"So what you're saying is that this book design is excellent, exceptionally good, a master-level piece, with the only drawback being an increase in printing costs.
Is that correct?"
Editor Zhang was adept at distilling the essence of matters, pinpointing the core issue in a few sentences. He then pressed further for specific cost details:
"Roughly how much will the cost increase?"
"Double it."
"What? Double?"
Initially, Editor Zhang had considered that the increased cost was acceptable. The books did look appealing; he himself felt tempted to buy a couple for his bookshelf.
But doubling the cost felt exorbitant.
He couldn't accept it.
What did doubling the cost entail? It meant the investment would be twice as much. A book originally priced at twenty would need to sell for forty to maintain the same profit margin.
However, currently, everyone's books were selling around the twenty mark.
If his cost doubled, would readers be willing to pay?
Would they be swayed to buy just because the book looked a bit more exquisite?
If not, wouldn't it lead to significant losses?
With that thought, his initial interest was immediately extinguished by the cold water of doubled costs. It vanished completely, and he became remarkably calm.
"Alright, you can go now."
After dismissing the employee from the design department, Editor Zhang pondered for a good while longer before calling Ding Yun. He began by praising her design extensively, calling it excellent, and then tactfully explained that printing with her design would double the specific costs, which the magazine agency found difficult to bear.
Essentially, it was a polite refusal.
"I understand what you mean.
In that case, let's amend the contract we signed. I can agree to you not using my design proposal, and you can do as you please. However, I cannot grant you exclusive authorization for the publication rights of my novel. This is because I truly love my own design, and I intend to publish some novels with my designs myself once I gain more fame or have some money.
You should understand what I mean, right?"
Ding Yun primarily wished to avoid further protracted negotiations and arguments with the magazine agency. She was willing to let them proceed as they wished, but she didn't want her efforts to go to waste, nor did she want to give up on creating a batch of more exquisite physical novels.
Hence, she specifically raised this requirement.
Editor Zhang considered it for a moment and then began a detailed discussion with Ding Yun regarding this matter. This time, the discussion wasn't about whether to use Ding Yun's design, but rather how to sign a non-exclusive publication contract.
Questions arose about the royalty rates, how much they would need to be reduced, and so forth.
After all, exclusive and non-exclusive rights certainly couldn't command the same price.
After an hour and more of this negotiation, they finally finalized the contract. Ding Yun's royalty rate was reduced to seven percent, and the contract was changed to a standard authorization.
However, there was a note appended to the standard authorization, stating that it could not be licensed to anyone else within one year, which was effectively a one-year exclusive authorization.
Nothing else changed significantly.
Everything else followed industry norms, such as the fifty percent advance royalty payment.
This was the specific situation with the Wuxia Five Collections from the Wuxia magazine agency. On the other hand, at the Siwu Xie Romance Magazine, it was near the end of Ding Yun's previous semester when they contacted her, informing her that her novel was to be published.
Ding Yun followed the same procedure, informing them that she had already designed the cover illustrations and sent them over, asking if they wished to adopt them.
Considering it was a pure romance novel, Ding Yun opted for a fresh, minimalist style rather than the cluttered floral designs commonly seen in contemporary romance novels. The overall color palette was refreshing and pleasant, completely departing from the prevalent "profusion of flowers" design mode in current romance novels.
The people at Siwu Xie Magazine were much bolder than those at Wuxia Magazine. Although they didn't use Ding Yun's design for all thirty thousand copies they intended to print, they still produced thirty thousand copies based on her design, labeled as "Author-Designed, Special Collector's Edition."
The price was more than doubled.
However, they also included some large posters as gifts.
After Ding Yun finalized matters with the Siwu Xie Romance Magazine, she continued to focus on her studies, achieving a solid, above-average grade, and returned home for winter break.
Concurrently, both magazine agencies completed their comprehensive distribution of books approximately one week before the Chinese New Year holiday.
And officially commenced sales.
...
At Wenhui Bookstore.
As many new books were released around the Chinese New Year, and with the holiday season, many studious students had the time to browse books that weren't sealed in plastic.
Consequently, the bookstore was quite crowded at this time.
However, most people were just browsing, not buying.
Only a small number stood before stacks of newly published, sealed books, where only the synopsis could be read and the content was inaccessible, hesitating over which one to purchase.
Among them, however, were quite a few with clear objectives, having come specifically to buy a certain book.
Su Zi and Liu Xiaoyun had meticulously calculated the release date of "He Deep in My Heart" and had arrived half an hour early to wait. As soon as the bookstore opened, they rushed in, each grabbing a limited collector's edition and holding it tightly,
Fearing they might miss out to others.
"Wow, it's really beautiful! I thought the limited edition looked super nice when I saw the advertisement in the magazine, but it looks even better in person than in the photos."
"Me too. I was really excited when I saw the ad. Even though the price is a bit higher, it's worth it. The texture feels different. The same book weighs so much more and is considerably thicker than the paperback version next to it.
I heard there's even a limited bonus chapter from the author inside.
Let's hurry to the checkout now."
"Hey, how about we pool our money to buy a paperback version? I still want to read this novel from beginning to end, but this limited edition is so beautiful that I'm almost reluctant to open it.
I wouldn't mind flipping through the paperback version carelessly!"
"That's a good idea. Let's buy one together then. We won't spend extra money, and we can just read one copy together."
As they spoke, Liu Xiaoyun quickly grabbed a paperback version and proceeded to the checkout with it. After paying, the two excitedly headed home with their new purchases.
Upon returning home, they specifically washed their hands, cleaned them thoroughly, and then carefully used a toothpick to break the plastic seal on the book. They then began to flip through each page,
Mainly looking at the illustrations and the bonus chapter at the end.
However, deciding where to put the book after reading it,
Led to another dilemma.
"This book is so incredibly beautiful that I feel the other books in my bookcase don't deserve to be placed next to it.
If only there were more books of similar beauty, or if the entire bookcase were filled with books of comparable attractiveness. Xiaoyun, I think I've become even more discerning!"
"Oh, who isn't?
I really hope that Siwu Xie Magazine will release more similar hardcover editions in the future. Once we have enough for a small bookcase, it should look much more pleasing to the eye."
"I think that's possible. We need to be thrifty now and not splurge our New Year's money this year. Let's save it to buy the potential hardcover editions. Just thinking about it makes me happy."
"Me too!"
"By the way, Azi, what are you going to do with the poster that came with the book? Are you going to keep it as is or put it up? Do you still have that magnetic poster clip thing you bought last time? I don't want to damage the poster with tape.
So I want to use magnets to stick it up."
"I still have them! Wait, let me find them for you.
I was also planning to use that method to stick it up. It not only avoids damaging the poster but also makes it convenient to move it to other locations."