October 15th, People’s Literature.
"How are the sales of the magazine this month?" Zhang Guangnian asked Cui Liang while sitting on a chair.
"We still have shipped 90,000 copies, and subsequently another 10,000 copies were added to other places. So far, we have sold 100,000 copies." Cui Liang took a notebook that recorded sales and reported the sales for this month in detail.
"Which novel published in this issue has received the greatest response? Has the novel "Zhu Xian" caused a particularly great response?" Zhang Guangnian is most concerned about this matter.
It is not only because Xiaoxiang Qingkong opened up a new genre of novels, but also because People's Literature was the first to publish works of this emerging genre. Its influence and readers' acceptance are crucial to People's Literature.
"Compared to Xiaoxiang Qingkong's other novels, the response to the novel Zhu Xian can only be considered average, not the best.
However, some readers have mentioned "Zhu Xian" in their letters, praising its novel conception, dramatic plot, and vivid characters. Many readers said that this was their first time encountering a novel of this style, and they felt it was very fresh and shocking.
Overall, although the number of readers of the letters is small, the response has been positive." Cui Liang reported truthfully.
After hearing this, Zhang Guangnian showed a satisfied smile on his face.
"That's great. Xiaoxiang Qingkong has been able to create a new genre and gain recognition and love from readers. This is a great support and encouragement for our People's Literature.
There are not many letters from readers, so it is very likely that the novel "Zhu Xian" has not yet reached its peak.
After all, the first 50,000 words are just the beginning of the story. The novel "Zhu Xian" has as many as one million words, and its wonderful parts are often hidden in the subsequent ups and downs.
How many novel manuscripts do you have for selection now? "Zhang Guangnian seemed to be lost in thought, and suddenly he suddenly asked Cui Liang something.
In the past, for novels published in People's Literature, People's Literature would select several backup manuscripts. These backup manuscripts were generally used to deal with some emergencies, such as the original manuscript could not be published for some reason, or there were not many submissions next month and no good manuscripts could be selected. These backup manuscripts could be quickly added to ensure that the publication progress of the magazine was not affected.
"There are six backup manuscripts." Cui Liang was a little confused about what Editor-in-Chief Zhang meant by asking this.
"If we publish 200,000 words of Zhu Xian all at once, plus six spare articles, it will just be enough to fill the entire magazine.
We can still publish another issue of People's Literature." Zhang Guangnian was calculating in his mind, and the more he talked, the more he felt that this was feasible.
"You mean... our magazine should publish a bimonthly this month?" Cui Liang asked tentatively.
Generally speaking, their People's Literature magazine usually publishes about ten serialized articles, and the number of words in each article is controlled between 50,000 and 80,000.
If another book is to be published in October, the serial length of the novel "Zhu Xian" will need to be significantly increased, and the arrangements of other manuscripts will need to be adjusted at the same time.
Zhang Guangnian nodded gently, his eyes gleaming with deep thought. "Yes, first of all, as a pioneering Xianxia genre, although the response to Zhu Xian has not been great, readers have high expectations. If we can strike while the iron is hot and release more content at once, we can not only meet the urgent needs of readers, but also take this opportunity to increase the sales and influence of the magazine.
Secondly, we have more and more writers submitting their works to our magazine, and we will be able to select more and more excellent works from them. We will no longer be worried about not having any works to publish. The novel "Zhu Xian" has over one million words. As the content gradually improves, we can reduce the number of words and publish serialized works, and they can be published for a longer period of time.
Cui Liang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he felt that what Editor-in-Chief Zhang said made a lot of sense.
Over the next few days, several editors from People's Literature worked overtime and published two magazines in October.
However, as the number of words released in "Zhu Xian" increased.
The content of "Zhu Xian" gradually caused a sensation among readers.
The fantastic world view, intricate character relationships, and gripping plot development attract every reader who opens it like a magnet.
Readers wrote in one after another to express their fanatical love for "Zhu Xian".
Some praised the beautiful writing, which made people feel as if they were there, while others were full of endless reverie about the fairy world depicted in the book.
Cui Liang looked at the letters and reader feedback that came pouring in like snowflakes, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He knew that this time, their bet had paid off.
In the following months, each issue of "Zhu Xian" would publish a series of 100,000 words. The popularity of "Zhu Xian" spread like wildfire, quickly sweeping the entire literary world.
The name Xiaoxiang Qingkong is once again remembered by countless people.
But that’s all for later.
........。
Yenching Film Academy.
A few days ago, Zhang Ming saw his friend recommend a writer to him, hoping to be admitted to the directing department next year without taking an entrance exam, saying that this writer had opened up a new literary genre.
Zhang Ming also paid attention to Xiaoxiang Qingkong's new work "Zhu Xian".
The opening was fascinating, and Zhang Ming was deeply attracted by Xiaoxiang Qingkong's unique and profound writing style.
In mid-October, People's Literature published a rare bimonthly issue, which serialized "Zhu Xian" with 200,000 words.
As Zhang Ming read deeper, he felt more and more that "Zhu Xian" was not just a simple fantasy novel, it contained a profound exploration of human nature, friendship, love, and the distinction between good and evil.
Afterwards, Zhang Ming asked his good friend Xiaoxiang Qingkong what other works he had written, and he read them one by one.
As a result, Zhang Ming discovered that each of Xiaoxiang Qingkong's works had a different style and did not follow a fixed literary style, but they were all equally fascinating.
From scar literature to anti-Japanese themes, from suspense to fantasy healing, she seems to have unlimited creativity. These works are as colorful as a kaleidoscope and have accumulated a large number of readers, making Zhang Ming marvel at Xiaoxiang Qingkong's talent.
If such a writer who can master a variety of literary styles with ease can really enter the directing department, he will definitely be able to transform the depth and breadth of the text into shock and emotion under the lens.
Even if not, he can still become an excellent screenwriter in the future. It would be their loss if Xiaoxiang Qingkong did not study at their Yanjing Film Academy.
Zhang Ming first called his good friend Zhang Guangnian and agreed to let Xiaoxiang Qingkong enter the Yenching Film Academy without taking the entrance exam. The only requirement was that his college entrance examination score could not be lower than 300 points.
This is to prevent others from knowing that Xiaoxiang Qingkong used a backdoor and causing conflicts between teachers and students.
Zhang Ming began to actively prepare materials for Xiaoxiang Qingkong to enter the directing department without examination. He collected all of Xiaoxiang Qingkong's works and wrote a detailed letter of recommendation, elaborating on her uniqueness as a writer and the positive impact she might bring if she were to enter the directing department.
This is all later.
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