"Editor-in-Chief Li, I'm Cheng Shufen from Huaxing. This morning..."

"Editor Zhu, I'm Cheng Shufen from Huaxing. This morning..."

After Cheng Shufen had an idea of the quality of Zhang Qiurui's novel, she made two phone calls in succession, then took the manuscript of Starry Sea, put it in her bag, and walked out.

A coffee shop in Hong Kong.

"Editor-in-Chief Li, Editor-in-Chief Zhu, this way." Cheng Shufen was sitting by the window. Seeing Editor-in-Chief Li and Editor-in-Chief Zhu walk into the coffee shop one after another, Cheng Shufen quickly waved to them.

"Mr. Cheng, you called me and Editor-in-Chief Li here today because you are undecided about a manuscript and want us to give you some advice?" Editor-in-Chief Zhu was in his early forties, a little thin, and exuded an elegant temperament. He greeted Cheng Shufen with a smile and sat down opposite Cheng Shufen very naturally.

However, Editor-in-Chief Zhu is the editor-in-chief of Ming Pao, and Editor-in-Chief Li is the editor-in-chief of Xiangjiang Publishing House. They and Cheng Shufen can barely be considered half-colleagues, because these editors help write scripts and even participate in the planning of some film and television works, and occasionally there will be intersections.

Editor-in-Chief Zhu and Editor-in-Chief Li have also dealt with Cheng Shufen many times.

"I won't say much else. Let's take a look at this novel first. What do you think?" Cheng Shufen handed the manuscript of Starry Sea to Editor-in-Chief Zhu and the other two.

Editor-in-Chief Zhu is older than Editor-in-Chief Li. He took the manuscript handed to him by Cheng Shufen and started to look at it first.

However, after reading the novel written by Xingchen Dahai, Editor-in-Chief Zhu was obviously immersed in deep reading and developed a strong interest in the story content.

Sometimes he frowned, sometimes his lips curled up, and he was obviously moved by the plot in the text.

Seeing this, Editor-in-Chief Li could no longer suppress his curiosity. He took the manuscript from Editor-in-Chief Zhu and began to read it carefully.

Soft music plays in the cafe, and the sunlight from the window shines on the table, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

However, in this tranquility, Editor-in-Chief Zhu and Editor-in-Chief Li seemed to be attracted by the world they wrote about and were completely immersed in the plot of the novel.

"This science fiction novel is absolutely brilliant! It has great imagination and ingenious conception. Whether it's character creation, plot design or writing style, it's all first-class. Such a work definitely has the potential to become a bestseller!" Editor-in-Chief Li finally put down the manuscript, his eyes flashing with admiration.

"Mr. Cheng, do you mean that we should serialize this novel in Ming Pao?" Editor Zhu asked, holding the manuscript tightly in his hand.

"This novel has almost 100,000 words and can be published as a novel. Our Hong Kong publisher can also publish this novel." Editor Li also said quickly.

“In that case, publish it in Ming Pao first and then publish it.

This novel has exactly 100,000 words. 30,000 words were published in the first two months, and 40,000 words were published in the last month, so it was completed in three months.

Three months later, the novel was officially available in major bookstores. Cheng Shufen felt a surge of joy when she saw that Ming Pao and Hong Kong publishers were both optimistic about the novel and were vying to publish it. She felt like she had successfully fulfilled the task assigned to her by Xingchen Haihai.

Next we will discuss the issue of remuneration and royalties. After that, it will depend on the quality of the novel written by Xingchen Dahai to see if it can boost the sales of Ming Pao newspapers and paper books.

"Editor Li, I think we can do it this way. What do you think?" After hearing what Cheng Shufen said, Editor Zhu hesitated for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

Serializing in Ming Pao first and then publishing it in print has more advantages than disadvantages for the publishing house, because it can not only use the newspaper's wide coverage to build momentum for the new book and attract a large number of readers' attention and discussion, but also adjust the marketing strategy in time according to readers' feedback during the serialization period, or increase the print run of the book.

More importantly, the serialization process can gradually accumulate readers' expectations and lay a solid market foundation for the subsequent release of physical books.

Once this novel gains a good reputation during its serialization in Ming Pao, its sales and influence will be significantly improved when it is officially published. This is undoubtedly a sure-win investment for the publishing house.

If the reputation is not good, reducing the printing of books will not cause too much loss.

Editor Zhu secretly calculated the pros and cons in his mind and became more and more satisfied with Cheng Shufen's proposal.

"That's fine, but how will the remuneration be calculated? No, if this novel becomes popular after being published in Ming Pao, we at Ming Pao can give your Hong Kong publisher an advertisement.

At the end of the novel, it should be marked as "This novel was published on such and such a date and sold in major bookstores. How much advertising fee do you, Xiangjiang Publishing House, plan to give?" Editor Li thought about it and agreed.

However, if the novel becomes popular after Ming Pao publishes it first, wouldn't it provide publicity and advertising for the Hong Kong publisher? Editor Li felt a little unwilling and had his own plans in mind.

Cheng Shufen originally wanted to discuss the issue of royalties with Ming Pao and Xiangjiang Publishing House and bargain with the two of them, but she didn't expect that they would start fighting first.

"You're so cunning. How much do you want?" Editor Zhu thought it was true. Editor Zhu was also optimistic that the novel would be a hit. If the novel became popular after being published in Ming Pao, and the standard edition of the novel was published on that day of that month and sold in major bookstores at the end of the novel, it would be more useful than any other advertisement.

Ming Pao's daily sales now reach 80,000 to 90,000 copies. If one-tenth of the people buy the paper version, 10,000 copies can be sold, and the Hong Kong Magazine Company can earn more than 100,000 yuan.

"Five hundred dollars can't be any less. If our Ming Pao serializes this book and it becomes popular, and we advertise for your Xiangjiang Publishing House, it will be more than a thousand dollars." Editor Li slapped Editor Li in the face.

"Five hundred is fine." When Editor Li heard this, his face changed from gloomy to happy. Then, thinking about how this novel would become a hit, he gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.

Editor Li now sincerely hopes that this novel will become a hit. If it doesn't sell many copies and can't make back the investment, he won't be fired, but he will definitely be criticized.

"Okay, now that you two have talked about advertising, how about the remuneration for this novel? How much is Ming Pao willing to pay?" After Cheng Shufen saw that the two of them had reached an agreement, a hint of seriousness flashed in her eyes.

She took a sip of the coffee on the table to moisten her throat, waiting for Ming Pao and Xiangjiang Publishing House to make an offer.

"Five yuan per thousand words. Mr. Cheng, you know Mr. Cha's frugal nature. If my price exceeds five yuan per thousand words, I'll need Mr. Cha's approval before I can sign the contract.

If Mr. Cha were to come forward, even if he was optimistic about the book, considering it was a new author, three yuan per thousand words would be the highest he could offer," Editor Li was the first to complain.