Web Novels Vs Novels

Maybe you’ve heard of these, but there are these things called web novels. I’ve noticed that many people don’t know the difference between the two.

A novel generally has an average word count of 90,000 – 100,000 words to about 320 – 350 pages while web novels generally don’t have a fixed length of chapters or word count unless defined by the author. Novels are usually in digital and physical format, but a web novel is a story that only exists online. If you want to get technical, web novels are the groundwork or detailed plan of a to be published novel (if they ever will). Not only that, novels also usually go through a whole process before they are published.

They have editors while web novels have variable editing since the only one editing the story is the author (instead of the publisher’s team). Novels also are completed stories that are published while web novels tend to have weekly/monthly releases online. Web novels are also more casual in form, grammar, and tone compared to a novel.

And the most important difference is that web novels are usually from overseas while novels come from the west and overseas. For example, if you go to novel updates and try to look up a web novel, under the translated name will be the original name in Japanese, Chinese, and/or Korean.

Personally, I like web novels because they are like novels with no price tag but a nice physical book is nice once n’ while.

Rising Popularity of Web Novels

When I first got into web novels, I was in my freshman year of college. I had accidentally discovered them from a badly translated version of a Chinese novel posted on the internet called Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. This was the first web novel I had ever read. And ever since then I’ve been hooked. 

However, no one else around me seemed to know what they were. That is, until Covid hit. I noticed that during this period more and more people started reading web novels. This mostly comes from my experience of being able to talk about it with others around me physically increasing from 0 to like 10. So, there is a definite increase in people reading web novels.

If you don’t know what a web novel is, it is a novel that is published on the web (no physical copy) as a downloadable file like a PDF or any electronic form that is either free or you must buy. The easiest to pinpoint them are translated copies of stories from China. For example, one of my favorite light novels is Heavens Official Blessing (you should give it a read). 

And one thing I noticed with all of them (ones that I’ve read) is that they are all written in third person limited. Ironically, I’ve read so many that its directly influenced how I write. But what do you think? Have you read/heard of web novels? Do you think more people are starting read them?