They’re all reborn, what’s wrong with being a little more almighty?

Chapter 190 If you don’t want to leave me here, you will have your own place to stay.
Zhang Wei came to Princeton University this time as a visiting scholar.

Princeton University, one of the world's top universities, welcomes many visiting scholars from all over the world every year, many of whom are top academic experts.

It is also common for scholars from outside the school to come to Princeton University to do scientific research projects. It’s just that you need to go through the formalities in advance before the project can be carried out.

Zhang Wei didn't need to worry about the formalities, he left them directly to Professor Shi. Just because Zhang Wei has made such heavyweight scientific research results as "gene scissors", any university in the world will welcome Zhang Wei.

After all, this is 2005, and the United States is still the United States where academics have no borders. If it were twenty years later, even Chinese-American scholars would be censored, let alone Chinese scholars.

It's just that the efficiency of Americans' work is really unflattering. It takes a week to complete an approval procedure.

Taking advantage of the few days to go through the formalities, Zhang Wei went to New York and prepared to meet with the American publisher.

Twenty-First Century Publishing's partner in the United States is Scholastic Group, a publicly traded company originally founded in 1920.

Xuele Group is the world's largest children's book publisher, with operations in many countries and regions around the world. In addition to book publishing, Xuele Group is also involved in educational technology products, multimedia, game software and other fields.

21st Century Publishing started out as a children’s book publisher, so most of their foreign partners also produce children’s books.

It only takes an hour to get from Princeton to New York. Zhang Wei made an appointment with the people from Xuele Group, rented a car, and went straight to New York.

"No, it's just a manuscript at the moment." Zhang Wei replied.

“To be honest, although our Xuele Group also has Chinese publishing business, our publishing costs and channel expenses are still higher than other publishing houses.

What's more, the publishing industry belongs to the cultural field. In the cultural field of the United States, Jews occupy half of the country, and can even be said to have the right to speak.

When they arrived at Xuele Group, the person responsible for receiving Zhang Wei was a middle-aged white man named Galante. He was not tall, about 1.7 meters tall, with curly black hair, a high nose bridge, and a hooked nose. He was typically Jewish. appearance.

Contestants will form alliances with each other and betray each other. The ultimate goal is to survive until the end, until everyone fights to the death, and the final survivor is the winner. "

"It's a novel."

"Another work? Has it been published in China?" Galante asked.

"Bullfighting in Spain? No, no, no, that's too superficial. If I had to compare it, I think it can be regarded as Thanksgiving."

"You are talking about "Battle Royale". I have seen this movie. The setting is quite interesting. There are many movies with similar themes in the United States, but the participants are usually serious criminals."

"No, it's originally in English!" Zhang Wei said, taking out a thick stack of manuscripts from his bag and handing it to Galante.

"Why Thanksgiving?" Galante asked in confusion.

This kind of publication is mainly aimed at various ethnic immigrant groups, such as Chinese publications, which are mainly sold in bookstores in Chinatown or Chinese communities.

The reason why it is only second is because there is an unshakable giant in the United States, and this giant is called Amazon. No matter how great the offline channels are, they cannot compete with online channels.

"You should know the origin of Thanksgiving better than me, right?" Zhang Wei asked.

After the two were seated, Galante was the first to speak: "Mr. Zhang, I heard that you wrote a fantasy adventure novel, and its sales in China have exceeded one million!
I thought that someone who could write such a best-selling work must be a experienced scholar, but I didn't expect that you are so young. It's a pity that I don't understand Chinese, otherwise I would have read it carefully. "

"Yes, this is the movie." Zhang Wei nodded.

"It should be considered science fiction plus youth!"

The Xuele Group controls the second-largest sales channel in the United States and can cover popular bookstores in almost any city in the United States.

"Why?" Zhang Wei asked.

The best-selling work Galante mentioned is of course "The Dead Man Blows Out the Lamp", but if you tell Americans about tomb robbing novels, they will probably be confused. After all, the United States only has a history of two hundred years, and there is no tomb culture. Even though George Washington's grave was dug, no burial objects could be found.

Zhang Wei then said: "I wrote a series of that book, but it has not been published yet. I came here this time to bring another work. I hope it can be published in the United States."

After all, this is New York, the city with the most Jews in the United States, and even the most Jewish city in the world.

This kind of non-English publication usually has a small print run and a small market. Big publishing houses will not do this kind of business.

Zhang Wei introduced: "The book "The Thirst Game" I wrote is a similar story. The story takes place in the future world. North America was destroyed after a war. On the original ruins of the United States, people built new home.

"Well, Mr. Zhang, if it's just like this, I think it's a bit ordinary and nothing new. Many similar ideas have been made into movies, including the Japanese movie you mentioned!" Galante said.

Again, don’t underestimate those who make children’s books. Those who control the most sales channels in a country are often those who make children’s books. This is true for China, it is true for Europe, and it is true for the United States.

If it is a successful work that has been tested by the market, we will be happy to publish it, but if it is a new work, I suggest you find a publishing house in the Chinese community, which is more cost-effective. ” Galante replied.

"What if this hunger game will be broadcast live across the country and everyone is forced to watch it? And it must be celebrated as this day?" Zhang Wei asked with a smile.

Zhang Wei knew that Galante had misunderstood what he meant, so he immediately said: "Mr. Galante, you have misunderstood. What I want to publish is not a Chinese book, but an English book."

The United States is a country of immigrants with various ethnic groups from all over the world, so many publishing houses in the United States have publishing services in multiple languages, such as Spanish, German, French, etc., including Chinese of course.

"What kind of novel?"

There are thirteen districts in the new home. Except for the central district, the other twelve districts need to send one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 every year to the arena to participate in a game called "Thirst". Game” TV show.

This is a cruel and terrifying competition of life and death. The arena is an artificially arranged forest and wasteland. In the competition, contestants have to battle wits and courage, track and hunt each other, and at the same time endure hunger and thirst and learn to disguise.

When JK Rowling planned to publish the Harry Potter series in the United States, she ultimately chose Xuele Group because of their channels across the United States.

"The Hunger Games?" Galante looked at the title of the first book and asked, "This should be a novel, right?"

"Are there all kinds of weapons, including submachine guns, axes, crossbows, and even pans? They also have bombs around their necks that will explode if they go far away?" Galante asked.

"Celebrate? You mean, this hunger game is actually a celebration? Use killing as a celebration? This reminds me of Spanish bullfighting! Exciting and cruel, but also a carnival!"

"Is it a new work?" Galante pondered for a few seconds and then said: "Mr. Zhang, my personal suggestion is that if it is a new work, it is best not to come to Xuele Group for publishing."

Zhang Wei paused and then asked: "I don't know how to translate the English title of a Japanese horror movie. The movie is about Japan in the future. A new law has been promulgated. Every year, the third grade of junior high schools across the country will "In ", a class is randomly selected, sent to a desert island, given weapons, and let them kill each other until only the last person is left."

"It's a Chinese book and then translated into English?"

Galante immediately replied: "When the Mayflower arrived in the American continent, they almost starved to death. Thanks to the Indians who brought them food and taught them to grow corn, they were able to survive.

On the day of celebrating the harvest, according to religious traditions and customs, the immigrants set a day to thank God, and decided to thank the Indians for their sincere help and invite them to celebrate the festival together. That is the origin of Thanksgiving! "

"So the Indians who helped the Mayflower, where are they now?"

Zhang Wei smiled slightly and continued: "The Indians helped the British on the Mayflower. However, soon after, more armed colonists arrived, systematically drove away and massacred the Indians, and then occupied this place. A piece of land, began to celebrate Thanksgiving happily.

For Americans, Thanksgiving has become a holiday worth celebrating, but for the Indians, it is a day that brings them disaster. But Americans celebrate Thanksgiving to thank the Indians they massacred. Isn’t this ironic? "

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Galante's face. The whole world knew about the dark history of the United States. Even the origin of Thanksgiving was told by him himself.

But Galante still said: "These were all done by the British. I am Jewish. Our family only moved to the United States during World War II."

"Mr. Galante, don't get excited. This is history that has already happened. We cannot change history and the responsibility does not lie on us, but it is still necessary to face history squarely."

Zhang Wei said, pointing to the manuscript of "The Thirst Game", and continued: "The novel I wrote has a similar connotation. The central district is rich, and the other twelve districts are poor; the central district There is nothing to worry about eating and drinking all day long, while the other twelve districts have to make a living by poaching animals and collecting wild fruits.

Even so, the twelve districts still have to send people to participate in this hunger game every year, letting them kill each other until the last person is left, and this process is celebrated as a festival.

For the wealthy Central District, this is indeed a clear game. The entire hunger game is really like a bullfighting show, except that the performer is not a bullfighter and a bull, but the young people of District 12. As for District 12, they have to watch their family members or friends die with their own eyes and have to celebrate. Is there anything more humiliating and torturing than this? "

"That sounds like a dystopian worldview."

"Yes, it is a dystopia. What I want to write is not just a story about a group of people gathering together to kill each other. I hope to write a profound social allegory. Through the extreme setting of Thirst Game, it reflects the reality of real society The power struggle, class differences and the test of human nature."

"I understand." Galante pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do this. I will hand this manuscript to the editor first and let them take a look. If it is really worth publishing, we will sign a publishing contract."

"About how long?" Zhang Wei asked.

"The number of words doesn't look like a lot. I think there should be results within three working days. Leave a phone number and I will notify you then!"

……

Although "San Ti" is a masterpiece, Zhang Wei does not plan to publish the English version of "San Ti" in the United States for the time being, mainly because readers in the East and the West have different values ​​and have different opinions on literary works. taste.

Take The Three-Body Problem as an example. Westerners’ favorite is the first Once Upon a Time on Earth, and it was also the first to win the Hugo Award.

Perhaps when Westerners look at the Three-Body Problem, they bring it from the perspective of the Trisolaran people, the perspective of the invaders.

The Trisolarans discovered the earth, just like the European colonists discovered the fertile continent of America. They killed all the indigenous people and then turned the land into their own. This is exactly what they did.

Chinese readers generally like the second part of The Dark Forest, because what Chinese readers bring into it is the perspective of people on earth and the perspective of the invaded.

Therefore, for Chinese readers, in the situation where the strength of the enemy and ourselves is very different, Luo Ji understands the theory of the dark forest, successfully frightens the Trisolarans, and protects the earth of the Pearl. This plot is more immersive.

Such a plot is obviously inconsistent with Western values. You are obviously a weak person and should be oppressed by the strong. Why can you be on an equal footing with the strong just by using your brain?
Westerners believe in Darwinism. Survival of the fittest is not suitable for elimination. In their view, the strong bullies the weak, or even destroys the weak, which is the rule of the world.

Due to differences in values, Zhang Wei did not produce the English version of "Three Ti", but produced another work suitable for the American market, that is "The Hunger Games" which has sold more than 3000 million copies in the United States.

The United States has a total population of more than 3000 million, and a novel can sell million copies, which is definitely a phenomenal work.

"The Hunger Games" obviously suits the American appetite. Not only did the novel sell well, but the movie was also a hit even if it was crappy. There were still many book fans willing to pay for it. In the end, it was sold for 20 billion U.S. dollars. box office.

After leaving his contact information, Zhang Wei left the manuscript of "The Thirst Game" with Xuele Group.

Top publishers like Xuele Group receive many submissions every day. Three days is already considered highly efficient.

Thanks to Zhang Wei being introduced by 21st Century Publishing House, he was able to enjoy this kind of treatment. If you submit a paper normally, it is common to wait for news within a month or two.

……

Three days later, Zhang Wei received a call from Galante, saying that Xuele Group was willing to publish "The Thirst Game" and invited Zhang Wei to New York for detailed discussions.

So Zhang Wei came to Xuele Group again, in the same room as last time, and saw the same people.

"Mr. Zhang Wei, our editor has read your work, and the editor's evaluation is quite good, which meets the requirements for publication. If you are willing, our Xuele Group can provide you with publishing services." Garland Te spoke.

“I am very honored to be able to cooperate with Xuele Group.”

Zhang Wei is not surprised by this result. After all, the quality of the work is there. If a novel can sell 3000 million copies, as long as the editor is not blind, he will definitely not let it go.

Galante continued: "Then let's talk about publishing in detail! Let's talk about our process first. Under normal circumstances, if a newcomer makes a new work, the first printing quantity will definitely not be very large.

When releasing new books, we will first release them through several targeted channels based on the type of work and audience group. If the sales are good, we will release it through other channels.

For example, for your "Thirst Game", the main audience should be teenagers. We will first distribute your work to campus bookstores, and the first batch of distribution will be concentrated in several big cities.

If the sales are good, we will increase the printing volume and then distribute it to campus bookstores in other cities until it is distributed throughout the United States. Then we decide when to release it to comprehensive bookstores based on the feedback from campus bookstores.

If the efficiency is very good, we will also increase the number of placements, place the work in a bestseller position, and provide advertising support to help the work get on the bestseller list.

But my personal suggestion is that you don’t have too high expectations for this. For new writers, the bestseller list is still relatively far away. "

Zhang Wei nodded. A publishing giant like Xuele Group, which has been in business for hundreds of years, naturally has a mature publicity and distribution system. The book recommendation and elimination mechanism has also been tested by the market for a long time.

Galante continued: "Then let's talk about the issue of royalties. For new writers, our Xuele Group's royalty standard is a unified 5%."

Upon hearing this number, Zhang Wei's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction. 5% royalties are the lowest level even for new writers.

So Zhang Wei shook his head: "Mr. Galante, this number is quite different from my expectations."

"But this is a reasonable number. For new writers, it is uniformly 5%! This is the market price."

"Even for a new writer, 5% is the minimum. What's more, the quality of my book "The Thirst Game" is better than the average level of similar works on the market. A 5% royalty is unreasonable."

"Mr. Zhang, you may not know much about the American publishing market. Competition in the American book industry is very fierce. In addition to professional writers, many politicians, business executives, professional scholars, and even athletes also write Book.

Sometimes, a person may be known by people because of several news reports for something, and he may write a book and make a fortune while the news is popular.

For American readers, in addition to novels, they have too many choices, including political, economic, cultural, educational, celebrity autobiographies, memoirs, analysis of certain events, etc.

Even for novels, there are many categories to choose from. In addition to the latest novels, there are also many classic masterpieces. For new readers, they prefer classic masterpieces to works by newcomers.

That is to say, in the US market, in addition to facing peers, you also face competition from other non-peers. In front of your peers, you are just a newcomer and lack competitiveness; in front of non-peers, you also lack gimmicks and fame.

Therefore, we give new writers a 5% royalty, which is definitely a very reasonable figure. After all, we have to bear the risk of publicity. "Galant instantly showed the shrewdness and calculation of the Jews.

"If this is the case, I can choose to publish at my own expense, and I will bear the risk of publicity." Zhang Wei said without hesitation.

"Sorry, our Xuele Group does not accept self-publishing!" Galante's refusal was not sloppy at all.

"5% is really too little. You may not know that in China, I can get 15% of royalties!"

“But in America, you’re just a new writer!”

"But I have had success stories. My last novel sold over one million copies a few months ago, and it's still growing rapidly. It's worth your investment."

"Mr. Zhang, the American market is different from the Chinese market. What Chinese readers like may not be liked by American readers! After all, you are not an American. There has never been a novel written by a Chinese that can sell well in the United States!"

"John Tolkien is not an American. Isn't "Lord of the Rings" also a hot seller in the United States? It has become one of the best-selling novels in the United States.

JK Rowling is also not an American. Your Xuele Group also represents the publishing rights of the Harry Potter series in the United States. Could it be that the royalties you paid JK Rowling were only 5%? "

"But you are not JK ​​Rowling after all. We can only give you 5%, no more!" Galante's tone became stiff and his expression became impatient.

Zhang Wei originally wanted to try to bargain with Galante, but Galante's look clearly meant that he was determined to hold on to 5% and had no intention of bargaining!

"It seems that the differences between us are quite big." Zhang Wei sighed and continued: "In this case, I can only express my regrets."

"You mean you don't plan to cooperate with Xuele Group?" Galante asked.

"Your quotation is too low. I don't want to lose money." Zhang Wei shrugged.

"Mr. Zhang, you have to think carefully. You are a new writer, and as a Chinese, it is impossible for any other publishing house to give you a higher quote! Moreover, our Xuele Group has the largest Other publishing houses don’t have this advantage! Choosing Xuele Group is the right decision.”

"The biggest in the United States? Not necessarily!" Zhang Wei chuckled.

Now that we are in the Internet age, do you think Amazon is just a decoration?
What's more, the person standing in front of you is a senior consultant from Amazon!
There is no father here, there is a place to keep the father!
(End of this chapter)