Let's Talk Tap | Interviews, Press, YouTube

It's been over 2 months now since the launch of Tap and things have been so hectic since. If you haven't downloaded the app yet, it is totally free to download on the App Store or on Google Play - so do that ASAP.

Things have been going insane with my Tap stories. 'The Babysitter', which was one of the first stories published on Tap for the launch, currently has over 14.5 million taps! It has also been translated into nine different languages for the international versions of the app and has had some amazing feedback. Readers are really responding well to it - just watch this video I made of some of the reactions of readers on YouTube:



While 'The Babysitter' is doing amazing, my other stories have been doing extremely well too! I was asked by Tap to contribute more stories and ever since I have been on a creative binge writing short scary stories. 'Don't Move! Don't Breathe!', another story that launched with the app, currently has over 6.6 million taps, while a lot of my new ones have been getting featured in the 'Top Picks' section. 'Lisa is a Nice Friend' has over 4.3 million taps, 'Who Killed Abigail Audley?' has over 1.9 million taps, 'The Riddling of Rhiannon' has over 1.8 million taps, and 'Text M For Murder' has just today been put in the Top Picks and now has over 200 thousand taps and climbing!

Another of my most successful stories, 'Down the Hallway', has over 3.2 million taps and was recently featured on the 4KidsGaming YouTube channel. They do features on stories from Tap and they did an awesome job with this one. Watch the video, it's amazing:

* * *

While all of this was going on, I was approached by a reporter from The Ringer - a very popular website. So I had an interview with Alyssa Bereznak last week via Skype and we discussed a lot about my experience with Tap and the publication of stories in general. Check out the article here.

Here is the part I am mentioned:

A more prominent challenge for these chat apps is finding a way to adequately compensate their contributors. Sachdeva says that author compensation is still in flux at Tap. According to Gavin Hetherington, who has written 17 chat stories for the app, writers can both be commissioned to write featured projects and earn money via ad revenue generated through a type of “stars program.” Hetherington, who is studying English literature at Newcastle University and aiming to work on novels full time, says both the pace of the writing and exposure on the app have offered more benefits than Amazon’s pay system. Similarly, Mills is commissioned by Hooked editors to write pieces for an agreed-upon amount beforehand. It’s not enough to live on alone, she says, but she’s lucky be supported by her wife and her family as she pursues her ambitions of becoming a fiction writer. Hooked has yet to implement any payment models based on ad revenue, but Gupta says the system is evolving as the company grows.

“Some of that is just simplicity: We’re a startup and as soon as you get into tracking streams things get really complicated really fast,” she said. “I also think it’s nice for the writer because they know what they’re going to get ahead of time. Our writers feel it’s fair and maybe even generous because it’s not just here’s some crap advance, and then if it does well, the promise of more money.”

For both Mills and Hetherington, there is also an added benefit of experimenting with a genre that very few writers have before. In some cases, the constraints allow them to explore elements of a story like plot and character development via the rhythm of the messages, images, emoji, or the typing ellipses.

“You just start writing and it flows and it feels pretty authentic just doing it and reading though them,” Hetherington said. “And a lot of people on Tap, I’ve noticed … leave some little mistakes in because it feels like that’s how it would have went. Like, ‘Oh, someone accidentally sent that too early.’ There’s just a bit more real life to it.”

* * *

I also had another interview with Wattpad HQ for the 'Meet the Wattpad Stars' series on their official blog. Oh man, what an article. It has literally provided me life. I have been in close contact with the Wattpad team and those behind Tap so I was very blessed to have them ask me to be part of this feature. I especially love when they refer to me as a 'pioneer' for the app, I mean, that is high praise right there.

Read the blog here.

Honestly, give it a read. It's such a great piece and I am so thrilled to have been part of it. Tap is awesome and I am so excited to be part of it.

* * *

Starting May 18, I will be posting new Tap stories every Thursday (predominantly horror)! Be sure to keep checking back to see a full line-up of the initial stories I will be posting. I cannot wait!