WattCon 2018: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

Opening Remarks

Samantha Pennington (Interim Director, Content and Creator Development) will open WattCon with opening remarks and housekeeping: Code of Conduct, Need to Know Logistics and Filming & Photography overview

Speakers

Samantha Pennington

Interim Director, Content and Creator Development, Wattpad

Samantha first joined the Wattpad team in 2013 as a content intern, then as Wattpad's residentfanfiction guru, and then as writer fairy godmother extraordinaire. Today, Samantha manages a team of content and creator enthusiasts, as well as runs large-scale creator programs across... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 9:00am - 9:30am EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

9:30am EDT

The Lay of the Land: A Writer's Journey in Publishing

Many Wattpad writers share a common goal of becoming published authors. But the journey from writer to author can take many turns—and there’s more than one road to the finish line. This session will explore the world of publishing with writers who have made it happen. A panel of Wattpad Studios team members and experts from our publishing partners will address what publishers are looking for and walk you through the process of getting your story ready for submission. You’ll come away with a better understanding of the publishing industry and how to optimize your Wattpad stories for today’s market.

Speakers

Zoe Aarsen (@zaarsenist)

Writer

Zoe Aarsen is a graphic designer and copywriter. She inherited her love of all things macabre from her father, who belongs to an amateur ghost hunting club, and spent part of her childhood in Salem, MA. Her first paranormal YA novel, Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, is being... Read More →

Alessandra Ferreri

Account Manager, Wattpad Studios

Ashleigh Gardner

Deputy General Manager, Wattpad Studios, Publishing, Wattpad

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... Read More →

Eileen Rothschild

Senior Editor, St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books

Eileen started her publishing career over eleven years ago working on Math and Chemistry books. Since then she has held roles in sales and marketing with the ultimate goal of finding an audience for fantastic voices. She has since found her passion in editorial and has had the pleasure... Read More →

Jessica Smith

Assistant Editor, Simon Pulse

Adam Wilson

Director of Content, INKubator Enterprises

Adam is heading the story creation division of the newly launched INKubator Enterprises after thirteen years as an editor at Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint and Harlequin’s Harlequin Teen and MIRA imprints. As an editor he debuted the global bestsellers Anna Todd (After... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 9:30am - 10:20am EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

General Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

10:30am EDT

Setting the Scene: A Writer's Journey in Entertainment

The current state of the entertainment industry opens up a whole new opportunity for writers. TV and film networks are hot on the hunt for their next big story. This panel dives deep into the inner workings of TV, streaming and film, with a goal of inspiring writers to embrace the new possibilities. Entertainment industry experts and members of the Wattpad Studios team will share what’s trending in the world of film and TV adaption, uncover what networks look for in a story (and in a writer), and provide practical advice on leveraging Wattpad to create a future in entertainment.

Moderators

Lindsey Ramey

Director, Content Development and Production, Wattpad Studios

Lindsey Ramey is Director of Content Development and Production. Ramey previously served as a producing consultant for Super Deluxe and Fullscreen, where she worked on Sundance Now‘s This Close and Magic Funhouse, respectively. Prior to that, she held VP positions at both Heyday Films and Hypnotic, where she oversaw feature film development... Read More →

Speakers

Beth Reekles (@Reekles)

Writer

Beth Reekles is a 20-year-old Young Adult author from South Wales, and is currently a Physics undergraduate at Exeter University. She began posting her first novel, The Kissing Booth, online to Wattpad when she was 15 years old, and when she was 17 she earned a three-book deal with... Read More →

Christina Henne

Producer, Bavaria Fiction

Christina Henne has been a producer at Bavaria Fiction since 2013, but her affiliation with Bavaria Film goes way back to the early 2000s. Besides taking various film projects through all stages of development and production, she plays an active part in the acquisition and implementation... Read More →

Eric Lehrman

Head of Content Development and Production, Wattpad Studios

Eric Lehrman is Wattpad’s Head of Content Development and Production. Based in Los Angeles, he runs Wattpad's entertainment business across tv, film, digital, and emerging platforms. He joined Wattpad from USA Network where he served as Vice President of Original Scripted Series... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

General Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

11:30am EDT

Be Your Own Hero: The Wattpad Writerprenuer

Cultivating your voice is about more than owning your writing style—it requires thinking about the big picture, too. Becoming a "writerpreneur” is the new reality for the modern writer, and this panel will dig into how to think entrepreneurially with your writing, both on and off Wattpad. From goal-setting, to developing your personal brand, to finding tools to establish yourself and build your audience, savvy Wattpadders Jo Watson, Monica Sanz, Adrian Birch and LL Montez will guide you through a crash-course in Writerpreneurship.

Moderators

Alysha D'Souza

Talent Manager, Wattpad Studios

Alysha’s career has been guided by her passion for combining technology and storytelling. After completing her undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship and master degree in digital media, Alysha spent four years at Ryerson University building entrepreneurship programs and resources... Read More →

Speakers

Adrian Birch (@Adrian_Birch)

Writer

Adrian Birch is known for his unique voice and sense of humour in cheeky, mystery/thriller. His "Dead in Bed" series on Wattpad has accumulated over 13.3M reads, and has been released as a two-part audiobook through Hachette Audio in 2017.

Monica Sanz (@DistantDreamer)

Writer

Monica Sanz is a YA author from Weston, Florida. She has an established fanbase on Wattpad.com and is a member of the Wattpad4, a group of writers who host weekly Twitter chats on writing and publishing. Her debut YA novel, SEVENTH BORN (The Witchling Academy #1) comes out September... Read More →

Jo Watson (@jo_watson101)

Writer

Jo Watson is the award-winning author of romantic comedies. After becoming a Wattpad sensation, with over 20 million reads on her books, she signed a three-book deal with Grand Central Publishing for her ‘Destination Love’ series. When she isn’t writing she can be found binge... Read More →

LL Montez (@LLMontez)

Writer

LL Montez is a teacher, writer, entrepreneur, and friend to all. She is best known for her 2017 Watty winner, ARC10, and for co-hosting the Wattpad community-focused podcast, The Writers XL, with bestie author Shelly X Leonn. During her undergrad, she practiced short story performance... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 11:30am - 12:20pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Breakout Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

1:30pm EDT

A Writer's Weapon: How To Wield a Personal Brand

There are writers who have made a permanent dent in our social consciousness, and without even naming any you’ve already got at least three top of mind. They have brand recognition. Brand recognition is a hot-button phrase. Why? What does it mean and why is it important?
Wattpad writers who have excelled at creating a strong brand on and off of Wattpad come together to discuss the importance of personal branding and why you should be working on creating/maintaining your own.

Moderators

Emma Brooks

Director, Marketing, Wattpad

Emma’s passion focuses on three things: branding, community building, and ideas. As Director of Marketing at Wattpad, she brings these passions to life to create marketing strategies that tell the Wattpad story. Prior to joining Wattpad, Emma worked in advertising for 10+ years... Read More →

Speakers

Lindsey Summers (@DoNotMicrowave)

Writer

Lindsey Summers is a 30-year-old Californian who joined Wattpad in 2012. Since then she has amassed over 100 million reads and her story, The Cell Phone Swap, is one of most-read stories on Wattpad. Inspired by a chance encounter, the story went viral in 2012 and was published as... Read More →

Lydia Carr (@hennwick)

Writer

Lydia is a twenty-two-year-old writer from the West Midlands in the UK, currently studying politics at the University of Birmingham. She has been writing since she could pick up a pen and has dreamt of being a novelist for as long as she can remember, and those dreams were kicked... Read More →

Jandra Sutton (@jandralee)

Writer

Jandra Sutton is an author, journalist, and digital marketer based in Nashville, TN. She is the co-founder of Wild Hare Collective, and she's passionate about helping people live full, happy, and creative lives. Her debut novel, FRAGILE, is available now. In her spare time, Jandra... Read More →

Rebecca Sky (@RebeccaSky)

Writer

Rebecca Sky is a YA author who lives on an island off the West Coast of Canada. Her work has garnered over 20 million reads on popular online site Wattpad.com and she was featured in the New York Times and Boston Globe. Her debut YA novel ARROWHEART comes out this June from Hachette's... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 1:30pm - 2:20pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Breakout Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

2:30pm EDT

Into The Unknown: The Art of Character and Worldbuilding

The worlds you build within your stories invite readers to immerse themselves in an unfamiliar and spellbinding new place. The characters that populate those worlds, if developed artfully, can make us feel, make us think, become our friends, our monsters, and sometimes, they can become a part of us.

In The Art of Character and Worldbuilding, we’ll sit writers down with some of the top character and world-building talent on the platform to share insight into how to effectively create a compelling world, submerge your audience into it, and develop characters that resonate deeply with readers.

Speakers

Deanna Cameron (@Lyssfrom1996)

Writer

Deanna Cameron is the secret identity of LyssFrom1996, the writer of stories like Ella Was and What Happened That Night, a mystery thriller published earlier this summer by Hachette Romans and featured by Wattpad. Now, she’s currently writing another young adult mystery novel, The... Read More →

Mikaela Bender (@mikaelabender)

Writer

Mikaela Bender is a University student that keeps herself busy by creating fictional characters in fantastical worlds. Her short stories Aftermath and Terminated have been included in the FWA Collection Volumes 6 and 7. Her novel, Asleep, won the Royal Palm Literary award for its... Read More →

Kara Barbieri (@pandean)

Writer

Kara Barbieri is a twenty-two year old author with a love for the weird and mystic. She enjoys weaving ancient mythology into her stories and writing characters who are strong yet vulnerable at the same time. In her free time she trains with the same weapons her characters use, studies... Read More →

Paul Kingston (@PaulKingston)

Writer

Paul "PK" Kingston is a Toronto-born writer, actor, comedian, teacher, and multi-tasker who grew up on a steady diet of horror movies and cynicism before moving to Los Angeles. While he got his start in sketch comedy and improv, he's always wanted to write a novel, and when he learned... Read More →

Caitlin O'Hanlon

Director, Talent Management, Wattpad Studios

Caitlin O'Hanlon is a reader, a writer, a social media junkie, a tech nerd and a lifelong fangirl. Thanks, in part, to Wattpad and its incredible users, she has been lucky enough to be able to meld together everything she loves into one pretty awesome professional career. As Director... Read More →

Saturday October 27, 2018 2:30pm - 3:20pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Breakout Session, Story Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

3:30pm EDT

Closing Remarks - Day 1

Gather back at the Astor Ballroom for a quick closing talk!

Speakers

Samantha Pennington

Interim Director, Content and Creator Development, Wattpad

Saturday October 27, 2018 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

4:15pm EDT

Exclusive: HULU Screening of Light as a Feather

Meet writer Zoe Aarsen and catch episodes of the brand new Hulu series Light as a Feather! Come celebrate the launch of an incredible Wattpad story.

Saturday October 27, 2018 4:15pm - 6:15pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Community Building

9:15am EDT

Breaking Through Myths: Wattpad Studios

Myth: only popular writers get deals. Fact: Publishers and studios look for more than racked-up reads when they’re hunting down the next story. A career in writing brings with it plenty of challenges and rewards, but breaking through the myths and misconceptions around the industry can feel like a hurdle.

The “Breaking Through Myths” panel is your chance to get the straight goods about a writing career in publishing and entertainment. The Wattpad Studios team is here to equip you with the answers to all your burning questions—and the questions you haven’t thought to ask.

Moderators

Alessandra Ferreri

Account Manager, Wattpad Studios

Speakers

Aron Levitz

Head of Wattpad Studios, Wattpad Studios

As Head of Wattpad Studios, Aron Levitz connects the entertainment and publishing industries with new voices and original content created by Wattpad Stars, the biggest influencers on the platform. Leveraging data and community insights, Aron works with the industry to co-produce Wattpad... Read More →

Dexter Ong

Head of Asia, Wattpad Studios

Dexter recently joined Wattpad as Head of Asia for Studios from his role as Director of Corporate Development at 21st Century Fox. He is constantly on the lookout for the most entertaining Wattpad stories and for the best partners in Asia to adapt them into TV shows, films and digital... Read More →

Monica Pacheco

Talent Manager, Wattpad Studios

Before joining Wattpad as a Talent Manager, Monica was a literary agent with CookeMcDermid representing writers of SFF, YA and literary fiction. She’s sold books to Little Brown, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Grove Atlantic and Macmillan. She loves character-driven fiction... Read More →

Lindsey Ramey

Director, Content Development and Production, Wattpad Studios

Sunday October 28, 2018 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

General Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

10:10am EDT

Era of Own Voices: Writing Diverse Stories

As the world evolves thanks to many important social and cultural movements, so too must our storytelling. One such movement is the topic of many debates across the Entertainment and Publishing Industry: “Own Voices”. How does one navigate writing in diverse voices and creating diverse characters? This panel sheds light on this controversial and important discussion that cover the gamut of our panelists' experiences (feminism, POC, LGBTQ), and digs into how the “Own Voices” Movement is bringing diversity into storytelling like never before.

Moderators

I-Yana Tucker

Talent Manager, Wattpad

As Wattpad Studios Talent Manager, an average day for I-Yana consists of connecting with some of Wattpad’s most influential storytellers, the Wattpad Stars. From pitching some of their best content for various publishing and entertainment opportunities, to providing resources that... Read More →

Speakers

Emily Lindin (@emilylindin)

Writer

Award-winning documentary filmmaker, columnist, and feminist thought leader Emily Lindin is the founder of The UnSlut Project, an online community where young survivors of sexual assault and harassment can share their stories and find solidarity. Emily has been featured on ABC with... Read More →

Daven McQueen (@keyframed)

Writer

Daven McQueen is a student and writer from Los Angeles, California. She has always loved telling stories, but only started writing regularly after joining Wattpad at age fourteen. In high school, she received two national medals from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in the novel... Read More →

Maiyah Redmond (@madandbougie)

Writer

Jamaiyah Redmond is a high school student in Clayton, Missouri. Recently, she has won a 2017 Watty Award for her book 'Hawthorne Heights' which showcases a realistic point of view for the misrepresented black youth of today. At a young age, Jamaiyah found her love for reading thanks... Read More →

Maggie Derrick (@star-powered)

Writer

Maggie Derrick is a bisexual writer, artist, and podcaster based in Vancouver, Canada. She is the author of the Starborn Series, which includes the Wattys-winning first installment, “The Star and the Ocean”. Her short story “A Happy Place” was included in the recently-published... Read More →

Sunday October 28, 2018 10:10am - 11:00am EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Breakout Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

11:10am EDT

The Fountain of Youth: Writing YA

Young Adult fiction may be among the most popular genres of literature, uniting young readers and the young at heart over stories that grow with us, and connect us wherever we are in our lives. It takes a great deal of skill to write for a Young Adult audience.
Many very talented and dynamic emerging YA writers have found their audience on Wattpad, and now have come together on this panel to share what it means to write YA.

Panelists:
Mariah Forouraghi, Leigh Ansell, Ali Novak & Alex Evansley

Speakers

Ali Novak (@Fallzswimmer)

Writer

Ali Novak is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's creative writing program. She started writing her debut novel My Life with the Walter Boyswhen she was only fifteen. Since then, her work has received more than 150 million hits online and My... Read More →

Leigh Ansell (@leigh_)

Writer

Leigh is a University student and aspiring author from the UK. Her Wattpad story Human Error has recently been Optioned for television. When she’s not writing teen fiction books, she spends the rest of her time trying to pay attention in medical lectures – though that’s mostly... Read More →

Alex Evansley (@nonfictionalex)

Writer

Alex Evansley is a Wattpad Star and a published young adult author from North Carolina. Her debut novel Love Scene, Take Two (Swoon Reads / Macmillan) was a featured story on Wattpad, where it’s garnered over three million reads and won a Watty award prior to its publication in... Read More →

Mariah Ragi (@WaltTwitman)

Writer

Mariah often wishes she were Indiana Jones and sometimes laughs in her sleep. Despite her liberal arts degree, she has a real grown-up job making memes at an east-coast tech company. She never has to ask people if they want fries with that. She loves making people laugh, especially... Read More →

Samantha Pennington

Interim Director, Content and Creator Development, Wattpad

Sunday October 28, 2018 11:10am - 12:00pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

Breakout Session, Career Panel

Host Organization Wattpad

1:10pm EDT

Behind the Curtain: Wattpad HQ AMA

Want to know more about your favorite online platform? Here’s your chance to raise the questions you’ve always wanted Wattpad to answer. The Wattpad Staff you know and love are here and ready to answer all of your questions!

Moderators

Alessandra Ferreri

Account Manager, Wattpad Studios

Speakers

Andrew Chak

Head of Design, Wattpad

Barbara Ott

Interim GM, Wattpad App, Wattpad

I-Yana Tucker

Talent Manager, Wattpad

Nick Uskoski

Senior Content Manager, Wattpad

Longstanding power user on Wattpad and prolific writer and community member, Nick Uskoski has been working at Wattpad for over 4 years, initially as part of the Trust and Safety team before moving to Content and Creator Development to be closer with his core loves as a writer, reader... Read More →

Dani Zacarias

Interim GM, Tap by Wattpad, Wattpad

Dani is Wattpad's Interim GM of Tap and leads a dream team of genre agnostic story enthusiasts on a mission to find and develop our next big writer. Prior to joining Wattpad in early 2017, Dani worked at Worldreader as their Director of Content, helping to bring stories from around... Read More →

Sunday October 28, 2018 1:10pm - 2:00pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA

General Session, AMA

Host Organization Wattpad

2:00pm EDT

Closing Remarks

Speakers

Allen Lau

CEO and Co-Founder, Wattpad

Sunday October 28, 2018 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA