The literary era since 1979

Chapter 265: Making Money, Not Shabby (Two in One)

The next day, Pan Yaoming came to the hotel excitedly with dark circles under his eyes, and saw Fang Yan and Bai Ruoxue sitting face to face, enjoying a buffet breakfast, talking and laughing.

He didn't even bother to drink a sip of water, he just wanted to discuss "The Grandmaster Huang Feihong" with Fang Yan.

"Look at you, you're in a hurry."

Fangyan waved the Seagull camera in his hand and suggested that Pan Yaoming be a guide to take them out shopping and chat on the way.

Pan Yaoming couldn't wait to say, "Of course."

Fangyan came out of the hotel, walked down the street, turned a corner, and the bustling area was not far away.

There is a newspaper stand on the roadside. People who want to buy newspapers hand over a few Hong Kong dollars and take the day's newspaper from the newspaper vendor.

A glance at the dialects shows that there are all kinds of magazines, everything available.

"VOGUE", "ELLE", "Extra"...

There are not only celebrity photography, but also fashion clothing, as well as newspapers and magazines on Hong Kong's finance, entertainment, politics and other aspects.

So, he picked out fashion magazines for Fang Hong and Han Yuemin, and some magazines on finance, literature, etc. for himself.

"I'll come, I'll come."

Pan Yaoming took out a stack of Hong Kong dollars on his own initiative.

"Let me do it. These magazines are not cheap."

When Fangyan came, he not only exchanged some US dollars with the foreign exchange dealers in Beijing, but also got some Hong Kong dollars.

"It won't cost much, so don't be polite to me."

Pan Yaoming waved his hand and paid the money first.

Fangyan did not refuse and kept it in mind silently.

Afterwards, I listened to Pan Yaoming talking about the newspaper industry in Hong Kong.

In this golden age, a newspaper stand could sell at least a thousand newspapers a day, sometimes even up to 2000.

Whenever there is an explosive news event, the sales volume is even more astonishing. People line up in long queues to buy newspapers, and the newspaper vendors are overwhelmed.

After walking for a while, we saw four or five newspaper stalls.

Fangyan finally found a clothing store and wandered around the shops, looking at the styles and designs of the most popular clothing in Hong Kong.

In a women's clothing store, I saw a very fashionable skirt, so I took out my camera and took a picture through the glass window.

A clerk immediately ran out from inside the room and said, "Sorry, sir, we don't allow taking pictures here."

Pan Yaoming was about to explain, but Fangyan curled his lips:

"I'm the editor of FH Magazine, Can you stretch the rules a little?"

Bai Ruoxue saw the look he gave her and said playfully, "He said he's the editor of a famous magazine. Can you make an exception for me?"

The clerk was stunned for a moment, then looked at the tall, handsome man who spoke English, and then looked at the pretty and decent translator, then left with an embarrassed smile.

"Cough cough."

Pan Yaoming shook his head and laughed, explaining that it was not like this before. In the 1950s and 1960s, Mandarin was the mainstream in Hong Kong, but with the popularity of Cantonese culture such as music and movies, English became first, Cantonese second, and Mandarin the worst.

Seeing Fang Yan frowning, Bai Ruoxue asked, "Teacher Fang, is there really such a magazine as the 'FH' you mentioned just now?"

"No."

“FH” in dialect means “for him”.

"Men's gang?"

Bai Ruoxue blinked.

“It can also be translated as men’s clothing.”

Fangyan smiled and said, "A man has to pretend."

Pan Yaoming looked left and right and said with emotion: "I didn't expect that you two spoke English with such a standard accent."

"My English is just so-so."

Fang Yan said, "This is the real expert. She is a top student in the English Department of Yan University and is proficient in Japanese and German. She made great efforts in the translation of Saving Private Ryan and That Mountain, That Man, That Dog."

Pan Yaoming's eyes suddenly lit up and he was amazed.

"Teacher Fang, you're too kind. I'm not as good as you say." Bai Ruoxue smiled modestly.

Pan Yaoming breathed a sigh of relief and said that his English was not good. He was worried that the mainland writers were not good at English either, so he had to bite the bullet and be the translator. Now, with Bai Ruoxue, he doesn't have to force himself and can finally put his mind at ease.

Bai Ruoxue repeatedly stated that she would do her best.

“That’s the good thing about being a college student.”

Pan Yaoming said that this time he went to the United States not only to participate in the international writing program. After the program is over, he will continue to study in the Language Department of the University of Iowa to fulfill his dream of going to college.

Fang Yan and Bai Ruoxue looked at each other in surprise.

"Yes, I have arranged everything."

Pan Yaoming said: "When I arrive in the United States, I will collect manuscripts for Sanlian Bookstore's Overseas Literature Series. Sanlian Bookstore will pay my family a salary, so I can be free from worries."

Fangyan was very surprised to hear "Sanlian Bookstore".

Joint Publishing Company (Jianlian Bookstore) is a bookstore founded in Hong Kong in 1948. Its original name was “Life Bookstore, Reading Publishing House, New Knowledge Bookstore”. The following year, the head office moved to Yanjing.

The branch in Hong Kong was renamed "Life Bookstore, Reading Publishing House, and Xinzhi Bookstore Hong Kong Joint Distribution Office", which mainly distributes mainland publications and serves as a window for the mainland to Hong Kong.

“Is it easy to publish a novel in Hong Kong?”

"Not easy."

"How do you say that?"

"Hong Kong has a strong commercial atmosphere. Citizens like to read popular literature. Serious literature doesn't sell well here."

Pan Yaoming said that the requirements for publishing are also very high.

First of all, the writer must be famous and have a fixed readership, so as to attract the interest of the publishing house, which will visit him and negotiate publishing. Secondly, the writer’s requirements cannot be too high.

For example, if the manuscript fees and royalties are too high, the publishing house will not be profitable and will basically back off.

The result is that there are not many Hong Kong writers who can maintain the publication of their works for a long time. There are only a few who come and go, such as Jin Yong, Ni Xu, and Yi Shu. Other writers with some fame can only fight guerrilla warfare and respond in kind.

“It sounds like it’s not easy.”

Fangyan touched his chin.

"But I think your series of "The Grandmaster Huang Feihong" can be published in Hong Kong."

Pan Yaoming's face showed excitement.

"How can you see it?"

These words touched Fangyan's heart.

"Huang Feihong is a household name in Hong Kong. Whether it is movies, martial arts or literature, there is a huge market for him."

Pan Yaoming directly used the Wong Fei-hung movies as an example.

The story of Wong Fei-hung was first made into a movie in 1949's "The Legend of Wong Fei-hung". Once it was released, it was a box office hit and received great recognition from Hong Kong movie fans.

In total, more than 90 films were shot.

In the past few years, "Drunken Master", starring "Huang Feihong", set a box office record of 676 million Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong, breaking the record of Bruce Lee's "Way of the Dragon" in one fell swoop.

When the film was released in Asia, it was even better.

"Although I haven't finished reading your two novels, I have seen a completely different Huang Feihong. He is not the kind of hero in Hong Kong movies who fights for justice among the people."

"Instead, he has risen to the level of a man who serves his country and his people, and a great hero. This image has never been seen before."

"Among the writers in Hong Kong, few can write such a story."

"So, if I want to publish these two volumes of "Once Upon a Time in China" in Hong Kong, which publishing house do you think I should look for?" Fang Yan asked inquiringly.

"From a selfish perspective, I would definitely recommend Sanlian Bookstore."

Pan Yaoming went on to say, "Out of public interest, I also recommend Sanlian Bookstore. Among all the publishing companies in Hong Kong, no one does a better job than Sanlian Bookstore in publishing mainland novels."

It was hard for Fang Yan to disagree. “If I give the Huang Feihong series to Sanlian Bookstore, how will the royalties be calculated?”

Pan Yaoming suddenly became energetic.

For mainland writers at the dialect level, the royalties are generally set at HK$20 per thousand words, and there are two models of royalties: one is a tiered royalty and the other is a fixed royalty.

The fixed royalties of Sanlian Bookstore are between 5% and 10%. For works like "The Grandmaster Huang Feihong", generally speaking, you can get 6% to 7% royalties. Fangyan roughly calculated in his mind that the basic royalties for "The Grandmaster Huang Feihong" were about 1.3 Hong Kong dollars.

"Of course, in addition to Hong Kong, it may also be published in Southeast Asia or even in Taiwan," Pan Yaoming vowed.

"Treasure Island?!"

Fang Yan and Bai Ruoxue immediately became sensitive.

At that time, Taiwan had the "Temporary Suppression of Rebellion Regulations", which prohibited things related to the mainland from flowing into the island.

"Of course I know this. It was because Mr. Jin Yong worked as a translator for Ta Kung Pao that Ming Pao was unable to enter Taiwan. However, there are ways to circumvent this."

Pan Yaoming looked like he had everything planned out for him.

The dialect says let’s find a place and chat while eating.

Pan Yaoming readily agreed and led them to a beef noodle restaurant. The shop was extremely small and the seats were packed. The tables were all placed on the street. If a car passed by, the customers had to stand up to let the car pass.

They sell a lot of different items, including beef offal, beef brisket, beef tripe, beef intestines served with noodles, rice vermicelli, and fish ball noodles.

Fangyan ordered a bowl of mixed noodles without thinking.

As a gourmet, you must taste it.

When the noodles are served, if you say this -

A good curry fish ball, but it has neither fish flavor nor curry flavor, what a failure!

The radish was not picked carefully, there were too many residues, failure!
The pork skin was cooked too soft and had no elasticity, a fail!

The pig blood falls apart as soon as it is pinched, a failure among failures!

The worst part is the large intestine. It was not cleaned properly and there was a piece of feces inside. Are you kidding me? Let me eat it in its original flavor!
So, will you get beaten?

…………

When the offal noodles were served, Fangyan took a bite and was "extremely disappointed". The pork skin was cooked to perfection, the fish balls were delicious, and the large intestines were stir-fried. It was simple, but very authentic!

After chatting for a while, Pan Yaoming told the truth.

If a mainland writer wants to publish a book in Taiwan, the writer himself cannot have any direct cooperative relationship with Taiwan publishers.

Either find a Hong Kong agent or a Hong Kong copyright agency to act as the middleman.

"In other words, let the agent or agency sign a contract with the publisher in Taiwan with the power of attorney."

Fangyan took a bite of the fish ball.

Pan Yaoming nodded and said, "Baodao has clearly stated that a contract is required before we can pay the manuscript fee and royalties."

Hearing the words "contract", "royalties" and "agent", Bai Ruoxue looked confused. She turned to look at Fangyan who was chatting enthusiastically, and was curious, why was Teacher Fang so proficient?

Fang Yan said, "The royalties in Formosa are the same as in Hong Kong?"

Pan Yaoming said: "It's different, completely different. The royalties in Formosa are paid in US dollars."

When Fangyan heard that it was foreign exchange settlement instead of Taiwan dollars, he immediately became interested.

"The first is to pay 8% to 10% of the royalties for the first edition, and then continue to do so in the future," Pan Yaoming said. "Another way is to pay the royalties in full at one time, which is to buy out the copyright."

When Fangyan asked about the buyout fee, he said that if it was a novel, it would generally be US$1500.

"So, writers who publish books in Taiwan will try to make their books longer so they can get more royalties."

Pan Yaoming smiled and said, "Besides, Baodao calculates the manuscript fee by line. If you write one more line, you can earn a little more US dollars."

Fangyan found it very new: "Count by line?"

"Yes, and that caused a lot of interesting stories."

Pan Yaoming said: "For example, when Gu Long wrote "Tian Ya Ming Yue Dao", he wrote 'withered vines, old trees, crows, small bridges, flowing water, and people', one word per line, and he wrote twelve lines at once. And in "Lu Xiao Feng", he wrote 'stars, stars, a sky full of stars', and he earned the money of 8 words with 75 words..."

It is true that listening to your words is like listening to a conversation.

What a great idea!

This is how Huang Feihong's "Foshan Shadowless Kick" is written!
Fang Yan said: "No wonder martial arts writers in Hong Kong and Taiwan love to write in ancient style, and write so dragging and verbose."

"This is nothing more than trying to earn more royalties."

Pan Yaoming smiled and said that when it comes to using all means to defraud royalties, the best one has to be Wen Ruian who emerged out of nowhere in the past two years.

When mentioning "Wen Ruian", Fang Yan couldn't help but think of the movie "Young Cold-Blooded" which he had watched in his previous life.

There is a section where 28 knives appear.

“刀
Knife, knife, knife
Knife, knife, knife, knife…”

They are arranged in a knife-shaped fan, making people feel as if they see the overwhelming knife light. It is simply a way to defraud royalties!

Compared with Mr. Lu Xun's "Two jujube trees in front of the door", it is even better than the original!
"Wouldn't it be a bit too much to do this?"

Bai Ruoxue shook her head and laughed.

"Where is this?"

Pan Yaoming lowered his voice and revealed that Gu Long's reputation in the publishing circles of Hong Kong and Taiwan was quite "bad".

Often, as soon as a novel has been written with just over 100,000 words, it is given to a publishing house to ask for the royalties from the sale of the entire book.

If the publisher did not agree, he would look for other publishers. Because of Gu Long's fame and the fact that he was very good at writing the beginning of a novel, the publisher would be immediately impressed when he saw the first few chapters. But he was afraid that the book would be snatched away by other publishers, so he had to pay all the royalties first.

As a result, as soon as Gu Long received all the royalties, he disappeared without a trace.

A novel had just dug a hole and published the first few chapters, but there was no further news. The publisher could only tearfully spend money to hire a ghostwriter to use Gu Long's name to fill the hole in Gu Long's novel.

"The world is so big that there are all kinds of things. To earn money from writing, people will do anything, all kinds of things."

Fangyan shook his head and laughed, then asked for more details.

Pan Yaoming was very open about everything he knew, saying, "The agent will charge a 2% commission, which includes not only the agency fee but also the editing fee, because the written language in Hong Kong and Taiwan is traditional Chinese characters, and the words used must also conform to local customs."

"As for Hong Kong, I've decided to leave it to Joint Publishing Company."

Fang Yan changed the subject and said, "But for Taiwan, I need to send a telegram back and ask for instructions before I can make a decision."

"Understood, understood."

Pan Yaoming nodded: "Actually, there is no need to worry. Baodao publishes books very quickly. It can be published ten days after submitting the manuscript."

"If allowed, I hope Brother Yaoming can serve as my agent. I wonder if you are willing?"

Fangyan thought about what he had just done and took the initiative to extend an olive branch.

"Of course!"

Pan Yaoming almost blurted it out.

If I can earn this commission, my family will have extra living expenses while I study at the University of Iowa.

When he thought of this, he naturally rushed to pay the bill, but this time Fangyan got there first and paid the bill.

"Brother Yaoming, do you know where I can send a telegram?"

"I'll take you there."

Pan Yaoming nodded and immediately took the God of Wealth to the nearby telegraph office.

Fax machines are actually available these days, but they are extremely expensive, costing $10 for every 35 faxes.

Fang Yan sent a telegram to Zhang Guangnian, and at the end, asked him to send his reply to the University of Iowa where Nie Hualing was studying.

In addition, I also took a photo of a letter to Gong Xing. I don’t know whether she received the letter that I asked Huacheng Publishing House to mail.

After everything was done, we continued to let Pan Yaoming act as a guide and went around to visit clothing stores.

I took a lot of photos and bought a few pairs of sneakers and jeans.

There are special dealers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen who buy jeans from Hong Kong at 15 yuan a pair and then resell them for several times the price.

It would be a waste if I didn't do it. When I return to Hong Kong from the United States, I will definitely get a few dozen to bring back to the mainland. It's not a shame to make money.

They strolled around until two or three o'clock, when they became bored and returned to the hotel.

"Iwako!"

Hearing someone calling him, Fangyan looked in the direction of the voice and was surprised.

Wang Anyi and her mother Ru Zhijuan stood in front of him. Unexpectedly, they also received an invitation to the international writing program.

Now that everyone is here, it’s time to set off for the United States.

(End of this chapter)