Author Qian Fuchang has written a novel in 70-word chapters, intended to be transmitted by cell phone text message.

Outside the Fortress Besieged, the story of an extramarital affair, consists of 60 chapters totaling about 4,000 words, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"The plot develops just like that of an ordinary novel," author Qian Fuchang said.

The potential market is huge: China has the world's biggest mobile phone market, with more than 300 million users who are avid buyers of services that send news, sports, horoscopes and other material by text message.

Qian's employer, the Guangdong Literature Academy in the southern province of Guangdong, is planning an auction to sell the novel to text message services.

"The novel, which contains all literary elements, will be a real literary work," said Xie Wangxin, the academy's vice chairman.

(China Daily July 13, 2004)