"I'm a huge fan of Chinese TV dramas and online novels. Since my inspiration comes from them, many Eastern fantasy tropes and the writing philosophy have deeply influenced my work," said Alborov, who has written approximately 3,000 words a day on his laptop for four years straight.

His daily routine is fixed: five hours of writing followed by two to three hours of reading comments, answering questions and interacting with fans.

Unlike traditional publishing, where writing is a solitary act, the online model relies on intense and real-time interactivity. Authors post chapters daily, and readers leave comments, creating a sense of shared ownership over the story.

He also finds that the medium has moved from a niche fan base into the mainstream of pop culture.

"You can see recommended content and fan creations about web novels on every social media platform now," Alborov said.

"There's even a popular meme: your fandom journey starts with anime, moves to comics, and ends at the 'holy grail of entertainment', which is web novels. It's seen as the ultimate form of storytelling for many people."

Industry shift

The numbers reflect the cultural trend. The overseas market for Chinese online literature reached over 4.81 billion yuan ($694.8 million) in 2024, marking 10.68 percent year-on-year growth. According to the 2025 China Online Literature Overseas Trend Report released at the 4th Shanghai International Online Literature Week, the sector's total revenue hit 49.55 billion yuan.

The statistics from the China Writers Association show that approximately 200 million overseas active users engage with Chinese online literature across more than 200 countries and regions. While Asia accounts for 80 percent of readers and an over 50 percent market share, North America holds a 30 percent market share, with Europe and Latin America emerging as new growth areas.

A more significant metric is the creators themselves. By 2025, over 1.3 million overseas authors had published more than 2 million original works on international platforms. Among them, WebNovel connects nearly 530,000 writers worldwide with nearly 400 million readers, yielding over 820,000 original works.