Chinese Entertainment: Directors Start with the Fairy Sister

"So Young" has received enthusiastic attention since its release.

After all, "Those Years" has already amassed a considerable number of readers for the "Taoli Yanxi" account.

Now that the new book is released, it's no surprise that it has many supporters.

"Under the Banyan Tree" also received policy promotion, which gave it a lot of exposure as soon as it was released.

The publisher acted swiftly, completing the signing of the publication agreement for "To Youth" by the end of July.

With the excellent results of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" as a precedent, the publisher would not be foolish enough to offer ordinary conditions, and even offered better policies than other bestselling authors.

After all, not every contestant can bring their work to the big screen and, in turn, boost the sales of the novel.

The base royalty is 12%, and the reprint royalty is 14%. The first print run is 50, with half going to standard editions and half to hardcover editions.

"Those Years" has only a few hundred thousand words, while "To Youth" has 25 words, so the price is relatively higher.

The regular edition costs 20 yuan per book, while the deluxe edition costs 27 yuan per book.

On the day the contract was signed, 60% of the first printing royalties were paid, and after taxes, Zhao Yanxi received about 80 yuan. With total savings approaching 200 million yuan, she was only a million yuan away from investing in a film called "Stone".

However, what excited Zhao Yanxi the most was the publishing invitation from the United States!

Zhao Yanxi might not know which online novels sell best in overseas markets, but he does know that, both domestically and internationally, pornography is the number one driving force!

Therefore, the first novel he updated in the US after bypassing the Great Firewall was "Fifty Shades of Grey"!

Once released, it attracted countless followers.

Brown Publishing, the most famous publishing house in the area, also quickly contacted Zhao Yanxi to discuss publishing matters.

"Are you going now? Will you be able to make it back for my birthday?"

"There's still over a month left, I'll definitely be back. How could I miss your coming-of-age ceremony?!"

Seeing Zhao Yanxi's serious and earnest expression, Liu Yifei felt a little embarrassed, her face flushed slightly, and she said shyly, "Let's focus on the important matter at hand."

"It's okay if you can't make it back, it's just a birthday party."

When a girl declines a request, it's usually nine times out of ten it's true.

Aside from "you're a good person," there wasn't much truth in it. Zhao Yanxi wasn't a Muggle, so she naturally didn't take it too seriously!

As Zhao Yanxi boarded the plane, she wasn't just thinking about "Fifty Shades of Grey," but also about many other things related to the film.

When it comes to publishing a novel, it's really just a matter of royalties.

At worst, the initial print run royalties can be lower, and the subsequent print runs can be increased. As long as professional financial and legal personnel from the relevant labor union are found to supervise the process.

You don't need to worry too much about it.

It wasn't that she trusted the regulatory system of the free and independent United States, but rather that this was all Zhao Yanxi could do.

On someone else's turf, if they really want to do something fancy, Zhao Yanxi can't investigate it even if she wants to.

The fact that Americans earn US dollars is incredibly tempting for Zhao Yanxi!

Zhao Yanxi was wondering if, during her trip to America, she could copy the domestic model and release a movie there as well!

If the three major European cinemas are the temple of world film art, then Hollywood in the United States is the holy land of world film technology!

With the powerful film production technology of Hollywood, the United States has been spreading the cultural heritage of free America to the world, while reaping the global box office market.

Compared to Hollywood's special effects blockbusters, let alone China's rudimentary film technology, even developed countries like Japan, South Korea, and Europe can hardly compare with the United States.

Although Zhao Yanxi, who was reborn in the future, has already demystified Hollywood, one of her animated films has even surpassed 99% of Hollywood blockbusters in domestic box office revenue.

If we compare their domestic box office figures, Chinese films are far superior to Hollywood blockbusters.

However, the memories inherited from the original owner of the body still gave Zhao Yanxi a lingering desire for Hollywood.

It's not just about earning US dollars; being able to establish oneself in Hollywood is also a great honor for the domestic entertainment industry.

Capital and directors will use this as the ultimate measure of success, and celebrities will become Zhao Yanxi's followers for a ticket to go to sea, thus achieving true fame and fortune!

I'll definitely try my luck in Hollywood; the question is whether I can make a name for myself there.

...

New York International Airport.

After landing, someone came to pick me up.

"Paul?"

"Tom?"

"Yes!"

Paul Smith was a cultural broker that Zhao Yanxi found in Hollywood.

Similar to the role of an editor in China, he was mainly responsible for the sales and supervision of "Fifty Shades of Grey" in the United States. Zhao Yanxi would also give him a certain bonus based on the royalties he received.

He was chosen because his previous employers had given him positive reviews, and also because he had experience as a professional manager in a film and television company.

If Zhao Yanxi wants to develop her career in the film and television industry, the other party might be able to offer some suggestions.

As for "Tom," it's simply a way to connect with foreigners and use a foreign name for easier communication.

Coincidentally, during a junior high school English class, the teacher asked the students to choose English names, and Zhao Yanxi chose the name "Tom".

I might as well just use it directly, to save myself the trouble of thinking about it.

After the two met, Paul reported to Zhao Yanxi on the results of his communication with the publisher.

「8%的首印版税，首印50万册，加印版税9%与10%，分别是20万册、30万册；」

"Erotic novels are doing quite well in the North American market. The publisher plans to price it at $25, and according to the publisher, you can get nearly a million dollars in royalties on your first payout."

"It may take two separate trips to collect it."

"A first print run of 50 copies? That's not the treatment a new author should receive," Zhao Yanxi scoffed. "Brown certainly has some ideas; he's essentially buying out the entire company with 8% of the revenue!"

Although Zhao Yanxi did not believe that "Fifty Shades of Grey" could only sell 50 copies, the publisher's actions were a gamble that 50 copies would be enough to meet market demand.

"Tom, don't you understand? These capitalists are all calculating to the core!"

Zhao Yanxi was also somewhat helpless. Although Brown Publishing's terms were already quite stingy, this was already considered "generous" for the First Publishing Company in America.

Other shady publishers may offer slightly higher royalties than Brown, but their contracts are full of clauses and restrictions, and whether you can actually get paid according to the contract is another matter entirely.

The reason why large publishing houses dare to be so strict is because they are stable and secure enough!

"Let's go, it's just the first one. We'll talk about it after we've made a name for ourselves."

Fifty Shades of Grey is a series of novels. I wrote the first one myself by bypassing the Great Firewall. It was neither safe nor competitive, so I just signed the contract.

Once the first installment makes a splash, you're essentially the client when the sequel is released.

We'll come back and negotiate a better deal with them then, and we'll definitely make up for the losses we suffered in the first part!

......

The following day, Zhao Yanxi first hired a professional lawyer from the Bar Association.

Accompanied by a lawyer, Zhao Yanxi, with her visa and certification from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, followed Paul to register a studio related to the cultural and entertainment industry.

This includes, but is not limited to, novel publishing, script registration, film and television production, and so on.

Zhao Yanxi had already decided that with so many excellent scripts in her mind, she could take advantage of her time in America to register some of them in advance.

Making the film himself later, or selling the script to film companies, could be a way to make money.

Since the Writers Guild strike in 1988, Hollywood screenwriters have had certain rights, including the right to invest their scripts as equity and to share in the box office revenue of films.

Many people believe that screenwriters only gained access to box office revenue sharing after the second strike by the Writers Guild in 07-08.

That's actually wrong. This strike was mainly to fight for a share of revenue from streaming channels, not a share of box office revenue!

In North America, where the film and television industry is highly developed, the latter often generates revenue equivalent to that of box office revenue.

......

Things that can be done with money are even faster in the United States than in China.

Paul completed the registration process, which normally takes three days, in just one day.

Subsequently, on August 1st, Zhao Yanxi, along with Paul and a lawyer, signed a contract with the publishing house in person.

Unable to gain further benefits, Zhao Yanxi could only protect her "reputation"—through an agreement with a lawyer, she would sign contracts under a pseudonym, and everyone involved would have to sign a confidentiality agreement.

With this layer of protection, at least you don't have to worry about being ridiculed—that a great director like Zhao has also written erotic novels?

Of course, it's not a big deal if we get caught; everyone has a youthful and impetuous phase, right?

"Paul, what should a Chinese person like me do if I want to make movies in Hollywood?"

"Tom, are you perhaps a producer or director?" Paul said with a laugh. "That would be terrible."

"America may lack a great writer, but Hollywood certainly doesn't lack producers or directors!"

"Thanks, but what can I do? I have a Hollywood dream~"