From Wattpad to Audible: How Digital Stories Turn Into Your Next Favorite Audiobook

Great stories can come from anywhere.

Gone are the days when all audiobooks come from traditionally published books.

Many still go that route, but the fully digital age has opened up whole new avenues of possibilities for audiobook production. After all, great stories can come from anywhere.

Hit books and audiobooks like Heartstopper and Nimona began their lives as webcomics. Before being adapted to a movie, My Fault began as a serial on Wattpad.

Whether they come from webtoons, or web serials or other online sources, the question remains – how does web content become an audiobook?

It Starts with a Story

Every great story begins with an idea. That has remained true.

Then, it needs a writer to spin the idea into words on a page. In the case of a graphic novel or “webtoon,” an artist gets involved to bring another dimension to the story entirely. After it’s decided what story is being told, it’s time to figure out who the story is for.

That’s where the Internet comes in.

Thanks to the “web,” there are endless ways to get a great story in front of readers. For prose, there are websites like Wattpad, Webnovel, Archive of Our Own, and Royal Road, for example. You can even find web serials on Kindle Vella and Substack!

These websites create platforms for creators to publish their work online and get people reading right away.

Tapas webcomic site homepage

For webcomics and webtoons, the options are even more vast. Websites like WEBTOON and Tapas are very popular. More and more, burgeoning comic book creators are turning to webcomic platforms for a faster, affordable, and efficient method of getting their work to a broader audience.

In fact, several artists and writers now working for Marvel and DC Comics started their careers with these very webcomic platforms! Still more webcomics find a home on websites built by their creators. When webcomics began, these creator-built sites were pretty much the only way you would find their work.

Well, those sites and Tumblr… but that’s another blog!

These “online distribution” platforms offer a less restricted route for creators compared to traditional publishing. Creators using online distribution have complete control, often guiding their story from start to finish on their own.

They can also post at their own pace, allowing them to engage directly with readers and get feedback in real time. Likewise, if there’s money to be made, there’s no agent or publisher taking their “piece of the pie.”

Of course, there’s a flipside to all of this.

Big publishers have big distribution networks. This means they help decide which books are at the front of your local bookstore and the top of your favorite app’s homepage. Agents and editors are also extremely important, helping their creator’s work become its very best before championing it to the world.

For every creator and every project, there’s a different publishing method that works best. These days, there’s no right or wrong way to share your story. As we already know, even web content that starts off independent can be noticed by publishers eventually…

Getting Noticed

Once a story is out on the web, a large enough audience may decide it’s “something special” that should be shared with the world!

Instagram post by WEBTOON promoting the ‘A Practical Guide to Evil’ web series

Slowly but surely, this interest builds with word-of-mouth praise on social media, blogs, and other “bookish sites.”

As readership grows, the creator will engage directly with their audience, responding to comments and providing new material. This organic collaboration, coupled with a regular posting schedule, continues to build the creator’s catalog and help them grow as an artist.

Then what happens? A publisher takes notice.

Publishers are constantly on the hunt for stories people are excited about. They’re looking for comments, active fan communities, and social media buzz that extends beyond the original platform. When a webcomic starts trending on TikTok or a web serial has readers desperately waiting for updates, publishers see the story’s potential.

Hundreds of thousands of reads and devoted fans creating fan art proves a story’s interest, but that’s not all publishers look at. They also consider how many readers come back to the story, collection, or author again and again.

If the “web property” is captivating enough to readers, it has the potential to captivate listeners too!

What are Some Examples of Great Web-to-Audiobooks?

We’re SO glad you asked!

There are so many great webcomics, webtoons, web novels, and web serials out there in the digital world. Here are some audiobooks from our diverse collection of web content-inspired listens:

Epic fantasy is one of the biggest genres for web content and other digital storytelling making its way to audiobook publishing.


The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg, narrated by David Lee Huynh	The Hands of Lyr by Andre Norton, narrated by Dani Cochrane	Tinderbox by W.A. Simpson, narrated by Ruthie Bowles

Looking for more of a young adult listen? Check out the oh-so-fun series below:


A Practical Guide to Evil by David Verburg, narrated by Amber Dekkers	A Fiery Spirit by Kate Chenli, narrated by Natalie Naudus.

If action is more your flavor, check out the following thrilling audiobooks! From LitRPG sagas to sweeping retellings, these sagas are perfect pocket escapes.


Chain of Feathers by Seth Ring, narrated by Ramon de Ocampo	Seventhblade by Tonia Laird, narrated by Dani Cochrane	The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller