Chapter -72.
Submitting manuscripts can be quite the adventure! Even if you've got a fantastic story, it doesn't mean much if no one wants to publish it.
Talented writers are a rare find, especially someone like Professor Jerry, who's still making a name for himself in the wizarding world.
Dudley faced a clear rejection from the Daily Prophet Publishing House.
As a part of the Daily Prophet, it's one of the biggest publishing houses in the European wizarding community.
Dudley wasn't too surprised by this; after all, every journey has its bumps.
Malfoy offered to reach out to his father, and with his dad's standing in the wizarding world, Dudley figured it would be an easy fix.
But Dudley politely turned him down. He hadn't really interacted with Lucius and wasn't sure what he was like. From what he knew about Malfoy and some stories he'd heard, it seemed like while Malfoy might be friendly, getting close to Lucius would be a different story—especially unless Draco took the lead in the family.
He definitely seemed like a tough nut to crack.
So, Dudley decided to look for someone else.
"Mr. Dursley, are you saying you want to publish a book?" Carlo asked, a bit surprised by Dudley's approach.
"Yes, Lord Carlo," Dudley replied.
"I hope you can help me with this little favor."
The Carlo family runs another big publishing house, 'Witch and Poison Publishing House,' which is just behind the Daily Prophet. They published Lockhart's novel and made quite a profit from it.
"Even if you found me, if the quality isn't up to par…" Carlo trailed off.
He was being friendly, but he also had his own interests in mind since he was set to take over the family business after graduation.
"You can take a look," Dudley said, not getting upset. He gently slid his manuscript toward Carlo.
At first, Carlo didn't pay much attention, casually flipping through it, planning to brush Dudley off. But after reading just a bit of the plot, he found himself hooked.
Dudley wasn't in a rush; he sipped his black tea and nibbled on a pastry, patiently waiting for Carlo.
He was quite the negotiator.
As time went on, Carlo's flipping slowed down, almost as if he was rereading every part.
The world-building in Dudley's fantasy novel and the rich character descriptions were truly captivating.
Luckily, the manuscript wasn't too long, and it didn't take long for Carlo to finish reading.
"And then?" Carlo asked eagerly, clearly invested.
"That's it," Dudley shrugged. "I haven't written that part yet."
"What do you think, Lord Carlo?"
Carlo's expression turned serious. "The book is really good, but…"
He went on about various points, ultimately summarizing it in two words—price reduction.
A classic move from publishers.
I have to say, Carlo's insight was sharp; he immediately recognized the huge commercial potential of "Dragonlance Chronicles."
Once it gained popularity, wouldn't it be the next Lockhart?
No! It could even surpass him!
"I heard that Sing a Different Tune Publishing House is also good. If you think this isn't feasible, I might try my luck there," Dudley said, staying calm.
The art of negotiation is all about who has the upper hand.
Dudley was strong, but he was also smart.
He had initially leaned toward 'Witch and Poison Publishing House,' and submitting to the Daily Prophet was just a way to gauge their interest before coming back to negotiate with Carlo. Unfortunately, the editors there didn't see its value.
He had done his homework on 'Witch and Poison Publishing House' and knew they were in a bit of a pickle—thriving because of Lockhart but also struggling because of him.
Lockhart's initial success had brought in a lot of profit and revealed a big opportunity, so they focused on his works and became less proactive in finding new authors. If they kept working with Lockhart, they'd be fine.
Just a month ago, when Lockhart was about to release his next book, he asked for a change in the profit-sharing ratio.
Lockhart was already a well-known writer, and it made sense for him to seek a better deal; otherwise, he could easily switch to another publisher. With his fame, any publisher would be eager to take him on.
But simply raising prices wasn't the main issue; the real problem was that Lockhart was asking for way too much—so much that the "Witch and Poison Publishing House" couldn't handle it. If they lost Lockhart, their financial backbone, they'd struggle to produce quality works and might even face bankruptcy. This was due to the previous manager's rapid expansion, which broke their cash flow.
Taking big steps can lead to big troubles.
"No, Mr. Dursley, that's not a good fit," Carlo interrupted, just as Dudley finished speaking.
Whoever is anxious tends to lose the upper hand.
"The Sing-Along Publishing House isn't a proper place."
The Sing-Along Publishing House publishes the Sing-Along magazine, which isn't a legitimate publisher since they never pay contributors for their submissions.
"But I've heard that Sing-Along's sales are better than the Daily Prophet," Dudley pointed out.
"That's true, but…"
Dudley gently tapped the table, cutting Carlo off. "It could work with 'Sing-Along.'"
"It could also work with 'Witch and Poison.'"
"That's up to you, Lord Carlo."
"The current situation of the publishing house is quite tough, isn't it?"
After Dudley finished speaking, he set down his teacup and looked at Carlo.
To be honest, even under Dudley's gaze, Carlo felt a lot of pressure, even though he was already in seventh grade.
Eventually, he let out a long sigh.
He felt seen.
Carlo thought a bit sadly.
No wonder he's Mr. Potter's brother; I really want to know how their parents raised them.
If Penny were here, she'd definitely say she didn't teach Dudley anything; he learned everything on his own.
Once they reached an agreement, sorting out the benefits became much easier.
The profit-sharing ratio Dudley proposed was fair for both the publisher and himself; in fact, it could help the publisher weather the storm.
Of course, all of this depended on one thing.
If the sales were good.
Then the big question: would the sales of "Dragonlance Chronicles" be poor?
Of course not!
About three days after signing the contract, the "Witch and Poison Publishing House" started creating a buzz.
A week later, the novel titled "Dragonlance Chronicles: The Great Dragon of Autumn Twilight" was officially available in major wizard bookstores like Flourish and Blotts.
The sales were, unsurprisingly, through the roof.
It was almost sold out on the same day!
The tales of the Ansalon continent enchanted every wizard.
"Reprint, reprint, let's go!"
With the manager at the Witch and Poison Publishing House shouting, the wizards inside began their frantic overtime routine.
Of course, they all got paid for the extra hours.
The fact that Sing-Along doesn't pay for submissions is well-known; I really wanted to write for Sing-Along, but then I found out they like to take advantage of writers, and not paying for submissions is just too much.
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