But the voices against the commercialization of writing are also loud. Critic Yang in Shanghai pointed out that the publication of literary works has been linked too closely to the volume of sales and profits, and it has been directly related to the fame and prestige of writers. He also complained that most literary publications have begun to contain some commercial advertising.

In fact, many Chinese writers have turned to writing screenplays, which has contributed to the high audience ratings of some television series and films. It is said that the scriptwriter of a popular TV series will earn at least 1 million yuan.

Some writers have also become celebrities like movie stars. The trend is especially prominent among the young generation of writers. Han Han, for example, has captured the public's attention more for his blog, auto racing, pop album and even his amorous affairs, rather than his novels.

As a result, writers seem to have become a controversial group in China. "The recognition of writers by society is now at a loss, because the group is increasingly expanding; various people have joined," said Zhu Zhilin, an editor at a publishing house in Shanghai.

"In the current domestic market, most best-selling books have little literary value, which will mislead general readers and make them think these works are excellent works," said critic Zhu Dake. In his view, the market standard has replaced the literary standard nowadays, and the quality of the works by literary elites and the general level of the Chinese literature have been declining. Even though, he said he still hopes to see more and more works having both commercial and literary value.

Jiang Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Writers' Association, insisted that writers need to win respect from society by the quality of their works and rediscover their value and the contribution of literature to society. "Writers should become the guides of the soul of people," he stressed.