Feb 22, 2010
Author slammed by critics consoles self with $611,000 cheque
Well that’s it! I’m off to find my riches writing keitai (or cellphone) novels for the Japanese teen market – just like this 15 year old, Bunny (an alias, not her real name). Quoting the LA Times: “The size of the keitai novel market is unclear, but Maho i-Land Co., one of the largest keitai novel content providers, boasts 1 million online book titles and 6 million users.” I actually find the whole spirit of cooperation within the keitai movement quite amazing. Quoting again: “Most writers upload the content as they finish so they get instant feedback from the readers, who access the stories on the website and click through the pages. Authors respond to readers by correcting errors and, in some cases, altering story lines.” Critics with their noses turned strictly upwards are unlikely to nominate Bunny any time soon for a Booker Prize but who really cares when she’s creaming it to the tune of $611,000 (I take that to be US dollars) for one three-volume novel?
