Kuromeru666 SS is not that overpriced as you think. To read 250k words which is like two harry potters cost 20$. Maybe 10$ for a book is a lot but it's not super overpriced.
Privileged chapters
Piokilek It looks like a scam because WebNovel's shady practices that I've alluded to and/or outlined. Convenient timing of restructuring to permanently making that Premium Beta Program where it went from free, to ads, to Premium, to Subscription, to now this as well.
They will keep innovating experimental features that will continue to be implemented to test their target audience's bottom line. My post's main point was to raise awareness of the entirety of the Privilege system, and the repercussions that comes with supporting said system.
It's seen in WebNovel's past practices of adopting one feature to another based on what they perceive as acceptance when people spend SS. At some point, when SS gain from ads/dailies/etc don't cut it to pay for content outside of those cookie-cutter CEO novels we see time and time again with their 4-5 SS chapters (because they have no content/word-count), it's going to lead to people being unhappy, to 1 chapter per day of probably a filler chapter (because CN novels and WebNovel's creative content creators and their redundancy in exposition).
Piokilek To compare SS prices via word count from WebNovel to Harry Potters... At least those Harry Potters have been edited professionally, have minimal error, and has editorial work (AKA, removing redundancies/wordiness/word choices/etc). if WebNovel Editors were of the same quality to be compared to official authors, would we have WebNovel admins making excuses on how translation groups needing to change terms/slangs misused throughout the book and taking 3+ weeks to even release one chapter for a top 10 rated novel in their power stone ratings, to outright dropping books because they're 'not worth the trouble.'
Again, I'd love to see the original authors and all top 50 Original Works being enforced to stop Patreon, move to WebNovel's Privilege system where their work is generalized based on chapter count OVER actual content (Original CEO novel #1928 50 Chapters is of same value as someone else's actual original content of 50 Chapters). Oh and be sure to tell your readers, they have to pay to unlock again after getting the privilege to see the titles of their tiered advanced chapter titles.
If your customers/readers feel mistreated worse than dirt (getting double charged to ensure WebNovel gets their fair share), no matter how they were being nice enough to donate/gift you SS, they will probably feel less compelled to donate if they're unhappy/disgruntled.
It's a trap! If you think about it. pay to read ahead for 30 day when 30 days is over then you have to wait for the - peasant-<yeah i said it... that's what it makes you feel like> chapters to catch up to where you are XD good pit fall... Looks like I'll be reading off free stones from now on...
Simply money hungry. Most people become more inclined to read the same novel from other sites instead of on webnovel. I used to always read on webnovel, but the ss has become too much. Most of us are average citizens who like to spend some of their free time reading. We can't afford to pay up so much money for ss, that's why people were happy for buying the montly payment instead. But you removed it, probably was an experiment to test how many people were inclined to an alternative of ss.
I would get it if there was an advantage to having the "privilege" to read chapters ahead... for example, it is cheaper than buying the regular chapters individually. For example, each chapter cost 7-9 ss in Book A. However, if you buy __ chapters, it's actually only 5 ss per chapter! This is how bulk purchases work.
Maybe you can even make the advantage as "wait" if you hate wholesale prices. So for __ chapters ahead, you can just make it cost a little bit more per chapter. For example, Book B cost around 7 ss per chapter. To read ahead, each chapter cost 8 ss. Don't do bulk "privileges" and do individual chapters instead if you intend to go with this one. And also, do not charge ss even after buying the "privilege", that is simply not right.
Thank you for reading, I hope you intend for at least some change.
A Fan of Webnovel
skro actually that's not how the privilege system works, but it's not your fault that you misunderstand, it's webnovel's failure to explain it properly to their readers. The wording that they use to explain what the privilege system is in the help section can be misleading.
PoeticPenguin I actually like that suggestion more. That is a better and more reasonable business model.
Cantiara I think what Skro was saying was that once you buy say 50 Advanced Chapter for Month of July. You'll be 50 chapters ahead of people by July 31st, but once August 1st hits, you'll have to continue paying for advanced chapters to continue reading along or wait 50 releases for public releases to catch up to be back on track.
EX:
July 31st, you're at Chapter 101-150.
August 1st, you have Chapter 101-150 unlocked still, but 151 is an advanced chapter that can only be accessed via 50 advanced chapter tier again (since it's 50 chapters ahead). So you have to wait until public releases catch up to 151 to get the full value of a 50 advanced chapter.
At least what's what I get is how it works. If not, WebNovel failed to explain properly how this works.
- Edited
qiprivsucks right, I just don't want him/her to misunderstand, again, just like many other readers here, that he/she will get to read the chapters without unlocking them once they pay the privilege fee, because of the sentence "pay to read ahead".
And yes, I also understand it the same way you do. Also, what I understand is once you unlock the stockpiled chapter after paying the privilege fee, then those chapters will remain unlocked regardless the privilege subscription period? Not sure about this though.
Cantiara Based on what was said in their "Privilege Rules," it seems very likely that once you've unlocked it (after revealing them via privilege), even after your privileged period is over for that month, the unlocked chapters are still unlocked for you. Just that if you're so obsessed to pay 2500 SS to unlock 50 advanced chapters, and now have to wait for 50 chapters to release publicly to catch up again, it's more likely they'll keep paying that 2500 SS to keep reading.
In the end, I think the logic brought up (that it's a trap once you buy into it) is true, and the smart dedicated readers will be milked for all their worth. As long as WebNovel gets to make money from those targeted ~100 dedicated whales per privileged premium novels lol.
qiprivsucks i dont agree that they'll keep chapters open after privileged ends. Thinking optimistically when it comes to qidian never works. but yes, they're definitely moving from minnow/whales to just whales
whe I do agree that it's rather a poor choice to think optimistically about anything related to WebNovel. Again, I don't think it's beyond them to charge us extra for edited chapters in the near future, and translated chapters (upgrade from MTL once they implement that) in the future as well.
Y'know, once they clean house and only keep the loyal translator(s) who will su-- I mean whiteknight for them.
Piokilek Like I said, this isn’t illegal for Webnovel to do it, but it’s unethical. For people to spend MORE money to read something a couple of days earlier is just robbery. Let me break this down for you. One of the novels that I’m reading charges 7ss PER chapter. With the privilege system, it will cost you 400s to read 5 chapters.. in which 2 of those chapters will be released the next day. 400s will get you roughly 57 chapters if you were to wait. I’m sorry but Webnovel’s job is to keep their authors happy and funded. Just like Toyota’s job is to keep their mechanics happy in order to do their job. Just like MY job pays me and gives me incentives to do my job well and happily. While you can support the authors your own way, if you want, that is NOT everyone’s job. Then, to top this off, the chapters that you’ve just purchased in advance will now disappear and “expire” over time and that’s just bullsh*t. Like I said, this isn’t illegal, but it’s unethical to treat your paying customers like this and that’s not a company that I would want to put my hard earned money into.
- Edited
"With the privilege system, it will cost you 400s to read 5 chapters.."
Not even. You pay 400 SS to get an early access to unlock those chapters. You're not privileged to read the stockpiled chapters, but you're only privileged to UNLOCK the stockpiled chapters. After paying the 400 SS, you will only get to see the titles of those chapters and then you will still need to pay the 7 SS per chapter to unlock and eventually read them.
And indeed what I just understood from previous comments is that after your privileged period expires, the stockpiled chapters that you'll already have unlocked will disappear. Only after you pay the subscription fees for the next privileged period will you be able to see them again.
Just wanted to make that clear.
- Edited
Piokilek First off its not like Patreon. Not only is it more expensive than a lot of existing and pre-existing patreons but the biggest difference is you are only paying for the ability to unlock the next 5-50 chapters. You don't actually get to read them.
So you spend 2500 SS or $50 USD. For the right to view 50 chapters then you get to spend another 400-750 SS just to read them. When I spent $50 on a patreon I got to read them right then and there.
Also because it is SS and not a patreon your money spent to support the author or translator is a minor cut compared to Webnovels major.
- Edited
skro Yep it is an uber money pit.
I had the impression that your understanding of how this new privilege system works is as such that after you pay the privilege fees, you will be granted the privilege to automatically read those chapters. But this is not the case. And if this is indeed how you interpreted how the system works, then you have been misled. And as I said, it's webnovel's failure for not being able to explain this properly to their readers.
What I wanted to make clear to you and to many other people here that have been misled and ended up feeling like they just got scammed, is that by paying the fees for the privilege system, you still won't be able to read those chapters. You will still have to pay extra SS that you normally pay anyway to unlock and read them. The privilege you're paying for is merely to get the opportunity to UNLOCK, not to READ.
So, like the example in my previous post, let's say that the cost to unlock a chapter of the novel you're following is normally 7 SS.
After paying the subscription fees for the privilege system (400 SS for 5 stockpiled chapters and more SS for more stockpiled chapters), you will still need to pay that extra 7 SS to unlock the stockpiled chapters. So basically, you pay to pay again.
And then indeed after the privileged period is over, the privilege chapter that you pay to pay again to unlock will disappear and will only reappear after you pay the privilege fees for the next subscription period. Unless of course if those chapters have been published to be unlocked by the regular non-privileged members during the regular scheduled update.
qiprivsucks also we have to look at valueation of product.. Buy ANY paperback or hardback novel.. 7-50$ and unless it is damaged you can read it forever, but webnovel, 200$ for a 1500chapter novel that you have here... On this place... And if it goes away. Where is the value?
People forget just how intangible electronic products truely are lol
- Edited
Piokilek
How much do they pay you for the shit you are writing?
I can buy a whole eBook for 3€ on amazon. If I want a book with more chaps I pay 10 or 20€. But it is a whole book. It is finished and edited.
And now look at webnovel. They want 50$ for 2500 ss. A chap is 10 ss, I can unlock 250 chaps with it. Every story I read has over 1000 chaps. We talk about 200$ for one book?!
And it is not expensive? Are you dumb or bad with math?
I liked the elite subscription. I could read how much I want. It was expensive but I could understand it. The new "feature" is only one thing: Scam!
I won't support authors here. I have two stories I follow with free ss. But the other stories and comics (which costs for one chap 20ss with three coulor sites) lost a customer who gifted stones.
The readers will leave and what will you authors do about it?
Kuromeru666 Well unfortunately, terrible companies like WebNovel can keep doing these dirty practices that they can keep justifying while we got original authors and translation group affiliated admins defending the system because in the end, who's their employer (lol)?
As long as we spread awareness of how broken and dirty this system is, people will buy less of their products, and Webnovel will have to work based on the Supply and Demand that one of their admins brought up :) Let there be little to no demand, boycott. Let our wallets do the talking (or the lack of).
That's how game devs logic got them to get away with 'lootboxes' and 'dlcs' where they release crap on the same day as the game release date (essentially selling an incomplete product and you have to pay extra premium to get a more wholesome experience). People have to speak up as consumers and not support this kind of crappy practices.
The fact that this privilege thing is a one-month deal, specifically for one book, generalizing pricing for all content, and charging another fee for unlocking individual chapters you paid to see is just insanity. Only people with a lack of foresight would buy into this scheme. Patreon version that they keep claiming to have copied at least GAVE said chapters for the 'privilege fee' that they paid.
How dirty can a company get to put a scheme like this by exploiting those obsessed/passionate about their content, designed so they have to keep paying to continue at their advanced pace or be left to suffer through waiting for normal release rate to catch up to their advanced rate a month before. (i.e. if they paid 50 advanced chapters, then next month they don't renew, they have to wait for 50 chapters to be released publicly before seeing any new content [essentially shot themselves in the foot, now stuck in a situation where they have to pay to even read for that month]).
If they followed a crowd-funding scheme (where people collectively gift/pay) and milestones = higher release rate, it would make more sense (that's how Patreon did it too, guess they omitted this portion of the Patreon deal huh?). Oh but the white knights will say mass releases though--- Let me see if they do a mass release for those "Privilege" enabled books, and I mean from all the translation groups, not just one group lol.
TL;DR - WebNovel is trash, their translators/editors/authors (basically their contractors) has to defend them because more money for them, WebNovel is still shady and their past practices has always shown they're shady. Don't give them a dime until they listen. Only a fool would buy into this scheme (verified by their 'target audience' being ~100 rich people obsessed with their content).
To be honest this looks like premium all over again except it's now with a 500% mark up.
I remember we were told free chapters would be maintained and that a few paid chapters would be up ahead for those that want to read ahead like patreon and those chapters would become free a few days later. Then some novels went full premium with the reasoning that these novels would have faster releases. In my experience going premium if anything has meant slower releases with many translators going on hiatus. Now more or less all novels are premium in an effort to milk maximum profit.
I can imagine same thing happening with privileged chapters where we'll soon see that after chapter 100 or so all chapters will be privileged. I can also imagine translators will be under pressure to stockpile so what will happen is translators will go on hiatus for non-privileged for a month or two and then leave most chapters under privilege lock.
I'll also note that webnovel's interface is very poor. For example on Otherworldly Evil Monarch when I scroll down to last chapter is lists it as 94.33% that happens to be the last chapter. If not privileged it is becoming hard to tell when a chapter is released especially when latest chapter released is privileged and no clear indication of how unprivileging works. To make matters worse when reading on website it insists on downloading an app to read privileged chapters so you end up with a website that is designed solely for privileged users yet privileged users have to use an app and are thus unable to use it. To give an analogy as these have been popular it's like using sign language to communicate with blind people and then getting surprised when they can't see your signing
AnnoyingADs Maybe this privilege system is to pay for their UX intern or an actual developer that's not an intern (or intern-level).
I did mention this too earlier about how they went back on their Premium 'beta' one-two years ago, and that's one of the big shady practices that people seem to forget.
Hope people stop giving them anymore money.