Almighty painter

Chapter 105 Kara?Carroll?

"The Little Prince is the main business of the group this year... Anna, do you know what this means?" Osborn asked.

"I know, this book is very important to Scholastic Publishing Company, and it is also very important to you." Anna said softly.

Making a book is expensive.

Especially for the hardcover and classic works of "The Little Prince", the paper is made of thick pure paper made in the Netherlands, which is three to five times more expensive than the light paper commonly used in ordinary publications.

Under the background of the price increase of the entire paper printing industry under the epidemic situation, the initial printing volume booked by the group to the printing factory is still as high as hundreds of thousands of copies.

This is just printing.

And the cost of publicity and distribution is even more staggering.

It is similar to the movie announcement process. It requires book reviews in major European newspapers, buys advertisements on Amazon and GoodReader (International Douban), dozens of meetings between translators and readers, and major bookstore chains across Europe. Related activities...blah blah blah.

A large number of beautiful knives were thrown out.

This is a book that does not allow failure and has no reason to fail.

To put it bluntly, the newly-published "The Little Prince" already has all the factors to become a new bestseller translated by famous artists.

If Osborne does not do well, the loss is still a small matter, and the board of directors will really doubt your ability.

"Then you should also know the importance of illustrators to fairy tale books like The Little Prince." Osborne asked calmly.

Appearance determines sales.

Even more so for classics.

What you sell is "The Little Prince", and other publishers also sell "The Little Prince",
Why should I buy your version?
The foreign physical book market has high sales volume and strong competition. There may be five or six different editions on one bookshelf.

The first thing that determines the reader's purchase choice is the quality of the translation.

For professional readers who are more particular about Dong Xia, if you buy Shakespeare, you should buy Zhu Shenghao’s version, if you read Turgenev’s novels, you should read Feng Zikai’s, and if you read Balzac’s works, you should choose Fu Lei’s translation...

Then there are illustrations and covers.

If we say that the translation quality of a translated work is the "bone" of the book.

Then the illustrations designed by the illustrator are the "surface" of a book.

A beautiful, well-illustrated book that readers will naturally love.

In a sense, whether illustrations, especially cover illustrations, can attract readers is even more important than content.

Humans are visual animals.

Whether the content of the book is good or bad, the cover illustration is the first impression you make on the reader.

Big data statistics from the marketing department of the group,

In front of a row of bookshelves, ordinary readers tend to subconsciously choose the version with the most pleasing cover illustration and put it in their shopping cart.

Moreover, Osborn also knew that the publishing house had conducted a professional questionnaire survey in advance.

A large proportion of the annual sales of "The Little Prince" are Christmas gifts bought by parents for their children, souvenirs between literary and artistic couples, bought back and placed on the bookshelves at home as stylish display decorations...gifts Attributes are even bigger than read attributes.

If you want the cover painting to be ugly, you will directly sentence this part of the sales to death.

"If it's an ordinary illustration work, Anna, if you ask me, I can't refuse. However, "The Little Prince" is different. The group plans to hire a famous first-line illustration studio to escort this work. Even Even the experienced illustrators in-house didn’t have the chance to write.”

Osborn was candid about his difficulties.

As a large publishing group with a market value of tens of billions of dollars, Scholastic naturally has its own art design department.

The vast majority of publishing designs are done by in-house staff, which is less costly.

Only particularly important trump works will adopt an outsourcing policy.

This is exactly the same reason as the group has its own professional translation department, but hired Dean Hawke of Oxford University to write the translation.

In the Scholastic plan, because "The Little Prince" has entered the field of public books, only two authors are divided into expenses.

In order to achieve the best final effect of this book, the conditions given to the translator and illustrator are very generous.

Dean Hawk can get 18% of the sales royalties, which is the bulk, and the rest is for illustrators.

The quotation for the main cover of the illustration is 3000 U.S. dollars, and the small-sized illustrations inside the rest of the books range from 9000 to 5 U.S. dollars each, and another [-]% royalties can be taken.

This treatment is very tempting,
Almost enough to hire any established A-list illustrator.

According to industry practice, the illustrator who writes a hardcover book can get 3% to 4% of the royalties, and children's fairy tales may float a little higher.

5.00% treatment does not seem too high outrageous.

But that's not the case,
In general, the sales volume of many unpopular works in the European and American book markets is between a few thousand and [-].

A physical book that can sell tens of thousands of copies is considered a normal level, and the sales volume of most well-known popular publications in the industry hovers around this range.

According to the standards of the Scholastic Group, a work that can sell about [-] copies can be regarded as a bestseller.

As long as they are not extravagant, basically whoever has a best-selling book to their name can live a leisurely life of going skiing in the Alps in summer and basking in the sun on Mediterranean beaches in winter and applying sunscreen to girls in bikinis.

The annual sales volume of "The Little Prince" is expected to reach a terrifying level of about one million copies, and every additional percentage point will be a huge salary.

Any painter who is lucky enough to write for The Little Prince will reap huge benefits, both in fame and money.

"If it was an ordinary work, I wouldn't call and trouble Uncle Osborne... I believe that as long as you want, there is still a way, right?"

Anna's sincere request.

Faced with the request for a draft from Ms. Detective Cat, she thought for a long time.

Painting with a knife is too unpopular.

There are not many good opportunities in the industry in a short period of time.

of course,

She can still find some low-end contracts.

But she thought it would be better not to accept such a small contract of several hundred euros.

In particular, this will be the first serious illustration of Detective Cat,

The starting point of a painter is very important, just like the first play of an actor is to play tricks in a web drama.Still being the heroine in Cameron's A-level commercial film, the development of future prospects will be in a completely different direction.

The African female artist was originally an online illustrator,

With a bad background, a higher platform is needed.

"The Little Prince"——Facing Detective Cat's request for a draft drawing, this is the most suitable choice that Anna can think of.

The painting style of children's fairy tales is very suitable for the temperament of Huadao painting.

Magnificent and changeable, the colors are colorful, the pigments are thick, dreamy and full of layers.

If Ms. Detective Cat is really good at drawing knives and knives, Anna can't think of a more suitable scene than this.

"It seems that the painter is really important to you."

Osborne sighed: "Let's talk about the artist first. If it's not too bad, I'll come and think of a way—"

"It's Detective Cat."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

"The detective cat?"

"That detective cat." Anna nodded.

"Fuck, you actually became Detective Cat's manager. Ana, this bloody Detective Cat has caused you enough trouble."

On the phone, Osborne's voice became angry, "Do you know what you are doing, even if you really like this shit internet artist. Being her agent is not good for you or her. "

"So... I'm not her manager."

Anna said calmly.

"Then what the hell are you plotting?"

The unreasonable absurdity of Anna's choice revealed in Osborn's voice.

"She's a very good painter, that's all. And I trust Uncle Osborne that you'll keep the matter of recommending Detective Cat a secret for me, won't you?"

Anna's tone remained calm.

"Auntie left me your phone number back then. If I had to ask Uncle Osborne for anything, then this would be it."

"Are you blackmailing me? Miss Anna Elena."

Osborne's tone became colder.

"No, this is a formal request. I need Uncle Osborne's help for this, and I am very grateful personally."

Anna's tone was extremely serious.

Osborn did owe the favors of the elders of the Elena family, but he is not a subordinate of the Elena family, but now he is the vice president of the European region of the Ten Billion Publishing Group.

Things like human feelings will always fade away the more you use them.

If you spent human favor on this matter, it will be difficult to speak next time.

There are also some people with low emotional intelligence who naturally feel that others owe you forever, and order others to do things with peace of mind. This kind of last benefactor may turn into an enemy.

Anna's EQ is not low.

Why did Uncle Osborne offer to help Anna deal with Sir Brown and the artist Van Dorn when he called the other party himself?

Is it because Osborn just knew about Anna's situation at this moment?

of course not.

They were waiting for Anna to ask him for help.

"I can help you with this, but remember, this is what you asked me to do."

After helping you, I don't owe the Elena family anything.

Anna didn't agree immediately because she wanted to use her precious favor on this matter.

"Well, since you are so stubborn... I can only say that I will find a way." Osborne sighed.

"By the way, about this draft, let me tell you in advance, Detective Cat thinks she is better at drawing with knives." Anna said softly.

"What? Drawing... knife drawing? Shit, where did this come from a liar. Nonsense, are you sure you are really sober now? You are not on drugs, I want to speak to your housekeeper."

"I'm a grown man, Uncle Osborne, and I'm pretty sure what I'm talking about. If you're not sure how serious I am now, then I can tell you that I'm in the Royal Prayer Hall at Melk Abbey."

Another moment of silence.

"May I give you some advice, Anna."

Osborne knew how solemn the decision made in the Royal Prayer Hall was to the members of the Elena family.

"You say."

"If you are in the monastery right now, I suggest that you should ask Dean Melk to give you an exorcism ceremony instead of calling me. Anna, you seem to be bewitched..."

beep

The other side hung up the phone.

Anna put the phone in her pocket expressionlessly.

She looked up at Athena again, and left the royal prayer hall.

She did not return the same way.

Anna steered the wheelchair through the gate inside the royal prayer hall and headed towards the depths of the monastery.

Accessibility is well done here.

After going through a few corners, she finally came to a quiet courtyard alone.

This is the cemetery of the monastery, and it is also where the ancestors of the Irina family rest after death.

There was a slight drizzle in the sky, and the atmosphere in the cemetery carried a unique melancholy.

She took a flower for mourners from one of the flower beds and placed it on her aunt's grave.

then,

Anna turned the wheelchair again, walking towards the depths of the cemetery according to the vague impression in her memory.

The wheelchair crushed wet fallen leaves and slight water on the road, and finally stopped in front of a stone monument. She took out a tissue from her pocket and wiped off the dust on the tombstone.

A name that she had seen countless times in the family tree appeared before her eyes.

【Carla von Elena】

[The courage to pursue beauty is the motivation for me to fight against life——Malerin Coral]

【1849.5.3-1882.3.1】

"Grandma Carla, I have found what I want to pursue."

Looking at the epitaph on the tombstone, Anna asked softly, "If it were you, you would make the same decision as me, right?"

Among the history recorded in the genealogy of Elena's family, the story of this grandma Karazu moved and impressed Anna the most.

Grandma Carla's mother was a nobleman from Greece.

She has one-half of Greek blood, and a rare golden-red long hair.

The elders in the family like to call her Coral, the Greek goddess, as a nickname, and call her Carol.

As an aristocratic girl born in the long 19th century.

Grandma Kara's normal life footprint should be like other noble ladies, with a thin waist and a tall chest, attending various high society salons, tea parties and dances every day.

The Jelena family has always been famous for producing beautiful girls in old Austria, and their financial situation is good, unlike some down-and-out aristocrats in Europe who need to sell their daughters to rude American rubber plantation owners or oil tycoons in exchange for money to maintain a decent family .

In theory,

As long as Grandma Carla works hard on the two promising paths of seducing men and flirting, it is not impossible to hang a prince of the Habsburg royal family on the bed and become a wealthy son-in-law.

However, when she should be famous at social balls, she ran to France to study at the Paris Academy of Fine Arts.

It was a rare thing for girls to go to college in those days.

At first, the elders of Elena's family recognized it.

Anyway, the family has a strong artistic atmosphere, girls, learning art is also a gold-plated means in the marriage market in the future.

Soon, however, Carla wrote from Paris announcing her intention to become a professional painter.

This is very unorthodox.

(End of this chapter)