- Edited
There are a lot of things I like as a user during these long months with webnovel.com and most of them are mentioned prior here https://forum.webnovel.com/d/2828-spreading-positivity-thank-you-webnovel.
So I am not going to go over it again.
So what's wrong here.
In fact, there are a lot of good gains and benefits webnovel.com offers us, readers. But all these are undermined in the minds of readers due to the poor execution.
Coming to a relatively small community with fans supporting each other, webnovel.com could start friendly with all, but who knows what happened, they had an issue with WW. This itself has turned many people suspicious regardless who is in the wrong. (I encourage competition but taking over HJC when there are only 180 chap left makes you look bad..hmm. I want to see collaboration between Zen and you guys instead of this kind of competition and double translations which is waste of human effort. Something that can be used on various other popular novels in webnovel.com)
Now there are already haters, doubters and neutral side among the readers.
There you launched a nice site with amazing features. Absolutely great.
I am greatly attracted by the app which is extremely helpful and convenient. Heard translators get paid a certain amount per chapter - great for them especially translators who work on not so popular ones.
I believe the initial claim was like you are trying to find a way to make this work without pay-walling. I along with some others could see the future paywalls, a belief that got enforced with SS introduction.
That's the exact problem I have.
A feeling of gradual manipulation could be felt from this despite how pure your intentions are. It's like you guys have everything planned out but implement them layer by layer. (I don't believe ads are sustainable especially when you are investing in translators unlike WW and hopefully, you should know this as well not now but when you started. Unless you guys are.......)
You should not have increased chapter release to 14-21 per week then decrease to 7 as free and the rest as premium. (Even after considering patreon chapters, this could be controlled)
Like a story, there should be a progression. Imagine starting as 7-10 chap a week.................then you introduce this premium system where you can now get additional chapters with SS purchase. People will be grateful.
(Yayaya, I kind of understand it may be a move to get readers attention or help translators. Not saying hoarding is good, but controlling and instilling a sense of progression in reader's mind will be helpful for you.)
Why did you give out SS at a fairly high amount initially?
Then cut it short? Can't you think this is an annoying ideology? This is the exact problem.
Wrong psychology. It's like you are giving candies to a kid every day in bulk and then one day you just stop giving them and cut the amount short. And then one day you tell them you have to start paying for the delicious ones. Unknown to the kid, you have increased the price for the delicious ones to cover the free candies' cost as well. Slowly making them pay with bonus candies that go bad after some days as the reward, then slowing reducing the number of bonus candies as well. The kid will most likely cry and thinks you are bad. They may buy. They will buy if they have money. For how long?
After the kid stops as he/she grew up, they are no longer needed since a new young kid can take his place. This vicious cycle can continue. 'Good business strategy' from one point of view but something that will make one lose a customer's goodwill.
The PFF is great. Getting free chapters are nice. Better than I expected. But did the SS needed for Premium went up due to that?
I read in Qidian 101 by Volare http://volarenovels.com/qidian-101-cktalon-etvolare/
"Readers are charged 3-5 points for every 1,000 characters (1 point = 1/100 CNY or RMB) depending on your membership status. A typical chapter ranges from 2000 characters to 5000 characters, averaging around 3000. Roughly 70% goes to the author,"
So assuming 15 points (an average chap) which means .15 CNY an equivalent to 0.024USD. Numbers speak for itself.
SS is valued at 1 SS = .02 USD which makes a chapter with 8SS valued 0.16cents. Hmm. So complete paywall will make the chapters cheaper?
Yes, there is an inflation now with early users like me still having 1000+ SS (which is going down steadily), but don't you think people get scared by this. This will get normalized within 3 months. Very few people consider Bonus SS in this evaluation. As giving out Bonus SS is entirely up to the company. SS value is the purchase conversion rate. But on the bright side free people get free stuff as PFF, patreons get premium chapters at a lower monthly rate. Can't judge how successful this is now since the stat and data of a long time are needed. So we will figure out how well this works.
Why do companies give samples? They don't give full-fledged meal when they make sample tasting stall.
It could work better if you ANNOUNCE that there will be a promotional period of X months in which you get free to use and free chapters. Like how a businessman give away free stuff to get 25 million customers in 6 months (A customer acquisition rate only second to FB). But he told clearly that he will start charging after this certain period. This telling does make a difference in my opinion. Goodwill and loyalty.
Hell ya, loyalty is very very very important. I respect Amazon and it's business model so I could be biased lol.
The idea of providing something new leads to progression, but taking something away that you used to give will make people angry despite how justifiable you are. They may want to buy it like drug users who got addicted, but most people don't find novels as addictive as the money in their pocket. Especially webnovel.com attracted a load of new readers through their app and friend invite system which is commendable.
Complete pay-walling can lead to pirating. Premium system does not either make a normal reader pay. But a subscription or low pay rate will (Not gonna discuss that now).Of course one can argue that people who don't pay and whine against have no intention of paying and they just want to leech. Maybe it's true.
But some of them are teens that are growing up.
If you are able to influence them and make a good fanbase, they will spend later. They don't always stay students as time and world are progressing and aging day by day. So the PFF and premium system is not bad for new readers, but horrible for readers who stick around from the time when everything is free. But the haters will be replaced by new readers..Oh, time....
The lack of communication is horrible before. Most users from the west are sleeping when Chinese daytime comes. So you when you are up, many are sleeping. No proper answers. Come on why is there no FAQ like Neverfire made from you guys before. Seriously? So making FB moderators this week is a nice move.
I love free stuff, but I won't blame for pay-walling from the getgo (many might) but this idea of gradual transformation bugs a little.
On the bright side, there are a lot of free chapters still around. So readers including me should stop whining and enjoy while you can and pay if you can.
Hoping for better decisions and developments.
(Your end December announcement of Beyond the Language competition is seriously amazing. That's one hell of a competition.)
I honestly believe in you because WW failed me in regards to original English writers and that's what you always been doing in China. So show them how to make writers popular.
{Tell me if you find me wrong. I will shut up. Been less enthusiastic about even posting this (procrastinated 2 weeks).
Also tell me if any other readers felt the same}
