Adhering to tradition, having ranked on Sanjiang, I naturally have some feelings to express, though I know this tradition has dwindled over the years...
But after all, this is my first book, and for a new author like me, it is indeed a rare experience, one I would have regretted missing.
So I also ask everyone to bear with my long-windedness.
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First of all, thank you! Thank you all for your constant support! Without you, there wouldn't be the achievements of today!
Also, I want to thank my duty editor Transparent and chief editor Shui Mo for giving a newcomer like me a chance to sign a contract.
If I hadn't signed, this book wouldn't have come this far, let alone meet you all.
... Those are my feelings on Sanjiang. Although brief, they are truly heartfelt!
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Additionally...
Actually, I do have a lot to share.
Like, why I write novels and what feelings a new author had after writing for more than a month... and so on and so forth.
But I am indeed a person who believes "silence is golden," so I won't elaborate further.
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Really, that's it!
But since you've turned to this page, why not cast a couple of votes?
Monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, rewards—I welcome them all (desperate face)
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I know there are still some readers who might be curious, so after much thought, I decided to mention it.
What follows are purely my personal views on the current state of online literature, those who dislike may kindly criticize lightly, and those not interested may skip this part.
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Alright, I'll start speaking.
Three months ago, I was just like all of you, a reader.
The motivation to write came from those books updated so passionately but then abruptly abandoned.
The direct trigger was a book last year called "My Sword Thirsts for Blood." Just mentioning the title might be a bit vague, let me throw in a few keywords: Urban background, sword-fighting, travel between two realms, Western fantasy monsters, unusual body temperatures, blood-thirst...
This book went live and not long after, with an average order of 3248 and a high order of 4434, it unexpectedly entered the palace...
Like this, there are many books. I could list examples at will, some with good performance, some with bad. Like earlier, I was following one about 'Paperman,' where the protagonist is the son of a coffin shop owner who played with paper dolls every day, but later received a Cultivation Secret Manual from a Taoist, and now the novel is almost undead, practically abandoned.
With this curiosity about why these books were abandoned, I started writing this unusual Wizard World in March.
Then, my questions were answered.
What does this mean?
At this moment, my book has a total of 17,222 favorites, the backend shows a total of 1,132 comments, and roughly estimating, there are probably no more than 500 people commenting.
What does this imply?
The silent majority who read my book, I can't see them.
It's the same situation for other authors and for other new authors like me.
In such circumstances, even a single nonsensical critical comment in the reader circle can be a huge pressure... even though other tens of thousands of readers might not mind.
It's tough for new authors to ignore these.
As for me, I have a good mindset about this, mainly because my main job also faces the market and the audience.
I accept well-founded comments with an open mind, and I permanently delete mindless attacks.
However, other novice authors might not have the same good mindset and may not endure this pressure.
Thus they perish before they have a chance to grow...
"Perhaps if the environment were a little more lenient, just a little, giving them time to grow, allowing them to persist, the next book might bring us more joy..." This thought often crosses my mind.
Besides,
In today's environment, writing online literature is truly a dead-end for most.
Apart from top-tier authors and a limited few at level 5, how many can support their families by writing online? It's known that writing online isn't as stable as other jobs. A book might generate some income for a year or two, but nobody can guarantee that the next book will make money.
Are there cases where a book earns someone a decade or even dozens of years' worth of money?
Of course, there are, but how many?
Are there those who write solely for the passion?
There certainly are! But in the end, they are the minority.
Moreover, I still say, writing is like cooking—chefs who cook purely out of love are not really chefs, but just cooking enthusiasts. They satisfy only their own tastes, and most customers may not like it.
To last long, to see more guests and readers enjoy the dishes in the market, working purely out of love doesn't cut it—we need to turn these cooking enthusiasts into chefs!
The plate of online literature isn't small, how can so many readers not sustain these novels, not sustain these authors?
Though I'm reluctant to admit and it sounds harsh, that is indeed the logic.
...There are simply too few paying readers.
Most authors can't touch the elusive rights; they live off these subscriptions.
I used to read pirated versions too, and I understand.
But later, I suddenly realized, I might buy a snack every day, spending at least a few bucks. But online literature? I spend a lot of time daily, receiving a lot of joy from it.
Why, when I read novels for at least two hours every day, possibly more time than I spend eating...
Why can't I bear to spend even a few cents a day on this author, on this book?
Rice feeds my body, and while online literature may not be my spiritual nourishment, it's a hobby, a source of joy for me.
In fact, I've done some calculations.
Even if I'm reading twenty novels with daily updates of over a thousand words, the money spent in a day is only about 10 yuan.
[It looks like a lot, but I don't subscribe to everything, I only occasionally support my favorite authors with a few cents or a yuan a day, which I believe I can afford.]
[But I didn't, I still couldn't bear to. Perhaps because pirated versions are available, perhaps because I read too many books every day, and it seemed too much to spend money on all, so I ended up not spending on any…]
One could think and act this way, and I used to do the same.
But,
One thing I've come to understand very clearly is
that since I've done this, then I have no right to complain—
Why there are fewer and fewer books I can keep reading, and why the books I like suddenly stop in the middle...
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In the cold night, the fire blazes.
If you don't add wood, and I don't add wood, you expect him to add, and I expect you to add.
As the fire dwindles,
then don't complain about the biting cold.
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The above are some grumbles, some reflections that naturally arise from a reader turning into an author, just some insights on the current state.
I mean not to blame anyone, nor to complain about anything.
It's not about moral obligation, just some understandings of the situation.
I hesitated a long time before posting this…
Yet, I think I should also have the right to express some of my views, right?
Lastly,
I hope everyone enjoys reading my book!
As a newcomer, I indeed have many shortcomings.
I am also deeply touched by your great support.
I know I can only live up to this support and love by continuously striving to improve myself and humbly accepting all kinds of rational criticism, by creating better stories!
Thank you, everyone!