During the last two decades, online literature has boomed in China. By the end of 2016, the value of China’s online literature market had hit 9 billion yuan. Over the past decade, the industry has entered overseas markets. However, despite these achievements, many problems have emerged within the industry that cannot be corrected without external intervention.

Prompt interaction

On Aug. 4, the China Internet Network Information Center issued the 40th Report on China’s Network Development. The report showed that by June, 2017, China had 353 million readers of online literature. Chen Weihua, a professor from the College of Chinese Language and Literature at Hunan University, said the rise of online literature was caused by a change in literary media. The transformation, which benefited writers, readers, and others involved in the creation and dissemination of literary works, has dramatically influenced China’s literary scene.

Literary works reach a wider audience via movies, TV shows and other cultural products. Yang Jianjun, a literary professor from Lanzhou University, said “Thus it is known that literary changes are colored by social conditions and artistic growth or decline depends on the times” quoting a passage from Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, a masterpiece of Liu Xie’s, a renowned literary theorist and critic in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Yang said that in the modern world, apart from social changes, technological advances can also lead to the development of online literature. Yang said this literary form allows for feedback and has thus changed the one-way direction of writing production and consumption. In this way, the most popular genres have become the leading force in online literature.

Proper guidance

Online literature also has its negative aspects. Vulgarity, plagiarism, and distortion of history have often caused controversies.

Yang said that the boom in online literature needs to deliver benefits for society. We should use historical insights to see the evolution of literature brought by the ever changing literary medium. In the meantime, we should examine online literature with established artistic and aesthetic standards formed during thousand years of literary development and give adequate guidance. Yang added that we should build a benign ecology of online literature that focuses on “interaction between creators and critics, as well as works and theories.”

In order to promote this literary environment, writers of online literature should have higher overall quality and researchers of online literature should give adequate guidance.

Innovation is also the key to enhancing its artistic significance. Chen said that despite the many online literary works, there are very few masterpieces. Shallow works are abundant while works with insight are rare. Also, imitation, copycat and homogenous works outnumber original works.

Bai Yang, a literary professor from Jilin University, said writers of online literature crave market attention and acceptance of the literary circles. In this regard, they need to add to the social environment and spirit of the times, taking the dissemination of positive energy as one mission of the development of online literature.

Wang Xueqian, a literary professor from Jilin University, said the key to promoting online literature lies in balancing the freedom given to the creation of online literature and the regulations that guide its healthy development. Commercialized online literature can also be sublimated, Wang added.

Independent artistry

The derivative effect of online literature has been a heated topic in recent years. Many online literary works have had associated movies and TV shows. Yang argued that this environment has expanded too quickly and investors have sought to capitalize on it, neglecting its healthy development.

Chen argued that adapting quality online literature into TV shows will have significance for the development of both online literature and the movie and television industry. Also, it should be noted that movies and TV shows are commercial in nature, which means that adaption will affect the creation direction of online literature. Therefore, online literature should try to avoid being constrained by the commercial nature of movies and TV shows and adhere to its intrinsic artistry. In addition, Chen said it is necessary to see whether the adaption is loyal to the original work. Respect for the rights of writers will be important for the entire industry.