Previously, most of the works of contemporary Chinese writers could only be contracted and published by Penguin Asia Pacific, and there were very few writers who could alert the headquarters.
Lin Han replied: "Mr. Williams, I still have the copyright, but I don't want to hand it over blindly, because this is a rare masterpiece, and I want the world to see it."
"Sounds very good. Thank you for contributing a sales volume to me on Amazon. I hope we can cooperate well in the future."
Lin Han's first reaction was not surprise, but that he had met a liar? He has not been able to get 15% royalties at home, and it will definitely be even less abroad.
The surprise came so suddenly, I can't believe it now. If he were given a 10% royalty, Lin Han would think that Penguin Press valued his potential, but 15% would make him confused. He didn't seem to be worth the price, and he felt a sense of panic.
The other publishing houses are not bad at all. They are all famous in the world. Now it is Lin Han's turn to be in trouble of choice.
Now the other person tells himself that "I, Robot" will have the opportunity to join this great book series, alongside so many important books.
Just like a person can only do a job with a monthly salary of 5,000, but suddenly a job invitation letter with a monthly salary of 50,000 comes to his door, normal people will hesitate.
He didn't expect that after waiting so long, he would only find Random House. After casually publishing two micro-novels in the Mirror, it would attract more attention.
In fact, the price previously offered by Qin Jun from Random House was the price for a true newcomer to the English publishing industry.
The most intuitive feeling is that this book series previously only included "The True Story of Ah Q" by Lu Xun (Zhou Shuren) and "The Besieged City" by Qian Zhongshu, and other domestic writers have no chance to enter this book series.
As for the American FSG Press, its original name was "Farrer, Strauss and Giroux". It has published the works of 25 Nobel Prize winners in literature, and it can be said to be the cradle of the Nobel Prize.
The most ingenious thing is that Penguin Publishing Group acquired Random House, but the operations are still separate, which also surprised Lin Han.
What he has to do now is to first understand the general conditions of these publishing houses, then stabilize them, and wait for formal negotiations after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
"When I heard you say that, I felt a little ashamed, but this book is indeed worth it." Lin Han was not boasting, but full of confidence.
It is very difficult to be included in the "Penguin Classics" book series, which symbolizes honor and classics. Since its birth in 1935, this book series has been the most important book brand and industry standard setter in the field of international literary publishing.
"Are you crazy? (Are you crazy?)"
The books that can be selected are the most classic, distinctive and fascinating products in the world. The selected works must not only be ideological and artistic, but also readable and marketable, ranging from editions and translations to introductions. , binding, and annotation details all require the utmost perfection.
Penguin Publishing Group is one of the world's largest popular book publishers, ranking 10th in the world's media industry rankings. The most famous English-language books include novels and non-fiction books, from history to science to reference books. , all kinds of books are covered.
As a man of two generations, Lin Han's English level is actually pretty good, otherwise he would not have gone to read the original English science fiction novels, so there are not many obstacles to communication.
After Alex felt that the situation was about the same, he said: "Listen carefully to our terms. It is absolutely very favorable. First of all, the royalty rate is 15%, a level only available to European and American best-selling authors. We all agree that this book The book deserves to be of this caliber. Plus, it will join our prestigious Penguin Classics collection."
The result of deliberately planting flowers but not blooming and unintentionally planting willows to create shade is really frustrating.
Most Chinese writers' overseas publishing royalties are between 5% and 8%. 10% is already very rare, and 15% is a treatment that only best-selling writers can enjoy.
Doing business is indeed not what Lin Han is good at, but now he is starting to get general information on the Internet. At least he needs to know where the five publishing companies are, what their scale is, what their reputation is, and what they have done in the past few years. Have you ever been punished for your outstanding performance
The authority and influence of "Penguin Classics" can be seen from Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" and "The Sun Also Rises", García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera", and Alexandre Dumas's "Camellia" "The Girl", Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", as well as Jules Verne's trilogy of science fiction novels, and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", known as the originator of science fiction novels.
This feeling of being affirmed is great, and it feels like a close friend in the mountains and rivers. The editor from Penguin Publishing did not directly refuse the conditions like Random House did, but instead drew closer to the relationship between the two parties and made Lin Han understand that they really wanted to make this book a good one, not just to make money from publishing.
From the previous few chats, Lin Han noticed that as a wealthy family in the publishing industry, the editor at the Penguin Publishing Group headquarters still plays a very important role.
"Hello, I am Alex Williams, the editor at Penguin UK headquarters. I recently saw the English version of the novel "I, Robot" you posted on Amazon. Now I would like to ask if the physical book copyright of the English version has been sold. Are you out?"
Lin Han expressed his thoughts straightforwardly, without even having time to modify it tactfully.
You won’t know if you don’t check, but you’ll be shocked if you check.
This is not the first time that Lin Han has seen foreigners praise the book "I, Robot", but it is the first time that he has heard other people praise him in person.
After recording the contact information of these publishing houses on a piece of paper, Lin Han began to have trouble. He sighed, resigned to his fate and added their friends, and then began to send emails one by one to talk.
In fact, Alex Williams has been investigating for a long time. He is not only an editor, but also the most famous publishing line leader of Penguin Publishing Group.
"Of course, I know this is definitely a novel science fiction novel. If it were just an ordinary novel, I would not be talking to you at this time, but would be the contracted publishing editor of Penguin Asia Pacific. We are the UK headquarters of."
What's more, in addition to the sky-high royalties, the "Penguin Classics" series mentioned by Alex is also an honor.
Asians rarely feel so confident, so Alex also laughed: "I believe in the potential of this book. It will not only be a best-selling novel, but it will also leave a mark in the history of science fiction." An important stroke. You have subverted our traditional impression of Chinese writers. We did not expect that there are such writers in China.
This side offered the sky-high 15% royalty without even having to ask for it from the agent, which is simply weird.
The science fiction themes you write are global, and there is something in the work that particularly attracted my attention, making me feel that this book must be published. This novel brings a fresh experience, bringing readers into a strange world, experiencing the culture of robots, and the history of robot development. It’s great! "