There was a time when reading was the preserve of the nerd, the introvert or the socially awkward. Every romance ever written about the wallflower snagging the billionaire was probably targeted at the lonely reader who found refuge in a literary dreamland. For every Veronica who loved her malls, there was a Betty who loved her books. For every Amy who longed for parties and privileges, there was a Jo who could never be found without a book in her hand. But the ‘Little Women’ have long grown up, and crossed into an age when reading is no longer a lonely pursuit; it has become a communal experience.
With platforms like Wattpad – the world’s largest social storytelling platform – reading has become dynamic, interactive and reader-friendly. Readers directly dictate trends and tropes. For example, according to a Wattpad report of 2023, the stories that trend are those with a compelling hook, gets to the point quickly and makes the premise clear in the opening chapter. In this age of instant gratification, gone are the drawn-out plot build-ups and the long waits for the surprise reveal. Platforms like Wattpad have bridged the divide between the author and the reader. Even renowned authors like Booker Prize-winner Margaret Atwood have shared her poems and stories on it.
But with this onslaught of new stories, how is the reader to sort through the good, the bad, and the ugly? Enter Bookstagrammers, your go-to declutter agents. According to a 2023 Nielsen report, there was an 87 per cent increase in book-related content consumption on Instagram. Bookstagrammers are those who curate reading lists, review books, and post the latest releases on their Instagram page. They give you monthly round-ups, swoon-worthy travel picks, best monsoon reads, and mood-lifters to get rid of your Monday blues. Currently there are 107 million posts under the hashtag #Bookstagram.
Today, there is someone to hand-hold you through every step of the reading process, right from Booktokkers and Bookstagrammers helping you pick what books to read, to platforms like Blinkist that help confirm your choice by providing best book summaries and audiobook guides. Blinkist has over 32 million downloads on all platforms. It offers assistants to lead you through that day’s must-read topics. There is also an option to make a learning playlist for yourself which you can share with others.
These online platforms have revolutionised the habit of reading. For one, stories with more diversity find takers on them. Race and gender differences seem to matter less online. Handsome is as handsome does, no matter the colour of his skin. According to a Wattpad report, four out of five Gen Z readers look to online sources like webnovels, e-books and webcomics for diverse stories. 79 per cent of them say that diversity and representation are important to them while choosing books or movies. “The data signals a generational shift in consumption and attitudes towards fiction,” states the report.
This, of course, does not mean these platforms are all ruddy and rosy-cheeked. The main brickbat is that they dumb down content. “Most people on Wattpad are teenagers who want to read about drama, and sappy love like Twilight, so if your story is actually good, has deep characters, a plot and is well-structured, then it probably will take a while to get noticed,” stated a user. She might have a point. There are no dearth of takers for romance and its subgenres – from fantasy to billionaire to mafia to werewolf (“Werewolves and shifters are evergreen on Wattpad, so get writing that story that will have your readers howling for more,” states the website). Our wallflower of yore might be networking with others, but together they are all waiting for their knights with shining social media profiles.
