"This is a new manuscript I wrote, another short fantasy novel." After talking to Zhang Guangnian for a while, Zhang Qiurui took out another "thank you gift" and handed it to Zhang Guangnian.
"Is it another fantasy novel, or a long one with over a million words?" After Zhang Guangnian took the manuscript handed over by Zhang Qiurui, his eyes lit up and he asked with a happy look on his face.
The "Zhu Xian" that Zhang Qiurui submitted to People's Literature earlier became a hit after it was serialized. Each subsequent issue published 50,000 words of serials. If it has been more than a year, "Zhu Xian" will be completed by the end of this year.
Now Zhang Guangnian is still worried about how to ask Xiaoxiang Qingkong for an article, but he didn't expect that Zhang Qiurui actually brought another new work.
“No, this time I’m trying to write a short Xianxia story, about 24 characters long.
If "Zhu Xian" is about eliminating demons, defending morality and upholding justice, then this novel is about the love story of immortals and gods spanning three lifetimes.
Although it is short, the plot is compact and I think it will give people a refreshing feeling," Zhang Qiurui shook his head slightly, with a mysterious smile on his face.
Yes, the novel that Zhang Qiurui submitted to People's Literature this time is "Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms".
In later generations, this novel was adapted into a TV series, which became extremely popular. The leading actor became a top-tier traffic star and became famous all over the country.
When Zhang Guangnian heard that the novel only had about 200,000 words, a look of regret appeared on his face.
If compared with "Zhu Xian", which has not yet reached one million words when published in People's Literature, this novel of 240,000 words can also be considered a long work.
But now with the precedent of "Zhu Xian", 240,000 words seems a bit "short and sharp" in comparison. However, Zhang Guangnian quickly adjusted his mindset. After all, the quality of a work is never measured by the number of words.
"Editor-in-Chief Zhang, I wonder if you have any connections or outlets with publishers or newspapers in Hong Kong?" Zhang Qiurui asked Zhang Guangnian about his second purpose for coming to People's Literature today.
She wanted to publish the novels she wrote in the mainland in Hong Kong.
Then I can make some money again.
"Do you want to publish your novel in Hong Kong newspapers?" Zhang Guangnian asked after understanding.
“Yes, the scar literature and anti-Japanese themes I wrote before may not have much of a market if they were published in Hong Kong or in newspapers, but the novels “The Convenience Store of Worry”, “Zhu Xian”, “Young Justice Bao”, “The Chief Justice of the Song Dynasty”, “The Legend of the New White Snake”, “A Chinese Ghost Story” and “Farewell My Concubine” are all pretty good.
There should be a market for publishing or publishing in Hong Kong. As for the price and other things, it's easy to negotiate now." Zhang Qiurui's eyes gleamed with confidence.
"Hong Kong's cultural atmosphere is much more open than in China, and readers are more receptive to novel and creative works. They are also very tolerant of new works.
Novels with elements of fantasy, martial arts, suspense, and classical Chinese might just be able to carve out a niche in Hong Kong. Zhang Guangnian pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly in agreement.
In fact, what Zhang Guangnian didn't know was that Zhang Qiurui had used other small accounts to carve out a path for himself in Hong Kong with science fiction novels and had accumulated a number of readers.
Although this group of readers is not large, they are extremely loyal. They are keen to explore the unknown in Zhang Qiurui's science fiction world and are fascinated by every novel setting and twists in Zhang Qiurui's science fiction novels.
"Editor-in-Chief Zhang, what do you mean?" Zhang Qiurui didn't know whether Editor-in-Chief Zhang had any connections in Hong Kong. If not, she had to ask Cheng Shufen for help.
"I'll first contact my acquaintances in Hong Kong publishers and mail the article "The Convenience Store of Sorrow" to them to see if they can publish several of your novels later." Zhang Guangnian made up his mind.
Later, Zhang Guangnian contacted the editor-in-chief Li of Ming Pao and published Zhang Qiurui's "The Convenience Store of Worry" as a trial article.
Although Xiaoxiang Qingkong was quite famous in the mainland, he was a complete newcomer in Hong Kong, and it was not known whether the market would buy it. Ming Pao bought the serialization rights of "The Convenience Store of Sorrow" in Hong Kong at the price of two yuan per thousand words.
However, what no one expected was that once "The Convenience Store of Sorrow" was published, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.
Readers in Hong Kong have shown great interest and enthusiasm for this novel that combines fantasy and warmth.
They were deeply attracted by the mysterious grocery store in the story that could solve people's troubles, and they could empathize with how the protagonists grew and transformed in the process of solving problems.
For a time, "The Convenience Store of Sorrow" became a hot topic on the streets, and readers were guessing who would be the next person to be helped by the grocery store and what kind of troubles they would encounter.
With the continued serialization of "The Convenience Store of Sorrow", Xiaoxiang Qingkong's name began to emerge in the Hong Kong literary world.
Ming Pao's editor-in-chief, Li, also spoke highly of Zhang Qiurui's works, believing that her works have both depth and breadth, and can touch the softest part of readers' hearts.
Later, Zhang Guangnian negotiated with Ming Pao to serialize several novels including "A Chinese Ghost Story", "The Legend of the New White Snake", "Young Justice Bao", "The Inspector General of the Song Dynasty", "Zhu Xian" and "Farewell My Concubine".
Among them, "Zhu Xian" and "Farewell My Concubine" caused the greatest response.
However, Xiaoxiang Qingkong's name has gradually risen as a shining new star in Hong Kong's cultural circle.
These two works, one is the fairy tale fantasy "Zhu Xian", which has deeply attracted countless readers with its grand world view, intricate emotional entanglements and the growth process of the protagonist Zhang Xiaofan.
The elements depicted in the book, such as Qingyun Mountain, the Demonic Sect, and the Heavenly Book, construct a mysterious and fascinating world of immortal heroes, making readers feel as if they are in a world full of adventures and dangers.
Another film, "Farewell My Concubine", touched the hearts of countless people with its profound emotional portrayal, delicate character creation and unique insights into historical changes.
The emotional entanglement of love and hate between Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, along with the changing times, shows the brilliance and darkness of human nature, as well as the insignificance and helplessness of individuals in the torrent of history.
However, Xiaoxiang Qingkong is also the only mainland writer who has counterattacked and exported culture into Hong Kong.
Afterwards, Zhang Qiurui talked with Zhang Guangnian and Cui Liang for a while, had lunch at People's Literature, and then said goodbye and left.
After leaving People's Literature, Zhang Qiurui took her second brother to visit Prince Gong's Mansion and the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing before returning to Zhuxinzhuang.
When we returned to Zhuxinzhuang School, it was already 7:30 in the evening.
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