Self-publishing, Chinese-style

[LettersFromTatyana]

An interesting model:

The system works through a growing number of self-publishing websites that host thousands of constantly evolving, free-to-read stories posted on the sites by their authors. These websites are incredibly popular with consumers, attracting over 40% of all China’s internet users every month, who come to read web serials that can be anything from realistic novels to historical epics, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.

The ingenious part of this publishing model comes in when an individual author’s serial gathers a critical mass of readers. At this point the self-publishing site invites the author to become a VIP, and their serial moves to a different section of the site where readers can sample some chapters of their work for free, but have to pay if they want to read the latest installments.

The fee is 20-30 cents per 100,000 words. My impression is that since this serialized over time, the actual payment per entry is very low.

http://publishingperspectives.com/2011/11/freemium-self-published-fiction-china/

ETA: In retrospect, this isn't self-publishing. Too bad I can't change the title....