"Everyone, speak freely."
After 567 spoke, he fell silent, waiting for the others to voice their opinions.
"I think the greatest strength of 'How a Bad Guy Is Made' is its simplicity, or what we usually call a noob-style. In the past, that term was negative, even a sign of a bad novel. However, it now seems that 'noob-style' means clarity and accessibility. In terms of reading experience, it might even surpass more serious literary works."
Level-1 editor Canfo was the first to speak.
Following that, one by one, the editors in the office began sharing their thoughts.
"I believe 'Bad Guy' has more immersive power than typical novels. This sense of immersion has nothing to do with the plot; it comes purely from the simplified writing. The moment people see this style, they naturally feel drawn in."
Editor Qianxi from Group 2 chimed in.
"I agree. The noob-style language not only boosts the reading experience but also deepens the immersion. We also know that immersion is crucial in online fiction. If a novel achieves this, then at the very least, it won't flop."
Editor Qingshan from Group 4 added his voice.
"I think 'Bad Guy' caters to the market. I actually looked into the demographics of its readers, and most of them are under 25. That proves its target audience is younger than the average web novel. A noob-style novel fits perfectly with that age group's reading habits."
Tian'gu from Group 5 said, "Oh, and I also looked into the education levels of 'Bad Guy' readers. Over 90% of them don't have a college degree. That lines up well with the general internet population. So even though we didn't think much of it at first, this novel's audience base was already set up to make it a hit."
"I agree. We've seen similar trends at Lingdian. But unlike 'Bad Guy', the authors I manage write well and have solid technique; we thought they had great potential and promoted them several times, but none of them gained traction. Looking back, it's probably because of their audience. Their readers tend to be older, and older readers make up a smaller portion of the internet. So no matter how well they write, they end up being niche."
Tangdou from Group 6 supported the point.
After half an hour, everyone had shared their views.
"Huh? Group 7 Wuyue, everyone else has spoken. Why haven't you?"
Finally, 567 turned to Wuyue from Group 7.
"Wuyue, you're the one who signed 'Bad Guy'. If not for you, this novel might've been buried. I've got to hand it to you, you've done Lingdian a great service."
567 had high hopes for Wuyue. At first, he hadn't noticed anything special about the young man. But after watching him for a while, he realized Wuyue was incredibly hardworking. He would read through nearly every novel on Lingdian's charts each release cycle. As an editor, he already had more than enough novels to deal with. Most wouldn't bother reading anything beyond their job. But Wuyue stuck to it religiously.
And in the end, that persistence paid off. All that reading honed his unique eye, signing 'Bad Guy' was the best proof of that.
"Chief, I just wasn't ready to speak yet."
"Not ready?"
567 was surprised. "Wuyue, you've been researching, haven't you? Looks like you've got some thoughts already. Go ahead, tell us. As the editor of 'Bad Guy', your perspective is valuable."
"Alright, I'll start from how I signed the novel."
Wuyue nodded and began.
"When 'Bad Guy' hit 30.000 words, I noticed it in the backend and was getting ready to review it. At first, I thought it was just another noob-style novel and almost gave up. But I resisted the urge and kept reading. Around chapter ten, I realized I'd become completely immersed in the story. Even now, as its editor, I still read it daily like any other fan."
"More importantly, I no longer care much about the prose or writing quality. In fact, after reading 'Bad Guy', I find more serious novels tiring, almost hard to get into.
"I've spoken with the author, The Number One White Under Heaven. Back when the novel wasn't popular, I noticed that he was extremely confident. Even his pen name says it all, this isn't someone who can't write serious literature. He's deliberately writing noob-style."
"Mhm, go on!" 567 nodded, clearly having noticed this too.
Not just him, most of the editors and authors probably had.
That line, 'The world slander me', and that poem, 'The Song of a Man' could someone capable of writing such powerful lines really be limited to noob-style writing?
"So after chatting with The Number One White Under Heaven, I started analyzing 'Bad Guy' more closely. In our literary history, from Warring States poetry to Qin and Han prose, to Tang poetry, Song lyrics, and Ming-Qing novels, we've seen a progression, from serious to popular literature. The closer we get to modern works, the simpler the language becomes. The vernacular movement in the Ming era made popular literature mainstream. Even now, most web novelists still write in a semi-literary, semi-vernacular style.
"A lot of writers believe semi-literary writing best fits modern aesthetics and evokes better imagery.
"But is that really true?
"I don't think so.
"Sure, semi-literary prose can be elegant and rhythmic at times. But for the average reader, it can also get in the way. And as for literary flavor, do you think modern novels have more poetic beauty than Tang poems or Song lyrics? Clearly not. Yet why don't we still read those old works?"
"The truth is, those styles are outdated."
"Maybe 'outdated' isn't the right word, let's say they're classic, but not suitable for mass promotion."
"So, Wuyue, are you saying that noob-style writing could become mainstream in the future, even replace serious writing?"
"I'm not sure. There's a huge gap between traditional and online literature. Noob-style might not appeal to traditional readers. But web novels are a different story. The internet is lighter, freer, younger; noob-style writing fits that platform perfectly. I think it'll have an even bigger market in the future. More authors will join this trend, and it will shape the direction of online literature."
With that, Wuyue delivered his final view.
And it was strikingly similar to 567's.
"Looks like Wuyue has studied noob-style writing even more deeply than the rest of us."
567 was clearly excited by this point.
Whether they could surpass Lianheng and Huanyue would depend on whether they could harness this wave of noob-style fiction.
Just as he was about to begin that discussion, the founder of Lingdian, Plum Blossom Sword, burst into the office in a panic.
"Yang Guang, pause the meeting. Come with me to see the officials from the National Press and Publication Administration. We've got a problem."
==========
Support the translation and help me keep the work.
patreon.com/Childish_Patriarch