China turns a new page on reading

[ahojunk]

Online writers find path to become millionaires
By Li Hongrui (Chinadaily.com.cn) 09:05, April 19, 2017

Online writer Tangjiasanshao (Zhang Wei). [Photo/Xinhua]​

Online writer Tangjiasanshao, or Zhang Wei, took the crown again on the latest income ranking list of Chinese online writers.

Receiving 122 million yuan ($18 million) in royalties, the writer comes in at first place for the fourth time.

Born in 1981, Zhang once worked for a small IT company after graduating from Hebei University. He got fired by the slumping company in 2003.

In 2004, Zhang started writing his first online novel, Guang Zhi Zi, or Son of Light. In 2012, the young writer was crowned on the royalties ranking list for the first time.

Many web writers, such as Tiancantudou (Li Hu) and Wochixihongshi also rose to fame because of their work and enviable royalties.

A series of popular TV series, animations and games have been adapted from their writings, including Nirvana in Fire and The Journey of Flower.

However, not every online writer is as lucky as them. Most online writers work 10 hours a day according to a report from Yangtze Evening. And they must always be working hard to create intriguing stories.

Angeloscar from Nanjing began to write for the web as a part-time job in 2006. And he resigned from his stable job to write full time from 2015.

"Many people believe online writers are messy and sloppy, and some even think we wear costumes when writing stories about ancient people. We are not. At least I am not," Angeloscar said.

As a father, the writer has a regular life. And he also spends at least 10 hours on writing each day.

"It's easy to become an online writer, but not that easy to become famous. I suggest people to start part-time writing first," he said.

And only especially skilled writers could write for large internet literature websites, such as Qidian.com.

Yang Chen, chief editor of Qidian.com, said there are tens of thousands of writers creating web stories on Qidian.com.

"There are more female online writers now and some are even teenagers," Yang said.

Martial arts fantasy web fiction is the most popular literature genre online. And many foreigners are also faithful readers.

Wuxiaworld.com, a website sharing English versions of Chinese kung fu and fantasy online novels, is pretty popular in the US.

According to data from Alexa in December 2016, the website ranked 1,525 in the world and 986 in the US. It had more than three million daily page views and 241,211 daily unique visitors.

The author of web fiction Fights Break Sphere, Tiancantudou (Li Hu). [Photo/Xinhua]

The 2015 TV drama Nirvana in Fire, adapted from a namesake online novel by Hai Yan. [Photo/Mtime]

The TV series The Journey of Flower, an adaptation of writer Freshguoguo's online fiction. [Photo/Mtime]
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[ahojunk]

It helps when you also have lots of readers.

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Digital readership grows eight years in a row: survey
2017-04-18 16:25 | Ecns.cn | Editor: Mo Hong'e

(ECNS) -- The proportion of Chinese adults who have the habit of reading increased to 79.9 percent in 2016 with more readers of digital content, according to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication.

Some 68.2 percent of readers used digital platforms in China, a 4.2 percent increase over 2015 and the eighth consecutive year of growth in the number of online readers.

People spend more time in reading digital content, with mobile phones and the Internet the two major sources of material. The survey found that adults read with mobile phones for 74.4 minutes a day on average, an increase of 12.19 minutes over the previous year .

It also showed the average time one reads online lasts 57.22 minutes and reading on the popular messaging app WeChat reaches 26 minutes, both increasing from the previous year. Rural residents were found to read WeChat-based content 42.7 minutes a day on average, higher than urban readers.

Traditional print media continues falling from favor. In 2016, the average daily reading time of newspapers was 13.15 minutes, 3.86 minutes less than in 2015. Time spent reading magazines dropped by 2.22 minutes to 6.61 minutes.

Digital reading has become the mainstream among adults under 49 years old. But Chinese on average read 7.86 books in 2016, a small increase over the previous year.

The survey found 51.6 percent still preferred to read a printed book and over 40 percent admitted that they need to read more. About 70 percent also called for the organization of reading activities.

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[ahojunk]

China Focus: China turns a new page on reading
(Xinhua) 11:16, April 22, 2017

World Book Day falls on Sunday, and Chinese people are seeking new ways of reading.

Borrowing books from street-side libraries for free, listening to excerpts of books on a TV show, reading via social media apps, kindling -- the novelties keep popping up and the vast Chinese readership loves them.

BOOK-SHARING SERVICES

Liu Yaqian, 29, works for a multinational company and describes herself as a "bookworm." She has borrowed around a hundred books from libraries in Beijing since 2011.

In March last year, she found a 24-hour automated library near her office that holds about 400 books. "It's as convenient as an ATM! I no longer have to make the trek to the traditional libraries that are often out of the way," she said. In the past year, Liu has borrowed more than a book per week from the 24-hour book dispenser.

The 24-hour library program is an innovation by the Capital Library of China and district libraries under the guidance of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture. They have been seen on the streets of Beijing since 2010. There are 174 street libraries, each about the size of a street-side food stand dotting both downtown Beijing and its outskirts.

Readers need to apply for a membership card before borrowing books, which are dispensed in much the same way as the soft drinks and snacks from the vending machines often found in train stations and airports. Books can be returned to any of these libraries.

"The 24-hour street libraries break the boundaries of traditional libraries, extending the tentacles of book-sharing to as many communities and streets as possible," said the mastermind behind the program.

Following the capital's lead, similar facilities have mushroomed across the country. In Changsha City in central China, the first batch opened in January this year.

The free libraries are constructed inside renovated movable containers, and all the 4000-plus books in each library have been donated.

"The 24-hour free libraries finally opened in my hometown, adding a warm and intellectual feel. I am so proud," wrote a user nicknamed "Xiaowo" on Sina Weibo.

READING ON TV

"My eyes are moist at every episode of this program. I like the words, the emotion and the recitation, all of them are beautiful," reads a typical online comment on the show Readers that debuted on China Central Television (CCTV) on Feb. 18.

In the TV show, celebrities, like writer Wang Meng and China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, are asked to read a couple of paragraphs from their favorite books that chime with acertain theme, for example home, companionship, tears and so on.

"All the readers are well-known in their own fields," said host Dong Qing, "but the show brings out their emotional side."

Readers has been a very big hit. The online version of the first episode has been watched more than eight million times on streaming service iQIYI.

Ordinary people can also take part. "Readers' booths" have been set up by the program in major cities where people can go to be recorded reading for three minutes. Some people queuing for a booth in Shanghai on March 5 waited for nine hours to have their turn.

On April 16, a visually impaired girl named Zheng Xiaoke recited a poem in a booth in Shenzhen, expressing her gratitude to those who have cared for and loved her.

According to the crew, every reader is recorded and videoed, and those who give the most touching recitations will appear in future shows.

READING ON WECHAT

Reading via WeChat, a popular messaging app, is a new choice for many people, especially subway commuters.

Fu Wei, a 26-year-old programmer, likes to read articles shared by his WeChat friends. "We are too busy to read books as thick as bricks," he said. "WeChat articles that carry plenty of information are more accessible to us."

A total of 62.4 percent of adults surveyed by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication read via WeChat in 2016, up 10.5 percentage points from a year before. Each person spent an average of 26 minutes reading on WeChat each day.

The trend of reading via WeChat goes hand-in-hand with increased reading on mobile phones. The survey revealed that 66.1 percent of respondents read on their mobile phones in 2016.

Chinese people read 7.86 books each in 2016, including 3.21 e-books.

"Mobile phones make it very easy for people to read. However, we should be aware that we fragment the time we spend on reading," said Zhang Yiwu, professor at Peking University.

Writer Liu Cixin has also noticed a shift from reading on paper to reading on screen, but he believes that what one reads has nothing to do with how one reads. "The most important thing is to encourage people to read books that inspire them, build their knowledge, and raise their sensibilities," he said.

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[UQAAB]

Good read , thank you for sharing the information

 

[AndrewJin]

It's a big business.
Nearly all Chinese soapies today are adapted from these novels.