Where to Publish Your Novel in 2026: 12 Platforms Compared 258

Picking the wrong submission platform feels worse than completely messing up a novel — that's why people often DM me asking, "I want to write a novel, which platform should I submit to?" One line really can't answer that. Short fiction and long fiction are different, male-oriented and female-oriented are different, and wanting to make money versus wanting to build a body of work are different too. This time I've simply pulled together a list of platforms on the market that are still operating normally, split them into four major categories, spelled out the pros and cons clearly, so you can compare and pick on your own.

Beginner's Village

• Tomato Novel (Fanqie Xiaoshuo): The traffic here is genuinely massive — after all, it's ByteDance's own child. Getting a contract isn't hard; write 20,000 words and you're set, suitable for beginners looking for a place to practice. The attendance bonus is pretty generous too, ranging from 600 to 3,000, plus there are support programs. The downside is obvious too: before the first 80,000 words you're basically playing solo, and writing with no readers is hard on the mindset. Later on it all depends on the algorithm's mood — once recommendations tank, earning just a few bucks a day is common.

• Qimao Chinese (Qimao Zhongwenwang): Friendly to newcomers in terms of benefits — sign the contract and you get a guaranteed minimum of 6 yuan per thousand characters. Doesn't sound like much, but it's stable. Royalties start at 20 yuan per thousand characters. Suited for wireless-style and fast-paced stories. However, getting accepted isn't that easy — the review standards aren't low. The readership skews older, with the majority being over thirty.

• Shuqi Novel (Shuqi Xiaoshuo): The author growth system is well-built, there are no barriers to signing, and it's very friendly for those just starting out — you can sign for a guaranteed minimum. Attendance bonuses range from 600 to 6,000.

• 17K Novel (17K Xiaoshuo): An established site with a fairly complete training system that genuinely invests time in newcomers. Attendance bonuses range from 1,500 to 2,500, which is on the higher end in the industry. They accept both long and short fiction, with contracts divided into three tiers.

• Migu Reading (Migu Yuedu): Stable attendance bonuses, good for practicing your writing and getting a feel for things. Submissions are mostly done through the PC client. But you need to read the specific attendance and submission rules carefully — they may change from time to time.

• Tadu Literature (Tadu Wenxue): Low barrier to signing, not as many hoops for newcomers to jump through. But keep an eye out — your work has to reach 200,000 characters before attendance bonuses start counting the following month, so you'll need to tough it out at first.

Top-Tier Battlefield

• Qidian Chinese (Qidian Zhongwenwang): The grand tournament ground for male-oriented long fiction — the traffic is huge without even needing to say so, readers have solid paying habits, and stickiness is strong. After getting on the shelves, attendance is 1,500 per month, with the condition of updating 4,000 words daily. The issue is getting a contract is tough — the demands on writing and plot are very strict, flopping is the norm while going viral is extremely rare.

• JJWXC (Jinjiang Wenxuecheng): Half the kingdom for female-oriented work — ninety percent of readers are women. Romance, BL and similar genres are mainstream here, and the IP development capability is strong. The biggest issue is signing is very difficult, and they sign the person not the book — one contract locks you in for five years, so think it through.

• Zhihu: Now a major hub for short fiction — emotional, suspense and wild-idea stories do particularly well. Submissions generally need to be over 8,000 characters. Getting accepted is hard and the review is strict, but once you make it onto Yan Selection, the income is impressive.

• Feilu Chinese (Feilu Zhongwenwang): The stronghold for power-fantasy and wild-idea fiction — the pace is lightning fast, and system-flow and brain-tickling stories fit best here.

Niche Tracks

• Female-oriented / Romance: Besides JJWXC, Xiaoxiang, Hongxiu Tianxiang, Yunqi and Xiangwang are also established strongholds, each with its own reader base.

• Anime / Light novels: Ciwei Cat (Ciwei Mao) is the top dog, and Bolo Bao also focuses on this circle.

• Suspense / Supernatural: Black Rock Reading (Heiyan Yuedu) is the gathering place for these genres.

• Publishing-oriented / Literary: Douban Reading focuses on novellas, with a 30/70 revenue split, no daily updates required, and a free pace. If you want to go physical, you can submit directly to publishers or literary journals.

• Short fiction platforms: Meitiantingduidian Gushi (1,000 yuan minimum once you enter VIP) and UC Story Meeting (UC Gushihui, decent per-thousand-character rate) are also options.

Other Options

• Niche / Chill: If you don't want to grind it out on the big sites, check out Chunhe (focuses on medium and short fiction) and Jiuhuai Chinese (Jiuhuai Zhongwenwang, focuses on premium long fiction) — the vibe is relatively laid-back.

• Flexible rights: Aiwenzhe lets you authorize just the agency rights, keeping the copyright in your own hands.

• Overseas: Webnovel (Qidian International) and Wattpad (North America's JJWXC) — worth trying the overseas market.

• Newcomers: Newer platforms like Qiyuan Novel (Qiyuan Xiaoshuowang) and Shuzhi Reading (Shuzhi Yuedu) are also worth keeping an eye on.

• Digital publishing: WeChat Reading (Weixin Dushu) and Zhe Digital Media (Zheban Shumei) are also viable routes — essentially publishing e-books directly.

My Suggestions

• Take stock of your own work first: Are you writing long or short? Male-oriented or female-oriented? Going for fast pacing or literary writing? If you can't pin this down, choosing a platform is just guessing.

• Figure out what you're after: Are you in a hurry to earn money to support yourself, or do you want to build up readers and reputation, or are you purely creating for love without expecting returns? Different goals mean entirely different paths.

• Always study the rankings: Don't bury your head in writing. First, check the hot lists on your target platforms to see what genres and styles are trending recently, so you get a feel for it. This is more useful than reading a hundred strategy guides.

• Weigh the trade-offs clearly: No platform is perfect. Tomato has traffic but ai might take your lunch; Qidian has a high ceiling but if you flop, it's all for nothing. Pick what matters most to you, and accept the downside you can stomach best.

• Read the submission rules carefully: Word count requirements, submission methods, royalty split vs. guaranteed minimum, how attendance is calculated — be sure to check these details in advance to avoid pitfalls.