So says an article in The Christian Science Monitor. According to the article they are especially popular among school dirls and the most popular novels eventually wind up printed.
Media-sharing website Maho i-Land boasts 1 million online books and 6 million users who read and/or write novels on the website for free. Many users tap away and compose using their cellphones, simply following a word limit of 1,000 or less characters per page. Budding authors can choose to “publish” their online story immediately or keep it unlisted. Many upload their content as they finish and choose to receive feedback from readers. Authors respond to feedback by fixing mistakes and sometimes changing the story lines. The most successful authors get their stories printed.
These novels currently make up a $36 million market. As Wattpad has proven, cellphones are a legitimate platform for ereading and, I suspect, probably are the major form of ereaders around the world.
Thanks to Frode Aleksandersen for the link.
