Online fantasy writer’s book sales surpass those of print novelists

A Chinese online writer surpassed all Chinese print novelists in terms of revenue, according to a rich list published on Thursday.

Fiction writer Jiang Nan, known for his Harry Potter-esque fantasy fiction series Dragon Raja, tops this year’s print rankings, with total annual royalties of 25.5 million yuan (HK$32.2 million), according to a list of China’s richest writers published by Sichuan-based Western China Metropolis Daily.

2012 Nobel Literature Award laureate Mo Yan ranked second with total royalties of 24 million yuan followed by renowned children’s book author, Zheng Yuanjie, with 18 million yuan. Popular authors Guo Jingming and Han Han were seventh and eighth in the list.

But the biggest money-maker this year, according to Western China Metropolis Daily, came from the ranks of China’s online writers.

Beijing-based Tang Jia San Shao is believed to have pocketed a whopping 26.5 million yuan largely thanks to his fantasy fiction depicting a martial artist’s foray into a fantasy after life.

Tang, together with the four wealthiest print authors, amassed a total of 100 million yuan in the past year, according to the rankings. And all 14 leading writers in the rankings were under 35 years old.