Chapter 4: Using a vest to bet on the tiered manuscript fee...
Chapter 4
Lin Mujin got off the double-decker bus, protecting her cross-body bag with one hand.
Then I asked someone for directions and after many twists and turns, I finally found the newspaper office, an old wooden tenement building.
The doors on the first floor were not closed, and it was a mess inside, with piles of papers being the most common things.
Is the office also used as a warehouse?
He knocked on the door three times symbolically. "Kowloon Newspaper, I'm here to submit an article."
The two men who were busy working inside looked up.
The older one spoke first, "Come in."
After a brief introduction, Lin Mujin sat down hesitantly. It wasn't because she was nervous, but because there were objects on both sides of the stool, and she was afraid of knocking them over. "Editor-in-Chief Wang, this is a novel written by my uncle. He just had leg surgery, and he asked me to bring it here."
She had already greeted the old man and used his name to wear a vest for herself.
Anyone who works in literature has to wear more than one vest.
The middle-aged man, the editor-in-chief, took the brown paper bag and pulled out the letter inside. "Let me see."
Lin Mujin has been an editor for many years and can sit still very well. She can also observe the expression of the editor opposite her. When she sees the other party's interested smile, she knows that it's safe.
His face turned red again...
Ahem…it was a bit embarrassing to review Xiaopowen’s manuscript, but luckily she was wearing a vest. As long as she wasn’t embarrassed, others would be embarrassed.
"The subject matter of this novel is very novel. No one has written about the Dream of the Red Chamber in this way before. The writing is also very good. Our newspaper has accepted it. How much can it provide every day?" asked the editor-in-chief.
Lin Mujin didn't answer but asked, "How much is a thousand words?"
Editor-in-Chief Wang paused for a moment. "The article is good, but the author is new. Nine yuan per thousand words, that's quite high, considering we only accept 7.5 yuan for submissions."
Lin Mujin was naturally dissatisfied. "I'm sorry, but the difference between the amount and the base fee my uncle asked for is quite large. I'll go ask other newspapers."
As he said this, he was about to take the manuscript back.
Editor-in-Chief Wang didn't let go, but soothed him, "Don't worry, don't worry, we can still talk."
Lin Mujin scratched her head. "Editor-in-Chief Wang, I'm just an errand boy. I can't make decisions. If I don't meet Uncle's requirements, I'll be scolded when I get back."
It is indeed much more convenient to have a vest. Negotiations are much easier. As long as you are not satisfied with the price, you can push it to the uncle who is not present.
I said to myself: Uncle, please don’t blame me. When I earn some money, I will buy you some “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” and you will take the blame first.
Editor Wang asked, "How much does your uncle want?"
Lin Mujin rolled her eyes, "A thousand words for ten yuan..."
Seeing that Editor Wang was relieved, she continued, "This is the base fee. It provides 2,000 manuscripts a day. An additional 1,000 will be paid plus one yuan. This novel has about 250,000 words."
She was a little clever, and this kind of tiered quotation with a bit of a gambling nature was easier for people to accept.
Just as Editor-in-Chief Wang said, the article has a novel subject and the writing is good, but because the author is new and not famous, it is difficult to give a high price.
This kind of tiered quotation will make people subconsciously ignore the price increase.
Editor-in-Chief Wang shook his head and said, "Two thousand a day is too little."
Lin Mujin acted pitifully, "Hey, Editor-in-Chief Wang, my uncle had surgery at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital a while ago. Although he's recovered a bit now, we don't want him to be too tired. I'm really worried that this novel will be well received."
Do the opposite and block the other party's bargaining power.
Editor-in-Chief Wang frowned, "Can you guarantee the supply of subsequent manuscripts?"
Lin Mujin was afraid of overacting, so she quickly tried to smooth things over, "Uncle should have some manuscripts on hand."
Editor-in-Chief Wang's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "How many?"
Lin Mujin shook her head. "I don't know. Uncle won't let me see it."
Editor-in-Chief Wang glanced down at the manuscript. "If future manuscripts are of this quality, I agree to a base payment of 10 yuan per thousand words, but you have to supply 3,000 words per day." He raised the manuscript in his hand. "This one has about 10,000 words, so I can only pay 11 yuan per thousand words."
Lin Mujin also understood that it was impossible to charge a tiered fee for these 10,000 words, but 11 yuan per 1,000 words was acceptable.
In fact, before coming here, her bottom line was ten dollars per thousand words.
Whether you can earn more in the future depends on the response after publication.
Editor-in-Chief Wang confirmed again, "Will you publish it under the pen name 'Three Thousand Guests'?"
Lin Mujin nodded immediately, "Yes, my uncle gave it this name, I don't know what it means."
After that, the two agreed on how to submit the manuscript, how to contact each other, and then Lin Mujin went home with the 110 yuan.
She had to hurry home to finish her manuscript, as she had no spare drafts.
Fortunately, she doesn't have to come in person to deliver it in the future. She can just send it by letter.
She needs to make a phone call every day to confirm whether the manuscript has been received, and the newspaper will reimburse the phone fee.
From now on, payments will be made once a week, and telegraphic transfers can also be sent by mail.
In other words, if nothing unexpected happens, she won't have to come in person anymore.
——————
On the double-decker bus, Lin Mujin went to the upper deck where there were fewer people and she could enjoy the scenery.
Hong Kong at that time was one of the four economic dragons in Asia. They lived in Kowloon, which was not the center of Hong Kong. There were many high-rise buildings on both sides of the central streets, and shop signs were scattered around. It was still daytime, but it would be even more beautiful at night when the neon lights of various signs were flashing. There were also many buses and cars on the streets, and people were flowing around, creating a prosperous urban scene.
She needs to work hard to write more articles to earn money so that she can buy a big house and a luxury car in the future.
I’ve had enough of living in a subdivided flat.
Alas, the gap between the rich and the poor is too big!
Of course, she sighed not because she had ideals and beliefs, but because she was the poor one.
"Huh...? It seems... it should be..."
Lin Mujin half stood up and leaned against the car window, trying to see carefully.
A man and a woman were sitting in a stylish, eye-catching convertible car, talking and laughing loudly as they drove quickly past the bus.
There is nothing wrong with that, but why does that woman look so familiar? She looks a bit like her cousin's girlfriend Zhu Rongrong.
She has been an editor for many years and her mind is always full of "dog blood".
I have to hint at it indirectly and not let my cousin suffer any loss.
My cousin and Zhu Rongrong can be considered childhood sweethearts. They were elementary school classmates.
Zhu Rongrong has been beautiful since she was a child, and her cousin has always acted as her protector, so the relationship between the two has always been good.
Moreover, the two parties were well matched. Zhu Rongrong's family had a house, an old tenement building, but her father was a gambler, and there was no good for him once he got involved in gambling, so her family was very poor and sometimes they even had no food to eat. She still remembered that her cousin secretly brought her food.
The two have supported each other over the years, and I even heard my cousin say that they will get engaged next year.
But ever since my uncle was injured and had surgery, Zhu Rongrong only came to the subdivided flat to see him once and never showed up again, and my cousin didn't talk about her much anymore.
When I think about it carefully, I feel something is wrong. Could it be... that they broke up?
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