Naturally, there was no one like He Mingxuan who intentionally hid in bookstores to observe people in the Silver Blue Library. After the widespread distribution of Super Rookie Publishing's works in various bookstores in Qin Prefecture, the only thing that could reflect some market results was readers' feedback.
At first, it was just scattered comments.
After all, reading takes time.
For the publishing house, scattered comments didn't offer much reference value. However, as the first group of readers gradually finished the novel, feedback on Super Rookie's top-ranked work, "Demon King of Another World," began to increase on the Silver Blue Library's official website.
What worried the publishing house was...
The highly anticipated Super Rookie's number one work, "Demon King of Another World," didn't seem to have good word of mouth. For a novel rated out of ten points, most readers only gave it less than five points. It appeared that most readers were not fond of the novel's approach.
"The same old cliché."
"The protagonist has transmigrated into a demon king, but the feeling is still that of a loser. If you're going to write from the perspective of a demon king, can't the protagonist be more impressive? Do authors need their protagonists to be losers to write books?"
"I regret buying this book."
"Should be axed quickly, no interest."
Novels in Qin Prefecture are published in volumes, so the sales of the first volume are crucial. Novels with poor sales are prone to getting axed. The publishing house informs the author to finish it quickly. For works originally planned for more than ten volumes, once they get axed, they usually end abruptly after three to five volumes. After all, the publishing company needs to allocate resources to more promising works.
Many readers were venting their frustrations.
Of course, not all reviews were negative. Some readers found the perspective of "Demon King of Another World" to be unique: "Although it's an old wine in a new bottle, at least the protagonist's identity and the traditional pattern of adventure in another world differ. It's not to the point of being axed."
Who knows, perhaps things will turn around later? This situation isn't unprecedented.
Currently, there's a very popular novel on the market that initially had mediocre reviews and underwhelming sales. At that time, the publishing house informed the author to finish it quickly. However, two volumes later, the story took a turn for the better, and the novel's sales skyrocketed. The plan to axe it was canceled, and the novel is still being serialized, now in its twenty-second volume.
However, such examples are rare.
Because if the first volume of a novel doesn't captivate readers, it's challenging to keep them engaged later. Only by starting the story in an engaging way can a novel continue to be serialized successfully.
It's not just the top-ranked novel with poor reviews.
The works ranked second to fourth among the Super Rookie authors also received mediocre reviews, with only the second-ranked work reaching a five-point rating, which is considered barely passing in the novel market.
"This year is tough."
In a department meeting at the Silver Blue Library a week later, an editor sighed as they looked at several novel reviews. "I thought 'Demon King of Another World' could explode in sales, but as more and more readers delve into adventure novels from another world, their expectations are rising."
"You're not wrong."
"It's not that this year's Super Rookie authors are any less talented than before; it's that readers' tastes have become more sophisticated. That's why the chief editors have been pushing for new themes. Readers are tired of the old ones, so novels need to offer something fresh."
"..."
In the past, viewers used to enjoy melodramatic plots like car accidents, cancer, or abortion in TV dramas, but now, if such storylines appear, viewers would directly criticize the director.
The same applies to the realm of novels.
A few years ago, just about any gimmick in the fantasy adventure genre could make a splash. For instance, there was this novel called "Roaming the Otherworld with a Phone," where the protagonist wielded a miraculous phone usable even in this alternate realm. It was a tale of flaunting and comeuppance. Looking back now, that story might seem abysmal, but readers at the time quite fancied it.
"It's not a total disaster," Yang Feng attempted to console everyone. "Though 'Tennis Prince' is the bottom-tier of the super rookie, its word-of-mouth is quite good. The current rating stands at an impressive 8.5, which is remarkable."
Yang Feng wasn't wrong. While the preceding four books of the Super Rookie Awards fell short in reception, 'Tennis Prince' had garnered exceptional ratings. Comments in the review section mainly reflected readers' appreciative attitudes.
[]: "This is the best!"
[]: "Who'd have thought a sports-themed novel about tennis could be this enthralling? I picked it up casually at the bookstore, and now, I can't put it down. I declare myself a 'Tennis Prince' enthusiast!"
[]: "A breath of fresh air from the super rookie!"
[]: "Tired of otherworldly adventures, but this unexpected change in genre is quite good. I've recommended 'Tennis Prince' to several friends, but many aren't interested. They're like the old me, not understanding the allure of sports novels."
[]: "..."
The editors naturally knew that 'Tennis Prince' had exceptional ratings. Yet, for Silver Blue Library, the novel's acclaim was more of a consolation prize. Its niche theme made significant sales highly improbable.
"It's futile."
"The theme is too niche."
"Praise doesn't pay the bills, does it?"
The editors didn't seem too enthusiastic. Every publishing house has a few critically acclaimed yet commercially disappointing novels. Despite poor sales, they try to allocate publishing resources, akin to how movie companies need art films for a touch of prestige, but actual profits come from book sales.
"Don't be downcast."
The head editor was dissatisfied with the editors' demeanor. "With you all looking like this, the sales figures haven't even come out yet. Word-of-mouth isn't everything; some novels, despite low ratings, sell remarkably well."
"True."
"There's hope!"
"It's just word-of-mouth."
The editors' eyes sparked with hope. Word-of-mouth didn't dictate everything; some books were acclaimed but not commercially successful, while others with terrible word-of-mouth still sold exceptionally well. 'Tennis Prince' fell into the former category in readers' eyes, but perhaps the other super rookie books could fit the latter!
These people were excellent at spinning tales.
The deputy editor quietly rolled his eyes.
Critically acclaimed yet commercially unsuccessful works were rare, but there weren't many novels with terrible word-of-mouth but good sales. According to the universal rules of the book market, most of the time, word-of-mouth and sales were proportional...
"Let's adjourn."
The head editor waved his hand. After everyone dispersed, he became deeply worried. "It seems this super rookie has indeed messed up this time, unless a miracle happens."
"A miracle?"
The deputy editor, who hadn't left, sighed. "Let's go to the statistics department together. The first-week sales figures for the super rookie should be out by now. Let's see where the miracle is."
"... "
The two of them headed to the relevant department. Both editors turned to the female head of the statistics department. "The first-week sales for the super rookie, have they been tallied?"
"Here" The female head seemed cold, particularly displeased with these two. She spoke a brief sentence, then turned away to busy herself. "The sales report is on the table, figure it out yourselves. If you don't understand, then come ask me."
"What did we do to upset her?" The head and deputy editors exchanged looks, then glanced at the sales report. That one glance killed their last hope, as even the highest-selling "Demon King of Another World" only amounted to 180,000 copies.
"This is a super rookie!"
In previous years, any work qualifying for the Super Rookie Awards would feel embarrassed to show its face if its first-week sales didn't breach 300,000 copies. But this year, the highest-selling book among the five Super Rookie Awards barely made it to 200,000 copies.
At least one thing remained consistent.
The top five from the Super Rookie list perfectly matched their names in terms of sales. The chief editor tried to find humor in the situation, "Well, at least our predictions about sales rankings were not wrong. If the sales data disappoints, it's definitely the readers' fault."
"Exactly!"
The deputy editor nodded in agreement. Just as they were leaving, the female manager, who had overheard their conversation, stormed back, visibly furious. She began unleashing a tirade, "Your judgment, you two idiots, was not wrong? My phone here has been ringing off the hook! Every bookstore in Qin Prefecture is badgering me for more stock. Every time I answer, it's 'Tennis Prince, Tennis Prince, Tennis Prince!' They're pushing me to the edge! Do you know the hell I've been through these days just to supply the demands? Do you know my menopause has been brought forward because of this? Do you know how many sleepless nights I've had!?"
The female manager's eyes were bloodshot. Her rapid-fire expletives and spit left the chief editor and deputy editor with faces drenched, quivering under her intimidating presence.
"Um..."
The two cautiously glanced at the sales report, earnestly confirming, "Tennis Prince ranks last among the Super Rookie titles in sales. How is it possible to run out of stock? It must be a mistake somewhere, ma'am. Surely?"
"A mistake?"
The female manager gazed at them as if they were clueless, "There were only a damn 100,000 copies of Tennis Prince in stock. Not even close to satisfying the bookstores' demand. It was sold out within three days of the Super Rookie publication. And you're arguing about sales figures?"
The chief editor and deputy editor were dumbstruck. They had been so fixated on the Super Rookie's sales rankings that they completely forgot Tennis Prince had an initial release of only 100,000 copies.
It took a scolding from the female manager for them to recall.
At that moment, their eyes widened, a faint realization dawning on them. The miracle they had hoped for seemed to have actually occurred!
"Ladies and gentlemen,"
The female manager displayed a dangerous smile, her tone oddly gentle, "Could you tell me which idiot decided on the initial 100,000 copies for Tennis Prince?"
"Him!"
Both the chief editor and deputy editor pointed at each other simultaneously.