A Comparative Analysis of Qidian.com and Webnovel.com: From the View of Digital Humanities

Abstract

Web Novel has become an integral part of contemporary recreation for people living in the world greatly changed by the revolution in information technology and consequent social upheaval. Chinese webnovels, benefitting from the fast-growing digital culture industry, have developed a successful industrial model represented by “qidian.com”, a famous website for internet users to read and write original fiction, ranking 9087 in global internet traffic. The launch of its international version “webnovel.com” in 2017 marks a strong, well-tested, and sophisticated cyberliterature industrial model ent-ring the global cultural market. By comparing these two websites from the view of digital humanities, this research is expected to analyze differences between their scale, functions, sorts of works, and two versions (original and translated) of a specific text existing on both websites. Based on data analysis, several conclusions will be inferred such as the advantages, limitations, and influences of “qidian-mode” facing unfamiliar and complicated international surroundings. In conclusion, though encountering several problems while launching the international version, “qidian-mode” with Chinese characteristics and standards provides a practical model for the development and industrialization of online literature around the world.