Yes, You Rong didn't dare to quote!
Having served as the editor-in-chief of "Interesting Reading" for ten years, You Rong had read countless excellent short stories. This novel was undoubtedly one of the top works in his ten-year career. Of course, this was You Rong's personal opinion. After all, everyone had different perspectives on literary works.
But You Rong believed.
Anyone who read "The Gift of the Magi" would find it hard to provide a fair evaluation. The story was incredibly touching, especially its unexpected and thought-provoking ending.
But there was no doubt:
He wanted to secure this novel for himself!
Taking a deep breath, You Rong called Chu Kuang and straightforwardly expressed his thoughts: "I am honored to be the first reader of this novel. On behalf of the publisher, I am willing to offer a bid of 200,000 yuan. This bid doesn't necessarily reflect the true value of the novel but rather the standard manuscript fee of our magazines..."
"Two hundred thousand?"
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment and agreed. After all, the other party was only offering a channel for publishing "The Maggie's Gift", not selling the copyright of the novel, so the offer wasn't unreasonable.
"What's the two hundred thousand for?"
Lin Yuan was out shopping with her sister at the moment. When her sister overheard Lin Yuan's call, her ears perked up, but Lin Yuan had no intention of revealing his identity. Instead, he casually replied, "Just salary stuff."
"Come on, Yaoyao!"
Lin Xuan pulled her sister back upon hearing this. "That dress earlier was really pretty. Although it cost over 3,000 yuan, who else but you has such a generous brother?"
"Don't." Lin Yao couldn't stand it.
Although Lin Yuan seemed to have become wealthy, frugality was deeply ingrained in these children. Neither Lin Yuan, Lin Xuan, nor Lin Yao could afford to be extravagant because of sudden wealth.
Lin Yuan said, "Let's head back then."
Lin Xuan grumbled, "What a stingy brother."
Lin Yuan put on a miserly smile in agreement. He wouldn't admit that both down jackets he bought for Lin Yao cost over three thousand yuan each; otherwise, his sister would feel burdened wearing them.
Upon returning home, Lin Xuan started receiving frequent phone calls, likely due to the work piled up during the holidays. After several consecutive calls, Lin Xuan slumped on the sofa, feeling dejected, and complained, "The senior staff at the company said writers always procrastinate during the Spring Festival. I can see it now. Next month, about 50% of the writers will procrastinate, and the editor-in-chief probably wants to kill me."
"What does 'procrastinate' mean?"
Sister Lin Yao seemed very curious.
Lin Xuan explained, "In publishing terms, 'procrastination' refers to when the pages are originally set, but the author fails to submit the manuscript on time, leaving a blank section, like leaving the window open. In our literary world, 'procrastination' means delaying the manuscript."
Lin Yao asked, "What happens if the manuscript is delayed?"
Lin Xuan sighed, "Generally, writers have deadlines. The first is the agreed-upon submission deadline with the editor, and the manuscript should be submitted by then for happy revisions. The second is the final deadline for the manuscript, which includes printing. Missing this deadline affects publication time. The deadline is terrifying for writers, but for some exceptionally talented and popular ones, procrastination and pushing deadlines are almost their trademarks."
Lin Yao inquired, "Will they be fined?"
Lin Xuan shook her head, "Minor writers dare not delay. We have contractual obligations, and missing deadlines could result in fines. For highly popular writers, we have contracts, but in reality, we don't dare to fine them because their procrastination affects manuscript fees. For example, the notorious Dongfeng always delays his manuscripts by several months. But none of us dare to say anything; we just nudge him as usual."
"I see."
Although it was a conversation between siblings, Lin Yuan listened attentively. Although he serialized novels under the name Chu Kuang, he didn't fully understand the industry's dynamics.
"It's not all bad news."
Lin Xuan suddenly brightened. "Before the Chinese New Year, I persuaded a writer who had just signed with another publishing house to join us and write a book. She agreed, and now she's the biggest star I'm managing. I've read her new work, and it's fantastic. It's expected to be officially published after the Chinese New Year!"
"Do editors get a share?"
Lin Yuan asked, concerned.
His sister shook her head, "It's not a share, but it's not bad either. It's mainly tied to editorial performance evaluations. Without strong authors, our performance would suffer, affecting our final salary and bonuses. So there's no difference in the share. Otherwise, why would I bother to recruit authors?"
"Where's Chu Kuang?"
Sister Lin Yao suddenly remembered. "Didn't you say you know Chu Kuang? Once he finishes writing the novel, can't you recruit him and get him to write a new book for you?"
"..."
Lin Xuan chuckled. "You're still interested in Chu Kuang... The company Chu Kuang signed with is called Yinlan Library. It's one of the largest publishing houses in Qinzhou. My company doesn't even come close to mentioning, so we ordinary folks can't poach him. Yinlan Library will do everything possible to keep Chu Kuang on board."
"So, he's quite popular."
Lin Yao glanced at Lin Yuan.
Lin Xuan nodded, "As a newcomer in the youth fantasy genre, Chu Kuang has risen to fame and become a sensation. 'Net King' sold 1.4 million copies last month, ranking 12th overall in youth fantasy books..."
"Only 12th?"
"What do you mean 'only 12th'? Selling 1.4 million copies in such a competitive market is remarkable. Chu Kuang's monthly contribution fee would have exceeded one million yuan assuming he signed an ordinary newcomer contract. Of course, his contract share is likely to increase after the Chinese New Year, judging by his performance."
Lin Yuan was astonished.
His sister actually knew his approximate monthly contribution fee!
But, on second thought, the sales of "Net King" were bound to surpass one million eventually. They should be thankful for the assistance of professional tennis players. Although Lin Yuan wasn't interested in current events, he knew that professional tennis players endorsing the book was a testament to its professionalism and value, bringing it significant attention.
Continued...
Lin Yuan suddenly grasped the key point in his sister's words and asked, "Why would Chu Kuang's contract share increase?"
"That's inevitable."
Lin Xuan stated confidently, "When Chu Kuang signed for 'Net King' as a newcomer, nobody anticipated it would become such a hit. But now that it's immensely popular, publishers would generally consider offering Chu Kuang a share. Otherwise, they might struggle to retain him for the next book."
"That makes sense."
Lin Yuan agreed sincerely.
Lin Xuan teased, "You don't know anything about writing books. You're at Starlight why don't you tell me about the gossip of the big stars at your company..."