Making Chinese online literature a global craze

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Initially – and perhaps mistakenly – considered as a form of writing for fun, Chinese online literature has developed over the past two decades into a lucrative industry boasting over 370 million readers.

As its name suggests, online literature refers to original literary works of varied length released on the Internet and usually published in installments.

Back in 1998 when people’s understanding of the Internet was still limited to emails and BBS, an information-sharing system accessible by modem mostly used in universities, a Chinese online novel "The First Intimate Contact" swept the budding online community thanks to its heart-breaking romantic plot.

Poster of the TV series adapted from Chinese online novel "The First Intimate Contact"

The novel – which was later adapted to the big screen and developed into TV series – is widely seen as the start of Chinese online literature.

How big is the market?

There are an estimated 378 million readers of online literature in China, accounting for 48.9 percent of Internet users in the country, according to data released during a symposium on the topic held in late March in Shanghai.

A separate report from Chinese research firm iResearch shows that the market for Chinese online literature has grown to 1.96 billion US dollars in 2017, up 32.1 percent from the year before. By 2019, the growth is expected to reach 2.79 billion US dollars.

Some go as far as placing Chinese online literature alongside Hollywood films, Japanese cartoons and South Korean soap operas, calling them the world’s four biggest cultural phenomena.

Who are writing these stories?

China now has over 13 million online novelists who have published more than 14 million works of literature.

The average age of writers is 28 and over 65.8 percent of them have received a college education, according to iResearch. Data also shows that nearly 60 percent of the writers are part-timers.

They get paid based on the length of their works, receiving anywhere between eight to 800 US dollars for every 1,000 words. China Literature, one of China’s most influential online literature websites, paid over 150 million US dollars in remuneration to its contributing writers in 2016.

Those who have carved a name for themselves increase their fortunes by selling their intellectual property and having their scripts turned into films, TV series and online games.

CGTN Photo

A handful of popular Chinese TV series in recent years were inspired by online fiction work.

Anti-corruption crime thriller "In the Name of People," historical drama "Empresses in the Palace" and urban drama "Ode to Joy" are all adaptations of popular novels first released online. The hit show "Ode to Joy" racked up 22 billion viewers when the series was released online.

Stage photo of the historical drama “Empresses in the Palace” /VCG Photo

Growing international influence

Chinese online novels have won the hearts of overseas Internet users who read the works through translation.

CGTN Photo

"Chinese online literature is becoming more and more influential worldwide. Legends and swordsman novels are popular among readers in Europe and North America while historical and love stories are well received in Southeast Asia," said Wang Xiang, a researcher from the China Writer Institute.

"Chinese online literature is deeply rooted into our country’s long history and abundant culture. The online literature that carries our culture is probably one of the best ways for foreign people to learn our culture," said Tang Jia San Shao, one of the most famous online writers in China.