Redefining Relations Between Creators and Audiences in the Digital Age - The Social Production and Consumption of Chinese Internet Literature

Aug 28, 2026

The article investigates how Chinese Internet literature reshapes the traditional author–audience relationship through online literary spaces. It traces changes in reader–writer dynamics as platforms expand, highlighting social media’s functions as both curator and mediator. The analysis maps participatory cultures and the commercialization of these communities, showing that communication becomes more direct, informal, and bidirectional. Production and consumption are framed as inherently social practices that enable collaboration among authors and readers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research Focus and Scholarly Gap

Chinese Internet Literature: Background

Definitions, Genres, and Platform Forms

Historical Periodization

Social Dynamics of Authorship and Readership

Social Media as Curator and Mediator

Participatory Culture and Commercial Ethos

Redefining Relations Between Creators and Audiences in the Digital Age: The Social Production and Consumption of Chinese Internet Literature YUYAN FENG IOANA LITERAT Teachers College, Columbia University, USA This article examines the ways in which the traditional relationship between authors and their audiences is being challenged and redefined in the context of Chinese Internet literature . We look at the evolution of the reader–writer dynamic in line with the development of online literary spaces in China, analyze the crucial role of social media as both curator and mediator, and trace the development of participatory cultures and commercial dynamics in these literary communities. This analysis illustrates how the relationship between authors and audiences—traditionally indirect and distant—has become, in online spaces, more direct, informal, and bidirectional while maintaining a significant commercial ethos. We argue that both the production and the consumption of Chinese Internet literature are quintessentially social activities, as online spaces open up new possibilities for communication and collaboration, both between authors and readers and among readers themselves . Keywords: Internet literature, China, online communities, participatory culture, authorship, creativity Internet literature has enjoyed enormous popularity and widespread participation in China over the last decade. According to a recent report from the China Internet Network Information Center (2016), there are now 297 million online literature users in China—43.1% of the country’s Internet users. A wide variety of online platforms is dedicated to Internet literature in China, including forums, literature websites, and social networks and blogs, which provide multiple channels for users to create, publish, read, and distribute literary content. In the course of its evolution and proliferation, Chinese Internet literature has had a huge cultural and economic impact, facilitating the emergence of online cultural communities and a revival and diversification of Chinese literature, both in print and online (Chen, 2012; Yang, 2010) . However, despite the multidimensional impact of this market and the sheer scale of participation, the topic of Chinese Internet literature remains understudied, particularly from a communication and new Yuyan Feng: [yf2358@tc.columbia.edu](yf2358@tc.columbia.edu) Ioana Literat: [literat@tc.columbia.edu](literat@tc.columbia.edu) [Date submitted: 2016](Date submitted: 2016)‒[08](08)‒[13](13) Copyright © 2017 (Yuyan Feng and Ioana Literat) . Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at [http://ijoc.org](http://ijoc.org). International Journal of Communication 11(2017) Redefining Relations 2585 media studies—rather than a historical or literary—perspective . Furthermore, Hockx (2005) is right in noting the tendency of English-language research about Chinese digital culture to focus extensively on the issue of censorship. The impact of this research emphasis is crucial: “By foregrounding censorship and by highlighting what does not appear on the Chinese internet, attention is taken away from what does appear”(Hockx, 2005, p. 671) . This article aims to add to the nascent literature on Chinese online creativity by examining Chinese Internet literature from a communication perspective, with a particular focus on the changing author–audience dynamic as facilitated and shaped by online technologies. We begin by providing a useful background to the evolution and current scope of Chinese Internet literature; this overview of its development is highly relevant because, as we explain in the next section, the advancement of online literary platforms has significantly shaped the evolution of the relationship between authors and readers in these online spaces . We then consider the crucial role of social media as both a curator of content and a mediator in the c

FAQs

How does Chinese Internet literature redefine the author–audience relationship?

Online platforms make the relationship more direct and bidirectional, shifting it from an indirect, distant dynamic to a more informal and interactive one shaped by ongoing communication.

What role does social media play in these online literary communities?

Social media acts as both a curator and a mediator, influencing how content is presented and how communication dynamics develop between authors and audiences.

Why does the article argue that Chinese Internet literature is both social and commercial?

Both production and consumption operate as social activities through online interaction and collaboration, while authors’ profit-seeking motivations add a strong commercial ethos to these communities.

Aug 28, 2026

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