Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 289 Two Fronts! (Bonus Chapter for 12,000 Votes)

Rewind to late summer, as the October school season approaches, a war without gunfire is quietly raging in France.

The Count of Rohan's "visionary" proposal was passed by an overwhelming majority and signed into law by Prime Minister Jules Ferri.

"Publicize copyright and decentralize printing rights!"

These eight words were like a bomb, blasting open the educational publishing barriers that "Hachette" and "Behring" had long held.

In the past, textbooks designated by the Ministry of Education were printed and distributed nationwide by major publishing houses, generating substantial and stable profits.

Today, every provincial education commission and every slightly larger public school has the right to choose its own textbook printer.

This means that a large cake that was originally divided up by a few giants has been put on the table for those who covet it to fight over.

Hachette and Behring, of course, would not sit idly by and wait for their doom.

With their deep roots and massive size, they acted swiftly.

François Behring Jr., though heartbroken, had no choice but to face reality.

He summoned all the regional managers and issued the order: "At all costs! Defend our market share! Contact every officer and principal you know!"
Price? We can discuss it! Terms? We can offer them!

Thus, a "public relations extravaganza" began.

In a luxurious restaurant in Bordeaux, representatives of "Hachette" hosted a dinner for the education director of the Gironde department.

During the meal, he casually mentioned the "special discounts" and "high-quality services" that he could offer to the province.

In a café in Toulouse, the manager of "Berlin" "bumped into" several principals of local prestigious schools and enthusiastically showed them sample copies of their printed books.

It also implied that if an exclusive supply agreement could be signed, there would be a substantial "consulting fee".

Similar scenes unfolded repeatedly in Marseille, Lyon, Dijon, Strasbourg…

Horse-drawn carriages carrying well-dressed publishers traveled between education departments and schools across the country.

Invitations to the banquet flew in like snowflakes to those who held the power of decision, and promises, hints, and even blatant exchanges of benefits were quietly made amidst the clinking of glasses.

This is a game for big shots, a war waged in offices, restaurants, and salons.

Traditional publishers believed that as long as they captured these "key figures," they captured the market.

However, amidst this noisy, upward "attack," the "Charpentier's Bookshelf" appeared unusually silent, even somewhat "unambitious."

George Charpentier strictly followed Lionel's advice and sent almost no lobbyists to any provincial education officials or principals of prestigious schools.

Instead, he channeled the company's limited funds and energy into another roundabout front.

His target was not the bureaucrats sitting in their offices, but the front-line teachers standing on the podium.

Lionel compiled a detailed "guide to action".

The guide not only lists the many advantages of the Montiel Secret Scrolls, but more importantly, it analyzes the mindset of grassroots teachers:
"They have meager incomes and yearn for respect and practical help..."

"They have heavy workloads and need tools to reduce their teaching burden..."

"They want students to get good grades to prove their worth..."

"They often understand students' actual needs better than bureaucrats..."

The salespeople of "Charpentier's Bookshelf," carrying samples of "The Montiel Secrets," began to venture into Paris and the surrounding provincial towns. They didn't visit ornately decorated government buildings, but instead went to the rather simple offices of teachers or homes.

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At a municipal primary school in Lille, the young salesman Jean-Pierre knocked on the door of Madame Lafon, a veteran teacher.

Unlike other salesmen who boast and talk big, he respectfully handed over the copy of "The Montiel Secrets (French Edition)," priced at only 12 sous.

Jean-Pierre said sincerely, "Madame Lafont, we know how hard teaching is, and we hope that this booklet will be a great help to you in your teaching."

Madame Lafont was initially a little impatient, but when she casually flipped through the booklet, her eyes were quickly drawn to it.

The booklet is arranged according to the order of chapters in "French Reader" and "Two Children's Trip to France", with each lesson having clear "learning objectives", "vocabulary analysis", and "detailed explanation of content".

In addition, there are carefully designed "thought-provoking questions" and "simulation exercises".

What surprised her even more was that the questions in those "mock exercises" were very tricky, some of which she, as an experienced teacher, had never thought of, yet they were closely related to the core of the text.

Madame Lafont's gaze was drawn to an analysis of a descriptive passage in *Two Children's French Travels*, and she couldn't help but read it aloud: 'Why does the author repeatedly use the seemingly contradictory words "gloomy" and "resilient" to depict the land of Lorraine?'

That's an excellent question; it guides students to think about the emotions and symbolism behind the text.

Jean-Pierre added aptly, “Madam, this is just one example. Our editorial team consists of outstanding scholars and experienced teachers from Paris.”

They thoroughly studied the teaching materials to ensure that the content of the practice exam is both practical and thought-provoking. You can recommend it to your students as a supplement to classroom learning.

With this, students can achieve twice the results with half the effort in previewing and reviewing, and you can be freed from repetitive basic explanations to focus more on inspirational teaching.

He paused, then lowered his voice: "We know that teachers' salaries aren't high. If you could help us calculate the number of teachers needed in each class, we can provide them at a 10% or even 15% discount."

Furthermore… as a small token of our appreciation for your hard work, we will settle the payment directly with you at 2 sheng of each book sold.

Two cents! It may sound insignificant, but if a class of forty students buys it for every main subject, it adds up to a considerable amount of extra income.

For a teacher like Madame Lafont, who relied on a meager salary to support her family, the temptation was very real.

Similar scenarios are occurring repeatedly throughout France.

The math teacher praised the clear problem-solving approaches and abundant word problems in "The Montiel Secret Scrolls (Arithmetic Section)";
The history teacher discovered that "The Montiel Secret Scrolls (History Edition)" wove together dry historical events into easy-to-remember clues and charts.

For the first time, these grassroots teachers felt respected, understood, and even "empowered."

They are no longer a passive link in the education chain, but rather guides who can proactively select high-quality learning resources for students.

Of course, that little bit of "rebate" also made them feel much less psychologically burdened when promoting the product.

The salespeople always emphasize: "There's no need to force anyone to buy. Just recommend it to the students, and they can hand over the quantities to us."

We will handle the delivery and ensure the children receive their children before the start of the school year.

This approach bypasses the bloated bureaucratic system.

Starting in October, orders for "The Montiel Secret Scrolls" began pouring into "Charpentier's bookshelves" from various schools...

George Charpentier looked at the ever-growing order statistics on his desk and felt an overwhelming sense of admiration for Lionel.

He could almost see countless 12 Su converging into a golden river, flowing toward his publishing house.

(End of this chapter)