Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 241: Reflections on Going Premium, My Pen Name, Fees, and Some Words From the Heart

A couple of days ago, I received a notice from my editor that the book would finally be going premium. The news was as much of a surprise to me as it is to you.

I know many of you might be very angry.

However—

Before you get mad at me for putting up a paywall, could you please take a minute and hear me out?

Let me explain things one by one. First, let’s talk about my pen name.

1. About My Pen Name.

Many readers are curious why I chose the pen name Fei Yan, since it sounds like a girl’s name.

To answer everyone at once, the name comes from a Song-dynasty poem: "Amidst falling petals, a person stands alone; in the light rain, a pair of swallows fly together."

It’s a very lonely line from a Song-dynasty poem.

When I first stepped into the world of writing, the emotion I felt most was loneliness. I had no support, no understanding. It felt just like telling your family you want to make a living playing video games—the looks you get are all the same: confusion, disapproval, the sense that they think you’re crazy.

That’s why I chose the pen name "Fei Yan." Because I really was... so lonely...

2. About Going Premium.

The book has been free since its release on February 15. I’ve written for free all the way until June 15—a full four months and over 700,000 words—without earning a single cent.

Before getting upset about the paywall, please try to understand my situation as an author. Every book eventually has to start charging, because authors need to eat, too.

For these past four months, I’ve updated daily without asking for a single cent from any of you. I had to keep updating even when I was sick. I haven’t taken a single holiday or day off.

I often find myself writing until four or five in the morning, and for the past two months, I’ve been pulling all-nighters almost every single day.

At four or five in the morning, while all of you are sound asleep, I’m still awake, pushing out updates. It’s been agonizing.

There were times I seriously considered dropping this book, but then I’d think of all the wonderful readers supporting me, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, I’ve been gritting my teeth and pushing forward until today.

3. What Does Going Premium Mean?

Going premium determines whether a book lives or dies.

I spent six months preparing the outline for this book, constantly brainstorming, refining, and adding to it. I have over twenty different outline documents for this novel on my desktop.

When it came time to publish, I made the tough decision to turn down a high-paying contract from another platform and came here, determined to make a name for myself.

I was fortunate enough to meet all of you here. The disappointing part is that the book’s performance hasn’t met expectations. To be perfectly honest, if I had taken that other contract, I would be earning more and wouldn’t be under this much pressure.

But do I regret it? Not at all.

This path is difficult, treacherous, and full of thorns. From the moment I chose the pen name "Fei Yan" and started on this journey as a writer, I was prepared to get beaten and bloodied.

4. About the Pricing.

The pricing is standardized by the website: 5 "Book Coins" per 1,000 Chinese characters. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

My Chapters are 3,000 characters long, costing 15 Book Coins each. Many other authors write 2,000-character Chapters, so theirs cost 10 Book Coins. So please, don’t say I’m greedy or that my prices are too high.

How much is 15 Book Coins? ¥0.15.

A coin worth ¥0.10 is something people might not even bother picking up off the ground.

A one-Chapter subscription is only ¥0.15. The amount you’d spend on this book in a month is less than the cost of two or three sodas, or half a pack of cigarettes.

And how much of that ¥0.15 does the author actually get?

The website and I have a 50/50 split, so I get about ¥0.07. For revenue from other channels like QQ Browser, the author gets less than a quarter of that, around ¥0.03.

This means that if only one hundred people are willing to pay to read, the author earns just 7 yuan a day.

And for me, writing a single Chapter takes three to four hours of work, sometimes even the blood, sweat, and tears of an all-nighter.

5. About Recharging Your Account. freewebnoveℓ.com

This book’s primary release is on Chuangshi and QQ Reading. Recharging your account is very easy—you can use Q-Coins directly. Skipping just one month of a QQ VIP subscription would give you enough funds to read this book for a very long time. Reading books online is incredibly cheap!

6. Please Subscribe!

I implore all of you to subscribe and show your support, so that *Immortal Sword Master* can continue.

Ning Jiang’s journey is far from over, and there are still so many wonders of the Great Thousand Realms yet to be revealed.

I prepared an outline that spans six months of content; the story is nowhere near its end. I’m asking you all to help me, to let Ning Jiang’s journey continue, to allow me to bring all the exciting moments I’ve planned to life!

7. Premium Release Time

The book goes premium at 12:00 PM. I’m not going to sleep; I’m going to try and write a new Chapter to release right at noon. Please, subscribe!