Tangjiasanshao earned 50 million yuan ($8.06 million) from royalty income last year. [File Photo]

IP (intellectual property) or qualified contents became the direct driving force of the Chinese Internet in recent years. The concept of IP upgraded the business mode of Internet literature websites from single paid reading into a industrialized operation.

Popular network novels are welcomed in the film, TV drama, and animation and game industry. Until the end of last year, the copyright of 114 network novels had been bought by different companies. Among them, 90 works will be adapted into TV dramas, while others will be adapted into movies. Giant Interactive Group Inc, a Chinese online game company, bought 40 copyrights of network novels as reserved contents.

Piracy and plagiarism have become a danger for web-writers. Some readers pay to read the works but then share them with other Internet users for free. Some writers "imitate" the plot in ordinary writers' works or mix different novel elements together into their own works.

According to Maoni, a platinum author, web-writers should spend more time to study, instead of make money or enhance their reputation by trickery.

"So many people are engaged in online writing, but only a few do a good job. If you want to be a top commercial writer, you need talent as well as diligence. There is no shortcut to fame and fortune," he said.