I am not a literary giant

Chapter 160 The Story of the Editorial Department (Part Two)

After saying that, Chen Qingluo realized she had misspoke and corrected herself:

"My small circle includes many well-known writers, and they all gave this manuscript positive reviews."

Editor Hao said, "Professor Chen, you should also know that the writer's perspective and the editor's perspective are different."

"No matter how different we are, we must still abide by the basic principles..."

Editor Hao said, "Teacher Chen, please listen to me. When we review manuscripts, we look not only at whether the work is wonderful, but also at its originality, its contribution to literature, and its social impact."

"This work is particularly special. We also need to consider how much space it will take up if we decide to serialize it, whether its value justifies the space it occupies, and whether various problems will arise towards the end of its serialization...."

Chen Qingluo sneered: "To put it bluntly, it's simply that Shi Tonghe made a promise earlier, but now he's not guaranteeing it anymore, and that's why you're hesitating."

Chen Qingluo always spoke sharply and directly, which Hao Bian found a bit unbearable. After a pause, he said in a pale voice, "If that's how you think, there's nothing we can do."

Chen Qingluo said, "Okay, since you're going to reject the manuscript, can we submit it to other publications now? That won't violate industry rules, will it?"

Editor Hao said curtly, "Go ahead."

"Please return the manuscript to the author as soon as possible."

"We will send it cash on delivery according to the procedure."

Chen Qingluo pressed the hang-up button hard with her thumb, then turned to look at Wang Zixu: "They're blind and don't deserve it. Let's submit to another magazine."

Although the ending was tragic, Prince Xu not only did not feel regret, but also felt a little smug.

Wang Zixu especially enjoyed hearing Chen Qingluo say "they don't deserve it".

He never expected it to resonate with millions of people. It was enough that Chen Qingluo liked it among millions of people; all his efforts had been rewarded.

Chen Qingluo stared at him and asked, "So, how are you feeling right now?"

"What...what feeling?"

"It got rejected," Chen Qingluo said, feigning nonchalance. "They said your manuscript wasn't good enough for a long serialization, that it 'didn't win everyone over'... You weren't too upset, were you?"

Chen Qingluo smiled and said, "Although I've never had a manuscript rejected, don't be discouraged! I've heard that many famous writers were rejected countless times before they became famous. Being rejected is nothing!"

Chen Qingluo's ability to comfort people was appallingly clumsy, but Wang Zixu didn't seem to mind at all, and laughed, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Are you really okay? It doesn't feel good to have your work rejected. I understand if something's wrong. Don't pretend you're okay. It'll make you feel better if you talk about it. Come on, tell me, so I can laugh at you."

Wang Zixu shook his head: "I'm sorry to disappoint you. I have absolutely no emotional fluctuations. On the contrary, I feel quite happy."

Chen Qingluo narrowed her eyes: "You're not a pervert, are you?"

"I'm glad someone pointed out my problems. I was too confident in my novel before. I originally planned to revise it 26 times. By the 20th revision, I felt invincible. Now it seems that it's not so invincible. I'll go back and continue revising it."

Ning Chunyan exclaimed, "You're still going to change it?"

Chen Qingluo said, "Is it possible that you're just being targeted, and it's not a problem with your manuscript itself?"

"Then I'll revise the draft so that it can't be targeted."

Chen Qingluo raised her eyebrows: "You're still the same as before, only knowing how to use brute force."

Wang Zixu said, "I'm sorry, I've developed a path dependency. I'm not as talented as you. I only know that all problems can be solved by brute force. If they can't be solved, it means they're not brute enough."

He recalled the words Yanzishan had written in his notebook: "As long as you believe in yourself, you will overcome all obstacles in your path."

"You really are a pervert."

"If that's how you think, then you might as well be a pervert."

Chen Qingluo pursed her lips, trying hard to suppress the upward curve of her mouth: "However, I like... uh, I mean, I quite like this kind of personality."

Prince Xu said, "I know."

The moment their eyes met, Ning Chunyan interrupted with a dark expression:

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your reunion, but please allow me to say a few words to her."

After saying that, she pulled Chen Qingluo aside and whispered a few words in her ear.

After saying that, Chen Qingluo's expression changed: "It can't be that disgusting, can it?"

Ning Chunyan looked at her: "What do you think?"

Chen Qingluo visibly panicked, biting her finger: "I think we should try it as soon as possible. Many magazines aren't in the same department as them, so they might not care."

The prince asked tentatively, "What exactly happened?"

Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo exchanged a glance, both with very serious expressions.

"What's wrong? Tell me!" Prince Xu couldn't help but become agitated.

Chen Qingluo asked, "Do you have an editor you're familiar with? Someone whose manuscripts you've published?"

Wang Zixu said that only the editor of "Yangtze River" has the surname Yang.

Chen Qingluo said, "Then let's post it through him. The sooner the better."

The prince asked tentatively, "Am I not going to change it?"

Ning Chunyan said, "First, try to get the manuscript approved. Trust me, this is very important."

Wang Zixu actually had a specific direction for revising the text in mind, which meant that the work had the potential to become a better work. It would be a great pity for him to submit it directly without revision.

However, Chen Qingluo and Ning Chunyan were both very serious, urging him to review the draft first, without telling him why. He was at a loss for what to do.

……

Hao Chengliang hung up the phone, glanced at his watch, finished his last few puffs, threw the cigarette butt into the metal trash can, and returned to his office through the evacuation route.

He immediately put on a stern face, returned to his seat, and began organizing the manuscript. After neatly placing it on the table, he looked up and hesitated.

After mentally preparing himself, he got up and walked towards the editor-in-chief's office.

Recently, the Ancient City magazine has encountered some internal problems, changing three presidents within a year, two of whom were due to financial issues.

The editor-in-chief caused a minor online uproar due to his private life. Although the controversy quickly subsided, the former editor-in-chief, being thin-skinned, resigned to take responsibility. However, the newly appointed editor-in-chief was a master of power struggles. He formed cliques within the company, sidelining the president and even promoting his confidante to the position of deputy editor-in-chief.

This woman has absolutely no professional skills; all her expertise is in office politics, making any communication or coordination with her a real headache.

In short, the stories within the company over the past six months have been quite fascinating, enough to make a thirty-episode script that would surely garner high viewership. Unfortunately, he's caught in the middle, swept up in the vortex, and suffering terribly every day. While it's certainly entertaining to watch others' gossip, living in the gossip field yourself is no happy thing.

As I entered the editor-in-chief's office, Editor-in-Chief Huang was on the phone. When he saw me, he quickly hung up and tossed his phone onto the table.

"Editor-in-chief, regarding the manuscript that Chairman Shi Tonghe mentioned last time, we ultimately couldn't hold back anymore and decided to reject it."

Huang Guiping frowned: "Didn't we say we'd leave it for a couple of days and see?"

Initially, Shi Tonghe contacted Huang Guiping directly, mentioning that he wanted to recommend a manuscript. Huang Guiping immediately agreed, even eagerly anticipating it. Shi Tonghe's network and experience were worth maintaining. Moreover, articles recommended by Shi Tonghe were unlikely to be of poor quality.

He thought the manuscript was at most a short story of tens of thousands of words, but when he got it, it turned out to be a huge novel of 600,000 words. He immediately regretted agreeing to it too early.

It's not that *The Ancient City* can't publish long stories, it's just that it hasn't published such a lengthy one in a long time. And with him newly appointed, his position as editor-in-chief not yet secure, and the president seemingly relinquishing control while actually holding back, he's not without weaknesses. At this critical juncture, it's not wise to make any major moves.

To serialize such a long story is a major undertaking.

Imagine if someone were to seize upon his private contact with Shi Tonghe and use it to their advantage, claiming that he broke with convention by serializing such a lengthy article in a magazine to maintain a personal relationship, thus harming the magazine's reputation and lowering its standards. This would inevitably affect his standing.

Fortunately, Shi Tonghe called back afterwards, changing his previous attitude and saying that he would conduct a strict review, which left him confused but also exactly what he wanted.

So he immediately convened a selection meeting, asking the editors to discuss the manuscript. In the end, he made the final decision: the manuscript did not meet the standards for long-form publication, but it had some highlights and should not be rejected hastily. Because it was too long, he gave Hao Chengliang three months to review it carefully, and then held another meeting to discuss it again after three months.

Huang Guiping gave Hao Chengliang three months to review the manuscript, but Hao didn't actually review it. He knew that Shi Tonghe was the key figure and also figured out the editor-in-chief's intention: he wanted to figure out Shi Tonghe's attitude before dealing with the manuscript. So he simply left the manuscript there as is.

Huang Guiping thought a step further than Hao Chengliang: once this period is over and he has secured his position as editor-in-chief, this article might be a valuable asset to play.

So Hao Chengliang's sudden announcement to Huang Guiping that he wanted to reject the manuscript disrupted Huang's plans and made him very angry.

Hao Chengliang said, "Chen Qingluo just called me to inquire about that article."

"Chen Qingluo?" Huang Guiping sat up straight. "You need to maintain a good relationship with Chen Qingluo! What could she possibly want from you, forcing you to reject the manuscript?"

Hao Chengliang smiled wryly: "No, according to her, she came to confront Wang Zixu on his behalf."

Huang Guiping glared at him: "What does she want to do?"

"What she meant was that this manuscript was intended for the Fei Shi Literary Award, and she wanted us to publish it as soon as possible. If we couldn't publish it, she asked us to explain it to her as soon as possible, because if we delayed, we wouldn't be able to participate."

"oh!"

Huang Guiping suddenly realized what was going on, sat back down in his chair, and closed his eyes to think.

Hao Chengliang said, "The other party's attitude was quite tough. The conversation got tense, and she wanted to clarify things on the spot. I thought the manuscript definitely couldn't be published, so I told her I wanted to reject it. Was that too hasty? If you don't agree, I'll go back and apologize."

After thinking for a long time, Huang Guiping finally opened his eyes and shook his head: "No, this is just right, this is just right."

He sat up, tapped the table, and said, "You said this manuscript was for the Fei Shi Literary Award, and I immediately understood. Did you know? Shi Tonghe's son, Shi Shuqiu, is also going to participate in the Fei Shi Literary Award."

Hao Chengliang raised his eyebrows. He felt as if Huang Guiping had opened a door for him, and suddenly everything became clear: "So that's how it is!"

"This author must have some connections to get Chen Qingluo to act as his advocate; he might even be a relative of Shi Tonghe. He must have asked Shi Tonghe for help, but Shi Tonghe didn't want to help yet couldn't refuse, hence the two conflicting stories. He wanted to help, but he didn't want the manuscript to actually be published, so as not to create competition with his son."

Hao Chengliang gave a thumbs up: "The editor-in-chief is truly a prophet."

Huang Guiping waved his hand: "It's too early to talk about that now. Look, I'll call Shi Tonghe and ask for his opinion. If he acts normally, then it means I was right."

He immediately dialed the number, and it was answered quickly.

"Hello, Chairman Shi, excuse me, are you busy right now? Yes, I need to talk to you about something, about that article you recommended a while ago..."

On the other end of the phone, Shi Tonghe's voice rose: "What's wrong?"

Huang Guiping said, "That's right. As you instructed, we carefully reviewed the manuscript. After discussion and analysis by our editorial department, we all felt that the manuscript had many highlights. However, unfortunately, it was too long and the style was not suitable for our publication. If we were to publish it, it would probably not be appropriate."

But then I heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone: "Oh, is that so? Okay, I understand. That's really a shame, but there's nothing we can do. If it can't be published, it means the article isn't good enough, the quality isn't up to par. If it's not good, we'll have to revise it. Please don't force it to be published just because of me; that's not good for either of you."

Huang Guiping and Hao Chengliang exchanged a smile.

Shi Tonghe continued, "Then please clearly state the reasons for rejection when you reject a manuscript. It would be best to analyze the situation with the author, point out any shortcomings in their writing, and criticize them without holding back. This is how they can grow."

Huang Guiping nodded repeatedly and then hung up the phone.

Hao Chengliang gave another thumbs up: "Editor-in-Chief Huang is truly a prophet!"

Huang Guiping waved his hand: "Alright, go and do it. Remember in the future, don't be impulsive when communicating with authors, think things through more, and report back more often to avoid being embarrassed. By the way, try to maintain your relationship with Chen Qingluo. It would be best if you could get her to write for you; you can send Xiao Zhao to do it."

Hao Chengliang nodded and left the editor-in-chief's office. As he stepped outside, carrying the thick stack of manuscripts, he suddenly realized that he had to return the manuscripts, but neither he nor the editor-in-chief had read them yet.

He wondered if he should ask the editor-in-chief if he wanted to take a look at the manuscript.

Then he shook his head, thinking to himself, "What am I thinking? How am I supposed to read through a manuscript of 600,000 words?"

He returned to his seat, and a colleague asked, "What's up? Any new developments regarding this article?"

His pile of manuscripts had been sitting on his desk for some time. Because of their length, they were well-known in the editorial department, and several editors would come to take a look at them regularly, all paying close attention to their condition.

Hao Chengliang said, "We need to reject the manuscript; we need to write a rejection letter."

My colleague was shocked: "Rejected? Weren't they saying they'd let it sit for a few days?"

"The situation has changed again."

My colleague shook his head and sighed, "So it really is because it's too long, isn't it? Sigh, such a good article, to be honest, it's really good, it's a pity it can't be published in our magazine."

Hao Chengliang sneered: "Ha, you didn't say anything at the review meeting, and now you say it's a pity. After all these years as an editor, how many regrettable manuscripts have you rejected?"

My colleague exclaimed, "I've always been a strong supporter of this manuscript, haven't I? I said it during the review meeting; it's quite impressive!"

Hao Chengliang tilted his head. Several days had passed since the review meeting, and he had reviewed quite a few manuscripts, so he couldn't quite recall them.

"Do you support it? I seem to remember that many people at the meeting criticized this draft as unacceptable."

Another colleague sitting in front overheard their conversation, turned around, and said, "Most people were praising it back then, right? It would be a real shame to reject this manuscript."

Hao Chengliang frowned: "How come I remember hearing a lot of criticism back then? Am I remembering wrong?"

My colleague lowered his voice: "What criticism? It's all just opportunism, just saying what the editor-in-chief wants."

After saying that, he fell silent. As the saying goes, it's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person; speaking too much can easily incur resentment.

Upon hearing this, Hao Chengliang suddenly realized why he remembered this manuscript as being very controversial.

When cliques emerge within the editorial department, they inevitably resort to feudalistic tactics. Some opportunists refrain from expressing their own opinions in meetings, instead focusing on guessing the editor-in-chief's intentions. Wherever the editor-in-chief points, they say the same thing.

Thinking about this, Hao Chengliang, holding the manuscript in his hand, once again had the idea of ​​whether or not to read it.

After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head and laboriously stuffed the manuscript into the envelope.

It's too long. I don't have time to read it.

(End of this chapter)