To those who cannot write trendy novels. Actually, the future of novels is shifting slightly right now. So wait, don't put down your pen. Crustal movements from Kakuyomu | Book Publication Log

2:00 AM.

I finished reading up to episode 9 of the Webtoon 'Mercenary Enrollment' in one go,
put down my smartphone,
and let out a deep sigh.

“I see, so the resolution of this bullying
maximizes the pleasure of revenge.
It's a perfect structure...”

My brain as a marketer
was applauding the mechanism that makes it readable.

But at the same time,
my heart was filled with a terribly pathetic feeling.

When I actually pick up a pen,
I just can't choose that path.

It's not so much pride as it is
a feeling close to fear.

“What if I pander to the readers,
sell my soul a little bit
to a trendy template,
and then
it doesn't get read by anyone?”

…I was unbearably afraid
of imagining myself
slipping up like that.

If you are also currently,

“I can't write what I want to write,”
“Am I no good because I can't jump on the trends?”

If you are thinking that
and are about to put down your pen,
please listen to me
for just a moment.

Actually, right now, in the novel world,
a major change is happeningthat might save your

“clumsy obsession”

that you have.

The atmosphere that says 'If you write what you want to write, you lose'

I want to properly bring out the characters' personalities.
I want to include beautiful landscape descriptions properly too.
I want to do rich character portrayals.
I want to let the relationships develop firmly.
I want to make important scenes long.
I don't want to simplify kanji.

I want to carefully weave a 'story'.

Beyond the layered story,
there is a shining scene.
Because I love
such heartfelt stories.

But all of my 'wants' are

"That won't be popular."
"You should stop."

That's what people tell you.

Do I really have to follow the trends
to get people to read my work?

If no one wants it,
maybe I should just quit...

There are so many people in the novel community
who are hurting like this.

I understand.
I really understand.

Even I
had plenty of things I wanted to write
if I hadn't been under the curse of numbers from 20 years as a marketer.

But listen.
I'll start with the conclusion.

Your "story"
will shine in the world to come.

The reason I decided to write this

The reason is simple.
Because it made me sad.

On Shousetsuka ni Narou,
there is a work I really love.

The title is
"The Girl Who Ate a Death God" (completed in 2012)

But if you look at it through today's
"rules for titles that get read,"
this is quite disadvantageous.

The target audience is unclear.


In the ranking market,
it's a title that would be ignored in 0.5 seconds.

But you'll understand if you read it.

If this story
were given one of today's "bestselling titles,"
the worldview would be ruined.

It is a rugged and profound
dark fantasy.

But there is a problem,
this work is

In other words,
they are completely outside
the 'rules for novels that get read'.

It's cruel, but
works like this

can hardly surface
in the current ranking market.

Even though they are interesting,
they sink with zero PV forever.

When that happens, the author despairs and
quietly puts down their pen.

I
really hate that.
That is why I am writing this.

The message Kakuyomu sent out

The Kakuyomu contest
that started in March.
I was a little surprised
when I saw the themes.

・Mystery
・Hard-boiled dark fantasy
・Reincarnation

Honestly, these are quite disadvantageous genres
in the current rankings.

But the subtitle was

'Won't you join us in creating the future of novels 10 years from now?'

that was it.

When I saw this,
I thought to myself.

Ah,
the management doesn't want
the future to stay as it is.

The world will change when AI arrives

Soon, AI will be able to
'I'm too strong'
'Serves you right'
like
create as many stories with easy-to-understand catharsis as it wants.

If readers say to their smartphones,
'Write me a 'serves you right' story where I'm too strong',
novels to their liking
will come out infinitely.

When that happens,
stories that only offer 'easy pleasure'
will lose their value.

That is precisely why, right now,
I think they are trying to scoop up stories that only humans can write.

Another problem: 'IP'

The term 'IP' that you hear often lately.

It refers to stories that get adapted into anime,
become games,
and last for 10 years.

Huh?
Last for 10 years?
I've heard that somewhere before...

'Won't you join us in creating the future of novels 10 years from now?'

That's right.
It's the subtitle of the Kakuyomu contest.

What publishers really want
is actually this kind of work.

But the current rankings
have a very fast consumption speed.

That is why

Works like these
end up sinking to the bottom of the rankings.

That is
such a waste, isn't it?

That is why Kakuyomu took action

This contest is
in a place slightly different from the rankings,
with a system where editors discover works directly
instead.

The themes are also
・Mystery solving
・Hard-boiled dark fantasy
・Reincarnation

These are all genres
that are disadvantageous in the rankings.

When I saw this, I thought,
'They are trying to go and pick up stories once again'

What the management is trying to protect

What they likely want to protect is
stories written by humans.

・Complex emotions
・Unreasonable despair
・Long-accumulated context
Because those are things
that AI cannot easily create.

A story about the reading experience

To be honest,
current web novels are
digital snacks.

Quickly consumed,
instant dopamine.

But is that really
a true reading experience...?

Perhaps not.
True reading is

imagining,
reflecting,
and empathizing.

It is an
experience
that shakes your own values.

The theme of this contest
is trying to reclaim
that kind of reading experience once again.

That is
what I feel.

So I have a request.

If you are currently

"I can't write what I want to write,"
"I wrote it but it's not being read,"
"It's not being evaluated,"

if there is anyone suffering like that,
please,
don't give up on writing.

The story you have carefully spun
will surely be needed in the coming era.

There is no need to
whittle yourself down to fit a trendy mold.

A work written with love for the characters,
love for the world,
and love for the story
will definitely
pierce someone's heart somewhere.

And I
love those kinds of stories.

Please, may your story
not disappear from this world.

ーーーーーーーーーーーー

If you read this article and thought,

"I was about to give up on writing, but
　maybe I'll try writing a little more"

If there is anyone who felt that way

please be sure to share this
with other writers who are struggling in the same way.

While I write,

・Analysis of the web novel market
・Survival strategies for writers
・The future of the novel scene

about these topics,
I will continue to write.

If you are interested,
I would be happy if you followed me.

ーーーーーーーーーーーー

Lastly, please let me confess something.

Until now, on this note, I have talked until I was blue in the face about:
“Be a Hermes craftsman for your readers”
“Change your packaging (title/synopsis) to match needs”
“If an ordinary person aims for book publication, there is no such thing as a day off”

However,
those rules are now
starting to change.

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation
about the future of web novels,
please take a look at this
“In-depth Book Publication Log”👇

This is what the person behind the scenes is like👇