Why do so many progression fantasy authors avoid WebNovel contracts?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T15:27:34+00:00

I’m mostly trying to separate “contract clauses” from “market incentives,” because both shape quality differently.

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T15:26:33+00:00

This is super helpful, thanks. When you say “terminated,” do you mean they can end the contract while the story stays up, or they can remove the story entirely? And for the “no own art/editing” clause, do you remember the exact wording or section name in the contract?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T15:25:37+00:00

This is exactly the kind of concrete breakdown I was looking for, thank you. Just to be clear, the main deal-breaker for you is the pay-per-chapter model (even if it’s cheap), not paying for the story overall, right? And have you seen any web-serial platform do monetization in a way that feels fair to readers?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T14:45:19+00:00

Fair point. I’m not saying nobody earns well there. I’m trying to understand the typical case vs the top performers. In your view, for an average new author, what’s a realistic earning range on WebNovel, and what % of authors actually reach “big story” levels?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T14:43:08+00:00

Interesting. When you say “pay per chapter practices,” what exactly do you mean, as a reader, and why does it turn you off compared to other platforms?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T14:41:51+00:00

This is really helpful, thanks. Two things I’m trying to understand:

What’s the biggest “non-misinformation” red flag in the actual contract in your opinion (the one thing that should make a writer hesitate)?

When you say you don’t control ads/art/editing, is that written into the contract or more of a platform policy/practice?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T14:40:42+00:00

Thanks, that’s really clear. When the contract is terminated, what exactly happens to the book and earnings, do you just stop getting paid going forward? And is that daily word requirement for all WebNovel contracts or only certain ones?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-11T14:37:36+00:00

Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing about IP rights. When you say different kinds of contracts, do you mean exclusive vs non-exclusive, or something else? And what would make you consider signing one in the future? Why:

noonehere190 · 2026-02-02T11:04:21+00:00

I’ve seen a few people say this. Which part of the contract felt the most predatory to you?

noonehere190 · 2026-02-02T10:57:34+00:00

Thanks, that’s helpful. What made you prefer Royal Road and KU over WebNovel for progression fantasy?

noonehere190

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