Researchers at the University of Exeter and Oxford Brookes University have launched a two-year project to investigate whether elements of China’s internet literature model could support digital transformation and intellectual property development across the UK publishing sector.
The £257,000 project, funded through an Arts and Humanities Research Council Catalyst Award, will examine Chinese Internet Literature (CIL), a platform-based publishing model that allows large numbers of writers to publish material digitally and receive payment on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
Researchers will investigate how aspects of the model could translate to the UK, including direct interaction between authors and readers and established pathways for converting successful online literature into other forms of intellectual property.
The study will engage publishers, authors, readers and organisations across the wider creative industries, combining academic research with industry and public participation.
Research to examine digital publishing models
CIL platforms allow readers to influence the development and performance of stories through functions including ratings, comments and financial rewards.
The model has also developed routes for successful web novels to expand into television, films, audio dramas, short-form dramas, games and merchandise.
Led by Dr Wenqian Zhang from the University of Exeter’s Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, the project will examine the potential advantages and disadvantages of adapting similar approaches for the UK market.
“The UK publishing industry is navigating a period of rapid digital transformation,” said Zhang.
“Publishers, authors and readers alike are experiencing a range of shifts, including revenue models under growing strain; rising demand for multimedia and cross-platform content; authors increasingly turning to alternative routes to reach readers directly; and intensifying pressure from AI-powered technologies.”
She said the research would seek to understand how publishers, authors and readers might respond to CIL-inspired approaches.
Project to involve publishing and creative industry stakeholders
Working with the National Centre for Writing, the research team will undertake a comparative analysis of Chinese internet literature platforms and equivalent services operating in the UK.
The project will also survey UK writers and readers, conduct interviews with publishing and creative industry professionals and organise cross-sector and public-facing events.
Another strand will examine how intellectual property is developed across different media in China and the UK.
Researchers will compare processes through which publishing content moves into areas such as screen adaptations, games and merchandise, potentially providing findings relevant to organisations beyond the publishing industry itself.
The multidisciplinary project is designed to generate evidence that can be used by industry participants as they consider new digital publishing and IP development approaches.
Findings could inform digital transformation decisions
The research is also being undertaken against the backdrop of the UK’s National Year of Reading in 2026, which is seeking to address declining levels of reading enjoyment.
Dr Haili Li, project co-lead from Exeter’s Department of Communications, Drama and Film, said understanding emerging digital publishing models could provide lessons for both audience engagement and the development of the wider creative economy.
“We hope that the outcomes from our project will not only inform innovative approaches and practices across the UK publishing sector, but more importantly, provide policymakers with crucial evidence and insights to support decisions around digital transformation and creative industries’ growth,” she said.
The two-year project, Transforming Digital Publishing in the UK: Strategic Insights from the Chinese Internet Literature Model, will use its research and engagement programme to assess which elements of the Chinese model could be applicable in the UK and identify the practical, commercial and cultural considerations surrounding their adoption.
