QIDIAN ORIGINAL AUTHORS: Something all of you need to know.

https://acts.webnovel.com/2018/62185143/index.html
It seems too good to be true. What's your take?
Note: There is 3 tabs: Monetize my work, Promote your titles, contracts and benefits.

 

lol reminds me of mlm's its like buy these knives then sell them up profit you be rolling in all the money, lol.
but no the only change I see there is 400 instead of 200 and your obligated for 100k words a month...
and you sign over your copyright but you collect royalties but the writing of it makes it seem you get both which well isnt true

 

In China, the split was 70% author, 30% Qidian. I'm curious as to why it changed for the international market?

Even the TL get something more along the 33 Author/33Translator/33 QI (or possibly 30/30/40). So why does QI take more for less work?

 

I mean the price of the Spirit Stone when converted to western market is, as confirmed with people who use QI (Webnovel's China Parent Company), it is 10 times more expensive per stone. So maybe it is a "factor" in them deciding with the 50-50. I mean, they might not want to have the contracted author roll in too much of a money blanket now do they? =)

 

Just a few thoughts

Do they own the copyright permanently or does it revert back to the author after X number of years? In traditional publishing the author owns their copyright and only license it for a certain period of time to a publisher.

Could I point out that they (QI) already act in that way. Look at their poaching of licensed Chinese novels in their dispute with Wuxia World. If they are willing to hurt their Chinese Authors, why would they act any different with their English authors?

Make sure you understand what 'breaking it' really means. Otherwise, you could find yourself owing money on your own story. I hope you were smart enough to have a lawyer review the contract before you signed it that way you could avoid the gotchas that have plagued WuxiaWorld in their contract with Qidian.

I hope you got the permission in writing!

I'm surprised that authors are willing to do 50/50 with Webnovel. I mean Amazon royalty rate is 70% for exclusive titles. With a much bigger market audience.

 

I'm a simple man after only the simple truth. Since misinformation is being spread about what is and isn't I guess we have to go this far to uncover "A Truth". The reason I word it like that is I can 100% say what I will post is a version of the "Slave Contract". I did not sign any NDA about this so take this as you will. I believe the need to post majority of the clauses, in order, is best to clear the air since the entirety of thing is what will best serve the truth. Also, took the liberty to edit the typos which web novel couldn't be bothered to correct. Well, here goes the start of the truth unfolding.

 

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2. Subject Matter of the Agreement
2.1 The subject matter of this Agreement is the literary work created by Party B named [____________] (hereinafter referred to as the "Work"). The Parties further acknowledge and agree that if Party B creates a prequel, sequel, special edition, continuation, series, or the like of the Work (hereinafter referred to as "Series"), such Series shall be deemed as part of the Work under this Agreement and be subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

2.2 Outline of the Work
Prior to the creation of the Work, Party B shall deliver an outline draft of the Work to Party A (the "Draft") to Party A on or before [______]. If Party A proposes any revisions to the Draft, Party B shall consider Party A's suggestions in good faith and make corresponding revisions.
Only after the Draft has been reviewed and approved by Party A can Party B proceed to create the Work, which must be made in accordance with the Draft reviewed and approved by Party A.

2.3 Word Count, Work Schedule and Release
The targeted timetable and word count of the Work shall be agreed by the Parties [via email/in writing]. The Parties further confirm that the word count of the Work is between [_____] words and [____] words. Party B undertakes that it shall deliver a Draft and complete the Work in accordance with the targeted timeline and word count. The word count of the Work shall be calculated based on [the criteria set out in Party A's creative platform at InkStone (https://inkstone.webnovel.com) (excluding spaces or punctuations)]. Party B will publish and distribute the Work by means of digital communication via the distribution channels as agreed by the Parties.
Party B confirms that the date for first delivery of the Work is [____].

2.4 If, during the term of this Agreement, Party B fails to meet the requirements under this Agreement, including but not limited to the word count or chapter count of the Work as required or Party B has failed to meet the timeline to finish the Work, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties in writing, the term of this Agreement shall be extended to the date on which Party B has completed the Work that meets all requirements under this Agreement.

2.5 After Party B has reached the minimum word count as stipulated in Clause 2.3, Party A is entitled to, based on market demand and publication requirements of the relevant distribution platform, ask Party B to stop working on the Work and complete the Work. If Party B refuses to do so after receiving Party A's request, Party A will not pay any remuneration for the part of the Work created by Party B after Party A has asked Party B to stop (but Party B's assignment to Party A of all copyright to the entire Work under Clause 3 is unaffected). If Party B continues to create the Work after meeting the expected word count as stipulated in Clause 2.3, Party A has the right to complete the Work independently or designate a third party to complete the Work. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the part of the Work created by Party A itself or by a third party belongs to Party A, and Party A need not pay Party B any remuneration for such part.

(PER 2.5, this is where it starts. It is understood that this is a contract but the snowball starts to roll from here. Once the “Work” has reach the a word count (minimum or maximum) per the contract, webnovel can drop you without any regard to your story which you worked hard on, with or without an ending in place. Also given that word count requirement is a minimum and maximum range, your story is plotted to end with the maximum word count but they told you to stop with the minimum word count and they take over. You can’t work on your novel anymore and expect payment. You basically become a fanfic writer of your own work now as you have no copyright over it. You need to ask their permission to continue.)

2.6 For the avoidance of doubt, Party A has the full right to create independently, or designate a third party to create, other works incorporating elements of the Work (such as creating sequels, prequels, continuations, expansions or to peers works) based on the characters, plots, props, concepts and backgrounds of the Work; the copyright to such New Works shall exclusively belong to Party A, and Party A may deal with such New Works as it wishes without any permission from Party B.

(PER 2.6 This will clear up any misunderstanding that after the contract ends, you essentially become a fanfic writer of your own original work, unless webnovel will approve you to write any part of the series afterwards. Let’s move to the next section now)

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3. Licensed Content and Period of Licensing
3.1 In consideration of the undertakings of Party A contained in this Agreement and subject to the payment by Party A of the remuneration to Party B pursuant to Clause 6, Party B hereby grants to Party A and its Affiliates, and Party A and its Affiliates accept, a worldwide, exclusive (to the exclusion of any and all third parties including Party B), perpetual, irrevocable, freely transferable and sublicensable license of the entire copyright subsisting in the Work, including, without limitation:

(i) the New Works Rights;
(ii) the Audio Adaptation Rights;
(iii) the English Paperback Publication Rights;
(iv) the Distribution Rights; together with
any and all intellectual property rights in and to the Works for any purpose, including, without limitation, for promotion, marketing, sales and any other forms of commercial or economic exploitation.

(This will be long but we have to define these 4 terms. Per the definition of terms attached to the contract they are as follows:

Audio Adaption Rights means the rights to adapt the Work into any audio formats in any media whatsoever, now know or hereinafter invented.

English Paperback Publication Rights means the right to publish the Work in paperback format in English

Distribution Rights means the right to distribute the Work, any New Work and all ancillary or subsidiary rights (including music recording) related thereto and therein that are necessary for such distribution in all media and for all windows, now known or hereinafter invented including but not limited to Internet Rights, theatrical, video, television, airline and other common carrier distribution.

Internet Rights means digital or other new media transmission means now known or hereinafter devised (including via Internet, wired, wireless and mobile transmission), whether done by any form of streaming or encrypted download that is not a permanent copy.

New Works Rights means the exclusive right to create, produce, develop, publish and otherwise make any derivative works in whatever media or format (including, without limitation, films, online games and/or merchandises) based on adapting, deriving from, or incorporating elements of the Work (including characters, props, plot, framework or background) and/or containing story elements and leading characters materially similar to the story elements and leading characters in the Work )

(PER 3.1, as mentioned back in 2.5 and 2.6 comments made, this is essentially what makes you a fanfic writer of your original work. Remember, you are excluded as mentioned in the contract when it comes to the copyright. It is forever with Webnovel. It is not a limited copyright use, it is perpetual. And as a plus, webnovel specifically gives themselves the right to create a plagiarized version of your “Work” to make it brand spanking new as a new story and you have no claim to that both in royalties as well as the derivatives. You also signed it off WORLDWIDE, so your claim that it is not applicable in your side of the world is not true based on this contract. Food for thought then. Moving on...)

3.2 Party A shall use commercially reasonable endeavours to promote and market the Work. With a view to better implement promotional strategies and improve sales via digital communication channels, Party B agrees that Party A, or other third parties commissioned by Party A, may produce covers, illustrations, and the like for the Work (based on, but not limited to, the characters, scenes, storyline, and items of the Work), add text-to-speech functions to the Work or produce promotional videos for the Work.

3.3 Party B hereby waives all his/her moral rights (including rights to object to derogatory treatment) under the applicable laws, except for the right to be identified as the author of the Works.

(PER 3.3, they can be as mean, hurtful and demeaning to you as much as they want because you agreed to this contract. You have no right to complain for whoever is your handler on webnovel for any abusive behavior, except to be identified as the author)

3.4 For the avoidance of doubt, in view of the license of the New Works Rights pursuant to Clause 3.1, Party A has the full right to create, or designate a third party to create, other works incorporating elements of the Work (such as creating sequels, prequels, continuations, expansions or to peers works) based on the characters, plots, props, concepts and backgrounds of the Work; the copyright to such New Works shall exclusively belong to Party A, and Party A may deal with such New Works as it wishes without any necessity for any permission or consent from Party B.

(PER 3.4, we would like to repeat fellow author, if you signed, you are a contractor of your own work. After the contract expires, you have to seek permission to write that “fanfic” of your own original work that you signed off on, be it an ending to the unfinished work or a spinoff, sequel etc)

3.5 The term of the exclusive license granted in Clause 3.1 shall be from the date of signing of this Agreement until the last date in which the protection period for all copyrights in the Work has expired.

(PER 3.5, Even after your death, they own copyright. The period after your death where copyright is recognized to possibly earn any royalties, they still get since you signed off on it.

You never get it back no matter what. While alive, per google, the minimum period of copyright is 25 years. However it’s signed off to a company, so the 120 year maximum may apply. Regardless of the actual duration, it’s no longer yours. Keep this in mind for later)

3.6 After the expiration of the copyright protection period of the copyrights subsisting in the Work, Party B agrees that Party A may still retain and publish the contents of the Work on Party A's Web Channel(s), but, on or after such expiration, Party A is not entitled to charge any fees for the sales of the Work. Party B agrees that, if for any reason any part of the licence granted herein has expired or the Agreement has been terminated, Party A and the operators of the relevant platforms shall have the right to continue to publish the contents of the Work to customers who have purchased and paid for the Work (including but not limited to readers on Party A's Web Channel(s) and related websites authorized by Party A).

(PER 3.6, assuming you magically get back your copyright, to add insult to injury, they are not required to retain any fees to pay you for the work you’ve done and can actually make it free to spite you.)

3.7 For the avoidance of doubt, any reference in this Clause 3 to any rights granted by Party B to Party A for the publication, reproduction and/or adaption of the Work:
3.7.1 includes not only publication, reproduction and/or adaption of the Work itself, but also any interim drafts or previous versions of the Work;

3.7.2 includes Party A's right to adapt the Work into any media or any form.

(PER 3.7, they’d just like to remind you unless you forgot for the nth time, it’s theirs, no longer yours. Deal with it!)

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4. Party B's Warranties and Representations
4.1 Party B warrants and represents that:
4.1.1 The work is original and created independently without the assistance of any other
parties;
4.1.2 Party B has not plagiarised any third party works and the contents of the Work do not
infringe upon the rights and interests of any third party (including but not limited to any third-party copyrights and any other intellectual property rights, reputation rights, name rights, portrait rights or other relevant rights and interests as prescribed under the applicable laws);4.1.3 Party B is not, and has not been, involved in any legal disputes concerning intellectual property rights;
4.1.4 previous versions of the Work have not been previously published in any location;4.1.5 the rights granted to Party A under this Agreement are free from any encumbrances, including but not limited to any security interests, options, mortgages, charges, or liens in favour of third parties; and
4.1.6 the Work does not violate any laws or regulations of the applicable laws.

(PER 4.1, remember, they took everything from you. But, this is one of the big catches. They have all the positives but once there is a negative, you are all at fault and they are not to blame for not doing their due diligence for whatever reason. There is no legal protection that they give you nor assistance. Basically, they throw you under the bus.)

4.2 Party B undertakes not to include any contents that are not permitted by Party A in any chapters of the Work, and Party B also undertakes not to take any actions to distort, slander, or damage the image of Party A or Party A's Web Channel(s) or other contracted authors or works on Party A's Web Channel(s) and shall not publish any statements that may cause others to have a negative impression of Party A or Party A's Web Channel(s). Party B shall not take or engage in any action that may compete with Party A (including publishing promotional contents of Party A's Competitors or participating in promotional activities organised by Party A's Competitors etc.) on any platforms or channels (including but not limited to any websites, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).

4.3 Party B undertakes not to enter into any electronic, verbal, written, or other forms of agreement with any parties relating to the Work or other works for the duration of this Agreement. Moreover, Party B promises not to participate in any commercial activities carried out by Party A's Competitors, including but not limited to acting as a spokesperson, promoting, working for, investing in, or incorporating new companies or studios in any way in connection with Party A's Competitors during this Agreement.

(PER 4.3, this is another underhanded move. The original contract as advertised was a work exclusivity contract. Meaning only 1 story and possibly it’s derivative would be exclusive. This clause is basically cutting you off from doing any “other work”. Keep this idea of “other work” in mind for later as well. There are other things they have tied you down with as well.)

Party B's Warranties and Representations Party B warrants and represents that:

the Work is original and created independently without the assistance of any otherParty B has not plagiarized any third-party works and the contents of the Work do not

4.4 Party B shall not provide any money, gifts, or other tangible or intangible benefits to the editors, employees and/or family members of any staff of Party A or Party A's Affiliates that have actual or potential business relationships with Party B.

(PER 4.4 seems easy to understand. But you have to keep in mind, the mother company is tencent. How do you, as Party B, know that someone you know or planning to give a gift to is not connected in anyway to a Tencent affiliate, partner or subsidiary? They can use it as a way to terminate you for violating the contract)

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5. Rights and Obligations of the Parties
5.1 On or after the date of this Agreement, Party A has the right to, depending on the sales of the Work, promote the Work on Party A's Web Channel(s) to help raise the reputation of Party B and the Work. To assist with promoting Party B and its reputation, Party B hereby authorises Party A to create, manage, and run personal websites or other social media accounts such as Twitter or Instagram in Party B's name for the purpose of marketing to promote the Work and highlight the achievements of Party B; Party A has the right to use Party B's portrait, name, alias, pseudonyms together with the characters, plots, props, backgrounds, and other necessary information at no cost for the purposes of promotion and marketing as stated in this Clause 5.1. Party B further authorizes Party A to use the first 200,000 words of the Work for the purpose of promotion and marketing at no cost via various channels, with a view to raise the profile of Party B and the Work.

(PER 5.1, it specifically indicated personally websites and soc med presence. Well, since the first contract has been signed and a few works have already gone premium, this soc med thing is a no-show. I guess we have to “wait and see” still? This comment made as of mid September 2018.)

5.2 Party A may, during the term of this Agreement, require that Party B make reasonable revisions to the Draft and the Work.

(PER 5.2, they can require you to make reasonable revision. That is all well and good. But I think some people forgot the derogatory clause exists and that makes any action reasonable, doesn’t it?)

5.3 Party A may freely deal with the Work on Party A's Web Channel(s), and Party A may offer special promotions in respect of the Work from time to time, including but not limited to free offers for a limited period, discounted sales, issuance of complimentary tokens, and various other marketing and/or promotional events related to the Work.

(PER 5.3, initially this could have been understandable. Promos and marketing right? The problem is the sales part of the locked chapters assuming it is based off spirit stones that are discounted or as is during the promo. Remember that there are 2 types of Spirit Stones on Webnovel’s Channel. Paid and Free. Free is given by webnovel to any account around 30 per day as max. Author can only earn from the paid spirit stones. Since that is the arrangement, why has webnovel not cracked down on alt accounts that are used to boost free spirit stones earned by a reader or user. That is why I specified it as account. They wont crackdown on alt accounts as they can use it to brag of their false userbase when marketing against other platforms. This action affects their author’s as well as translators possible revenue and just encourages the creation of alt accounts.)

5.4 Party A, or parties commissioned by Party A, may produce covers, illustrations, and the like for the Work (based on, but not limited to, the characters, scenes, storyline, and props

described in the Work), add text-to-speech features for the Work, and produce promotional videos for the Work.

5.5 During the term of this Agreement, if the Work and other works created by Party B as assigned or licensed to Party A are faced with any infringement challenges taken by third parties, Party A has the right to, in the name of Party A, take actions to defend and safeguard its legal rights, including but not limited to lodging administrative complaints and commencing litigation and/or arbitral proceedings as appropriate, and Party B shall provide necessary assistance in connection therewith. In respect of any compensation and all monetary rewards ultimately obtained by Party A through taking foregoing actions, Party A and Party B agree and acknowledge that such compensation and monetary rewards shall solely belong to Party A.

(PER 5.5, Webnovel will fight for the copyright. YES! You may think. Wait not so fast. Continue reading. They will need documentation to prove they own the copyright as well as provide background and history of creation and that’s where you as the author come into play. After using you to defend the copyright which you signed over to webnovel, any monetary renumeration and compensation is solely on webnovel’s account. You won’t see hide nor hair of it.)

5.6 Party B shall take all necessary actions to maintain the image of Party A and Party A's Web Channel(s) and cooperate with Party A in promoting the Work through various means. Party A has the right to, through Party A's Web Channel(s) and/or Party A's business partners, make use of Party B's portrait and elements of the Work for arranging commercial promotions and marketing events for Party B and the Work, including promotion of Party A's brand, Party A's platform, and Party A's software. Party B shall cooperate and participate in any offline and online promotional events organized by Party A (including but not limited to book signings, meet and greets, press releases, etc.), and provide its promotional materials for such purpose as may be required by Party A.

(PER 5.6, this is one of the dreaded clause where the contracted author can’t talk bad about webnovel, it’s actions, policies and even how broken the app or site is. They are legally obligated to say only positive things. This is why we have been saying the contracted author can’t legally agree with the truth because they are obligated to lie about the truth. This is also where it specifically mentions a contracted author must go to a specific destination if required by webnovel. Remember all those clauses above that dictate their side of the demands along with how the wording is done here. PARTY B SHALL COOPERATE AND PARTICIPATE. There is no wiggle room to say no if they demand it. Legally webnovel has the right to demand and the contracted author has no say in it. They can be nice now, they can be demanding later. Keep that in mind as well as their behavior of changing their position before your eyes. Remember no permanent premium? How’s that working out for everyone? I thought so.)

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6. Party B's Remuneration
6.1 Composition of income
Party A shall use its reasonable endeavours to generate income for Party B by selling the work via different distribution channels (including but not limited to generating Single Chapter Subscription Income, income from other sales on Party A's Web Channels and from promotion on Other Digital Channels).

(To define other digital channels, it means all electronic channels other than Party A’s Web Channels, including but not limited to other operator’s channels, third-party websites and third party channels such as the Android market or the iTunes Market.)

6.2 Share of Single Chapter Subscriptions Income
Party B shall obtain a share equivalent to [50] per cent. of the Single Chapter Subscriptions Income.
Single Chapter Subscriptions Income shall be calculated based on the Net Income derived from single-chapter subscriptions for the Paid Chapters of the Work published on Party A's Web Channels, paid for by members of Party A's Web Channels minus distribution channel costs, operating costs and other costs, as below.
That is:
Single Chapter Subscriptions Income = (revenue from sales of single-chapter subscriptions on Party A's Web Channels — distribution channel costs, operating costs and other costs)
Party B’s Share of Single Chapter Subscriptions Income = Single Chapter Subscriptions Income * [50] per cent.
Party A and Party B agree and acknowledge that the Single Chapter Subscriptions Income is calculated based on Party A's statistical data, and Party B may raise queries on and verify such data through the relevant information available on Party A's Website.

(PER 6.2, this is clearing up the issue of the income from chapters. It clears up it only comes from Paid Spirit Stones eventhough they are not regulating and preventing creation of alts because the ballooning of fake accounts benefits them when they promote the site, not the work(s). Anyway, to move on. The 50-50 split is based on net income after Party A’s costs, as defined, are deducted. Well, it’s nice but they didn’t specify what the other costs are. How are you supposed to know what else they can deduct? Shouldn’t they, as the experienced platform, know most, if not all deductibles? Also, they stipulate that you can contest or query your earnings but you are only provided data as per their site. That is webnovel “view” data and inkstone collection data which is buggy and flawed. They won’t give an income graph or a spreadsheet unlike other publishing platforms like amazon, ibooks etc.)

6.3 Share of proceeds from electronic sales other than those prescribed in Clause 6.2 of this Agreement
Regarding the income derived from: (i) the sale of the Work on Party A's Web Channels through marketing and/or promotional activities (including, but not limited to, time-limited free sales, discounted sales, complimentary tokens issuance and various promotion sales); and (ii)

the sale of Internet Rights of the Work through Other Digital Channels, Party A shall allocate [50 percent.] of the respective Net Income to Party B.

6.4 Share of income from Audio Adaptation Rights
If Party A sub-licenses to a third party the Audio Adaptation Rights of the Work, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, Party A shall provide Party B with [50 per cent.] of the Net Income derived from the licensing fees obtained from such sublicensing.

(PER 6.4, if you read it correctly. It actually only shares the licensing fees net income, not the sales for the audio adaptation. Has it been asked what happens with arrangement with an Audio Adaptation say through platforms like Audible and Findaway Voices? They wont have any licensing fees to buy but can produce your work’s audio book. Hence any sale for those audiobooks, which are audio adaptations, are all paid to webnovel. Party B is expected to see 0 because of the wording of this clause.)

6.5 Share of income from English Paperback Publication Rights
If Party A sub-licenses to a third party the English Paperback Publication Rights of the Work, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, Party A shall provide Party B with [50 per cent.] of the Net Income derived from the licensing fees obtained from such sublicensing.

(PER 6.5, this is the same with 6.4’s issue. Say it goes the way of KDP Print or Createspace, Lulu, Ingramspark and the like, there is no licensing fees connected to it. The wording excludes the author from income of any paperback sale. They only get a cut from the license fees, period.)

6.6 Share of income from other copyright licensing
If Party A sub-licenses to any third parties any of its licensed rights other than Audio Adaptation Rights, English Paperback Publication Rights and the Distribution Rights under this Agreement in respect of the Work, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, Party A shall provide Party B with [50 per cent.] of the Net Income derived from the licensing fees obtained. For the avoidance of doubt, the reference herein to income derived from sublicensing is only a reference to licensing fees obtained by Party A from sub-licensing the relevant copyrights of the Work to third parties.

(Per 6.6, again, the clauses specifically states the situation where a licensing fee changes hands. If it is a royalty fee or sale income, the contracted author sees 0)

6.7 In respect of income earned by Party A from dealing with New Works created by itself or by a third party commissioned by Party A in accordance with Clause 2.6 of this Agreement, Party A shall provide Party B with [10 per cent.] of the Net Income earned in this connection.

(PER 6.7, this is pertaining to derivative work connected to either your characters, world or story itself, be it sequel, prequel, side story, alternate universe etc. that you are not writing, assuming

it gets this far enough in reach. Keep in mind though, you gave webnovel specific authority to produce plagiarized work. So... imagine the possibilities.)

6.8 Party B acknowledges and agrees that the costs incurred in organizing various events in connection with the Work, including but not limited to promotional events held by Party A from time to time are considered part of Party A's operating costs (to be taken into account in calculating the Net Income).

(PER 6.8, those airline tickets and hotel accomodation and free food, sure the company paid for them when you were there. But this clause specifically states those are operating costs in connection to promoting your work. So, I’m sorry travelling contracted authors under webnovel’s money, they are contractually allowed to collect on those and deduct it from your income, in one take or gradually. Either is fine since there is no stipulation how they are to deduct it. IS the truth of this matter any more clear?)

6.9 All remuneration described in this Clause 6 represent the full and sufficient consideration relating to the creation of and the licence granted to Party A in respect of the Work, and other rights as stipulated in Clauses 2, 3, 5, and 10 of this Agreement. Party A shall not be required to pay any other fees to Party B for using or otherwise dealing with the Work in accordance with the scope of this Agreement.

(PER 6.9, this is the nail in coffin. You aint seeing sh1t of the sale on Paperback (on platforms like amazon, lulu, ingramspark etc), or audiobooks (on platforms like Audible, Findaway Voices and the like). Remember the agreement was for licensing fees to be shared, nothing about royalties or sales. Ebooks can fall under 6.6 and since self publishing is a thing, no licensing fees as well I’m sad to say.)

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7. Payment Method
7.1 Prerequisites for payment:
Party A shall make timely and full payment under this Agreement, provided that Party B meets the following prerequisites:
Party B shall submit the Work of [____] words to [_____] words (or the published word count as confirmed by Party B and Party A's designated editorial staff) every month; the word count shall be calculated from the 25t h day of the previous month to the 24t h day of the current month. Party B shall take the initiative to submit the Work to Party A or confirm the published word count on the 25t h day to the 27t h day of every month. If Party B delays in confirming the word count, it shall be deemed to have given up on the calculation of remuneration and payment of such remuneration for the current month, and such remuneration shall be recalculated and paid in the next month.

7.2 Payment standard for The Share of Single Subscriptions Income
Before the fifth business day of the next month after Party B has delivered the monthly Work (if this falls on a holiday, payment shall be postponed to the second business day after such public holiday), based on the word count completed in the previous month for the Work as acknowledged by Party A in writing, the statistical electronic subscription data for single chapters of the Work (which form part of the Paid Chapters) for the previous month, Party A shall calculate the Share of Single Chapter Subscriptions Income payable to Party B for the previous month. If Party B has any objections to the word count of the Work completed in any given month and/or the remuneration amount provided by Party A, Party B may submit objections to Party A in writing; Party A and Party B agree and acknowledge that the existence of the objections and the submission thereof shall not be deemed as a breach of this Agreement by any Party.
When Party B's share of Single Subscriptions Income for the previous month exceeds US$ [200], PartyAshallremittheshareandfeespayabletoPartyBforthepreviousmonthtoParty B's Bank Account within 10(ten) business days after Party A confirmed the word count completed of the monthly Work delivered by Party B as set forth on Section 7.1(based on the timing of the outbound remittance) (which, if it is a public holiday, shall be postponed to the second business day after such public holiday) . If the given month's revenue is less than or equal to US$ [200], the calculation of share to Party B shall be extended until the amount exceeds US$ [200].

7.3 Other income payments to Party B
Other than the income payable to Party B pursuant to Clause 6.2 of this Agreement, Party A promises to remit income to Party B's bank account within three (3) months (subject to the timing required for of the outbound remittance) from the date such income to which Party B is entitled exceeds US$ [200].

(PER 7.3, this is where the 3 months before receiving the funds was from. But this is conflcting with 7.2 as they both pertain to the same thing. 6.2 is talking about the subscription of single chapter income on PArty A’s channel which is based off paid spirit stones. So it is true that there

is a mention of delaying the payment up to three months because this specific clauses exists, conflicting with the one month stated in 7.2)

7.4 Payment method:
Party A shall make payment in US$ or an equivalent amount in Party B's local currency; the applicable exchange rate shall be based on the real-time exchange rates of the relevant payment channel on the date of the remittance.
See Annex 4 (Royalties Payment Account Confirmation) for Party B's designated bank account information.

7.5 Information on other relevant payments
Pursuant to applicable laws, Party A shall pay Party B's foregoing royalties (including royalties with deductibles) after deducting Party A's remittance fees. The foregoing royalties shall be a gross figure, in respect of which Party B shall independently pay corresponding taxes according to the laws of his/her jurisdiction of residence. Party A's Web Channel(s) shall provide a means for Party B to inquire and verify Party B's remuneration; Party A is not under an obligation to provide any other notification to Party B in respect of such remittances. All issues and legal liability related to Party B's failure to promptly provide its account information to Party A, or where the account information provided does not allow for payments or attracts other fees payable, shall be borne by Party B.

(PER 7.5, this is in relation to the info or breakdown regarding renumeration. Inkstone and webnovel, as a platform, has no way of giving you info on earnings broken down per chapter sold or the like. So with this clause, they are legally not required to provide you any other info other than what is on the two sites mentioned.)

8. Confidentiality
Party A and Party B agree that Party B shall be under obligations of confidentiality in respect of Party A's trade secrets or confidential information that Party B may obtain or become aware of in the course of this collaboration. Unless disclosure is required by a legal authority or disclosure is made with the written consent of Party A, if the use or disclosure of trade secrets and/or confidential information by Party B in violation of the provisions of this Agreement causes any direct or indirect loss to Party A (whether in terms of reputational damage or economic loss), Party A may require Party B to provide compensation in full for such losses, and, Party A has the right to suspend, rescind, or terminate this Agreement on this basis.

(PER 8, it only affects signatories. I don’t see any signatories here, do you?)

Spoiler

9. Breach and Termination
9.1 If Party B acts in breach of the provisions of this Agreement by delaying to submit the Draft, Party A may send a reminder to Party B (by way of delivery via courier or email or any other means). If the Draft delivered by Party B does not meet Party A's requirements, at the request of Party A, Party B shall make revisions or additions to the Draft in accordance with Clause 2.2 above. If Party B is still unable to deliver a Draft after three reminders or is still unable to meet Party A's web Channel(s) publishing requirements after three revisions or additions, Party A has the right to choose to immediately suspend or terminate this Agreement, and Party B shall return all income obtained from Party A for the Work under this Agreement and compensate Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to additional expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees.

(PER 9.1, this is where the shit storm can start. The requirement to meet here is so vague. So with the derogatory clause and allowed slave like treatment being contract legal and okay, your “handler” on their end can be as confusing and demanding as they want to be and their staff will still be in the right while your only right is your name attached to the “Work.”. If they want you gone to monopolize income more, they can easily do it with this along with derogatory clause included. And once terminated, return all income from the contract or Work Arrangement, even those months you were satisfying their demands. But hey, let’s all rely on “good faith” with webnovel, as we always do. Right?)

9.2 If Party B is in breach of Clause 3 of this Agreement, Party A may take such measures as is necessary and appropriate to protect its own rights and interests, including but not limited to the termination of royalties payments and the termination of the Agreement; moreover, Party B shall return all income obtained from Party A from the performance of this Agreement and compensate Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to any expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees.

(PER 9.2, this connects back to Clause 3. That is the part where webnovel owns basically everything about your Work and it’s derivatives. Remember the clause where you have a minimum and maximum word count and they say stop. Assuming you write more, like mentioned, it basically counts as fanfic since that is unpaid and after they’ve told you to stop. That additional chapter(s) you did, those could be treated as violation of webnovel’s exclusive copyright and you are infringing on them as you made an illegal fanfic, side story etc. You are basically affected by 9.2 if you type and post another chapter after they’ve said STOP. Hmmm... Then you have to return all the payments to them. Sound fun?)

9.3 If Party B is in breach of the warranties in Clause 4.1 of this Agreement, Party A may, at its sole discretion, withhold the publication of the Work and the payment of royalties; moreover, Party B shall return to Party A all income obtained from Party A from the performance

of this Agreement and compensate Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to any expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees.

(PER 9.3, this connects to 4.1 which is Webnovel throws you under the bus and doesnt provide any legal support to sort the shit out. 4.1 was the throw you under the bus clause. We good? Moving on.)

9.4 If the Work submitted by Party B is inconsistent with the Draft, or Party B breaches any provisions of this Agreement, or the Work does not comply with Party A's requirements, or the Work does not meet the market's demand, Party A may require Party B to make additions to or revisions of the completed Work; if Party B refuses to accept Party A's reasonable revision requirements or still fails to meet Party A's reasonable requirements after three (3) revisions, Party A has the right to choose to immediately suspend or terminate this Agreement; Party A may also take measures to protect its own rights and interests, including but not limited to requiring that the Work be completed in advance meeting the minimum word count requirements, having the Work continue to be written by Party A itself or a commissioned third party until it is completed (the copyright to the part of the Work completed by Party A itself or a commissioned third party shall belong to Party A, and Party A is not required to make any payment to Party B for any fees related to this part of the Work), and changing the method of payment of royalties; moreover, Party B shall return all income obtained from Party A from the performance of this Agreement and compensate Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, and litigation fees.

(PER 9.4 What is market demand? I thought as well that story telling was flexible as a prime feature of webnovel as a site as a reader can influence changes to the story. Yet here, the Author strictly has to adhere to the Draft as well. Makes you think doesn’t it? So with this clause, after say you meet the maximum word count, webnovel can make demands (derogatory and slave like ordering you around is okay, don’t forget that), additions plus revisions of the completed work is a-okay per this clause. And after they screw you over like that, they can lock you in a multi revision demand as back and forth to exceed the 3 revision limit and find you in violation of your duties. Afterwards, require you to return all income yet again. Hooray for webnovel! Isn’t that fun?)

9.5 If Party B violates any of its warranties under Clauses 4.2 and 4.3 of this Agreement, Party A has the right to immediately terminate this Agreement and require that Party B compensate Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to any expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees.

(PER 9.5 this connects back to 4.2 and 4.3 which was said to be underhanded because the contracts should be work exclusive contracts not author exclusive but since i was signed, this

can mean that if a contracted author has signed with webnovel, even if he has a different story, old or new written out, he can’t make any agreements with any other party while contracted. This includes agreement to TOS of KDP or other selfpublishing sites to sell ebooks of other stories not connected to the signed work. Doing so will terminate this contract and author loses rights to everything and has to return any/all income along with penalties of the fees as stated. Do keep in mind the contract is with the person/author not a pen name or alias, so even if you hide under a different alias/pen name, this contract affects those.)

9.6 If Party B acts in breach of its warranty under Clause 4.4 of this Agreement, in addition to the possibility of Party A enforcing its rights pursuant to Clause 9.5 above, Party B shall also independently bear all relevant criminal liability.

9.7 If Party A unreasonably owes Party B payable royalties or income and still makes no payment despite written reminders from Party B, additional charges at 3 per cent. of the amount of royalties or income owed per day shall be borne by Party A; if the payments continue to be owed for over thirty (30) days, Party B has the right to terminate this Agreement upon 30 days’prior written notice to Party A.

(PER 9.7, there is no mention that copyright will be returned)

9.8 In addition to the foregoing provisions, if either Party acts in breach of the obligations stipulated under this Agreement, the Party in breach shall immediately refrain from acting in breach of the Agreement within five (5) days upon receipt of a written notice from the other Party requesting rectification; if the Party in breach continues to breach this Agreement or fails to fulfil its obligations hereunder, the other Party has the right to suspend, rescind, or terminate the Agreement in advance and shall be compensated for all resulting losses suffered, including but not limited to additional expenses such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees.

(PER 9.8, there is no mention that copyright will be returned)

9.9 For the avoidance of doubt, even if the Agreement is terminated in accordance with this Clause 9, the irrevocable licence granted in Clause 3 will still continue. Party B's exclusive remedies in respect of Party A's breach pursuant to Clause 9.7 are monetary damages.

(PER 9.9, And here is where we get our AHA moment. Even if webnovel is violation for nonperformance of their contract obligation, they still retain your copyright after you, as Party B, terminate the contract per your right.)

9.10 The Parties agree and acknowledge that if this Agreement is suspended, terminated, or rescinded in advance for any reason, the surviving rights and obligations provided for in this

Agreement with respect to the transferring, licensing, and confidentiality obligations in respect of the Work shall remain in force.

(PER 9.10, again webnovel would like to remind you by repeating what 9.9 said so you can’t claim to have not seen this coming. AHA!)

Spoiler

10. Right of Priority
10.1 Party A and Party B agree and acknowledge that all other works created by Party B in addition to the Work within one (1) year after completion of the Work under this Agreement shall be regarded as "Party B's New Works", for which Party A has rights of priority to exploit. If Party B wishes to transfer or authorize others to exploit such Party B's New Works, Party B shall notify Party A in advance in writing (attaching the proposed terms of agreement, if any); Party A shall have a priority right over any third party to obtain the foregoing rights, and Party B shall take such actions as necessary and appropriate to allow Party A to exercise such priority rights. If Party B only creates new works after the expiration of the above stipulated period of time, Party A shall enjoy the same priority rights described herein to the first new work created by Party B (which will be regarded as part of the Party B's New Works) after the above stipulated period of time. Unless Party A fails to exercise its priority rights within thirty (30) business days after receiving a written notification from Party B so requesting, Party B shall not transfer or license the aforesaid rights to any third party. Party A's priority rights shall be exercised in a manner consistent with maintaining the legitimate rights and interests of Party B, and Party A shall use all reasonable endeavours to create income for Party B by so doing.

(PER 10.1 This is kind of a non compete clause which is partly understandable but the phrasing of Addition to the Work should only cover derivative works -sequels, prequels, side story etc. Yet they treat it as all new works, even new works that are not connected to the signed work. Yet when you go down the paragraph they made the wording ambiguous to affect all works because even after expiration of one year time period as stated, they still have priority right? Read it and tell us we’re wrong. Then, there is the 30 day clause where they need to respond. Assuming they know you really want to leave, that 30 day only requires one response from webnovel for that first new work (even after 1 year of the contract ending) and you are now tied down to them, keep in mind that they can request drafts and ideas and not push through with it, perpetually locking you down in webnovel purgatory until you yield to their contract and come back “home”.)

10.2 The Parties hereby agree and acknowledge the methods and conditions for exercising the priority rights described herein. If Party B grants or licenses copyright pertaining to the Party B's New Works without the permission of Party A such that Party A cannot exercise priority rights to which it is entitled, it shall be deemed as a breach of this Agreement on the part of Party B, for which Party B shall pay damages to Party A for all losses suffered in that connection, including but not limited to any expenses incurred by Party A such as notary fees, attorney fees, accreditation fees, litigation fees, and travel fees. Moreover, Party B shall treat all income reasonably obtained from third parties as compensation to be paid to Party A for breach of the priority rights provisions herein; Party A has the right to deduct such compensation directly from the remuneration payable to Party B.

(PER 10.2, webnovel would like to assure you that there is no escape or risk their full reach with this contract. Who wants to try and roll the dice? Also, what happens after Party B terminates Party A for contract violation. Do they have first option clause active still? Any guesses? Morally, I would say no. But it’s webnovel, so... take that how you will.)

11. Further Assurance
Each of Party A and Party B shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other Party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein.

12. Miscellaneous
12.1 Party A has the right to assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to Party A's successors, Affiliates, or other third parties. Upon such assignment, Party A shall immediately notify Party B of the same, and such assignment shall take effect from the date on which Party A (or the relevant successor, Affiliate or third party) sends the notification to Party B.

(PER 12.1, basically Webnovel one of tencent’s smaller entities can pass up the rights up to Tencent itself to make it more scary for Party B to give chase, or some other shelter company/affiliate. Party B can’t say no and only has to be informed, full stop.)

12.2 In respect of any notifications to be made pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, either Party may deliver such notifications to the other party using the addresses, emails, and telephone numbers on the first page of this Agreement (being the designated contactinformationoftheParties). PartyAmayalsodeliversuchnotificationstoPartyB'suser account as registered on Party A's Web Channel(s)

.
12.3 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong, and the Parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of the place of residence of Party B in respect of all controversies, disputes, disagreements, or claims arising out of or in relation to this Agreement.

(PER 12.3, contract is binding via HK, your country is a non exclusive jurisdiction so the case can be raced by webnovel to be done in china or HK. Who has more money to start the process first and subpoena the other party do you think?)

12.4 This Agreement is in English and enters into force when signed by the Parties on the date stated at the beginning of this Agreement. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. The executed signature page of this Agreement shall be delivered to the other Party via email, and the Parties jointly acknowledge such method of electronic execution and recognize its legal effect.

12.5 This Agreement contains five annexes, namely: Information Form regarding the Contracted Author of [XXXXXXX] Company, Power of Attorney, Work Outline, Royalties

Payment Account Confirmation and Declaration on Change of Book Name all of which form part of this Agreement with the same legal effect.

(WHEW! And we come to the end of the slave contract. This is not the fixed rate contract that has the minimum word count quota per month to get a 400 usd payment. That’s another contract entirely. But that’s basically like a ghostwriting contract or service agreement if it is fixed rate.

Anyway, is the proof enough? This is all of it. What more do you need as proof? We all good and learned in the mystical ways of WN and their ambiguity. I kind of feel bad for those who signed especially with what is written here and what WN can legally do to them. But they were told to seek legal counsel and not sign with just themselves present. They are adults so I hope they know what they got themselves into, especially the newer batch of authors who signed.

Good luck to you guys and I hope the usual Webnovel change in attitude won’t happen until after you’ve fully left your contract obligations.)

 

Just to clear the air, Party A is Webnovel and Party B is who ever is signing his work over as a contracted author.

Happy reading. =)

 

Great job!

 

The contract is bad, you should only use webnovel.com for exposure.

 

You know, this is the reason why Ai-chan didn't work as a lawyer. Ai-chan can't handle reading so many teks on the computer screen. Give me paper anytime. Why did we even stop using paper?

But basically what it says is, if you sign up with Qidian, you lose the rights to your own work. You can't even write the sequel for your own work unless Qidian hires you to do it. Qidian has every right to kick you to the curb and hire someone else to write your stories at any time of their choosing with no penalty to them.

At least a deal with the devil allows me to live happy while I'm still alive. Qidian doesn't even let you live normally and simply squeezes you dry while you're still alive.

 

What annoying from this contract (if it true) is that any other work that is not published in inkstone also locked by them.

During the contract, you are not allowed to deal with other 3rd party for your other work

After the contract end, there is a grace period where QI have the priority right, for any new work the author have.

After the grace period end, QI still have the priority.

 

all within lolshadyqidian preach

 

I just wanted to point out that if the contract was bad, people wouldn't work for Qidian.

Everyone has bills to pay and most people take what they can get, but if they had a good chance of losing money by working, they'd just find another job.

The first post is ridiculous and clearly fake, there is no way any sane person would sign that.

 

The OP is misleading, to say the least. Everything Ailmech said was technically correct.

I have the contract and I am not signing. I am not happy with several clauses. This is the same for any author. They can negotiate, sign or not sign. Why is this even an issue? I don't see wattpad or RR offering a way for authors to make money. Don't get me wrong I love RR.

Authors and translators can make good money with qidian if their work is good. Simple. The reason I chose not to is I want to retain all the rights to my work and stay in control. I can list on WN and RR and use patreon for income. And I can still go to Amazon later.

 

The issue here is whether or not people understand what they are signing. As per this thread there are several people that already sign the contract yet seems can’t differentiate with what can happen with what happen right now.

If we assume the contract that posted here are true, some of the clause are still active even if the contract are terminated

True, some contract seems scary yet it depend on the company if they want go exercise the clause and seeing how QI keep breaking what they said...

@A_Skully could you confirm if the contract posted one page before are true? Or do you bound by NDA?

 

I have no idea what the actual contract is, and there are probably some clauses that can truly get back at you if you mess up a bit (as in, breaking the contract), and probably some others that aren't thaaaat friendly to the author... And well, that's fine, and it's whoever gets offered a contract is who should take their time to carefully analyze it and hopefully ask a lawyer to look it over to make sure there are no problems.

What I was saying is that the stuff on the first page is plain ridiculous, and even a teenager would be able to clearly see that it is a complete ripoff, so I'm sure nobody would sign it at all... And since people are signing contracts with Qidian, it's definitely not that bad.

How good is their contract? No idea, but it's definitely not something that is actively harmful to the author.

 

Ale was ‘technically’ correct, yes. He also distorted a bunch of shit.
For those interested, comment 58 has some true terms of the contract.
https://forum.webnovel.com/d/12153-original-authors-something-all-of-you-need-to-know/65

You might say ‘I want a screenshot, not this’, to which I shrug. I saw the contract and I say this is the truth. Believing or not is up to you. If you want to be sure, create a fanfic with a system and crossover anime to get instantly into top 50 and an offer to a contract.

No renegotiation. They will already have the right to take over sequels and the likes WITHOUT you being part of it if they want and they basically don’t offer you more money even if you go big. If you sign that, why would they give you more money? You already handed them everything. If you leave they don’t take an immediate loss anyway.

Rumors are that Ergen will leave Qidian soon exactly because of that. I don’t doubt it.

 

I doubt people would go millionaire by writing in Qidian if they didn't earn from the sequels, this seems like just unfounded rumors.