Chapter 268 Hot Sales in the United States
It is the end of October, and the weather in Xijing is gradually getting cooler.
During this period, Fang Minghua received letters from writers one after another, some of which were direct calls, and without exception they agreed to publish their novels in the United States.
The young man named Liu Cixin who was far away in Niangziguan Power Plant not only expressed his gratitude in the letter, but also carefully asked how to solve the translation problem of his article "The Wandering Earth"?
Do I need to pay for the translation myself?
Of course not.
That girl in London, England has already started to translate for you.
Free.
Consider it a small compensation from me for plucking your wool?
Now that he had obtained the authorization and consent from the writers, Fang Minghua did not hesitate to download the published clips and put them into a large envelope, and wrote a letter to Lawrence Ferlinghetti in Los Angeles. and attached.
At the same time, he wrote a letter to Sun Lizhe in Chicago, telling him that the novel had been sent to Lawrence Ferlinghetti and that he had been entrusted with all follow-up matters.
Jinghou Good News Bar.
What Fang Minghua didn’t know was that in the United States, his book "The Bridge of Lost Dreams" had just been published, causing a storm in the best-selling book industry in the United States. In major bookstores in New York, this book had just been released. Novels were suddenly in short supply.
The novel has only been in the top three of the New York Times bestsellers for only two weeks, and its sales are still rising!
For a time, the publishing phone number of Simon & Schuster, the publisher of "Covered Bridge's Lost Dreams", was inundated with calls.
On the one hand, there are calls from booksellers from all over the world asking for more prints and sales, and on the other hand, readers are calling the publishing house to ask:
Is the novel true?
Is the Rossman Covered Bridge in the book still there?
Where is the grave of Francesca’s husband?
Clark, the editor in charge of this book, has a headache due to the calls from these enthusiastic readers.
"Oh, my God, how do I know? This Chinese writer named Minghua has returned to China. Do you want me to go to a distant Eastern country to inquire?"
Fortunately, he gave Chicago full authority A man named Sun Lizhe, the general manager of Wanguo Book Publishing Company, handles all matters related to this book.
Clark immediately called Chicago and heard the voice of a man with a not very standard English accent on the phone.
"I'm Sun Lizhe, is there something wrong with Mr. Fang's book?"
"No, no, everything is fine." Clark explained on the phone, and then he met The question came out.
Sun Lizhe was also confused on the phone. Before leaving, Minghua only signed a letter of authorization with him, but did not explain the ins and outs of writing this book.
Who knows if the things written in the novel are true stories he has heard? I don’t know if the Rossman Covered Bridge exists or not?
"Mr. Clark, didn't you ask the translator of this novel, Ms. Nie Hualing of the University of Iowa, about the situation?" Sun Lizhe asked on the other side of the phone.
“Oh, I called and asked, but Ms. Nie didn’t know very well. She only translated and didn’t ask about the source of the novel.”
Oh.
"Mr. Sun, can you make a long-distance call to your country and ask about the situation in Minghua?" Clark made his request.
Let me call Minghua and ask?
The problem is:
The phone number at their workplace does not seem to be able to use international long distance calls. We all communicate by letter. I can write a letter to help you ask
Write a letter?
My God, from the United States to China, and then from China to the United States, a round trip takes at least two months, right?
In your Chinese terms, the day lilies are cold!
Clark patted his forehead.
However, Sun Lizhe revealed a piece of news on the phone: "While Mr. Fang was visiting IWP in Iowa, he had a close relationship with a college student named Emily from a private university in Davenport. , and often go out together, she may know something about this novel."
"OK!" Clark was overjoyed: "I will fly to Davenport in the evening!"
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Davenport is a city in eastern Iowa, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It is a city of 100,000 people.
At the end of October, the city of Davenport has entered late autumn. The sassafras trees all over the city have changed from summer green to orange now, but the unique fragrance of the sassafras trees is still fragrant.
Emily was wearing a thick sweater and washed-white jeans, and was reading quietly in a bookstore outside the school.
I was holding in my hand a copy of the recently popular novel "Covered Bridge's Lost Dreams".
She had read the Chinese manuscript of this book but could not understand it.
That was when the Chinese young man named Minghua asked him to watch it in Iowa City in the summer.
When I read the English version now, I learned about the bridge I once saw in the small town of Winterset, Madison County, and the very common story I heard in that unknown small restaurant. , it’s so beautifully written.
“Each of us lives in our own past. It takes a minute to get to know someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to fall in love with someone. In the end? It will take a lifetime to forget someone."
When she read this sentence in the book, she suddenly remembered that summer after visiting the town of Winterset. Going back together, Minghua once said something similar in the car.
It turns out that he is not only writing about Francesca and Robert in the novel, but also about us, right?
The floodgates of memories suddenly opened, and Emily remembered the two of them driving around in the Iowa countryside, and sitting on the roof of her home, watching the stars and the moon, chatting.
Suddenly. Somewhat crazy.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Emily?" Suddenly a man's voice interrupted her memories. Emily turned around and saw a strange middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes standing in front of her. man.
"Are you?"
"Hello, I'm Clark, editor of Simon & Schuster." The middle-aged man took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to her, then pointed at the book in her hand.
“He is also the editor-in-chief of the book you are holding.”
Emily took the business card and glanced at it before returning it to the other party.
"I am Emily, what do you want from me?"
"Excuse me, are you familiar with Mr. Fang, the author of this book." Clark asked.
"It's okay. He used to be a visiting student in the IWP program of the University of Iowa. I was taking classes at the University of Iowa's summer school at the time. We met by chance. What happened? Is there any problem?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Clark quickly replied: "Beautiful lady, please allow me to buy you a cup of coffee and chat about Minghua and this book? I guess you also know that this book is very Best-selling, enthusiastic readers want to know some background of the novel, and Mr. Fang is far away in China, so I want to know from you about the situation."
Emily hesitated and said: "Well, okay. "
The two left the bookstore and entered the coffee shop next door. After ordering two cups of steaming coffee, Clark couldn't wait to ask: "Miss Emily, how do you know Mr. Fang? Is it in Iowa City?"
"No, no, earlier than that." A smile appeared on Emily's face: "We were on the train to Chicago. Went to Chicago for this year's science fiction "Nebula Awards" ceremony. ”
Oh my god.
Clark almost forgot that he is also a famous science fiction writer and the winner of this year's Nebula Award.
(End of this chapter)