I can understand why they are creating these premium accounts, it's like when i read the stories in the Chinese novel apps, I need to spend money to "purchase" those locked chapters after I had read through the free chapters. You have to understand that some of these authors are full time authors who practically spend all their time writing novels and they charge a small amount for every 1000 chinese characters. So for each chapter, I may need to spend like maybe 6 token or something like that, depending on the number of characters for 1 chapter and normally I can spend like 1.5k or more tokens for 300 chapters. In a sense, we are "buying" the novels to read, similar to buying a book form the bookstore. The authors needs to eat too, just like us.... If the premium accounts are at a price that is reasonable to me, I really won't mind supporting them. Just think about it, nothing is free and the translators time and efforts should not be free too.
Introducing the Premium program BETA, giving you advanced chapters!
Meh lol what the fuck are you on. The only person that this benefits is QI. Translators on QI get paid per chapter, meaning they get none of the spirit stone money. Example (copy and pasted from /u/baoluvba, translator for Emperor's Domination)
I'm copy and pasting some of my comments on NU.
If there is no change in regular schedule, then it is just Patreon. If some series are purposely lowering the weekly free chapters for premium chapters, then that's a different story, but I'm sure we need to see the actual implementation before making any judgment.
Some people have said that certain series will lower the free weekly rate, and use some of those chapters as premium. That will be a net-loss for free users, but this is all speculations.
What does that mean? For example, I would be releasing 7 chapters of ED instead, and 7 would be going to premium each week.
Overall, the changes are fine unless the free rate is changed. It is just like Patreon except translators are much worse off.
As for how much translators get from this, it will be much less than before, unless the scene has a new influx of readers. Imagine this, this is essentially Patreon with a huge % going to the site and authors instead of just to the translators. Now, I'm not saying that there is a problem with giving money to the authors but 50% is a substantial amount unless the pie gets much larger.
From my own experience and the reader amount for QI, translators will make much less money unless the model has a high initial price and more are willing to pay on the website versus Patreon, which I don't see happening.
Patreon is fueled by people with disposable income for the higher tiers. This will remove those options, unless they keep the tiers the same for the on-site chapters.
This is Qidian's way of taking back money from the translators after seeing that the real money is in Patreon. Noted, they were going to do this regardless to match the Chinese mode.
It's hard to say that as the scene grows, this model will outstrip the earning that translators got from Patreon, especially with the 50% reduction. I don't think any translator should be happy about this move from a financial perspective, but I can't predict the future.
LordFourth they'll keep it but stop releasing extra chapters (it'll just be literally donations to the TL )
Daoling i mean lets be honest, patreon is way worse than this. costs soooo much more money for way fewer chapters.
Will join if my favorite novel on premium list.
Meh yes becoz based on word count... the cost become too big... i have seen 18 stones one... reduce the rate per word perhaps... try to lower it below 10 stones... people mighy freak out when see double digit... 9 stones max sound feasible...
Btw... if QI still insisting on high price like this... the "real reader" might run away... what's left will be some small community of rich guy AND people who buy stones, unlock advanced chapter, and post it in their pirated site. a.k.a PIRATES... and they get ads revenue to pay back the stones they bought and gain more profit... since you are translator of Release the witch.... first of all that is a great novel and thank you for translating it.... but let me be frank and tell you one thing... the latest locked chapter of RTW in QI... already hosted in some pirated site... basically they just do what i said above... this also make people go away from this site... even paying reader might feel not paying anymore...
And by having 10 advance chapter advantage becoz those pirated buy it and host it in their site... no one will read free chapter which is 10 chapter late in this site anymore... most reader will read it in pirated site...
This is a big issue and i think QI should rethink about this model... my suggestion is reducing the stones cost... since most reader read more than 1 novel... making the cost high will repel them... like i said... you won't feel leech biting you and suck your blood a little... but taking huge bite will scare you...
btw i hope this constructive critics is taken without salty feeling... i just want the translator also did not getting bad impact from this...
TearsOfRose NO! SPEND THEM ON RTW ;D
WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL Initially, i was mad. However, i understand now. I hope the best for this beta.
derangedlol what are you talking about, bao works for ww and has every financial incentive for QI to fail as hard as possible lol. you realize i'm the translator for RTW right. i get paid for spirit stone money.
this is way better than patreon. lets take bao's, which is at a similar release rate to my own book. to stay 10 chapters ahead it costs you $40 per month on emperor's domination. patreon is the biggest scam ever. $40 per MONTH dude. RTW costs you less than 8 cents a day for less than 3 dollars a month. he just translates at the exact same pace just like we do except he charges you almost 10 times as much per chapter lol. you're getting scammed and you dont even know it
Good luck and success!!!
Author, translator, editor and all of you who bring this to us is the best, 
The system Qi implements right now is tugging my heartstrings
Estriole WEBNOVEL this new system is not too good and might need improvement... i have unlock some advanved chapter (about 4 or 5 chapter) and then next day i realize today free chapter is the one i unlocked.l yesterday... so i lose one free chapter here by unlocking it... maybe some small compensation... maybe partial stones returned??
Estriole if its truly happened, open your own thread/discussion, tag it as report bug. they'll answer you asap (probably)
actually i know this will happen and i know its a must because yea every business need profit but there is only few problem with this program.. here it is
i know it say advance chapter so u need to pay with spirit stone to unlock chapter that is ok but this advance chapter in not being implement right just like how most translator that use patreon... if u want to follow like patreon at least follow it correctly...let say patreon user can get 10 advance chapter than what is post as u can say free chapter that is post in web so that to say u implement this u also need to unlock free daily chapter that is suppose to be release daily not like now where all new chapter is lock... if u want to do this like if that novel have 3 free daily chapter everyday u at least need to unlock 3 chapter for free/add watch like before and add 3 lock chapter everyday... that how patreon work this premium now... sorry to say it ignore the suppose be must do daily chapter
- Edited
Meh Lmao, I love how you paint WW as the bad guys here, but conveniently ignore the scummy practices QI has done to WW, one of the founders of the Chinese webnovel translation community who has always tried to do the best for users. Remember contract agreement then the DMCA right afterwards? Remember copy and pasting? You're almost as bad as CKTalon. By the way, did you even bother to read it? He never directly bashed QI. He outlined the directions it could take: 1. retaining the status quo, 2. making it worse for readers. The fact that you're so defensive about it is both hilarious and concerning.
Oh yeah, you also conveniently skipped the part where RTW release rate is being cut in half for free readers. I personally don't use patreon, but if I wanted to spend money, I'd feel better about spending more money on Bao than spending less money on this shitty conglomerate. The fact is that if you're not a premium reader on Qidian, good luck trying to finish a book because god knows how long it will take. For a free reader, then you're actually translating at around half the speed of Bao. Great analysis and comparison. Honestly, if you've learned anything from the whole CKTalon incident, you really shouldn't be trying to defend QI, because face it, you're as big of a shill as you claim Bao is. At least RWX and WXW has always supported this community.
AreYouTheEye it's not a bug though... since QI model is working that way... you pay 4 advanced chapter... but the next 4 day... the free chapter is the one you paid... being premium reader means you forsake all free chapter...
DarkLordMisty Or aside from PAYPAL, provide other ways.