing talent that comes before and after me. I began my Wattpad journey after self-publishing the first book in the Abyssal Sanctuary series, Remnants of the Damned, recently a staff-picked Featured story. As an indie author, I won two Silver Awards for my first book in 2014, and a Gold Award at the Global eBook Awards in 2016 for the sequel, Ashes of the Innocent. I'm a Senior Staff Writer on SpoilerTV, covering Pretty Little Liars and Salem.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Since joining Wattpad in 2013, Rita's debut novel, The Last Resort, has secured publication by Pocket Star Books in 2017. Recently, her story Between Earth and Sky became a Grand Prize Winner for the 'Once Upon Now' contest, due for publication October 2016. Her historical fiction novel, Plunder, has over 2.3 million reads, and continues to be a success on Wattpad.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Apryl's Wattpad story is a truly inspiring one. As a USA Today Best-selling author, a Wattpad Star and a Wattpad Ambassador, Apryl has gained fame from her horror series, The Ghost Files. With nearly 6 million reads, the Ghost Files has earned Apryl her impressive titles, and her other series, the Coven series, continues to be popular. She was published in 2015 by Limitless Publishing as they continue to represent her.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Rounding out the incredible Wattpad4 is mega-successful Erin Latimer. For her talented writing, Erin is perhaps best known for her Jotun Chronicles series - the first book, Frost, has over 11 million reads on Wattpad alone! The stand-alone book related to the Jotun universe, Fire, has over 3 million reads, and her other stories, including Threads, I Am Anastasia, and so much more. Frost was released by Patchwork Press in 2015.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Tim has had quite the incredible transformation on Wattpad, from a writer to part of the Wattpad HQ staff! He now works as the Sales Development Specialist, and he will be sharing how he managed to acquire his dream job working for the best company in the world! As a writer, Tim has published his action story on Wattpad, titled Cataindar: The Discovery, which proves to be extremely popular on the site.
Official Website | Wattpad | Twitter | Instagram
At 5pm, there will be a wrap-up event where there will be a raffle draw. There is going to be Wattpad swag to buy all day long, including copies of books ready to be signed by your favourite authors. There is so much to do, say, and see at this event, it's honestly worth attending. Remember, it's totally FREE, so there is no excuse not to come along!
That's all the attendees that I know of joining us at the NYC WattCon. I am uber excited to be joining these talented people for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am still in disbelief that I will be part of this, and I can't thank Kelly Anne Blount, Vic James, and the people at Wattpad HQ for this amazing experience. I know I'm going to fangirl so hard during this event, are you?
Be sure to check out my fellow authors' social media links and give them a follow, as well as those amazing folk from HQ and those influential industry insiders! I'll be back to update you guys on the Abyssal Sanctuary series, my Fright Fest 2016 event on Wattpad, and I'll have an extensive blog post after this event with plenty of photos!
As always, thanks for the support and I love you guys so much!
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