Discussion Why did Qidian ad wall half of majority of stories that me and others were reading?

In what other forms of media are people expected to pay per chapter?

People always buy complete books (although there may be several books to a series). People generally buy an entire season of a TV show, as opposed to buying individual episodes.

People get readily fed up with having to watch ads that interrupt their TV shows, but to get rid of ads, people pay a subscription fee to get rid of all adds. Paying to remove each individual ad just seems insane in comparison, which is basically what you had to do with the adwall on Qidian.

Maybe it's not the idea that people are unwilling to pay for novels, but the idea that people are unwilling to pay money for an incomplete novel and the lack of services that come with it.

Steam had a problem with piracy when selling Video Games, but their solution was just to offer a better service, so people would rather pay money to get something good rather than jump through the hoops of piracy.

People would rather pay for Netflix than torrent tv shows, because it's easier and a higher quality.

I mean, some of it is of course people who want free stuff, but there's also the issue of, are webnovels worth paying for as they are currently, at the price people are asking?

 

This I agree with. There is nothing really wrong with making it cost money to read. I mean money is spent making the translation and money need to be made back for it to be worth it. The real issue is honestly how they went about it.

First when the arrived they promised no paywall which honestly was just a lie to try to get people to support them so they can try to get monopoly. Second they gave themselves a terrible image in the community for... idk what they gained. I honestly felt they be in same state if not better if they literally didn't do any of that and never spoke a single word. Third the way they added the paywall is pretty scummy with no head up and also locking all chapters even ones people already paid SS to unlock thus screwing over people who actually spend money to support them.

 

Why do you ask it here? Nobody here works for Qidian, you know, except for the shills, but then again, they're probably not making ends meet since they're only paid 30 cents per post. Qidian has a forum, and their forum mods work for Qidian. So there. Ask Qidian questions on Qidian forum next time.

Anyway, Qidian be like:

 

1) having bad reputation in the novel translation community
2) online novel still considered a small niche community, since now we have many more easier to read/watch mediums (tv, youtube etc)

With all the factors above, I doubt they can gain a lot in the long term. They are just too ambitious, overestimating the potential of online novels.

They invested a lot in this translating project, trying to go international, but I don't think its viable yet, for now.... but that's just my opinion, I'm not sure what their market analyst says.

 

What if I told you they are actually just gathering data for an AI translating project? Doesn't seem all that wasted now, does it?

 

what I remember when qidian pop up is they try to find which business model for company, translator and reader win-win solution
am I da only one think like that from da start?
it even on da thread when they introduce it self to this community~ or near that thread~
why most cats on this community only remember they make it free?
<<< don't just look at da leg or boob or ear~ try look as whole~
ah here da prove
About Qidian International Project

around january 2017
see?

greedy lel

 

Because they like money and don't like... not money, that's basically it.

 

Holy fuck that is why Super Gene not being updated anymore ....? FUCK .... (facepalm) people who can't/don't pay were already a trillion chapters behind but now can't even .... why ....

 

I know what you mean. I read that too, already 3-400 chaps between latest premium chap and the free release and then this happened. Worse of all, Super Gene isn't like 3 or 4 stones per chap it can be 5 or 6.

 

If only there was a place to find Qidian novels elsewhere... perhaps google could unlock the answer.

 

You know, I don't mind monetizing translations. Under different circumstances, I might even be inclined to send then my cold, clammy cash. However, I'm never going to give QI money. Frankly, nothing they've done has ever really showed much in the way of integrity, whether in their business dealings or in their interactions with the community.

I don't have a problem giving money for translations. J-Novel Club is fine by me. I can even accept having to pay Yen Press. Even for fan translators, I've given donations when I could. But if QI is going to repeatedly spit on everyone and then expect us to give them money, I'd much rather drop everything.

Using aggregators only gives them the high ground; I'm gonna make a clean break or else I'm always going to be dependent on them. I don't care if "technically" it's free if you create a bunch of fake accounts, but QI is the abusive ex of the translation scene; they've already hurt you this many times, why are you taking them back again?

 

Lol, reading all this seems funny to me. I used to remember back when, when everything was friendly, and it was all "fan translated" chapters. Oh how things have changed greatly.

For me, it all started with reading the legendary moonlight sculptor and discovering coiling dragon. Back then, it was up to you if you want to support the translator for their work and giving the community something nice to read.

After a couple of years reading translated webnovels, I honestly started to lose motivation in keeping up with the daily translated novels, for many are filled with unnecessary fillers, or redundant scenes or chapters. Now if those chapters are given out for free, I wouldn't mind them, but if you're telling me that I have to pay to read a "1 minute or less" chapter that I just glance over, then you have got to be joking. Everything seems to be about money now, and in my opinion, it has totally changed the whole translation scene/community.

I wouldn't mind paying to read, and to be honest, I'd rather buy a completed book for a set price rather than wait for the next translated chapter, specially if a book has more then 2000+ chapters.

Now if you expect me to pay for each chapter, for the next 7-8 years, specially with poor chapter qualities, then all I can say is LOL. There are tons of other well written novels out there, which would cost way less, and is worth less trouble.

Take reading fan translated manga for example. It's been years since manga fan translation have started, and they're still being provided for free, because of people who really love and support the series. And even after reading the fan translation online, there'd be people that would still be willing to buy the officially translated hard copies because they truly love and support the series.

Now compared that to what's happening to CN web- translation, and you see a stark difference, where you are being forced to pay, rather than being given a choice....

Well those are just my own thoughts and ramblings about the situation BTW. Like I said I don't read much anymore, but I truly do miss how it was from before.

 

Well for anyone that really wants to translate content from other publisher, you can scour google.

I mean the most well known ones are 17K and Zongheng.

But as for why did they do this? It was planned right from the beginning, because this was their business model back within their own borders.

 

I hope QD can get a business up and running. Outside of China there is no other market.

Just look at what the US have for amateur writers. You are either on Amazon writing stuff for $0.99 that nobody reads or go indie and hope you get enough donations to keep it as a job. Or just drop it in the middle and disappear.

Why did the model work in China and why do people not in China hate it so much?

Because Chinese are used to micro transactions. Small bits of payments for small bits of stuff. Fast relaser, instant gratification.

Everyone else are more used to the Cable TV stlye. Pay a monthly fee for the buffet of stuff that you only watch a bit. Big release, complete works.

Do you think the average leecher will pay $9 a month for QD with what they have now?

The one doing experiment with the subscription model is the jpnovel guys. Not sure if they will be successful because I can't seem to want to read their stuff with that slow speed of release.

 

Who cares!? QI is hated & alienated by the community, therefore will not receive support. Had they play fair ball from the beginning they wouldn't be in the mess they are! P.S. Most support are made through trust & loyal commitments from decent readers and QI has zero on that!

 

Apart from 17k and Zongheng, the rest that you listed are all aggregators, so please don't support them.

 

edited, thanks for the info.

 

Well you can always go to Amazon and read those Russian clones and pay $1.99 for trashy stuff. That's what is left without an actual market.

Or you can quit reading these webnovels as there would be little to read.

Just like the jp novel market. There aren't any. Maybe because jp translators aren't money grabbing greedalox. Or because the jp companies didn't want to make a market for it. It doesn't matter. You are stuck with Amazon or wait forever for a translator to release it at their free time.

I want to see more webnovels. Not the garbage freebies that never get done. I want real talented authors with fresh ideas and stories to get the reward and motivation to work on their novels.

The old model doesn't work well enough to let the authors grow.

 

JP novel just not that suited to make a living. There much shorter and properly edited so if you translate at a speed people expect you be out of book to translate really fast. Also all the big popular ones are lic so they just get DMCA because yen press picked it up official English release. Many factors prevent the JP translators from making enough for a living why most of it are done as hobbies.

Most translators live on support of small amount of people who are willing to donate decent amount of money. Also really? Trying to imply other translators are money grabbing greedalox? You act like translators are all millionaires who purposely not translate to get more money when plenty of them working almost full time for something not much above min wage.

Also its up to the readers to reward the authors, readers get what they choose to support.

 

Good luck on that, with QI track record don't expect much support from the community. If it another party with a clean record that's a different story.