What is a Web Novel?

Web novels are similar to other novels in that they are plot driven stories written for the purpose of entertaining readers. They're called web novels because they are primarily accessed via the Internet, either on websites primarily designed for getting these stories into the hands of millions of readers or those websites associated apps which can be accessed on a phone or other hand-held device. 

There are some differences between writing web novels and regular novels, and I will be writing several posts to help you understand the intricacies of writing a great web novel and how that differs from writing a traditional novel that you might publish on Amazon or other platforms. While I won't go into great detail at this point, some of the differences are the length of chapters (web novels tend to have chapters that are between one and two thousand words, whereas novels usually have longer chapters) the length of the web novel itself (some web novels are millions of words long!) and the content of the web novel (high drama and lots of intrigue keep readers coming back to web novels!).

More and more platforms keep popping up for web novels. Some of them don't pay authors anything at all, not even a share of the royalties the site earns from readers. Others pay only a few cents per read. Some pay advances and royalties. Others have contests that allow writers to earn quite a bit if they win. A few offer authors "writer benefits" that allow exclusive content to earn writers a specific agreed upon amount regardless of how many readers access the novel on a monthly basis. Regardless of which of these you choose, signing with a publishing company that specializes in web novels is sure to help you make the most from your web novels. One such site that I recommend is eGlobal Creative Publishing.

Let's talk about the readers. The vast majority of web novel readers live in countries where English is not their primary language. Many readers live in China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and other Asian nations. One of the sites I publish on tells me where readers are located, and while I'm still seeing the majority of readers in Asian countries, as well as India, I'm seeing more readers in Africa recently. Another interesting change is a growing readership in the United States, Canada, and the UK. While this is still a small amount of readers, at least for my books (about 12%) it's still an interesting change. This tells me that this model is growing more popular around the world, which means now is a great time to get in! The majority of these readers, regardless of their native language, want to read in English. Web novel sites are seeking writers whose first language is English.

Most web novel readers are reading on their phones, so it's imperative to keep that in mind while you're crafting your story. Short sentences and paragraphs are appreciated. Plots that keep their attention so that they're not distracted by what might be happening out a subway window or by a conversation at a cafe are also important. Keeping chapters to between a thousand and two thousand words lets the reader finish an installment while they're running errands or standing in line at the grocery store. 

Many web novel readers are reading on their phone. Photo from Pixabay.

Many successful web novels read a lot like soap operas. This is done on purpose to keep the reader engaged. We'll talk about this more in future posts, but essentially, every chapter needs to leave the reader wanting more. High drama, unexpected plot twists, and characters who are often shocking and stir emotions will get you far when it comes to web novel writing.

Web novel sites tend to publish comics, or Manga, in addition to novels. Initially, a lot of readers came to these sites for these types of stories, but as the popularity of web novels grows,  more novels are being published. 

While a lot of web novel sites also publish Manga, web novels are becoming more popular. Illustration from Pixabay.

A lot of sites will publish both exclusive and non-exclusive stories. Most sites allow you to publish without a signed contract with them, which means you will not be earning any money for your work, but you can build your readership. This is fine if your writing is just a hobby and you don't care to make any money for your time and effort. However, getting a contract with one of the sites is always better so that you can at least get some of the royalties your work generates. Even for non-exclusive stories, if you sign a contract, you will be getting paid something. If you have regular novels that you've published wide, meaning they are not in the Kindle Unlimited program, many web novel sites will be interested in publishing your work in web novel form. This might take a little work on your part, like shortening your chapters, but once the work is done, it's done, and you can make some extra income from works you've already completed. Listing on all of these sites also takes time. You can let eGlobal Creative Publishing take care of that for you. They'll send your book out to several web novel sites for you so you only have to upload your work one time, to their portal.

The real money comes from publishing an exclusive story with a contract. Currently, eGlobal Creative Publishing is looking for authors who want to complete their Author Boot Camp program where they will write a story that may qualify for an advancement as well as royalties.

Many web novel sites have writer benefits, but it can be tough to meet their requirements. For example, if you write 1500 words per day for a month, without missing a single day, for WebNovel, the biggest web novel site, then they will pay you a guaranteed $200 per month for up to three months. That's not too bad when it comes to web novel pay outs--and remember that figure does not include any royalties you may earn through reads. If you do the math, WebNovel is paying you $200 per month for 45,000 words. That is the highest level of "writer benefit" from WebNovel. I will also note it is extremely difficult to get an exclusive contract with WebNovel.

Now, let's look at GoodNovel. If you write 40,000 words a month and publish on at least twenty days per month, you will earn that $200. So, you can write a little less, publish a little less frequently, and get the same amount of money. However, that's the lowest level of "writer benefit" from GoodNovel. If you write more, you earn more. If you publish between 60,000 words and 80,000 words in twenty days during a month, you will earn $300. And... if you write more than 80,000 words in a month and publish on at least twenty days, you can earn $400 per month. Guaranteed--not including royalties, bonuses, etc.

You might be thinking that is an awful lot of writing in one month, and I agree--it is! A lot of people cannot write that many words in a month. Let's break it down. If your goal is to earn top dollar, so you want to write 80,000 words in a month, that's 2667 words per day for thirty days. It may take you an hour or two, maybe three, per day to write that many words. Even though some web novel sites pay a lot in writer benefits, it's almost impossible for most writers to reach these levels. This is why I recommend partnering with a company like eGlobal that will help you make sure you stay on track and get your writing done through their Content Editor program. You will be assigned a Content Editor to help you stay on track and make sure your novel is finished on time.

Make the extra money you need by partnering with GoodNovel. Photo from Pixabay.

Let's say you don't have two or three hours a day. Do you have an hour? Most people can write about a thousand words in an hour. That's a chapter a day. If they're writing a story they love, it flows so easily, they'll reach their daily word count quickly enough. If you can write two chapters a day, you'll have your first web novel finished in less than a month! And eGlobal publishes quickly so you can start seeing royalties as soon as possible.

Web novels are a huge opportunity for writers to make more money for their stories, engage more readers, find a new market, and have a lot of fun writing stories they'll love to tell as much as readers will love to lose themselves in their plots. 

I'll continue to write more posts to help you learn the ins and outs of writing web novels, but I'm also willing to help you get started on your web novel journey right away. Whether you have a back list of stories you'd like to have considered for non-exclusive contracts, or you want to take advantage of eGlobal Creative Publishing's Author Boot Camp, I'm here to help you. M

Are you ready to get started? Email me at authoridjohnson@gmail.com right now, and let's get you started writing your web novel today.

And check out my Mage of Wolves on GoodNovel!

Check out Mage of Wolves on GoodNovel.