• Home
  • About
    • Reflections & Call To Action
      • Learn
  • Podcasts
    • Authors
      • Adult Fiction
      • Award Winners
      • Memoirist
      • Middle Grade
      • New Adult
      • Picture Books
      • Poetry
      • Young Adult
        • Crime / Mystery
        • Fantasy / Sci-fi
        • Historical
        • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
        • Romance
    • Literary Agents
    • Film & TV
      • Actors
      • Directors
      • Producers
      • Writers
    • Interests
      • Activism / Social Change
      • Business
      • Collaboration
      • Finances / Money Talk
      • Personal Growth
      • Querying
    • Top 10 Most Listened To
    • All Podcast Guests
  • Articles & Essays
  • Shop Our Book Picks
  • Contact
More About Us
  • Kind Words
  • Select Press
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcast
  • Player FM
  • Stitcher
88 Cups of Tea
88 Cups of Tea
  • Home
  • About
    • Reflections & Call To Action
      • Learn
  • Podcasts
    • Authors
      • Adult Fiction
      • Award Winners
      • Memoirist
      • Middle Grade
      • New Adult
      • Picture Books
      • Poetry
      • Young Adult
        • Crime / Mystery
        • Fantasy / Sci-fi
        • Historical
        • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
        • Romance
    • Literary Agents
    • Film & TV
      • Actors
      • Directors
      • Producers
      • Writers
    • Interests
      • Activism / Social Change
      • Business
      • Collaboration
      • Finances / Money Talk
      • Personal Growth
      • Querying
    • Top 10 Most Listened To
    • All Podcast Guests
  • Articles & Essays
  • Shop Our Book Picks
  • Contact

Ashleigh Gardner on Wattpad as a Powerful Platform and Tool for Authors

  • 4 minute read

Ashleigh Gardner is the Deputy General Manager, Wattpad Studios, Publishing. She works with Wattpad writers and publishers around the world to turn Wattpad stories into books. Ashleigh creates meaningful promotional and editorial partnerships with the publishing industry by leveraging the data and insights from the more than 400 million story uploads on Wattpad. This also helps publishers everywhere find exciting new voices and transform their business with data-driven decision-making.

In today’s episode, we get into the nitty gritty about all things Wattpad and how it benefits the writers and readers in our community. We dig deep into Ashleigh’s role at Wattpad and her personal journey that led her there and she shares advice on how to begin a career in the publishing world.

We continue to discuss how Wattpad builds readerships and audiences for their writers, how it’s a space for authors to instantly interact with your audience and receive feedback, how to use Wattpad to help the research and editing process as an author, and how its features can help our community virtually connect with writing groups to share ideas and encourage one another.

Ashleigh unpacks the relationships Wattpad has with publishers to connect users with the publishing world and we discuss the most popular current trends that she sees at the company and how they’re able to discover these trends. She also walks us through the steps you can take to increase your story’s popularity on Wattpad and we discuss the kinds of questions you should ask a publisher when they approach you and your story.

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

“You don’t need to wait for anyone to do this with you, you can go out and do it on your own.” 

-Ashleigh GardnerTweet:

“As soon as you get it out and post it, you can go back and change it. Just plowing through that first draft, not spending a lot of time re-editing things you’ve written already, that would be my biggest piece of advice.”

-Ashleigh Gardner Tweet: “I don’t remember a time where I actively decided to be a writer, it was just always a part of who I was.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • A look into Ashleigh’s role at Wattpad and the journey that led her there 
  • Advice on how to begin a career in the publishing world 
  • How Wattpad builds readerships and audiences for their writers
  • How Wattpad is a space for authors to instantly interact with your audience and receive feedback
  • How Wattpad’s technology and data helps publishers identify new stories and emerging voices
  • Insight into the relationships Wattpad has with publishers to connect users with the publishing world 
  • How to use Wattpad to help your research and editing process as an author 
  • The most popular current trends Ashleigh sees on Wattpad and how they discover these trends
  • The steps you can take to increase your story’s popularity on Wattpad
  • How Wattpad’s features can help you virtually connect with your writing group to share ideas and encourage one another
  • What questions you should ask a publisher when they approach you and your story  

Learn More About Ashleigh Gardner

Ashleigh Gardner, Deputy General Manager, Wattpad Studios, Publishing

As Deputy General Manager, Wattpad Studios, Publishing, Ashleigh Gardner works with Wattpad writers and publishers around the world to turn Wattpad stories into books. Leveraging the data and insights from more the more than 400 million story uploads on Wattpad, Ashleigh creates meaningful promotional and editorial partnerships with the publishing industry, helping publishers everywhere find exciting new voices and transform their business with data-driven decision-making.

Ashleigh has spent her entire career at the forefront of technology and publishing. Before joining Wattpad, she was director of content management at Kobo, where she focused on expanding Kobo’s existing catalogue, while developing new ebook stores in international markets. Prior to Kobo, she was manager of digital development at Dundurn Press.

Ashleigh graduated from York University with a Philosophy and Law degree.

Books & Resources Mentioned in Ashleigh’s Episode:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Society of Young Publishers

Ontario Book Publishers Organization

Margaret Atwood

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

After by Anna Todd (Wattpad Story)

Smart Girls by Amy Poehler

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Truly by Ruthie Knox

Writer Beware

Say ‘Hi!’ to Ashleigh

Twitter

Topics You'll Enjoy!
  • Publishing
  • Wattpad
  • Wattpad Publishing
Previous Article

Arvin Ahmadi on Overcoming Fear by Writing Through It

View Post
Next Article

Roshani Chokshi on Writing What You Want To See In The World

View Post
We have a feeling you'll also love...
View Post

Victoria ‘V.E.’ Schwab on Cultivating Stubborn Hope

View Post

Tomi Adeyemi On Storytelling with Heart and Soul

View Post

Tochi Onyebuchi on Finding Joy in your Writing Process

View Post

Stacey Lee on Uncovering Untold Stories

View Post

Kat Cho on Writing as a Source of Solace and Joy

View Post

Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam in Conversation with Lelina Chang

View Post

Molly O’Neill on the Roles of a Literary Agent

View Post

Elizabeth Acevedo On Disrupting Priorities

Join Our Community

Want updates about our brand new podcast episodes, featured articles, special giveaways, and overall news about 88 Cups of Tea? Sign up for our announcements below :)

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up, you lovely Storyteller, YOU!

88 Cups of Tea
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcast
  • Player FM
  • Stitcher
Digital Platform and Podcast for Storytellers and Creative Writers

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Explore Podcast Episodes

  • Author
    • Adult Fiction
    • Award Winners
    • Middle Grade
    • New Adult
    • Picture Books
    • Poetry
    • Young Adult
      • Crime / Mystery
      • Fantasy / Sci-fi
      • Historical
      • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
      • Romance
  • Literary Agents
  • Film & TV
    • Actors
    • Directors
    • Producers
    • Writers
  • Interests
    • Activism / Social Change
    • Business
    • Collaboration
    • Finances / Money Talk
    • Personal Growth
    • Querying
  • Top 8 Most Downloaded Episodes
Menu
  • Author
    • Adult Fiction
    • Award Winners
    • Middle Grade
    • New Adult
    • Picture Books
    • Poetry
    • Young Adult
      • Crime / Mystery
      • Fantasy / Sci-fi
      • Historical
      • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
      • Romance
  • Literary Agents
  • Film & TV
    • Actors
    • Directors
    • Producers
    • Writers
  • Interests
    • Activism / Social Change
    • Business
    • Collaboration
    • Finances / Money Talk
    • Personal Growth
    • Querying
  • Top 8 Most Downloaded Episodes

Follow Our Social

Instagram Twitter Patreon