First off, let me make one thing absolutely clear: this post is NOT for my amazing readers—the ones who have messaged me encouragement, left thoughtful reviews, and taken the time to support my work genuinely and selflessly. To my ARC readers, loyal followers, and those who reached out with kindness, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know who you are. You are the reason I ever felt encouraged to keep sharing my stories at all.

But this post isn't about you.

It's about the other side of the coin—the toxic corner of Wattpad's community that nobody warns you about when you're just setting out. The people whose negativity, entitlement, and outright cruelty make the platform more draining than inspiring.

Leaving Isn't About You—It's About Me

Deciding to leave Wattpad wasn't easy. I spent years pouring my heart and soul into stories, interacting with readers, and celebrating even the tiniest milestones. But after a certain point, the negativity began to outweigh the joy.

Why I Don't Care If Certain Readers Are Upset

I've seen the DMs and comments: "How dare you?" "You're abandoning your fans!" "You owe us free content! (lmao)" To those people, let me be perfectly blunt: I don't owe you anything.

• This is my work. My craft. My career. I have every right to pursue publishing, to be compensated for my efforts, and to protect my mental health.
• Entitlement is not support. Being a "fan" does not come with ownership over a creator's choices or life.
• Toxicity is not criticism. There’s a world of difference between helpful feedback and spreading negativity.
• Communities should lift you up—not drag you down. Wattpad, for all its positives, harbors a dark side of toxicity that I refuse to normalize.

Wattpad’s Failings: Why This Decision Wasn’t Just Personal

Beyond the toxic messages and entitled attitudes, Wattpad itself has shown a lack of respect for writers like me. Many in our community have witnessed what we call the great purge of LGBT stories, with works and whole accounts vanishing overnight, often without warning or real explanation. My own story, WSSME, was removed twice, and only after countless stressful appeals was it reinstated. Even with victories, there’s a cold uncertainty: I never know when my work will just be deleted again for reasons that seem arbitrary and beyond my control.

Choosing Myself

At the end of the day, I think I deserve better. And if that means losing a few readers who were never really supporters to begin with, so be it. For those who want to join me on the next stage of my journey, you're more than welcome.

I’ll continue giving my readers the opportunity to join my ARC team with every release. For those readers who want to support me and read my stories but don’t have the means to, this is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me. If you’re interested, follow me on Instagram @shayzayit to keep up-to-date with all my releases and ARC forms.

That said, I want to make one thing crystal clear: I will NOT be removing WSSME or TSOSN from Wattpad (unless they get deleted again). These beloved books will always remain available and free to read on the platform. No matter how toxic parts of the community—or the platform itself—have been, I want to honor those readers who found something meaningful in these stories and continue to welcome new readers to experience them.

This is my life, my art, my choice.

To the wonderful readers: thank you, always. To the rest: I'm finally free, and I don't care if you're mad about it.

Wall of shame: