The way for Chinese online novels to go abroad: why do foreigners pursue it? Where is the bottleneck?

the reason why foreigners like to read Chinese online novels is similar to that of domestic fans, except that the main mode of "grassroots counterattack" is quite universal and can meet the common desires of different people.

"Faster release!" "Story was awesome. Please don&# 39;t stop translating this story (the story is great, don't stop)! " This is the comment made by foreign netizens on Chinese online novels that the reporter saw on the starting point international website.

in the past two years, it seems that it has become more and more common for foreigners to read Chinese online novels. At the same time, Chinese online novels are also going abroad. In March this year, there was even a report entitled "Chinese online novels make American boys quit drug addiction". How can Chinese online novels get out of this road of going out to sea? The reporter paid a visit.

online novel Panlong

< strong > confidence in Chinese online literature < / strong >

" in recent years, there are indeed ideas to expand the fan base overseas. I also hope that my novel can go out to the world and become a novel like Harry Potter. This is my greatest wish now. " This is the response given by the online writer in an interview with a reporter a few days ago.

like many Chinese online novels, forgotten works have also been translated into foreign languages and become popular with foreign fans. Before that, online novels such as Pan long have attracted a large number of foreigners' fans.

there is no doubt that Chinese online writers are becoming more and more confident. This change comes not only from the increasing number of clicks, but also from readers' positive feedback on his works.

the reporter noticed that in the first more recent month, as of 17:00 on November 29th, the latest work of forgetting words, "A piece of mortals repairing Immortals," had more than 1.9 million hits on the Chinese website at the starting point. Of course, compared with the previous online novel, such a figure is not worth mentioning at all. The Legend of mortals and Immortals, serialized from 2008 to 2013, has been viewed more than 100 million times.

< strong > will there be writers like Jin Yong in online literature? < / strong >

"I could not have imagined that so many people could read an online novel more than a decade ago." In the view of Li Mingyuan, executive director of cat film and former vice president of Baidu, such a figure would have been astronomical in the early years.

"when we started to be Baidu Tieba in 2004, the most heated discussion on the post bar at that time was these Internet literature. At that time, the topic was still discussing the relationship between network literature and traditional literature, and whether network literature can represent literature. But today we can see that through the power of the Internet, literary creation can have such a wonderful 'chemical reaction' with so many people, and can change these works from excellent to so great. " Li Mingyuan said.

maybe he thinks that his evaluation is too high. Li Mingyuan added: "it is not too much for me to say 'great' here, because it is a living process that develops while creating."

Li Mingyuan is not the only one who thinks so highly of online literature. Shao Yanjun, an associate professor at Peking University, said bluntly in an article in the second issue of online Literature Review in 2017, "since studying online literature, scholars have been asking me whether there will be master writers like Jin Yong in online literature." I always answer, "Yes, and I already have it." It even surpassed Jin Yong in my evaluation.

of course, the data can better illustrate the rapid development of Chinese online literature in recent years. According to iResearch's 2016 White Paper on copyright Protection of Chinese online Literature, there were about 217 million PC users and 265 million mobile users in China's online literature industry in 2016. According to the 39th Statistical report on the Development of the Internet in China, the number of users of online literature in China reached 333 million in 2016.

the 2016 White Paper on copyright Protection of Chinese online Literature consulted by iResearch, the statistics of overseas readers' comments on Chinese online articles

< strong > Why do foreigners become fans of Chinese online articles? < / strong >

in Shao Yanjun's view, the characteristics of online novels will attract people to read. "the reflection of network literature to our real life is very close, it is a kind of refractive reflection, not a direct reflection. In a sense, our anxiety and desire in reality will be reflected in the type of text, and our core anxiety may be projected into the 'refreshing point' in network literature. "

"for example, there are many 'rebirth articles' in urban texts. That is, I go back to the origin of my life and start anew. All the regrets, lost lovers and missed opportunities can be recovered and made up for. In this way, you will have a 'feel better'. " She said.

the expansion of domestic fans is only one aspect of the development of Chinese online literature. Since 2016, Shao Yanjun and her research team have noticed that Chinese online literature is going abroad.

in December 2014, Chinese-American Lai Jingping (net name RWX) set up Wuxiaworld, which is considered to be the first English translation website for Chinese online literature. This has also aroused domestic attention to the phenomenon of online articles going out to sea. Since then, many Chinese online literature translation groups have emerged one after another.

Why is Chinese online literature more and more accepted by foreign readers? We may be able to find out the reason from the messages left by foreign readers at the starting point international. Netizen aswalz said after reading an online novel "reborn and traversing to another World", reading the work is "like playing a role-playing game". Albert23, who is also chasing the work, admitted that "the author has created great characters and the world background in the book." Modsan said, "this type of novel is exactly what I need."

Shao Yanjun once told the media that the reason why foreign fans like to read Chinese online novels is similar to that of domestic fans, that is, it is cool-the main mode of "grass-roots counterattack" is quite universal and can meet the common desires of different people.

Screenshot of the martial arts world web page

< strong > how to face the bottleneck of online articles going out to sea? < / strong >

Ji Yunfei, a doctoral student in the Chinese Department of Peking University, has been involved in the research of Shao Yanjun's team. Recently, he is involved in writing the forthcoming 2017 report on the overseas dissemination of Chinese online Literature.

he found that compared with the rapid development of online articles going abroad in the past two years, the reader growth of Wuxiaworld in 2017 has tended to slow down, and its world ranking has even declined. At the same time, the spread of Chinese online literature in the English-speaking world has also entered a bottleneck period. If you can't break into the mainstream reading market in the English-speaking world-especially by Amazon and kindle readers-it has reached the ceiling in this relatively marginal subcultural community of online fiction. " He wrote in the unfinished report.

faced with this situation, websites are also exploring profit models to adapt to overseas markets. Take starting Point International as an example, although the website does not charge a fee, it will broadcast advertisements before readers read the text. In April this year, China Literature Group officially reached a partnership with Amazon, and Amazon Kindle Bookstore launched an online novel zone.

at the same time, IP operations based on Chinese online articles are also being carried out overseas. Wang Yuren, chairman of IP copyright operator Cat Film, revealed that the online novel "mortal Xiuxian Jie" has been laid out overseas. He is confident about this. "the world outlook system of oriental fairies in some online articles is very rare in traditional western fantasy novels and light novels of Japan and South Korea." This has a good foundation for development overseas. At the same time, with the introduction of the visual work-CG big film, it has also spread abroad. "

"in fact, everyone is looking forward to seeing such a story of Asian-faced superheroes, which is different from the traditional European and American Disney system and Marvel's superhero system. Our relevant national partners are actively promoting this matter. " He said.

Edit: mary