This week on the blog, author Leigh Statham chats with us about Wattpad’s amazing community of writers and readers, her role as head gnomie at Quantum Fairy Tales, and the September release of her new steampunk adventure novel, The Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl.

 Q: Tell us a bit about you—your writing, your passions, and the September release of the Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl. (Be sure to enlighten us about Quantum Fairy Tales!)
A: Hey Emily! Thanks for the interview. I live in North Carolina, I have four kids and a lot of animals. A couple of my kids have special needs, so I'm a passionate advocate for families with exceptional children and I rant about that to anyone who will listen. I have always loved reading and writing. My brain works overtime all the time and I find writing those thoughts down helps me sleep better at night- sometimes 😉 I have three books on Wattpad right now, and one book published with Month9Books. It's a steampunk YA adventure novel set in France and Canada, which is kind of fun and different. It's actually based on the true story of one of my ancestors, so it was a lot of fun to research and write. The sequel, The Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl, comes out on September 20, 2016 and I couldn't be happier.

I also write middle grade scifi and I'm currently getting an MFA in YA Creative Writing at Converse College, SC.

I love speculative fiction and a couple of my college friends and I started a webzine dedicated to helping speculative authors, artists and poets share their work. You can find it at www.quantumfairytales.org

Q: On to Wattpad—what is it, how does it work, and why do you love it?
A: Wattpad is amazing. It was started by Margaret Atwood to help build a writing community. You post your work there, usually a rough draft, and folks can read and comment. There are tons of young writers there, so it's the perfect way to get feedback on YA books. The best part of my day is getting a comment from a reader on Wattpad. I love to hear what kids are thinking while they read.

Q: Why is Wattpad an exciting community for readers? Why is it exciting for writers?
A: For readers, it's a never ending supply of free books. For writers, it's a brilliant audience of all ages to connect with and learn from. There are also a number of people using it for contests and agents and editors are starting to take notice of the most popular books there.

Q: Please share your own Wattpad journey. On the KidLit Drink Night podcast, you’d mentioned that you had a few stories that were languishing, that your editor didn’t think would take off—but they’ve found a fantastic niche on Wattpad. Can you talk about this process and what it’s meant for you?
A: You're exactly right. I had a dystopian series that wasn't selling, and rather than leaving it in the Internet black hole, I decided to use it in Wattpad as a testing ground to learn how the site worked. I've been lucky enough to be featured a few times and to pick up a large following thanks to the Wattpad staff. It means the world to me that I can share these stories with people who love them and I don't have to worry about the other stress that comes with publishing for money. Of course, I don't get paid for them, but can you put a price tag on relationships? Nope.

Q: If someone’s a neophyte to the world of Wattpad, how would you recommend they get started and build a readership? Any pro tips?
A: The secret to Wattpad is community. A lot of people dump their books on there and then feel bad because no one reads or comments on them. What you have to do is share something you've written, then go exploring. Read other people's work, leave compliments or constructive (kind) feedback. If you find someone you really admire, ask them to take a look at your work, but don't give up if they are too busy. Keep reading and exploring, it will start to come together as you make friends there.

Q: What didn’t I ask that I should have? Whatever it is, please answer it here!
A: You didn't ask if I will read for people on Wattpad. The answer is YES! Sometimes it takes me about a month to reply, but I always reply to every private message. At QuantumFairyTales.org we reply to every submission personally as well. Send your speculative work in for a free critique! (Be sure to read the submission guidelines.)

BIO

Leigh Statham has lots of kids and lots of pets and lots of bad habits. She writes YA and MG books, poetry, and ranty blogs about special education. She works as a head gnomie at Quantum Fairy Tales. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Wattpad.