Ch. 581Afterword (I seem to have posted this as a VIP chapter just now—sorry. I can't post a duplicate...)
Chapter Summary
Plot points and events
- The author celebrates finishing their first book, which exceeded 1.2 million Chinese characters, and thanks readers for their support.
- They recount an early publishing disaster on X Mao: mistakenly using bulk upload put 58 saved chapters online at once, including duplicates and corrupted text. Unable to fix everything quickly and receiving no response from an editor, they repaired the chapters manually.
- Their first two contract applications were rejected. After encouragement from readers, they moved the book to X Point, where readers followed them and the story began gaining traction.
- The author describes the book’s growth through successive recommendations, rising from a few hundred bookmarks to nearly 24,000. After going paid in December, it exceeded the premium milestone in February and received a major homepage recommendation in March. First-day paid subscriptions surpassed their expectations, reaching more than 2,600.
- They announce a break of a little over a month before deciding what to write next. The book’s completion request has been submitted, and they apologize for accidentally posting the afterword as a paid VIP chapter.
Character development
- The author presents themself as an inexperienced writer who makes rookie mistakes, struggles through rejection, and gradually gains confidence through persistence and reader support.
- Despite the book’s flaws, they take responsibility for completing it and emphasize that they kept their update schedule and delivered promised bonus chapters.
Character interactions
- Readers help identify the upload problem, comfort the author after contract rejections, offer tips, and follow the story to its new platform.
- An editor eventually explains that the recommendation sequence is normal and that the book has successfully advanced.
- The author repeatedly addresses readers directly, expressing gratitude and inviting suggestions for a future project.
Significant themes
- Persistence in the face of setbacks and embarrassment.
- The importance of reader encouragement and community support.
- The uncertainty and learning curve of publishing, contracts, rankings, and recommendations.
- Gratitude, humility, and commitment to finishing what one starts.