Chapter 5
Is he very fierce
Ten minutes passed, and Zhou Chuan stood up, looking down at the little girl sitting on the sofa, who was gazing up at him with her small face. He said, "Of course I have confidence in myself, but it's still not enough. The Yuan Yue Society doesn't have such great charm to make me engage in this game with you—thank you for the buns, although my coffee isn't cheap either. Er Gou, see them off."
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
First, the author's remuneration formula is: initial print run X book price X royalty points (the number of points represents a percentage) = final remuneration
Isn't it very reasonable
Upon hearing Zhu Chuan's words, Chi Li immediately sensed that something was amiss... She fixed her gaze on the distant man's indifferent yet handsome face, and in her moment of confusion, a sudden realization struck her as if she had grasped a lifeline
To reject someone from a thousand miles away leads to despair
So you only brought two buns
And such a person
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Chuli cautiously observed his expression
Chuli suddenly thought that Zhou Chuan felt offended and insulted, and was enraged due to the low print volume, probably because he is a very proud person himself
Look at how impressive you are, why don't you go ahead! Go face that madman! Confront him directly!
In other words, the phenomenon where a monthly magazine could casually achieve sales of several hundred thousand copies, as initially believed, truly only existed in 1913 and not in 2013
It is rare for him to speak seriously. While the man was talking, he waved at the dog beside Chuli. Er Gou jumped off the sofa and came to his side, and he slowly stuffed the extra bun in his hand into the dog's large mouth. The man's actions towards his pet were still generous and gentle, while Chuli just stared at him, her eyes wide open.
At the initial greeting, I felt a bit flustered, shifting my rear slightly back. That captivating smile made me want to embrace her tightly, as if to calm my nerves, while I squatted beside her again with a bun in my mouth: "I remember you mentioned that 'The Book of the River God' is your latest pinnacle."
This straw was not given by the old seedling's twisted reasoning, but was handed over personally by Zhuochuan
Thus, he fell silent
Lao Miao: "That is all I have to say. You can try again tomorrow."
How do you say "Zhou Chuan"?
Unfortunately, no emotions can be discerned on his face
Chuli witnessed the transformation of Zhou Chuan once again in the blink of an eye
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Dear, do you believe that I can take a picture of your style and post it on Weibo to get a million shares, crushing Do Min-joon from My Love from the Star? Accompany it with the topic #Shocking! You from Mars! The gentle and jade-like young master Chuan's true face radiates a vibe of disdain#.
Although everyone in the office was still busy with their own tasks, Chuli could sense that they had all perked up their ears and were paying attention to this side. Chuli took out the contract from her bag, ignoring Laomiao's mockery: "I didn't even have the chance to hand the contract to Zhouchuan for him to throw it back in my face."
The Disappeared Mr. L: How is it that someone like you, who constantly talks about "online romance" and seems to have crawled out from some ancient tomb, can have a career, yet I cannot?
Chuli had never seen a homebody move with such agility
The double to triple of thirty-two thousand
Lao Miao turned his head and laughed heartily, causing everyone else in the office to join in the laughter. Another new editor dared not laugh too loudly, stifling her giggles until her little face turned red. Chu Li completely failed to grasp the humor, feeling only frustration. She placed the contract on the table and said softly, "Lao Miao, I really don't think I can handle this job—Zhongchuan Da Shen didn't even open the gate to his yard for me, and his dog is a thousand times more enthusiastic than he is."
Sales figures exceeding 30,000 can be classified as bestsellers
Just as she was about to step out of the entrance, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something very familiar out of the corner of her eye. She paused, furrowed her brow, took two steps back, and then instinctively reached for a stack of discarded items that were presumably meant to be thrown away, pulling out a book that resembled an art collection from within.
Zhou Chuan was taken aback
I did not receive any comfort from Mr. L; instead, I ended up talking more to console this guy who was so angry that he seemed ready to lash out at the very air. It was not until I stood in front of the office building of Yuan Yue Publishing that I put away my phone, took a deep breath, and walked into the office.
I am astonished, 80,000 to 100,000!
One hour later
Lao Miao turned his chair and fiddled with the marker in his hand: "That is because you do not know how to negotiate"
Fortunately, it seems that Zhou Chuan got up quite early today and was in a good mood, so ten minutes later, Chu Li was successfully seated on his sofa; unfortunately, after the man opened the door, he busied himself with making coffee, drinking coffee, and checking emails, completely treating Chu Li, who was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Er Gou on the sofa, as if she were invisible, except for offering her a cup of freshly brewed coffee made by the master himself
After speaking, he sneezed again
Today's Zhuchuan is very gentlemanly
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Initially, I was at a loss: "How could we possibly start with the initial 32,000? No wonder he was so furious. Why didn't Zhou Chuan just set the Yuan Yue Society on fire... Ah, does anyone have Zhou Chuan's contact number? I need to apologize: Teacher Zhou Chuan, I am truly sorry.
Lao Miao: "Zhou Chuan is someone who has just touched the tip of the pyramid; his initial print volume in the past two years is generally set at 80,000 to 100,000, with a nine-point margin."
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Impressive
Feeling the gaze of the master, Er Gou raised his paw and nudged the little girl beside him
At this moment, the otaku stood expressionless in front of her, quickly bending down to shove the book back into the pile of waste paper: "My niece likes it, come play at my house during the summer vacation— as for this kind of unremarkable artist, hum, they aren't even worthy of washing my feet."
Chuli fell silent for a moment, then mockingly curled the corners of her lips, imitating the tone of the person behind the heavy iron door: "45,000 copies, who are you insulting? Am I begging for alms?"
Due to the publisher's lack of confidence, and his own lack of confidence, he sat on the sofa with his head down, not daring to utter a single word.
The man raised his eyebrows and began to scrutinize the young girl sitting on the other sofa: she might be a bit foolish, but perhaps it was due to the warm bun in his hand that she appeared more pleasant to look at than that effeminate, sarcastic fellow, Lao Miao.
Especially the six characters "specially bought for you" sound particularly pleasant to the ear
In 2013, the publishing industry saw that the initial print run for general romance novels and youth literature ranged from 8,000 to 50,000 copies, offering authors an average of 6 to 8 percent royalties. Generally speaking, a print run of over 20,000 copies would grant an author the status of a romance master, while those lesser-known authors typically received around 8,000 copies. Occasionally, these lesser-known authors were subjected to unfair treatment, with some publishers even opting to pay between 3,000 to 5,000 yuan to outright purchase the rights to an entire book without offering any royalties.
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Chuli shook her head against her better judgment, sensing that this was a sign of Zhouchuan taking the initiative to open up, which seemed promising. Thus, she moved her lips... After much internal struggle, she still felt unable to articulate Lao Miao's technique of making pancakes, so she could only push the buns placed on the table in front of her and said, "Teacher, why don't you have some buns? It's not good for your health to drink coffee on an empty stomach in the morning, and look, you've caught a cold."
The Water Army Invited by the Monkey: You Actually Have a Career!
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
Chuli was still in shock, unable to regain her composure, merely staring at Zhouchuan's handsome face, which exuded a calm, composed, elegant, indifferent, and contemptuous mockery
Further up are the great masters at the pinnacle of the pyramid. Generally, an initial print run of 100,000 to 300,000 copies is still possible. These individuals can earn a royalty rate as high as 15 percent, but only a few authors nationwide possess such capability
Led by the editor-in-chief Yu Yao, the office was immediately filled with thunderous applause, while only Chu Li continued to wear a puzzled expression.
She always felt that Lao Miao would not rest easy until he personally witnessed her being beaten by Zhou Chuan and then had her packaged and sent back via cash on delivery with SF Express
Lao Miao ignored the silence filled with resistance from Chu Li, swaying in the chair, casually crossing his legs and saying: "You really know nothing about the publishing industry, and you are completely unaware of the nature of these authors. I am also quite curious as to why the boss decided to bring you on board. (Yu Yao: 'Because of passion.') Because of passion? Boss, your words make me want to vomit. It's not like a heroine from a Japanese drama can win the authors' hearts just with enthusiasm... Alright, come on, kid, sit down. Today, considering I am your senior, I will guide you on the direction of negotiation—"
There is nothing.
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
They look the same
He suddenly lifted his head and glanced at her, smiling to reveal his stark white teeth: "Are you provoking me?"
Holding a corner of the sketchbook, Chu Li turned around with a bewildered expression, unable to hide her surprise as she glanced at Zhou Chuan: "Teacher, you also like cocoons..."
You are not even worthy of washing my feet
The Disappearing Mr. L: Are you angry? Just as I have also been left breathless by someone else... Encountering the peak battle of my career, I am about to plummet to the bottom
Initially, I jumped around for four or five days with Mr. L to snatch this art collection, losing sleep every night. In the end, I managed to get it and spent an entire night with Mr. L, overwhelmed with excitement... Until this art collection later became the identification of a "fanatic of Lady Cocoon".
Zhou Chuan held the remaining bun, weighed it in his hand, and smiled: "... this pancake is drawn; do you think you are the legendary Ma Liang?"
Er Gou: "Woof!"
Unaware that he was being slandered, Chuchuan handed the remaining bun in his hand to Chuli, succinctly saying: "Eat"
Thus
The water army summoned by the monkey
The words have not yet fallen
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
... ... I do not understand where such animosity among the new colleagues comes from
Zhu Chuan : `` ... ... ''
Chuli told herself that this is the helplessness of the adult world. She cannot lift the chair and throw it at the person in front of her who is inexplicably shifting blame and trying to educate her, because no matter how unreliable this person seems, ... they are still her superior, her senior, her mentor ... . Therefore, she took a deep breath and sat down, wanting to hear what Lao Miao had to say
This great person, is he the ever-changing Sakura in the literary world
If he were to say no at this moment, wouldn't that be a slap in his own face
Lao Miao: "You must tell Zhou Chuan about this. When he compares himself to other authors, he finds that he is actually several times more successful, and his vanity gets the better of him; if you paint a grand picture for him and tell him about our publishing house's new development project, assuring him that we will do everything possible to ensure the success of this book, then when it sells well, we can always print more copies! You see, just by saying this, his hesitation turns into agreement..."
Old Miao: "Therefore, the initial print run is 45,000 copies. Our company is filled with sincere intentions, as can be witnessed by the sun and the moon"
I was startled and fell apart, thank you
How did this art collection come to be in Hirakawa
Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''
One cannot bite the hand that feeds them, so when he spoke again, the man's tone finally softened a bit: "Little girl, don't waste your time. 45,000 is too low; it's not a matter of money—if this gets out, I will be ridiculed. Yuan Yue Publishing House is indeed a large publisher, but what will people say if this gets out? They will only say that I, Zhou Chuan, am lowering my worth to cling to your legs."
Chuli glanced at the bun he was holding, and feeling as if it were sprinkled with rat poison, his face turned pale as he waved his hand: "I have already eaten. I specially bought this for you; it wouldn't be right to always show up empty-handed"
Not at all the same
Old Miao laughed even more miserably: "Did he set the dog on you?"
Chuli suddenly sat up straight: "But if the first print run of 45,000 copies sells out immediately, it is also possible for the contract to be temporarily changed to double the amount. Teacher, your previous books were all sold with a first print run of 100,000 copies. This time, do you not have the confidence to sell that many as well?"
After all, the "Eighteen Styles of Longyang"
The monkeys have summoned the water army: Oh, the tone is quite aggressive, it seems you are really angry
However, this does not prevent the second day from continuing to stand outside the door and pressing the doorbell of the Zhuchuan family
Chuli glanced at Laomiao and cautiously reminded him: "That is an Alaskan, not a Tibetan Mastiff"
Zhou Chuan cleared his throat and said in a neither cold nor warm tone: "Did I scare you with my bad mood when I got up yesterday?"
The water army summoned by the monkey: QAQ Work is so hard, extremely angry
... It was unclear whether it was just an illusion, but when Chuli entered the office, she felt that the entire office fell silent. As she dejectedly walked towards her desk, the colleague next door, Lao Miao, suddenly burst into laughter: "Back from the fieldwork so soon? That's a standard speed of returning empty-handed."
Surprisingly, Lao Miao indeed released a considerable amount of valuable information. He first explained the current situation of the publishing industry to Chu Li.
When Zhou Chuan finished his coffee and dealt with his emails, he turned around and saw a little girl sitting on the sofa with her head drooping, sitting shoulder to shoulder with an Alaskan dog whose cross-sectional area was completely consistent with hers, looking quite pitiful.
At the beginning of the ceremony, one may feel anger but dare not express it
Zhou Chuan took the bun, glanced at it, ate one, and with his tea-colored eyes fixed on Chu Li, said: "Not bad, thank you. But I must remind you, this bun is not worth over a hundred thousand in royalties"
She lowered her head and fumbled with the contract for a moment, then silently stuffed it back—hesitated for a moment, sat up straight, and stammered through the set speech from Old Miao. As she continued, she became more fluent, almost convincing herself, and by the end, she began to half-heartedly paint a grand vision: "Teacher, just sign this book for us, give us a chance, and we will definitely work very hard to make this book successful—once we succeed, not to mention a print run of 100,000 copies, we will strive to secure 200,000 for you!"
Chuli understood that saying anything more at this moment would be unwelcome, and lacking in confidence as she was, she could only stand up, put down her business card, and utter some meaningless words like "please feel free to contact me if you change your mind." She then quietly bid him farewell and, under the man's gaze, walked out with her head down
You are not even worthy of washing my feet
Lao Miao: "Do you know what is meant by beauty arising from contrast? This is the negotiation method I want to share with you— we are a new magazine, although the publishing house is quite old, this is our first venture into Eastern Fantasy Youth Literature. For ordinary authors, we offer 8,000; if they are not interested, they can leave. However, for Zhu Chuan, we started at 30,000... and eventually increased it to 45,000."
... ...
Extremely fierce
Seeing you, esteemed sir, makes me feel the urge to urinate
You are not even worthy of washing my feet
The man suddenly changed his expression, propping himself up on the sofa and leaping over it with a height comparable to Liu Xiang, then transforming into Bolt as he sprinted towards her in a hundred-meter dash, swiftly snatching the book from her hands
The initial greeting is a face of confusion, resembling that of a black person.
Zhu Chuan has mentioned it
The Disappearing Mr. L: Yes, it's extremely frustrating. To be frank, I feel like I want to confront even the air right now
Upon seeing that familiar cover, I was taken aback, unable to believe that I would actually come across this item at the Chuchuan family: ... . ... It turned out to be the personal art collection of Lady Cocoon, and it was a limited edition signed version for the first fifty copies.
The tip of the nose is bright red
Lao Miao: "Do you know what this means? If we give him an initial print run of 100,000 copies at a 10% royalty, he would be quite pleased—assuming each book is priced at 35 yuan, we would have to pay him 350,000 yuan in royalties! 350,000, my friend! We also have to bear around 22% of the cost for each book, so calculate how much that amounts to— we are a publishing house, the boss is a businessman, not Lu Xun. A businessman needs to make a profit; we are not a dream welfare organization. The boss has to pay you a salary for your living expenses. If all the money goes to Zhu Chuan's dreams, what will you eat?"