FAQ

1. Who are you?

I am a Chinese-Australian girl who is an aspiring historical/fantasy writer. Later on I will include my own original novels on the website so please check them out! 

I also read a lot of Chinese internet novels in my spare time, both in English and in the raw Chinese. My other hobbies are Pilates, watching drama (my favorite are Chinese, Korean and American drama), online shopping, travelling and I have a uselessly large handbag collection...

(Also Australian and British English sometimes differs from American English, I am aware most of my readers are used to American English so I've tried to use this when I can but sometimes I might forget or not realize haha.)

2. How can I contact you?

Either leave me a comment below (make sure you include your own contact details if you want me to respond), or email me at: spiderlilysmusings@gmail.com. 

3. How do you translate? Do you use MTL?

I use a combination of manual translation and machine translation. Basically I will machine translate it first for speed but usually the MTL is full of errors, especially when it comes to historical and fantasy which is my two favorite categories. I will then go through each chapter and cross reference with the Chinese raws (I can read simplified Chinese) and fix up any errors. Of course I'm only a hobby translator so expect some minor errors, but there shouldn't be anything glaring. If there is please comment and let me know.

4. Can I translate your translation into another language?

Yes go ahead, you don't need my permission. Just please include a link to my translation and if you would like me to link to you then leave me a comment either on the Index page for the story or below.

5. Can you translate something for me? Can I recommend something to you to translate?

Sure you can recommend me something (you can do it in the comments here!). If I like it enough I will consider translating it. Please see the below two questions for what I do and don't like when it comes to reading.

6. What do I like to read/translate?

- Historical and fantasy (xianxia/xuanhuan) is my favorite categories but I also enjoy a good modern novel if it fulfills the other subjects I like. I also enjoy a good QT.

- I love Angst with HE (happy ending). So the process is bloody/dramatic/tragic (the bloodier/"angstier" the better) but the ending should be happy. As for BE (bad ending), it's not that I don't like it and I've read some wonderful ones, but I get scared haha. You can recommend me BE too if it's well-written. I love QT that has BE for all the arcs, but has a HE at the end.

- I like stories where FL falls in love first. ML falls in love first is also fine but FL can't be totally clueless to his feelings or feel nothing for him until the end.

- I prefer stories that are realistic and bittersweet. Topics I can handle (and in fact enjoy) are if the ML also has other girlfriends/lovers (e.g. in historical novels, it's reasonable for the Emperor/noblemen to have multiple concubines), and if characters have stronger motivations/ambitions than just being with each other (i.e. willing to sacrifice their romantic love for something "greater"). I like stories where the ML betrays the FL at some point in the story. Of course I also enjoy stories that don't have these as well, as long as well-written.

- This website is for translating and writing GB (girl x boy), I also read and enjoy BL sometimes but prefer to keep this website GB only.

- I don't mind smut! But smut with a plot please. I also don't mind either 1x1 or NP (harem).

7. What don't I like to read/translate?

- So when I say I like Angst, the angst has to be from the perspective of the FL. I find stories where the FL is totally cold-hearted and has no interest in the ML boring since it feels like there's no stakes at play. I love wife-chasing crematorium novels but the crematorium has to be earned, i.e. the FL has to go through hell first to earn the ML's regret. So if the novel just starts off as something like the FL reincarnated, now hates the ML and the entire novel is just trying to get away from him... like where's the emotional investment? 

- For the same reason I don't like QT where the FL doesn't really fall in love with anyone. It's okay if she's conflicted or she's not sure. But she has to have emotional investment in the story for me to empathize with her.

- I dislike 傻白甜 ("dumb white sweet") novels where the FL is completely clueless to the ML's interest for the majority of the novel. Again, no emotional investment and so not interesting for me. I don't mind the FL being naive due inexperience or just being straight up tricked by the ML, but I dislike novels where she just coasts through life winning everything easily just being ever-so-charming or adorable. Blergh. 

- I don't like novels that are just sugar/fluff. I mean I guess they're not bad but I find them again a bit boring when there's no drama. 

- I don't like smut that has zero plot (however I do love smut with plot!) 

8. Any more questions please write it in the comments and I'll answer as soon as I can!