Chapter 73: Thoughts on Going Premium. Going Premium Tomorrow (NOT A CHAPTER)

First and foremost, gratitude.

Thank you to every reader of my book.

Every read, every recommendation, every monthly ticket, every comment, every fan fiction, every tip – they all support and encourage my continued writing. I'm deeply moved by some familiar IDs who started commenting and voting when my book was only at 20,000 words. Even now, I occasionally see their active presence.

I'm also grateful to those who've read up to this point. Your readership is a validation and encouragement of my work.

Thanks to those who voted and tipped. Your support is a significant affirmation and motivation.

Next, I'd like to thank my editor, Penglai.

Being a complete novice, I came to Qidian (a popular Chinese web novel platform) simply because I heard, "Ah, many people read web novels here." It seemed "big and official," so I submitted my work. I was clueless about Qidian's rules and recommendations.

Thank you to my editor for not dismissing this newbie and for clarifying my doubts.

Then, gratitude to other authors.

Being new and ignorant, I asked some pretty naive questions in the authors' group. I'm thankful to the veterans who patiently answered my queries. Also, thanks to fellow Warhammer authors. Knowing they exist assures me I'm not alone. Some even engage in discussions and recommend my work.

I also owe thanks to the good folks on Bilibili and Tieba who share resources. Without them, this story wouldn't exist. They truly are the unsung heroes...

Lastly, gratitude to my family and friends in real life.

Even without understanding web novels or Warhammer, they've supported my creative endeavors, providing emotional encouragement and space. I'm deeply thankful.

Now, some musings on my journey.

My first Warhammer faction love was for Robert Guilliman, followed by Angron, and then Mortarion. The Death Guard's "silent march amidst death" was just too cool. After watching videos, I dove into the original works and then searched for fan fiction. To my dismay, I couldn't find any focused on the Death Guard!

I was frustrated. Why, despite the popularity of "Plague War" and "Mortarion," were there no web novels about them?

In a fit of determination, I declared, "Even if I have to jump off a cliff, I'll see a Death Guard web novel!" And so, I began writing about a pale-faced boy tilling a cornfield. That was the beginning.

Before this, I'd only written short pieces, around 2k to 10k words. For this story, I wanted to write longer, and to motivate myself, I decided to post it on a platform. That's how I came to Qidian.

To my surprise, my work was picked up and signed by Penglai. It was unbelievable. I began to understand Qidian's recommendation system and watched my story's metrics grow. From the first to the third round of recommendations, everything was smooth. And now, I'm going premium.

I'm aware that my writing skills might not fully justify this success. Perhaps it's the unique start or the rarity of Warhammer stories that attracted readers. I've discarded many drafts (around 3-4k words out of 16k). Often, I'd write 4k words and delete 2k.

In conclusion, as long as real-life doesn't interfere, I'll finish this story. But rapid updates... are unlikely.

And a promise: in this book, humanity will have a good ending.

(Also, as a thank-you for going premium, I'll release an odd side story of about 10k words tonight.)

Lying down in peace...