Recently, the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released the "2023 Research Report on the Development of Chinese Online Literature" (referred to as the "Report").

The report clearly shows the latest development trend of China's online literature industry from the aspects of value positioning, content themes, creative ecology, IP industry and online literature overseas, and focuses on the development of the online literature industry in 2023 such as high-quality products, accelerated IP conversion, and deepening globalization. Conduct an in-depth analysis of the three core trends.

　　In the "Internet +" era, literature has developed vigorously with the help of the Internet.

The report shows that by the end of 2023, China's online literature industry market size will reach 300 billion yuan, the number of authors will reach 24.05 million, and the number of users will reach 537 million.

Based on the scale of 1.079 billion Internet users, nearly half of my country’s Internet users are online literature users.

　　Literature is spiritual food and nourishes our souls.

With the support of the Internet, literature has presented more diversified forms of expression, won more audiences, and moved to the world in a flexible manner.

At present, new cultural forms represented by online literature are becoming an important carrier for promoting exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and a new business card for the overseas spread of Chinese culture.

　　Culture demonstrates a country’s soft power.

Looking at it from the perspective of the times, it is not difficult to find that culture plays an increasingly important role in the competition for comprehensive national strength.

In a certain sense, competition in the fields of politics, economy, education, science and technology is inseparable from competition in cultural development. Whoever occupies the commanding heights of cultural development will be better able to seize the initiative in fierce international competition.

　　Cultural competition is not about excluding each other, but about communicating with each other, telling their respective stories well, and achieving mutual understanding and harmonious coexistence.

In recent years, due to factors such as the slowdown in globalization and the rise of trade protectionism, traditional cultural exchange activities mainly in offline and physical forms have been subject to many restrictions, while new cultural forms based on Internet communication such as online literature, film and television, and games have , has been widely developed around the world and has become the main force for Chinese culture to go overseas in the new era.

Strong evidence in this regard is that cultural self-confidence and powerful country narratives are becoming new trends in Chinese online literature creation.

　　Data shows that China’s online literature overseas market has exceeded 4 billion yuan, with approximately 410,000 overseas online writers, approximately 620,000 overseas original works, and approximately 230 million overseas visitors, covering more than 200 countries and regions around the world, including users in the United States. most.

With the support of one-click AI translation and the mutual empowerment of overseas IP products, Chinese IP has gradually entered the global horizon. For example, the second season of the film and television drama "Celebrating More Than Years" became the first domestic drama on the entire network to have over 10 million reservations, and is exclusive overseas. The distribution rights have been pre-purchased by Disney; China Literature's first independently published overseas IP-adapted game product "Battle Breakers: Raging Clouds" has been launched in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. In the fourth quarter of 2023, new users in Southeast Asia increased by 118% month-on-month.

　　As the overseas radiation and influence of Chinese online literature have increased significantly, Chinese online literature has attracted readers from all over the world with its magnificent imagination, wonderful stories, and strong sense of immersion.

It is worth mentioning that with the IPization of online literature in China, online IP has no longer affected overseas audiences in the single form of novels, but has been "integrated overseas" in multiple forms including film, television, animation, games, etc. "As a result, the speed and effect of going to sea have been improved to a higher level.

Under the general trend of IP going overseas, the influence of multiple content forms is superimposed and amplified, making China's online literary IP expected to become a global IP.

　　Actively promoted by the three core trends of high-quality products, accelerated IP conversion, and deepening globalization, Chinese online literature, as a vivid practice of mass participation, global co-creation, and highlighting the originality of Chinese culture, continues to extend the radius of communication and has become a good example of China. Stories and vivid cultural business cards that spread the voice of China.

Making good use of this new business card for the overseas spread of Chinese culture is of great significance to improving the country's cultural soft power.

　　Hu Xinhong