Net access and smartphones ring in success

The Chinese online literature market has risen rapidly in recent years thanks to wider internet access and the mass availability of smartphones.

From just 203 million in 2011, the number of digital readers in the country rose to nearly 380 million last year, according to iResearch Consulting Group.

The Shanghai-headquartered market research company said revenues also increased significantly during this period. In 2011, the digital literature industry reaped 2.7 billion yuan ($393 million) from paid subscriptions, advertisements and adaptation fees. Six years later, revenue had risen to 15.2 billion yuan.