The top platforms for reading web fiction and light novels for free. English originals and translated.
(December 2019 Update: a updated version of this article with additional web novel sites can be found here.)
Like all other forms of media, novels too have moved to the internet, and I?m not just talking about ebooks.
There is a growing base of web fiction offered for free and followed by a loyal readership. In countries like China, web fiction has taken off, becoming a major industry with top writers making millions of dollars and their stories adapted into TV and movies (which is why you?ll see a few of the sites below dedicated to Asian translations).
English web fiction is still in its infancy, but its popularity is steadily growing and will no doubt one day become mainstream. Compiled here is a list of the best platforms currently offering original stories online.
1. Royal Road (royalroad.com)
Royal Road is a popular hosting site of web fiction with an excellent user experience. Some of their top stories have received several millions of views. It?s a great place to discover a new series or start your own. There?s a disproportionate amount of LitRPG and fantasy here, but that?s likely a reflection of online fiction as a whole. Other favorite genres include sci-fi, romance, comedy, and slice of life. They also allow for erotica and adult fiction.
What it?s good for: Getting your feet wet reading and writing web fiction.
2. Web Fiction Guide (webfictionguide.com)
Web Fiction guide has an extensive listing of online fiction, its own editorial staff, and an active community of reviewers. Over two hundred categories of fiction are listed on their site. They don?t host the fiction themselves but link to the authors? personal websites.
What it?s good for: Finding new serials to read, and getting opinions before making the dive into something that might be millions of words.
3. Wattpad (wattpad.com)
If you?re into reading web fiction at all, you?ve probably heard of Wattpad. As an industry leader in online fiction, Wattpad receives tens of millions of visits every month from both their website and their app. Many of their writers have gone on to get lucrative publishing deals. Most stories appear to be geared toward young female readers, but due to its sheer size, you?ll find just about everything here.
What it?s good for: Teen fiction, romance, vast library of stories, excellent reading experience via the Wattpad app on your phone.
4. Gravity Tales (gravitytales.com)
Home to the popular web series Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God, Gravity Tales is an online publisher of translated Chinese and Korean fiction. Their stories are licensed and translated at a brisk pace. Translation and grammar quality varies depending on the series, but if you enjoy stories based on Asian mythology, this is one to check out.
What it?s good for: Reading popular Chinese and Korean web fiction in English.
5. Wuxia World (wuxiaworld.com)
Wuxia World is another repository of Chinese and Korean light novels. The site is run by a group of translators that deliver regular updates to over thirty stories. Unlike Gravity Tales, some of these stories might be unlicensed and the original authors may not be aware that the stories are being translated and published here. However, it appears recently they?ve entered into licensing agreements with Chinese publisher Qidian for their Chinese stories.
What it?s good for: Reading popular Chinese and Korean web fiction in English.
6. Web Novel (webnovel.com)
Web Novel is a fast growing publisher of online fiction. They are owned by Yuewen (Qidian), a Chinese web fiction company, which is a subsidiary of tech behemoth Tencent. The site features both translated works and English originals. Unlike the other sites featured here, Web Novel does charge a fee to unlock chapters for some of their more popular works through a convoluted ?spirit stone? currency system. On the plus side, the UI and design are a step above the norm.
What it?s good for: Reading popular Chinese fiction and English originals.
There you have it, a full list of websites to start reading web fiction and to create and publish stories of your own.
Before you go: Feel free to leave a comment if you think there?s a site that should be on this list. And leave a clap if you liked this article. Thanks for reading!
