'Golden age' dawns for Chinese web-writers

Tangjiasanshao earned 50 million yuan ($8.06 million) from royalty income last year. [File Photo]

There are around 20-30 top web-writers in China. They are called platinum authors or zhigaoshen (the Supreme God) class writers. According to the 2014 Chinese web-writers’ list, Tangjiasanshao, who ranks first, earns 50 million yuan ($8.06 million) annually from royalty income, while the second and third in the list both earn more than 25 million yuan ($4.03 million).

IP (intellectual property) or qualified contents became the direct driving force of the Chinese Internet in recent years. The concept of IP upgraded the business mode of Internet literature websites from single paid reading into a industrialized operation.

Popular network novels are welcomed in the film, TV drama, and animation and game industry. Until the end of last year, the copyright of 114 network novels had been bought by different companies. Among them, 90 works will be adapted into TV dramas, while others will be adapted into movies. Giant Interactive Group Inc, a Chinese online game company, bought 40 copyrights of network novels as reserved contents.

Industry watchers say its online popularity and potential for market earnings could propel the films to be blockbusters that began life online.The film unit of the country's most valuable e-commerce company, Alibaba, is making the latest title of this genre a bit differently, designing it for the targeted audience by allowing fans to influence every step of the moviemaking process.

Against this background, some famous web-writers like Bu Feiyan get the chance to be part-time screenplay writers which brings them even more income.

"For what I can tell, besides adapting their own works to screenplay on invitation from the film companies, they also write new screenplays for internet dramas, just like what I'm doing right now. Internet and fans bring us fame and chance," Bu said.