"I want to make a pure campus magazine that represents the original beauty of youth and the dreams that go along with it," said Guo, explaining his motivations for creating After School. In Guo's view, too many people consider today's youth to be shallow and naive, a stereotype he wishes to confront head on.

"I feel it's important to cast aside those notions once and for all," he stressed.

In addition, Guo knows that most young people reach for youth and campus literature when they finish with their classes and studies for the day. He chose to establish his magazine in order to meet these readers' preferences.

"I believe After School will impress readers," Guo said.

Although the publisher says sales of the magazine, which debuted January 13 and is available for 10 yuan ($1.58) at newsstands, foretell a promising future, responses from readers are mixed.

A netizen calling herself "lulu3A87" on Sina Weibo (China's version of twitter) said the magazine is a great disappointment.

"The cover is too flowery and there are too many cartoons. I don't like it," she said.

Others were charmed by the debut issue's aesthetic.

"The words and pictures in it are so gentle and heartwarming," another Weibo user, who goes by "Jing of Autumn," said.

Young adult books have become a major cash cow for the book market in recent years. Between 2008 and 2010, Guo Jingming, Zheng Yuanjie, and Yang Hongying, whose novels are written for younger audiences, alternated positions as the top three most wealthy Chinese authors.

However, unlike Guo, Zheng and Yang's books are mainly for children, while Guo has long dominated the young adult category.

But Guo's new project may signal his departure from a career solely focused on the teen market. According to Changjiang Times, based in Wuhan, following the release of his new magazine, many insiders of the publishing industry have speculated that the magazine is actually meant to target children, paving the way for him to enter the children's book market.

And despite Guo's statements that the magazine is for teenagers, the media is unconvinced.

"Guo's magazine targets a demographic that is much younger than his usual fans, and he is vying for a share of Zheng Yuanjie's readership," reported Wuhan-based Changjiang Daily.

"Guo is marching into the children's market with an already high profile," according to Chutian Jinbao, also based in Wuhan.

Meanwhile, Guo seems to have even more projects up his sleeve.

On December 28 of last year, at the Cross-Straits Digital Forum in Taipei, Guo revealed that he is considering establishing a branch office of Zuibook in Taiwan to introduce his company's authors to the island.

"It will strengthen the communication of mainland publications across the Straits," Guo said. He added that such an undertaking would not only introduce novice writers from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan, but also offer a platform for Taiwan's well-known writers to gain exposure on the mainland.