Bab 58: Chapter 58: Chu Kuang's Manuscript Fee
Yes, Yu Rong dared not quote a price!
He had been the editor-in-chief of "Interesting Reads" magazine for ten years, having read numerous outstanding short stories during this time. The piece before him, in his ten-year career, undoubtedly belonged to the top tier of novels. Of course, this was Yu Rong's personal opinion, as everyone's perception of literary works differs.
However, Yu Rong believed.
Anyone who read "The Gift of the Magi" would find it challenging to give anything less than a stellar review. The story was incredibly moving, especially the unexpected ending, which, upon reflection, seemed perfectly in line with reason.
But there was no doubt:
This novel had to be acquired!
Yu Rong took a deep breath, called Chu Kuang, and straightforwardly expressed his thoughts, "It's an honor for me to be one of the first readers of this novel. I'm willing to represent the publishing house and offer two hundred thousand to purchase it. Not that the value of this novel is two hundred thousand, but our magazine's fees generally have a limit..."
"Two hundred thousand?"
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and agreed. After all, the other party was just providing a channel to publish "The Gift of the Magi," and he wasn't selling the rights to the novel, so he wasn't overly strict.
"What's two hundred thousand?"
Lin Yuan, currently shopping with his sister and younger sister, heard Lin Yuan's phone call, and her ears perked up. However, Lin Yuan didn't intend to reveal his identity and casually replied, "Salary and such."
"Come, Yao Yao!"
Hearing this, Lin Xuan immediately pulled her younger sister back, "The clothes we just saw are indeed beautiful. Although they cost over three thousand, who made you have such a wealthy brother?"
"No."
Lin Yao was unwilling to let go. Although Lin Yuan seemed to have become rich, saving money was a habit ingrained in these siblings. Neither Lin Yuan nor Lin Xuan nor Lin Yao could become extravagant just because they suddenly had money.
Lin Yuan said, "Let's go back."
Lin Xuan snorted, "Such a stingy brother."
Lin Yuan cooperatively showed a miserly smile. He wouldn't admit that the two sets of down jackets he bought for Lin Yao earlier were all priced above three thousand yuan; otherwise, his sister would feel burdened wearing them.
Back home,
Lin Xuan began to answer phone calls frequently, probably due to the workload accumulated during the New Year holiday. After several consecutive calls, Lin Xuan, feeling frustrated, lay on the sofa and complained, "Senior colleagues say that every year, writers tend to delay submissions during the Spring Festival. This year, I guess half of the writers will miss the deadline. The editor-in-chief is probably contemplating killing me."
"What does 'missing the deadline' mean?"
Younger sister Lin Yao seemed curious about this.
Lin Xuan explained, "In the early days, 'opening the skylight' was a term used in magazines or newspapers. Originally, it referred to a professionally arranged layout, but when the author couldn't submit the manuscript on time, leaving that section blank, it's akin to 'opening the skylight.' In our world of novels, 'opening the skylight' means delaying the submission."
Lin Yao asked, "What about delayed submissions?"
Lin Xuan sighed, "Generally speaking, for writers, there are deadlines. The former is an agreed-upon time with the editor for manuscript submission. Submitting the original manuscript on time allows for enjoyable revision work. The latter, however, if not completed, could jeopardize the publication schedule. Considering printing and other factors, the original manuscript must be completed by a certain time. Deadlines are a terrifying thing for writers. However, for some writers with both talent and popularity, 'opening the skylight' and pushing the deadline has almost become their signature."
Lin Yao inquired, "Will there be penalties?"
Lin Xuan shook her head, "Lesser-known writers dare not delay submissions. We have contracts binding us, and failing to produce a manuscript can lead to financial penalties. As for high-profile writers, even though we have contracts, we dare not withhold their fees for delaying submissions. Take Dongfeng Laozei, for example; he's our publishing house's most prestigious author. He always takes several months to submit a manuscript, but no one dares to say much. We just follow the usual practice of urging him a bit."
"That's how it is."
Although it was a conversation between sisters, Lin Yuan listened attentively from the side. Despite carrying the title of Chu Kuang, he didn't really understand this industry's ecosystem.
So, it sounded quite interesting.
For instance, Sister Lin mentioned that over seventy percent of writers had experienced delayed submissions. It seemed that physical publishing, like online literature in his previous life, still troubled readers with the problem of authors not updating fast enough.
"There's also some good news."
Lin Xuan suddenly became excited, "Before the New Year, I visited a teacher who had just ended a contract with another publishing house. I invited her to come to our publishing house to write a book, and she actually agreed. Now, she is the most prestigious author I'm in charge of. Moreover, I've read her new work, and it feels truly amazing. It's expected to be officially published right after the New Year!"
"Editors get a share?"
Lin Yuan asked a concerned question.
His sister shook her head, "It's not exactly a share, but it's pretty similar. It mainly depends on the editor's performance evaluation standards. If there aren't any formidable authors under them, achieving good performance can be challenging, affecting our final wages and bonuses. So, it's not much different from getting a share. Otherwise, why would I go out and work hard to recruit authors?"
"What about Chu Kuang?"
Lin Yao, the younger sister, had a whimsical thought, "Didn't you say you know Chu Kuang, sister? When he finishes writing his novel, can't you lure him to work with you and start a new book?"
"..."
Lin Xuan chuckled, "You're quite concerned about Chu Kuang. Chu Kuang is signed with a company called Silver Blue Library. It's one of the largest publishing companies in Qin Prefecture. My company is nothing compared to Silver Blue Library, so ordinary people can't poach Chu Kuang. Silver Blue Library will try everything to continue collaborating with Chu Kuang."
"He's quite popular."
Lin Yao glanced at Lin Yuan.
Lin Xuan nodded, "As a newcomer novelist in the YA genre, Chu Kuang can be considered a rising star. The sales of 'Tennis Prince' last month were counted at one million four hundred thousand copies, ranking twelfth in total among youth fantasy works..."
"Only twelfth?"
"What do you mean 'only twelfth'? Selling 1.4 million copies in a highly competitive market means Chu Kuang's share of last month's royalties was over a million. This is assuming he signed an ordinary newcomer's contract. Of course, based on this trend, his contract share should increase after the New Year."
Lin Yuan was astonished.
His sister actually knew roughly how much he earned last month! But then again, the final sales of 'Tennis Prince' breaking a million should thank the endorsement from professional tennis players. Although he wasn't interested in current affairs, he knew that a professional tennis player had recognized the professionalism and value of this book, bringing a lot of popularity to it.
Following that.
Lin Yuan suddenly seized the main point in his sister's words and asked, "Why do you say Chu Kuang's contract share will increase?"
"It's inevitable."
Lin Xuan stated confidently, "The contract share for 'Tennis Prince' was based on the assumption that no one expected this book to become a huge success. But now, with the book's popularity, the publishing house will generally consider increasing Chu Kuang's share. Otherwise, they might not be able to retain Chu Kuang for his next book."
"Makes sense."
Lin Yuan seriously agreed.
Lin Xuan smiled, "You know nothing about writing, so why am I telling you all this? You work at Starlight. How about you share some gossip about your company's big stars with me instead..."
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