章 9: It's Not Like We're Getting Married
"I'm Izumi Ki. Are you Editor Yukinoshita Haruno from Dengeki Bunko?" Izumi Kotomi asked, confirming the other person's identity.
"Yes, I'm an editor at Dengeki Bunko. I'm calling to discuss the details of Sword Art Online with you."
After confirming that she was indeed speaking to the author of Sword Art Online, Izumi Ki, Haruno didn't waste any time and got straight to the point:
"It's an honor that you chose to submit Sword Art Online to Dengeki Bunko. Thank you for your trust and support. The reason for this call is to see if you'd be interested in signing a contract with Dengeki Bunko for further collaboration?"
So, it's about a contract, huh...
Kotomi smiled slightly. She was confident in her work, Sword Art Online. It wasn't surprising that Dengeki Bunko would approach her about a contract.
The only thing that surprised her was that Yukinoshita Haruno, the sister of Yukinoshita Yukino, was actually an editor at Dengeki Bunko in this world, and by some twist of fate, had become her editor.
Fate works in mysterious ways.
"I'm very happy that Dengeki Bunko recognizes my work. After all, Dengeki Bunko is known as one of the most challenging light novel publishers to submit to," Kotomi said.
"Haha, you're too kind, Izumi-sensei. While Dengeki Bunko is indeed difficult to get into, Sword Art Online stands out with its intriguing setting and plot. Even Editor-in-Chief Hiratsuka mentioned that Sword Art Online is the most promising light novel she has read in a long time. During our meeting, the editorial team even speculated whether you might be a big shot in the gaming industry writing light novels as a hobby."
Haruno laughed as she spoke, though she couldn't shake a curious thought.
Even though she knew Izumi-sensei was a woman, her voice sounded remarkably young—like that of a student still in school.
The youthful, almost childlike tone made Haruno wonder if Izumi Ki was actually much younger than herself. However, she decided it would be inappropriate to ask about Izumi-sensei's age directly. After all, this wasn't a marriage registry; the main purpose of the call was to discuss the contract.
The popularity of Sword Art Online was evident.
If Dengeki Bunko didn't act quickly to sign her, there was a high risk that editors from other publishers would swoop in.
If another publisher poached a light novel that had been submitted to Dengeki Bunko, it would be more than just a financial loss. It would be a humiliating blow to Dengeki Bunko's reputation.
"As for the contract, I have no objections. By submitting Sword Art Online to Dengeki Bunko's competition, I've already shown my willingness to collaborate with Dengeki Bunko. Also, Haruno-san, there's no need to be so formal with me. Being addressed so politely makes me feel a little pressured."
Hearing Kotomi's response, which practically confirmed the contract, Haruno breathed a sigh of relief. She had been a bit nervous, but now she realized that Izumi-sensei was much easier to talk to than she had expected.
"No problem, I understand. I'll call you Izumi-sensei from now on, then. It's a sign of mutual respect between editor and author. Is that alright?"
"Sure."
Kotomi didn't say much more. Although she was still being called "sensei," at least she didn't have to deal with the overly formal language.
Being addressed with "sensei" always made her feel older than she was.
Thinking of this, Kotomi glanced at herself in the mirror.
She was, after all, a young and beautiful high school girl now!
"I've finished reading the first volume of Sword Art Online that you submitted. The story is absolutely captivating, and it leaves readers eagerly awaiting the second volume. Could we meet in person sometime soon?"
"Of course, but I thought that for contracts, Dengeki Bunko typically sends the agreement by courier. Do editors usually meet authors in person?"
"That's true for standard contracts. But for higher-tier contracts, it's common for the editor and author to meet in person to discuss the details. Authors who qualify for these contracts often have the right to negotiate certain terms, like extending deadlines, adjusting the payment per thousand characters, or altering the royalty rates for the sale of physical copies."
Authors who sign contracts of grade A or higher generally have the right to negotiate and discuss the contract terms with their editors.
The higher the contract level, the more attention Dengeki Bunko pays to it. A good working relationship between the publisher and the author is essential for mutual success.
Good partnerships are usually built through discussions.
After hearing Haruno's detailed explanation, Kotomi understood. It seemed that the contract level for Sword Art Online was quite high, which made her very happy.
She even felt like shouting, "Yes!"
She knew very well that the higher the contract level, the more resources the publisher would allocate to her.
For an author, the resources provided by the publisher are extremely important.
Even if a book has excellent quality and a great story, without the publisher's support and resources, the author's journey would be much more difficult.
At the same time, the more resources the publisher provides, the greater the influence and revenue the work will generate.
And the chances of her work being adapted would also increase.
Kotomi's goal in winning the Dengeki Novel Grand Prize was to secure a position in the literary world. This would increase her status, and the resources Dengeki Bunko would provide would become even more substantial.
Now, hearing that Sword Art Online had secured a good contract level before even winning the Dengeki Grand Prize naturally made her happy because it was a great start.
Though Kotomi was inwardly excited, she maintained a calm tone:
"I understand. I'm free tomorrow at 3 PM. Where would you like to meet, Haruno-san?"
"Great! How about meeting at the Dengeki Bunko editorial department at 3 PM tomorrow? We can discuss the details of the contract then."
"Alright, that sounds good. Is this your personal phone number? If so, I'll save it."
Kotomi's question reminded Haruno that she had forgotten to mention that this was indeed her personal number and that Izumi-sensei should save it for future contact.
A close call—almost a big mistake!
"Yes, this is my personal number. I apologize for not mentioning it earlier. By the way, Izumi-sensei, even though we haven't officially signed the contract yet, it might be a bit early to say this, but I'll be your editor at Dengeki Bunko moving forward. Please take care of me."
"I'm looking forward to working with you as well. See you then. Bye-bye~" Kotomi replied in a sweet, soft tone.
This cute, gentle voice almost made Haruno feel like her heart was melting. Izumi-sensei's voice was just too sweet!
However, Haruno's professional demeanor and the manners instilled in her by the Yukinoshita family allowed her to quickly regain her composure. She politely said goodbye and then hung up the phone.
"I didn't expect my editor to be Yukinoshita Haruno," Kotomi remarked as she sat on her bed.
She hadn't expected her first encounter with a Yukinoshita would be with Haruno rather than Yukino.
But, well, once school at Sobu High School starts in a few days, she'll probably meet Yukinoshita Yukino soon enough.
Just as Kotomi was about to lie down and read some manga to pass the time, the voice of the God-Level Heroine System suddenly echoed in her mind:
[Congratulations, Host! Your work Sword Art Online has garnered 1.75 million popularity points!!! Converting to Fame Points...]
[Oops, Host, I apologize. System service delay—please wait patiently...]
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