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Waves Blog.
The novel version of 'Autumn in My Heart' had been updated daily for 20 straight days on Lu Chen's blog, with around 3,000 words per day, totaling 60,000 words so far, which happened to match the first four episodes of the drama.
On Waves Blog, many users were posting serialized novels, whether out of personal passion or to build a fanbase. Blogging fiction has become an integral part of China's online literature scene.
Since its birth around the year 2000, China's web literature industry had ballooned into a massive market, with dozens of major literary platforms. In recent years, the explosion of IP (Intellectual Property) commercialization had brought a wave of hype and speculation, further driving the popularity of web novels. Some top online authors were earning tens of millions of yuan per year.
But precisely because IP value had grown so much, most major web platforms clamped down tightly on copyrights, locking authors into contracts that bundled up all intellectual property rights. As a result, many writers who wanted creative freedom had migrated to more open platforms, like blogs, forums, or niche communities like Feixin Circles.
Of course, without the backing of a big platform, it was hard to monetize through licensing deals or adaptations.
Lu Chen's decision to serialize 'Autumn in My Heart' on Waves Blog was primarily to build buzz and promote the TV adaptation currently in production. Secondarily, it laid the groundwork for a potential physical novel release.
Unlike the pirate-ridden world of online fiction, China's physical publishing market remained relatively well-regulated. Many authors made hundreds of millions annually through paperback sales alone.
On Waves Blog, Lu Chen's novel naturally attracted his own fanbase, especially female readers who were fond of urban romance stories.
To be fair, this demographic wasn't huge at first.
Early on, the novel's clicks, shares, and comments were modest, but as word spread, its popularity steadily climbed.
The reason? Simple: the story was incredibly compelling, especially for female readers. The emotional entanglements and twisted fates of the lead characters proved addictive. Many became loyal daily readers and left comments religiously.
A lot of female fans even volunteered as grassroots promoters. They compiled chapters and distributed them across major literary forums, and some even launched a dedicated 'Autumn in My Heart' fan page.
Surprisingly, without any official promotion from Lu Chen or his studio, the fanbase on the novel's forum surpassed 50,000 members, and posts numbered in the hundreds of thousands, rivaling even the hottest current web novels.
The novel's viral success in turn drove up public anticipation for the TV drama version.
On December 1st, Lu Chen, Chen Fei'er, Qian De Brothers Media, and Haijin Satellite TV all released a joint announcement on their respective blogs:
"'Autumn in My Heart' has officially signed with Haijin TV, and will premiere on December 12th, Saturday night at 8:30 PM, in **Haijin's flagship satellite primetime slot!*"
For many fans of Lu Chen and the novel, this was the long-awaited confirmation. The news rocketed up to the top of the Waves Blog trending charts.
On December 2nd, two top influencers and the official accounts of both studios released the first trailer for 'Autumn in My Heart'.
The 3-minute clip featured a preview of the theme song, "Your Eyes," officially debuting for the first time.
With that, the full-scale promotional campaign for the TV drama was launched.
China's film and television industry was in a state of unprecedented boom. Massive investment had flooded in, and competition was fierce.
Even if a TV drama had a famous director, celebrity actors, and a popular IP, launching it without strategic marketing was unthinkable. No network or producer would be so naïve.
The saying "Good wine needs no bush" had long been obsolete.
The days when TV dramas could casually pull in double-digit ratings were gone. This was the era of nationalized marketing warfare.
Lu Chen's previous efforts, like releasing the novel on his blog and announcing Chen Fei'er's casting in advance, were all part of the long-term marketing plan.
But those were just appetizers.
If they wanted to fight for real ratings, this level of promo was nowhere near enough.
So representatives from Lu Chen Studio, Chen Fei'er Studio, Qian De Brothers, and Haijin TV met again for an official promotional strategy session.
Though the producers and broadcasters had different marketing channels, coordination was essential. It prevented mixed messaging or overlapping campaigns, and ensured the biggest impact with the smallest budget.
The meeting was held once again in a high-end restaurant inside Jinling Film City. Despite their tight filming schedules, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er both made time to attend.
Beyond budgeting and campaign scale, the focus was really on promotional strategy.
Strategy mattered immensely, an excellent plan could turn one yuan into ten or even a hundred, while a bad one might waste ten million.
Especially in today's digital age, the public had become numb to media bombardment. Gimmicks and hype were no longer novel. Even professional online marketing agents found their jobs getting tougher and tougher.
They needed everyone to put their heads together and come up with new ideas,
After all, there wasn't much time left for the initial wave of promotions.
Sister Zhang suddenly suggested,
"Why don't we just stir up some gossip between Lu Chen and Fei'er?"
Her real name was Zhang Jie, and she had been Chen Fei'er's assistant for over a decade.
She wasn't Fei'er's first assistant, but definitely the most trusted. Though she was an unassuming woman in her 40s, soft-spoken and usually quiet, her loyalty and help over the years had earned her Fei'er's full respect. So when Sister Zhang spoke, people listened.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the room fell silent.
All eyes turned instantly to Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er.
Most of them were filled with approval, or anticipation.
In both the film and music industries, stirring up romance rumors for publicity was basically standard procedure. In fact, it was often shockingly effective. Just drop some hints, let gossip fester, and you were guaranteed attention.
Some celebrities even thrived on it, every time they had a new project, a juicy "scandal" magically emerged.
Sure, the public was jaded by now. Most people clicked, skimmed, then mocked. But the publicity worked, and best of all, it cost almost nothing.
The gossip media loved this stuff. Many would run with rumors even for free.
What's more, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er were perfectly suited for this type of "romantic buzz": One was a gifted artist, the other a Heavenly Queen of pop. They had even been linked before.
Now they were co-starring in a romantic TV drama? More rumors would be the most natural thing in the world.
And the cheapest.
No need to bribe reporters. Just leak a little noise and the paparazzi would swarm. Throw in a bit of ad spend, and it'd be trending in no time.
In fact, even now, 'Autumn in My Heart''s filming set was crawling with paparazzi.
But of course, none of this could happen unless Fei'er agreed.
Of everyone in the room, Chen Fei'er's status was the highest, so she naturally had the final say.
No one dared ignore her stance.
Sister Zhang's reason for suggesting it was exactly because she knew Fei'er wouldn't object, the other half of the rumor was Lu Chen, after all.
In truth, this was her way of testing the waters. Smart people would hear the real meaning between the lines. And smart people were exactly who filled this room.
Chen Fei'er hesitated briefly, then turned toward Lu Chen.
Just as Sister Zhang had predicted, Fei'er wasn't opposed to the idea. She simply wanted to hear Lu Chen's opinion.
Under everyone's gaze, Lu Chen shook his head and said firmly,
"No gossip-based promotion."
Of course, he knew how effective that kind of marketing could be.
But it wasn't his style. He didn't like it. Not one bit.
Chen Fei'er's eyes sparkled with amusement. She smiled and asked, "Then do you have a better idea?"
She understood exactly how Lu Chen thought.
He paused for a moment, then said, "Let's do a promotional campaign on the blog platform."
That's it?
Everyone exchanged glances, visibly underwhelmed.
Promoting via blogs was basic strategy 101. There were countless events on those platforms, especially the tired old giveaway raffles.
Sure, raffles attracted people, but they rarely had a lasting impact. Most users just came for the free stuff.
But then Lu Chen continued: "I'm thinking of launching a Couple Duet Show!"
"The song will be the 'Autumn in My Heart' theme, 'Your Eyes'. Anyone can enter by uploading a duet video to their personal blog. Prizes can include big cash rewards, a romantic couples' trip to Europe, or even a chance to cameo as extras in the drama."
Couple Duet Show?
Chen Fei'er's eyes instantly lit up; this idea was fresh.
The prizes were nice, sure. But more importantly, the concept was aligned with the drama's theme. It had emotional resonance and buzz-worthy potential.
The event was tasteful, romantic, classy, and would surely draw huge engagement.
And the cost? Surprisingly low. Even the European trip would only be tens of thousands of yuan.
Lu Chen added, "As for the judging panel, Fei'er and I can co-host. We can even bring in Flying Stone Records, that'll also help build momentum for Fei'er's upcoming album."
Fei'er smiled sweetly.
"I can ask Brother Lin to help out, he can be one of the judges too."
Sister Zhang chuckled, "Then this is practically turning into a mini Singing China!"
The "Brother Lin" she referred to was Lin Zhijie, musical director of Flying Stone Records. Both he and Fei'er were longtime judges on Singing China, and Lu Chen had been a former champion contestant on that very show.
Calling this contest a half-version of Singing China? Honestly, not far from the truth.
Lu Chen pitched the idea. Fei'er backed it. And everyone agreed, it was a winner.
They made the decision on the spot!
(End of chapter)