Readership for digital literature in China exceeds 460 million subscribers

The market size and readership for electronic literature in China grew to reach 24.98 billion yuan (about $3.91 billion) and 460 million subscribers respectively last year, statistics from a recently released report have revealed.

Photo taken on Oct. 22, 2019 shows the "Chinese Bookshelf" at Foyles Bookstore in London, Britain. (Photo/Xinhua)

According to the report entitled 2020 Annual Report on Chinese Digital Literature Development released by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, the average number of active readers of digital literature per day in China stands at about 7.58 million.

Among the active readers of electronic literature, 54.5 percent are from the post-95 generation, and 70 percent are under 30 years old. Among premium readers, more than 60 percent include those born after the 1990s.

A new generation of cyberspace writers is also thriving. Data from the China Writers Association showed that China is currently home to about 600,000 contracted authors active on various literary websites and tens of thousands of professional authors. Data also indicated that in 2020, nearly 80 percent of new electronic literature writers were from the "post-95" generation.

In recent years, China's electronic literature has influenced hundreds of millions of readers at home and abroad, having emerged as a vital source of content for cultural industries, including film, television, video gaming, animation and audiobooks.

In 2020, the number of intellectual property (IP) adaptations of Chinese electronic literature added up to 8,059, of which 724 were adapted into film and television dramas, animations, video games, and paper publications, among others. The number of films and television dramas adapted from online novels alone reached 140. It has been estimated that the total output value of IP adaptations now exceeds 1 trillion yuan.

Electronic literature serves as the largest IP source for Chinese cultural products purchased abroad. Revenue generated from Chinese electronic literature consumed in overseas markets last year stood at 1.13 billion yuan and with 83.16 million overseas readers. These figures are expected to double this year to reach 3 billion yuan and 150 million subscribers, respectively, as statistics revealed in a report entitled Overseas Development of Chinese Network Literature in 2021.

In recent years, the topics covered in electronic literature are becoming increasingly diversified. Some of them reflect the wonderful stories in the fight against poverty; some focus on hospitals and medical institutions, reflecting the responsibility and faith of doctors; some vividly tell the struggle and perseverance of aerospace workers.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, a medical theme focused on fighting against the virus has become a hot topic in the burgeoning field of electronic literature. These works have also received an enormous volume of clicks and thumbs up.

"Contemporary Chinese stories are an inexhaustible treasure trove of realistic themes," said He Changzai, a cyberspace writer.