#wuxiaworld

[creepyandcuddlyart]

(via "wuxia warrior one" Mounted Print for Sale by creepyandcuddly)

[adventure-alex]

Chapter 1: The Unremarkable Beginnings

In the mystical world of Jianghu, where martial prowess and cultivation techniques decided one’s fate, there existed a young man named Liang Chen. Amongst the disciples of the esteemed Heavenly Cloud Sect, Liang Chen was unremarkable, struggling to master even the most basic techniques. While his peers soared like dragons, he floundered like a fish in shallow waters. Liang Chen’s lack of talent…

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

people who read like classics and stuff and enrich their brain and are like u all should try this too but aren't pretentious about it > people who read/watch trash and know that's what they're doing but enjoy it > people who read like classics or just like. fairly good well known fantasy. and are extremely pretentious and hate on the second category of people/barely know that other genres exist > people who read/watch trash but act like the third category possibly because they also barely know that other genres exist

[necronatural]

For those not on the Webnovel scene; it's not quite a scam, but it is unbelievably shady and exploitative. Webnovel is an Official™️ Wattpad competitor run by QiDian. WuxiaWorld, a site that boasts massive archives of Chinese fantasy novels, wrote a contract to let them translate novels posted on QiDian. Note that these translators had the rights to these works. Then as soon as QiDian created Webnovel, it broke the contract and started poaching talent from WuxiaWorld (so they could rip their work off WW and have it run on Webnovel instead). Most egregiously, they would steal translations wholesale. Like, actual theft that WW had to fight them for. This was a huge deal in 2018.

Popular webnovel Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (Omniscient Reader) is a title licensed on Webnovel you'd probably recognize; prolific Rainbow Turtle (who also did TLs on WuxiaWorld) was using machine translation and skilled editing to power through the novel, and then Webnovel hired RT on to bring on her fan-translation and keep going on THEIR platform, even though Rainbow Turtle is, again, a machine translator. There are no editors after transferring, so blatant errors were left in. Items to do with Korean history were distorted beyond readability, which is okay when you're posting chapters to your blog trying to catch up to like 100 chapters with daily updates but absurd on an official platform that SHOULD have editors to do that work for her. And very importantly, on Webnovel, the translator is not allowed to edit the chapters after posting.

They later got a new translator who completely changed terminology, creating a bizarre mix of completely different standardizations (the names), actual corrections (lamarck's giraffe), and just straight up changing translations for no reason (unbreakable faith). Because the translator isn't allowed to edit after posting, there was an extended frazzled back-and-forth where it was implicitly understood that because Webnovel is an IP farm/content mill, the interaction is isolated between the readers and the translator trying to figure out what to do, and the translator simply did not have any resources or guidance from QiDian&Webnovel to help with this. The website's only goal was to accrue readers.

So as you can probably guess fans of asian webnovels want to kill and eat this website. Not surprised QiDian's trying to pad out the fic aspect to overpower Wattpad. All these corporate sons of bitches care about is unchecked growth.

I got this comment on a story from my Other AO3 Account this morning.

(Info redacted because I prefer keeping these accounts separate but no one follows me on the side blog I have for that account.)

The story was posted almost a year ago and is relatively “popular” by my average statistics even though it has tropes and themes that are big turnoffs for a lot of people (hence separate accounts). This popularity is undoubtedly because it’s a Marvel Loki story and that fandom is massive.

So there is obviously an algorithm or a bot scrubbing ao3 statistics and leaving this comment on fics that meet a certain metric with the main character of the fic inserted into the comment.

I had a little time to kill this morning so I decided to investigate further. And y’all this is so predatory. Come on this journey with me. It made me mad. It may make you mad.

First, if you go to Webnovel’s website, you HAVE to choose between male lead or female lead stories before you can go any further. WTF?

And that’s weird, but this gets so much worse. This is basically a pay-to-read site that has different subscription models. Which… okay BUT! The authors don’t get paid! Look at that comment again. They’re promising a supportive and nurturing community, but zero monetary compensation. It’s basically, “post your stuff here so we can get paid and you can get… nice vibes?” I mean look at this Orwellian writing:

Using the phrase “pay-to-read model” in the same sentence as “qualitative changes in lifestyles for authors” deliberately makes you think that you can get paid and maybe even make a living on this website. But that’s not actually what it says and authors will not receive one red cent.

Oh but wait, the worst is still to come. In case this breaks containment (which I kind of hope it does) this is where I mention that I’m a lawyer in the US.

I don’t do intellectual property or copyright law but I do read and write contracts for a living. So I went to look at their terms of service. It was fun!

Highlights the first, in which Webnovel gets a license to do basically whatever they want with content you post on their site. This is how they get to be paid for people reading authors’ writing without paying them anything.

Highlights the second, in which Webnovel takes no responsibility for illegally profiting off of fan fic. This all says that the writer is 100% responsible for everything the writer posts (even though only Webnovel is making money from it).

Highlights the third which say that by posting, the author is representing that they have the legal right to use and to let Webnovel use the content according to these terms. So if a writer posts fan fiction and Webnovel makes money from people reading the fan fiction, and the House of the Mouse catches wise, these sections say that that’s ALL on the writer.

So that’s a little skeevy to start off with but the thing that is seriously shitty and made me make this post was that these assholes are coming to ao3. They are actively recruiting people in comments on their fan fiction. And they are saying they are big fans of the character you’re writing about and that they share your interests.

They are recruiting fan fiction writers and giving every impression that you can make money from posting fan fiction on their site and hiding the fact that you absolutely cannot but they can make money off of you while you try, deep in their terms of service which no one but a lawyer who writes fan fic and has some time to kill will read.

I see posts on here regularly from people who don’t understand how this stuff works, don’t understand that they (and others) can not legally make a financial profit from fan fiction. And there are tons of people who will not take the time to dig into the details.

Don’t deal with these bastards. Fuck Webnovel.

[lee-hakhyun]

caught up on collecting chapters 🙏 i plan on reading all of it as soon as it's fully translated

which shouldn't be that long according to the novelupdates page

[dangermousie]

Point: he broke into your healer sect.

Counterpoint: because you violated your own established rules about who you'd grant treatment because you are annoyed at his rudeness.

(I do wonder how he plans to force her to heal the baby. Like - sure, she violated her own conditions after he fulfilled them - but good luck.)

Wuxiaworld lawyers should sue her for breach of contract or false advertising or etc and request in kind comp of healing the baby :P

[writers-potion]

Writing Webnovels 101

There is one key difference between printed/ebooks and a webnovel: you need to adapt your writing for a highly distracted audience.

Unlike a traditional reading experience, people reading on the web have a gazillion other tabs, windows and notifications demanding their attention. So, here are some things to keep in mind when you’re writing for a digital platform.

Short, To-The-Point sentences

Keep your sentences short so that the reader doesn’t lose themselves in the middle.

Keep descriptions short and to the point while focusing on the action of the story.

Fast-paced

Each chapter must have significant action that contributes to plot progression.

Use well-placed cliffhangers that wouldn’t lose the reader in between chapters.

Trope-Led Story

The function of tropes is to provide a distracted reader with a ready-built framework to understand the story.

Using the right tropes is also important to attract your target audience since it tell up upfront about what kind of experience they’re going to have.

Emotion-Led Story

Deliver emotional highs and lows right off the bat, because big, intense emotion is what the readers are looking for.

Emotional information is easier to digest and retain than technical description.

Big emotions are easier to hook into and relate to.

Linear Storyline

Keep flashbacks, flashforwards, time skips to a minimum.

For a distracted reader, a straightforward timeline is a lot easier to understand and return to after a hiatus.

Focused Plot

Having multiple subplots weaving in and out of each other is probably not the best idea.

Keep delivering the emotional experience that the reader is looking for and provide only relevant information.

Technicals

Choosing the right platform

There are so many ways you can write online, from building your own website to writing short episodes on social media platforms.

You can use: novelfull.com, readlightnovel.me, Ltnovel.com, Wattpad, Webnovel, Wuxiaworld, etc.

Before you start posting on a platform, research into the kind of readers it has, what are the most popular genres, etc. Make sure you are pitching to the right audience.

Promoting Your Work

Many writers now promote themselves through newsletters, Instagram, YouTube, etc. but for someone just starting out, creating digital content on top of writing can be tough.

Join a webnovel community and get to know some of your fellow writers! The goal here is not to span other established works to links of your site. As time foes on, linking to one another and making recommendations would come naturally.

Set a Realistic Posting Schedule

Your posting schedule determines how often your readers get to interact with the story world and with one another. It’s how often life gets breathed into your story.

However, going for five days a week isn’t going to be sustainable, unless your story is already finished.

There is no magic number, so figure out a consistent, regular schedule that you can stick to. At least once a week is recommended.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee! ☕

References:

https://creators.wattpad.com/writing-resources/write-your-story/what-is-a-webnovel-indepth-guide/

https://www.drewhayesnovels.com/blog/2014/1/25/shit-i-wish-id-known-before-starting-a-web-novel

[mxtxfanatic]

hi hello sorry for spam-liking basically your entire blog but i rarely run into someone with such consistently good takes and tons of great analysis and who also doesn't take shit from bullies! SO refreshing!!

i'm super excited about your reading recs because a lot of my favorites are already in there, and i've been dying for more to read (i think i've exhausted everything in C-garden and several other translation sites that i like at this point and was resorting to reading shit on wuxiaworld most of which is godawful).

anyway thanks for existing and fighting the good fight. woobifying fanon toxic-positivity bullies are ruining fandoms and more people need to stand up to them, so we can return to the joy of thoughtful discourse, including respectful disagreement, and everyone using actual critical thinking skills.

Thank you for the compliments �� And don’t feel bad about the spam-likes. It’s not like there’s a time limit to when a post stops being enjoyable lmao. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may be in an extreme hormone fluctuation (been hungry af all week no matter how much I eat), so I suspect I got a few more days in this battle before I lose interest and return to my little cave. But rest assured, my feelings on all this won’t change.

[necrowyrm]

anyone on this damn website read any novels offa wuxiaworld and can recommend me one that isnt shit? I liked desolate era and rmji and im really into unsheathed recently...

Do NOT recommend Beyond the Timescape the incessant "humans are the best and everyone who'd even think about sympathising with a non human sentient is a fucking moron" made me want to explode

[linaket]

I keep seeing hopeful things about the revival of web serial writing after Dracula Daily took off and I really, really, really want to be on board with these. I mean, I wrote a thesis about this exact subject in 2013. I love serial writing. I REALLY DO. I actively chose to write my main story as a serial and not in a more "traditional" manner.

But you see, the problem is this: The sharks are already in the water, and the web serial industry has become toxic. If it ever wasn't.

I don't mean people using Substack or individuals at all. What I mean is that it's an entire industry already that, in the past several years, has kind of gone from bad to worst.

There is a general idea that web serial writing isn't as good as traditional publishing. Yeah, there's so much of it out there. There are a lot of people getting their start writing this way. But that doesn't mean that's the only people out here, even if there are a LOT of them.

However, it does mean there are a lot of hopeful writers just ripe to be taken advantage of.

The problem in the last few years has actually come from media conglomerates snapping up platforms left and right. Many of these are coming out of overseas markets, because web serials are HUGE there and have already proven to be profitable. Naver, which owns WEBTOON, also now owns Wattpad [link] Kakao acquired three platforms in the last year: Tapas, Wuxiaworld, and Radish. [link]

Webnovel is under Tencent. Here's a fun article about that.

and from that article:

Cultivating native writers

The huge success of a handful of Chinese stories has been great for the platforms, but also unpredictable and hard to replicate. Within China, the industry isn't just built on that. It's also about the thousands of B-list or amateur authors constantly pumping out new works to keep readers on the platforms.

To recreate that overseas, Chinese platforms have begun to cultivate non-Chinese writers. And the platforms have plenty of experience from the two decades of competing within China.

Emphasis mine.

These companies are predatory at best. Webnovel has a notoriously hellish contract. Authors are paid pennies and expected to "pump out" content, and those writers have to produce 500-1k words at least 5 times a week or be in breach of contract.

The kicker? Most don't retain the IP for their work, let alone moral rights.

While we often cite "to become a better writer, you must write," there is a point where the stress of the constant churn doesn't allow a writer to grow.

I've had friends get cut out of revenue shares for their work because, technically, it is considered contract work. You were paid what you were paid, and whatever profits come from that go to the company. Often this is done on a second season, or slipped into an amended contract.

Check the fine print on any of the contests. Most include something about entries only being able to be posted on that platform (see even The Wattys) which, understandable, but exclusivity is a low gate. It doesn't seem like a big deal until you're trapped behind it and at the mercy of whatever platform is holding your work.

And these larger companies often release massive waves of censorship.

Recently on Tapas, novels (and comics!) were shadowbanned from the app if they had the word "kiss" in the title. This was just weeks ago. If you search "kiss" on the Tapas app, the main way that the audience accesses the site, literally nothing comes up. Have a tweet about it:

[link]

It's the newest wave of censors that have been placed on the platform... and the platform has issued no statement on this. What other words are banned? Who knows? Well, omega is another one. But no one was told that. It's been a lot of trial and error among members of the community to find out if anyone can even find their stories anymore.

In the last few years, many of the more experienced authors I've met and highly respected on platforms just... left.

Does this mean that serial writing is dead in the water? Of course not.

I really, really hope not.

But if anyone out there is interested in taking that route, there's some pretty basic advice that everyone has heard:

read the TOC of a platform thoroughly before posting.

do not rely on a platform alone to share your work. you never know when something might happen, and suddenly your work will be unavailable. (this is one of the reasons that I run from exclusivity.)

plan to build your own audience, in your own way. Most platforms already have a niche, and that is what they are going to push more than anything.

understand that marketing is on you, just like any other kind of self-publishing route.

if your interested in becoming a "premium" author for the sites, read your contracts COMPLETELY. Even and especially renewals.

be wary if anything seems to good to be true when it comes to these large platforms. it probably is.

My experience, like everyone's, is obviously limited. I understand that. Personally? I loved platforms, and building communities on them with other writers, but I am finding it difficult to trust my work on them anymore.

I'm trying to figure out my own way now. I'm not sure what that's going to look like, but I'm trying to think of something. Because I haven't given up. I can't. I committed to writing my story as a series, and I'll finish it as such, because it is what is right for that story.

Let me know if you've got any ideas.

[lazy-cat-kohaku]

thoughts

since no one pays attention to this and i can do whatever i want…

i was thinking about where i could put my stories to get exposure. I looked at Webnovel — the opinions people have on it are extreme, and that just looks like stress pure. WuxiaWorld and Royal Road I’ve never heard of before, so I’ll either stay away or take a look. Tapas sounds good and has an apparently good community, but I am still unsure. I might test the waters with Under The Same Sky which technically counts as fanfiction… And apart from that there is Chrysanthemum Garden but they have proper posting rules and I am sadly indecisive and forgetful and also a nervous wreck. so I guess tapas it is? but i can’t hype myself up and I have no friends. My social skills are also… ah, well, low. and no one pays attention to me, be it irl or on the internet, because coming out of my shell is too stressful and I don’t dare ask strangers on the internet whom I like to check put my stuff because that feels… too… idk i’m just stupid in that way i guess.

if anyone ever actually reads this what will I do? Not care probably, considering my track record.

[creepyandcuddlyart]

Check out the whole collection of cdrama inspired art at wuxiaboys.com

[adventure-alex]

Alternate Story! Chapter 1: Veil of SecretsAlternate Story!

In the ancient land of Azurea, where the sun kissed the emerald fields and the rivers whispered tales of old, a tapestry of drama and martial prowess unfurled. Within the esteemed Martial Arts Academy of Azure Peak, young disciples embarked on a journey of self-discovery, their lives intertwined amidst a backdrop of love, honor, and profound conflict. At the heart of this tale stood Shen Wei, a…

[terrible-leviathan]

sorry this is so long, but I saw your post asking for places to read transmigration novels and I wanted to help ya out So neat trick for when you want to pirate anything if just looking up the name of the media you want to pirate, and scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the page. At the bottom of the page, you'll see the text: In response to multiple complaints we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed results from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaints that caused the removals at LumenDatabase.org: Complaint And if you click 'complaint' it will have a link to a website called lumen database that is a database of dmca complaints. You'll see websites under "Allegedly infringing URLS:" and they are all websites that have pirated that media, and is a handy guide to all the websites you can go to to pirate what you wanted.

Of course with sketchy websites you have to be really careful with pop ups but having an ad blocker can deal with most of that.

And lastly, for "mistakenly saving the villain" specifically, chrysanthemumgarden.com seems to have the entire story available + the extras. Lumen database says wuxiaworld also has it, and i have used that site before, but it does have a lot of popups.

Good luck on your danmei journey!!

OMG UR A LIFE SAVER

[lee-hakhyun]

Hi hi! Was wondering if u read 'I raised s-classes', 'trash count' or 'the novels extra' + thoughts if u have.

While I love that we now have ORV side stories (thanks again for the edited mtl!!!) and lhh is great, im looking for recs and these 3 keep coming up (if you found other novels u think are similar I'd love the rec too!)

s class - i'm reading the manhwa, and have read up to around 240 of the novel tcf - i have read up to around ch 540 but i have paused reading it currently i love them both but i keep a distance from those two fandoms so i don't get spoiled. god i wish there were physical books for the holy trinity

the novel's extra - i have been collecting free chapters on wuxiaworld, but i haven't started reading it yet

as for recs, definitely check out sss class suicide hunter! i've seen lord of the mysteries talked about a lot too, though i haven't read it myself

less similar to orv, but other novel recs i have a small list of danmei that i really enjoyed svsss (all of mxtx's novels, but especially this one for loser shen yuan) new times, new hell guide on how to fail at online dating the earth is online

and my childhood novel series, percy jackson and wings of fire