1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Chapter 100: The Great Gatsby

As soon as the man entered, his eyes locked onto Michelle, and he shouted, "Mr. Michelle! Don't sign! I'm Fletcher Harper, president of Harper Publishing Group in New York!"

The middle-aged man was panting heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"We're willing to pay double the upfront fee!"

The entire living room fell silent instantly.

John Murray's face darkened the moment he saw who it was.

He slowly turned his head and looked coldly at the uninvited guest.

"Mr. Harper? This is London, not a place for you Americans to run wild."

Murray's voice dropped a half tone, each syllable carrying the coldness characteristic of British aristocracy, revealing undisguised disgust.

Harper?

Upon hearing the name, Michelle seemed thoughtful.

If Murray Books is the uncrowned king of British publishing, then Harper Publishing is one of the most powerful family-owned publishing giants in the United States.

It was also the precursor to HarperCollins, the global publishing giant of later generations.

Tolkien's *The Lord of the Rings*, as well as works by Agatha Christie, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, Harper Lee, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others, have all had books published by his company...

The Collins dictionary that Michel used during his student days was from their company.

Founded in 1850, Harpers New Monthly later became the renowned Harpers Magazine, one of the most successful literary magazines in the United States.

For a long time, many of the textbooks used in American schools were published by them.

Although piracy is rampant in the United States, far-sighted American publishers will personally travel to London to purchase "early proofs" of authors with substantial upfront payments, in order to be among the first to legally publish their work in the American market.

"Mr. Murray!"

Harper wasn't intimidated at all; he loosened his tie to make himself feel more comfortable.

"Literature knows no borders!"

"There may be no literature, but there are rules."

"Rules? Which rule are you referring to?"

Harper walked to the coffee table in two steps, glanced at the contract, and scoffed.

"A three-year exclusive? Mr. Murray, are you signing a contract to be an author or a contract to sell yourself into servitude?"

Murray's expression grew increasingly grim.

Michelle noticed that the bookseller king was gripping his cane much tighter.

Harper strode to the coffee table and swept Murray's contract aside with a single stroke.

"Don't listen to his boasting about those moldy leather-bound books! Mr. Michel, your British clichés are outdated! What high society, what permanent collection? How many books can that sell?"

He turned to Michelle, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

"Mr. Michelle, look at America! What you need is the American stage! Our country is developing rapidly, and literacy rates are soaring every day! We need your story!"

"I don't want any hardcover three-volume set; I want it printed as an inexpensive paperback and sent to every household in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia! I will make your readers number in the hundreds of thousands, in the millions!"

In 1837, high-end novels in Britain were typically published in three volumes, priced as high as 31 shillings.

penny.....

Ordinary people simply couldn't afford them; they were mainly purchased by nobles or in large quantities by the "Circulating Library."

This is also where Harper mocked Murray.

"Mr. Harper," Murray stood up.

"The last time we dealt with each other was because you reprinted forty-seven books published by Murray Books in New York without authorization. I haven't settled that score with you yet."

"That's the old almanac."

Harper waved his hand, his tone showing not a trace of guilt.

"Besides, the United States doesn't have an international copyright law, so we haven't broken any laws."

"You call that not breaking the law?"

"That's called market demand."

The two were locked in a fierce battle, and the tension between them grew increasingly palpable.

Michelle sat to the side, holding her cup of black tea, silently watching the spectacle unfold.

Honestly, he felt like he was watching a play.

The two had a long-standing feud, and Harper Publishing Group in the United States "borrowed" the most from the British classics published by Murray Books.

Now, the flames of war have spread directly from across the Atlantic to the heart of London.

"Vulgar Americans have nothing on their minds except the dollar."

John Murray sat up straight again, his face full of disgust, as if he felt the air was dirty being in the same room as Harper.

"The value of literature cannot be measured by sales figures. What we offer Mr. Michel is an immortal reputation, royal recognition, and a place in history."

"And you, Mr. Harper, just want to print his talent on cheap paper and sell it alongside those third-rate thrillers."

"Reputation? Can reputation put food on the table?"

Harper scoffed, pulled a booklet from his briefcase, and slammed it on the table.

"This is the paperback edition of Frankenstein published in the United States. It costs 50 cents and sold 50,000 copies in three months!"

And what about your Murray Books' hardcover edition? Priced at one guinea, it's been selling for years among London's aristocratic circles, and I doubt you've even sold five thousand copies?

"This is theft!" Murray was so angry that his face turned pale.

"No, I'm spreading the word!" Harper retorted sharply.

"It is you old-fashioned Englishmen who lock knowledge and stories away in high places, treating them as playthings for a select few. We, on the other hand, bring them to all who yearn to read!"

The argument between them grew increasingly intense.

The argument between the two was not just about Michelle, but also represented two completely different publishing philosophies.

One represents the elitism of old Europe, and the other represents the populism of the New World.

The two were arguing so loudly that even the reporters downstairs could hear it.

The reporters downstairs were completely stunned.

They knew both of them; they were household names in the publishing industry.

They never imagined that one day, the two most powerful publishers in the world would argue so fiercely over a single author.

Michelle, at the center of this storm, appeared unusually calm.

"The two of you."

Michelle finally spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it stopped the heated argument.

Ultimately, they came here for Michelle.

Murray and Harper turned to him at the same time, their eyes filled with anticipation, waiting for Michelle's final choice.

Michelle didn't look at the contract that had been swept aside on the table, nor did she pay attention to Harper's anxious look.

He stood up, walked to his desk, and took out a thick stack of carefully bound manuscripts from the drawer.

He walked back to the coffee table.

"Smack."

He casually tossed the manuscript onto the center of the coffee table with a dull thud.

The stack of paper was thick, and the edges of the pages were slightly uneven, indicating that it had just been completed.

Even the first few pages had wine stains and oil stains...

That's right, it was the inspiration that Michel had that day in the cheap bar after parting ways with Charlotte.

The cover of the manuscript prominently displays several large characters.

The Great Gatsby

"I have no interest in signing any kind of indenture."

Michelle sat down again and leaned back in her chair.

"I've finished writing the book; this is the only one."

"Anyone who's interested can take a look first, and then decide whether your argument is worthwhile."

His tone was as calm as if he were discussing what to have for lunch.

Murray and Harper exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

They thought it was a battle for the future, but to their surprise, Michelle presented a present-day answer.

Michelle has already published a new book!

Murray and Harper extended their hands at the same time.

The two hands paused above the manuscript, facing each other for two seconds.

Then Murray made the first move.

He plucked the first half of the manuscript with astonishing agility.

Harper followed closely behind and snatched the remaining second half.

Like lions sharing their prey, the two of them simply sat on opposite sides of the coffee table and began flipping through the pages...