Online writing has been trending in China after the massive hit of a play based on an online novel series.

The play which has earned 28 million yuan (US$4.5 million) in ticket sales was based on online novel series “Daomu”, translated in English as the Grave Robber’s Chronicles. The online novel talks about a young man, Wu Xie, who came from a family of tomb-raiders. Two sequels have also been written including Zang Hai Hua and Sha Hai. However, neither of the two were reported to be finished before the author’s announced retirement in March 2013.

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The play has already scheduled 45 performances in Shanghai for summer, reported online news portal The Paper.

The report went on saying literature site Cloudary has gained the millions of yuan after putting royalties into auction. Six online literary works have been auctioned off to be adapted as mobile phone games last month. This marked a 10 fold increase from the past year.

Online literature has already turned Chinese writers to millionaires including Ji (pseudonym) and 2 whose readers reached millions in number in 2007. Another Chinese writer named Tang Brick has been pocketing 60,000 yuan monthly for his online works.

An online gaming firm has offered to acquire royalties for Ji and 2’s works for a mobile phone game with a hefty price tag of 2.5 million yuan. This made the two online writers geared to becoming playwrights for dramas played on video sites.

Insiders in the industry said that it has been uncommon for online literature royalties to reach 5 million to 10 million yuan after intellectual property experienced a price surge in the last year.

According to online writer Fan Dongliu, the income of those who have been writing online has also increased after people became hooked on online mobile reading. The craze has also widened thanks to mobile online gaming. This was after developers became more than willing to invest hefty amounts for stories to be adapted into games.

TagsGrave Robber's Chronicles, mobile phone gaming, Daomu, Wu Xie, Ji, Zang Hai Hua, Sha Hai, The Paper