1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 353 Today has thirty-nine hours

"Increase the manuscript fee?"

Li Jingfeng was confused.

Their Humanities Publishing House has been strictly implementing the standards set by the state three years ago, the "interim regulations": the manuscript fee is 3-3 yuan per thousand words, plus a print run fee.

The royalties that Renwen Press paid to Jiang Xian have always been the highest standard of 10 yuan for famous writers.

“How did this increase?”

Li Jingfeng said: "Now the publishing houses and magazines are implementing the temporary regulations set by the higher-ups. We at Humanities Publishing House cannot just raise your royalties."

"What's wrong with the regulations? The regulations don't say you can't raise the price. Besides, this time the publication is in Yugoslavia, and the regulations don't specify what the price should be for novels published in Yugoslavia." Jiang Xian said.

"You're not making excuses."

"How is this so far-fetched?"

Jiang Xian smiled carefreely, "Don't think I'm materialistic. If writers like me don't speak out, younger writers than me will have a harder time.

Society is changing so fast now, prices are soaring, and the existing system of remuneration for royalties is not rational in the first place. How come it has been used for so many years?
Writers work hard for several years writing novels, spending half of their lives writing them, but the royalties they receive in the end are no different from what they would get by working for a few years.

How can this inspire the creative enthusiasm of the majority of writers? "

Low remuneration for writers has always been a major problem that is difficult to solve.

Let’s talk about the starting point for personal income tax on royalties.

The tax rate was set at 80 yuan since the tax law in 800.

As a result, more than 60 years later, workers' wages increased from 6000 yuan to yuan.

The threshold for personal income tax on royalties has not changed at all.

Still 800 yuan!
This young author worked hard to earn 1000 yuan in royalties.

It hasn’t even warmed up yet, and I see that I still have to pay taxes?
Is this reasonable?

Li Jingfeng emphasized, "You know that the payment we give you is the maximum amount in accordance with the regulations on remuneration for manuscripts."

"Yes, your basic remuneration is fixed at 10 yuan per thousand words, but what about the remuneration for printing? You have always given me 2% per copies, which is too low.

Your Renwen Press has published several of my works. You know how the sales are. I have created a lot of benefits for the press. I think it is reasonable to increase my royalties a little bit."

“Have other publishers ever raised your price?”

"It has never increased. This is the first time I've mentioned this."

"Then why are you targeting our Humanities Society?"

"Who made us so close?"

"What's the point of this?"

Li Jingfeng was dumbfounded. "We have a good relationship, but you don't understand us, and you're using us as a target?"

"I mean, since we have a good relationship and are familiar with each other, you should know better than others:"

"My novels never have trouble selling."

"."

After Jiang Xian said this, Li Jingfeng suddenly fell silent, and felt a strong sense of self-confidence coming towards him.

There is no way. The author sells a lot of books, so he has the confidence to face the magazine.

Think of that old thief Togashi from Japan, the one who drew "Hunter x Hunter".

Japan's super popular manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump" exploited him madly in the past, and after Togashi became famous, it directly cut off his work and left.

Sales of "Jump" suddenly fell into a slump.

In order to save the situation and invite back this super popular cartoonist, "Jump" had to sign an unequal agreement, promising never to interfere with his creation and allowing him to serialize only one chapter per month. This achieved a reversal of the relationship between the cartoonist and the magazine, and also started the old thief's legend as the "King of Hiatus".

"How about 10% for copies?" Jiang Xian reported a number.

Li Jingfeng stood up and said firmly, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible, this is too much! How can it be possible to increase your share from 2% to 10% in copies?"

In the "Interim Regulations" of 80, the set remuneration for print runs was only 1% of 2 copies. The 10% given to Jiang Xian by Renwen Publishing House was already the best they could do. The % proposed by Jiang Xian was equivalent to directly increasing the original standard tenfold.

"10% is too much? The royalty rate offered to me by Dejian Bookstore in Japan is 10%, and that's a publisher from another country. We are all family, so what's wrong with giving me a little more? It's good for the family."

"."

Li Jingfeng was speechless for a long time.

How does this compare?
The stages of social development are different.

"Your request is too high. The most I can do for you is to negotiate for 5% in the company."

"5% is too little. I spent so much time trying, and in the end it only went up by 3 percentage points?"

"This is the limit of what I can do. Although I am the leader of the novel group, this kind of thing still needs to be discussed and decided by the club."

"I understand. Let's do this. One more percentage point, 6%."

"."

Li Jingfeng hesitated for a few seconds and sighed, "Okay, then let's each take a step back. I'll help you get 6%."

"6% is fine, how about raising it by one point, to 7%?"

"."

Li Jingfeng almost cursed.

"Don't push yourself too far."

"Okay, then 6%."

Jiang Xian also knew that it would be useless to waste any more words, as 6% was already a surprise.

"I can tell you in advance."

Li Jingfeng said, "This time, the 6% per copies is because it is published for Yugoslavia, so we give you this special exception. We cannot guarantee that we will give you this standard in the future."

"Just this time." Jiang Xian was very straightforward.

All things are difficult at the beginning. After this time, are you afraid that there will be nothing to talk about in the future?

A few days later, Li Jingfeng told Jiang Xian that the society had discussed and approved the idea, and asked him to go to Renwen Society to sign the contract.

Jiang Xian rode his bike to No. 166 Chaoyang. This trip was truly glorious.

When he entered Renwen Press, the editors looked at him with strange eyes.

It was as if I was watching him do something shocking.

"old lady."

Jiang Xian greeted Wei Junyi warmly.

Wei Junyi glanced at him and said, "Jiang Xian, you're here. Oh, Jingfeng almost broke his tongue in the agency these days because of you."

"I'll invite Jingfeng to my house to eat dumplings later."

"Okay, sign the contract."

The terms were agreed upon, Jiang Xian signed the contract smoothly, said goodbye to Wei Junyi, and ran into Li Jingfeng on his way out.

"Jingfeng, I was just about to go look for you."

"In this direction, I think you are planning to follow our manuscript paper." Li Jingfeng said unhappily.

"Don't say that. I'm an author from your Renwen Press. What's wrong with taking a few stacks of manuscript paper from Renwen Press?" Jiang Xian said righteously.

After chatting for a while, Li Jingfeng asked:
"I heard you're going to America?"

"Well, Comrade Ru Zhijuan and I have both received invitations from Comrade Nie Hualing."

"Then I wish you a safe journey." Li Jingfeng said with a smile.

"I'll bring you a gift when I come back. Sorry to bother you with the royalties this time," Jiang Xian said.

Li Jingfeng felt warm in his heart, "It's okay, why bring a gift, why be polite."

"You're welcome."

Jiang Xian said, "If I don't thank you properly, I will be embarrassed to ask you for a raise next time."

"Damn it."

Li Jingfeng cursed angrily.

Two days later, Jiang Xian was invited over by Wang Fulin again.

The reason is very simple.

The production of Dream of the Red Chamber is about to begin. As the consultant of Dream of the Red Chamber, shouldn’t he contribute his efforts?
The preparation process of Dream of Red Mansions is roughly as follows:

In 1979, Wang Fulin visited the BBC TV station and saw that others had adapted the works of Shakespeare and Moliere into TV series and distributed them nationwide. The sales were considerable, so he came up with the idea of ​​adapting the four great classics.

Wang Fulin thought that among the four great classics, "Dream of Red Mansions" would definitely save money, so he decided to film "Dream of Red Mansions".

As soon as the project was launched, I was dumbfounded. "Dream of Red Mansions" is so literary. Not only are the characters so complex, but each supporting character has his own personality.

So he secluded himself for a year to study, and then he was finally ready to start filming. He began to write the script and audition actors.

In February of this year, the preparatory group was officially established, with a total of three core members: director Wang Fulin, screenwriter Zhou Ling, and assistant director Pan Xinxin. Pan Xinxin is mainly responsible for casting.

Wang Fulin gave the three of them a mighty and domineering name:
"Red Office"!
Since Jiang Xian had signed up, he had to take responsibility for the situation. He came to the Overseas Chinese Building early in the morning. This place looked quite upscale. It was one of the few high-end buildings in Beijing at the moment. People coming in and out were all Hong Kong and Macao compatriots and overseas Chinese. They were dressed in fancy clothes and had a sense of elegance and reserved superiority.

Jiang Xian went up to Room 7 on the 714th floor. On the door was a sign that read "Office of the Preparatory Group for "A Dream of Red Mansions"". This was the "Red Mansions" office.

When they pushed the door open, there were a few other people inside besides Wang Fulin. Wang Fulin introduced them to Jiang Xian as members of the "Redology" Society.

One of them caught Jiang Xian's attention.

He had originally intended to come and see Chen Xiaoxu, but he didn't expect to bump into her by accident.

"My name is Ling Jiefang."

A short, stocky-looking middle-aged man shook hands with Jiang Xian with a smile.

"Comrade Jiefang is an expert in studying 'Redology'."

Wang Fulin said, "Last year, there was an annual meeting of Redology in Shanghai, and Comrade Jiefang was the youngest representative of Redology."

"Oh."

Jiang Xian nodded, "How old are you this year, Comrade Jiefang?"

"Thirty-eight." Ling Jiefang spoke with a thick Henan accent.

Is this the youngest?
Jiang Xian secretly complained, but deep down he was still very interested in Ling Jiefang.

Ling Jiefang's name is not well-known, but his pen name is famous.

February River!
Representative works include "Emperor Kangxi", "Emperor Yongzheng" and "Emperor Qianlong".
He became famous for his historical novels, but before he became famous for his historical novels, he was more active in the study of "Redology".

"The reason we invited you all here today is mainly to discuss the script," Wang Fulin said.

"Regarding the script, I have an idea. I want to remove the first few parts of A Dream of Red Mansions and start filming directly from when Daiyu enters the Jia Mansion."

"Absolutely not!"

Ling Jiefang said anxiously, "Director Wang, the beginning is the soul of the entire book of Dream of the Red Chamber. How can you remove the beginning? This, this, this, how can this work?"

"Isn't it okay?"

Wang Fulin looked at Jiang Xian hesitantly.

"I agree with the liberation comrades."

Jiang Xian also said: "Nuwa mending the sky, the alliance between wood and stone, these mythological stories are the core of the novel, and they add a romantic touch to the love story of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.

How can you remove it?"

"."

Ling Jiefang looked at Jiang Xian with gratitude and immediately felt a liking for him, thinking that great minds think alike.

"That's right, that's right." Wang Fulin nodded awkwardly.

Then they discussed some contents in the script. Jiang Xian and Ling Jiefang expressed their ideas from time to time. At the end of the discussion, Ling Jiefang was full of admiration for Jiang Xian.

"I never thought that although Comrade Jiang Xian is so young, he has done such a deep study on The Dream of the Red Chamber. Many of his views really enlightened me."

"Haha."

Jiang Xian smiled awkwardly.

He has loved watching Lecture Room since he was a child, and has listened to too many analyses by people like Ma Ruifang and Zhou Siyuan, so he can be said to be standing on the shoulders of others.

It was already noon by then, and they were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't notice it was raining outside the window.

"Boom boom boom!"

There were three knocks on the door, and Wang Fulin called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and a girl of medium height walked in. She was very young, pale and thin, with a somewhat timid look on her face. Her hair was soaked by the rain, and it was a little damp, with water dripping from the ends. Her clothes were also stained with water.
Not pretty.

But I still feel pity for him.

"Hello, director. My name is Chen Xiaoxu." The girl called out in a sweet voice.

"Oh, are you an actor here for an interview?" Wang Fulin said.

"Yes, I came here once before, and a comrade asked me to come again today."

"Okay, please sit down."

Wang Fulin brought her a chair and started the interview.

Jiang Xian crossed his arms and stared at the man.

Well, the most affectionate people in Northeast China.

Wang Fulin basically only used newcomers for casting in "Dream of the Red Chamber". During the nationwide audition, Chen Xiaoxu boldly sent a letter with her own photo and a short poem she wrote, "I am a Catkin". Just like that, she was noticed by the "Red Chamber Office" and invited for an interview.

"Okay, let's talk about this. You go back and wait for notification." Wang Fulin said with a smile.

"Goodbye, director, and goodbye, teachers." Chen Xiaoxu stood up and greeted them in a sweet voice.

After she went out, Wang Fulin turned around and asked Jiang Xian.

"How's this girl?"

"Pretty good."

Jiang Xian generously gave Chen Xiaoxu an assist, "When choosing an actor, we choose someone with a certain temperament. The girl is not too pretty, but I think she looks a lot like Daiyu."

"Yes, I'm not very satisfied with her nose. It's too high. It would be better if it could be moved. I heard that there is a way to perform plastic surgery in medicine now." Wang Fulin said.

"Not necessarily. I think it's good." Jiang Xian said.

As he was speaking, he looked up and saw Chen Xiaoxu standing at the door. He didn't know if she had heard anything, but her voice was nervous:

"I, I forgot my umbrella."

"Oh, yes, your umbrella is still here." Wang Fulin slapped his forehead.

Chen Xiaoxu took the umbrella, said goodbye, and ran away in small steps.

Jiang Xian glanced at his watch.

"Okay, I'm ready to go back too."

He said goodbye to Wang Fulin and Ling Jiefang, walked to the elevator, and saw Chen Xiaoxu waiting for the elevator with an umbrella.

Seeing him coming, I nodded and said hello.

"teacher."

"My name is Jiang Xian."

Chen Xiaoxu thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Are you that writer?"

"it's me."

"Oh, really! I often read your novels."

The girl looked a little surprised. "Can you sign an autograph for me?"

"can."

"Thank you. I heard you speak for me just now. Thank you for your recognition of me."

"It's okay. If you can be selected, just act well." Jiang Xian encouraged her simply.

The two walked into the elevator together.

During this time, he glanced at the girl.

White and tender, wet and moist.

Ugh.

I don’t know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing to let her play Daiyu.

But he has no right to change other people's life trajectory.

"If I get selected, I will bring you our Anshan specialties." Chen Xiaoxu said to Jiang Xian with a childish face.

"What special products does Anshan have? Steel?"

Jiang Xian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Come to think of it, this probably happened after he came back from the United States.

In mid-July, Jiang Xian, Zhu Lin, Zhu's mother and his mother boarded a Pan American Airways flight together.

Also traveling with them were the mother and daughter Ru Zhijuan and Wang Anyi.

He was the only one among the six people who knew English, and they flew towards the "maze"-like America together.

Before takeoff, Zhu Lin was a little nervous.

"Did you know that there are thirty-nine hours today?" Jiang Xian said in a gentle voice.

"Where did the thirty-nine hours come from? Are you confused?" Zhu Lin chuckled and poked him.

“We are flying after the sun.”

Jiang Xian explained, "Today we have to fly from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, so today we have a total of thirty-nine hours."

(End of this chapter)