Chapter 190 If you don’t stay here, you will have to stay.
Zhang Wei came to Princeton University this time as a visiting scholar.
Princeton University, one of the world's top universities, welcomes many visiting scholars from all over the world every year, many of whom are top academic experts.
It is also common for scholars from outside the university to come to Princeton University to do scientific research projects. It’s just that you need to go through the formalities in advance before the project can be carried out.
Zhang Wei doesn’t need to worry about the formalities, he leaves them directly to Professor Shi. Just because Zhang Wei has made such heavyweight scientific research results as "gene scissors", any university in the world will welcome Zhang Wei.
After all, this is 2005, and the United States is still the United States where academics have no borders. If it were twenty years later, even Chinese-American scholars would be censored, let alone Chinese scholars.
It’s just that Americans’ work efficiency is really hard to compliment. It takes a week to complete an approval procedure.
While taking advantage of the few days to go through the formalities, Zhang Wei went to New York to prepare to meet with the American publisher.
Twenty-first Century Publishing’s partner in the United States is Xuele Group, a public company originally established in 1920.
Xuele Group is the world's largest children's book publisher, with operations in many countries and regions around the world. In addition to book publishing, Xuele Group is also involved in educational technology products, multimedia, game software and other fields.
21st Century Publishing started out as a children’s book publisher, so most of their foreign partners also produce children’s books.
As I said before, don’t underestimate those who make children’s books. Those who control the most sales channels in a country are often those who make children’s books. This is true for China, it is true for Europe, and it is true for the United States.
The Xuele Group controls the second-largest sales channel in the United States and can cover popular bookstores in almost any city in the United States.
The reason why it is only second is because there is an unshakable giant in the United States, and this giant is called Amazon. No matter how great the offline channels are, they cannot compete with online channels.
When JK Rowling planned to publish the Harry Potter series in the United States, she ultimately chose Xuele Group because of their channels throughout the United States.
It only takes an hour to get from Princeton to New York. Zhang Wei made an appointment with the people from Xuele Group, rented a car, and went straight to New York.
When we arrived at Xuele Group, the person in charge of receiving Zhang Wei was a middle-aged white man named Galante. He was not tall, about 1.7 meters tall, with curly black hair, a high nose, and an eagle. A hooked nose is a typical Jewish appearance.
After all, this is New York, the city with the most Jews in the United States, and even the city with the most Jews in the world.
What’s more, the publishing industry belongs to the cultural field. In the cultural field of the United States, Jews occupy half of the country, and can even be said to have the right to speak.
After the two of them took their seats, Galante was the first to speak: "Mr. Zhang, I heard that you wrote a fantasy adventure novel, and its sales in China have exceeded one million!
< br>
I thought that someone who could write such a best-selling work must be a experienced scholar, but I didn't expect that you are so young. It's a pity that I don't understand Chinese, otherwise I would have read it carefully. "
The best-selling work Galante mentioned is of course "The Dead Man Blows Out the Lamp", but if you tell Americans about tomb robbing novels, they will probably be confused. After all, the history of the United States is only two hundred years. There is no burial culture. Even if George Washington's grave was dug, no burial objects could be found.
Zhang Wei then said: "I wrote a series of books, which have not been published yet. Finish. This time I came, I brought another work. Hopefully it will be published in the United States. ”
“Another work? Has it been published in China? Galante asked.
“No, it’s just a manuscript at the moment. "Zhang Wei replied.
"Is it a new work?" Galante pondered for a few seconds and then said: "Mr. Zhang, my personal suggestion is that if it is a new work, it is best not to come to Xuele Group for publishing."
"Why?" Zhang Wei asked.
“To be honest, although our Xuele Group also has Chinese publishing business, our publishing costs and channel expenses are still higher than other publishing houses.
If it is a successful work that has been tested by the market, we will be happy to publish it, but if it is a new work, I suggest that it is more cost-effective to find a publisher in the Chinese community." Galante replied.
The United States is a country of immigrants with various ethnic groups from all over the world, so many publishing houses in the United States have publishing services in multiple languages, such as Spanish, German, French, etc., of course Chinese.
This kind of publication is mainly aimed at various ethnic immigrant groups, such as Chinese publications, which are mainly sold in bookstores in Chinatown or Chinese communities.
This kind of non-English publication usually has a small printing volume and a small market. Big publishing houses will not do this kind of business.
Zhang Wei knew that Galante had misunderstood what he meant, so he immediately said: "Mr. Galante, you have misunderstood. What I want to publish is not a Chinese book, but an English book."
"Is it a Chinese book, and then translated into English?"
"No, it's originally in English!" Zhang Wei said, taking out a thick stack of manuscripts from his bag and handing it to Galante .
"TheHungerGames?" Galante looked at the title of the first book and asked, "This should be a novel, right?"
"It's a novel."
"What kind of genre is it?" Novel?”
“It should be considered science fiction plus youth!”
Zhang Wei paused and then asked: “I don’t know how to translate the English name of a Japanese horror movie. The movie is about Japan in the future. A new law has been promulgated. Every year, a class will be randomly selected from the third grade of junior high schools across the country, and the whole class will be sent to a desert island, given weapons, and allowed to fight on their own. Kill each other until only the last person is left.”
"Are there all kinds of weapons, including submachine guns, axes, crossbows, and even pans? They also have bombs around their necks that will explode if they go far away?" Galante asked.
“Yes, this is the movie.” Zhang Wei nodded.
"You are talking about "Battle Royale". I have seen this movie and the setting is quite interesting. We also have many movies with similar themes in the United States, but the participants are usually serious criminals."< br>
Zhang Wei introduced: "The book "The Thirst Game" I wrote is a similar story. The story takes place in the future world. North America was destroyed after a war. In the original United States, On the ruins, people built new homes.
There are thirteen districts in the new homes. Except for the central district, the other twelve districts need to send boys and girls aged 12 to 18 every year. One person each, head to the arena to compete in a TV show called "The Thirst Games"
This is a cruel and terrifying competition of life and death. The arena is an artificially arranged forest and wasteland. In the competition, contestants have to battle wits and courage, track and hunt each other, and at the same time endure hunger and thirst and learn to disguise.
Contestants will form alliances with each other and betray each other. There is only one ultimate goal, which is to survive until the end, until everyone fights to the death, and the final survivor is the winner. "
"Well, Mr. Zhang, if it's just like this, I think it's a bit ordinary and has nothing new. Many similar ideas have been made into movies, including the Japanese movie you mentioned! " Galante said.
"What if this hunger game will be broadcast live across the country and everyone will be forced to watch it? And do we have to celebrate it as this day? "Zhang Wei asked with a smile.
"Celebrate? You mean, this thirst game is actually a celebration? Use killing as a celebration? This reminds me of Spanish bullfighting! Exciting and cruel, but also a carnival! ”
"Bullfighting in Spain? No, no, no, that's too superficial. If I insist on a metaphor, I think it can be regarded as Thanksgiving."
"Why Thanksgiving?" Galante asked in confusion.
“You should know the origin of Thanksgiving better than me, right?” Zhang Wei asked.
Gallante immediately replied: "When the Mayflower arrived in the American continent, they almost starved to death. Thanks to the Indians who brought them food and taught them to grow corn, they were able to survive.< br>
On the day of celebrating the harvest, in accordance with religious traditions and customs, the immigrants set a day to thank God, and decided to thank the Indians for their sincere help and invite them to celebrate the festival together. That is the origin of Thanksgiving! ”< br>
"So where are the Indians who helped the Mayflower, where are they now?"
Zhang Wei smiled slightly, and then said: "The Indians helped the British on the Mayflower, but soon after , more armed colonists arrived, systematically drove out and massacred the Indians, and then occupied the land and began to celebrate Thanksgiving happily
For Americans. , Thanksgiving has become a holiday worth celebrating, but for the Indians, it is a day that brings them disaster. However, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving to thank the Indians who were massacred by them. Isn’t that ironic?”
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Galante’s face. The whole world knows about these dark histories of the United States, and even the origin of Thanksgiving was told by him himself.
But Galante still said: "These were all done by the British. I am a Jew. Our family only moved to the United States during World War II."
"Mr. Galante, don't get excited. This is history that has already happened. We cannot change history and the responsibility does not lie on us, but it is still necessary to face history squarely."
Zhang Wei said, pointing. The manuscript of "The Thirst Game" continued: "The novel I wrote has a similar connotation. The central district is rich, and the other twelve districts are poor; the central district has nothing to worry about eating and drinking all day long, while the other districts The twelve districts have to make a living by poaching animals and collecting wild fruits.
Even so, the twelve districts have to send people to participate in this thirsty game every year and let them kill each other. Until the last person, this process is still celebrated as a festival
For the wealthy Central District, this is indeed a clear game, and the entire hunger game is really like a bullfight. The performance is just that the performers are not matadors and bulls, but the young people from District 12. For District 12, they have to watch their family members or friends die, and they have to celebrate, and there is something even worse than this. Humiliation and torture?”
"It sounds like a dystopian world view."
"Yes, it's a dystopia. What I wanted to write was not just a story about a bunch of people getting together and killing each other. I wanted to write a profound story. A social allegory. Through the extreme setting of the thirst game, it reflects the power struggle, class differences and the test of human nature in real society."
"I understand," Galante pondered for a moment and spoke. Said: "Well, let me give this manuscript to the editor first and let them take a look. If it is really worthy of publication, we will sign a publishing contract."
"Approximately how long will it take?" Zhang Wei asked.
“The number of words doesn’t look like a lot. I think there should be results in three working days. Leave a phone number and I will notify you then!”
...
Although "Three Ti" is a masterpiece, Zhang Wei does not plan to publish the English version of "Three Ti" in the United States for the time being, mainly because readers in the East and West have different values. , also have different tastes for literary works.
Take Three-Body Problem as an example. Westerners’ favorite is the first Once Upon a Time on Earth, and it was also the first one to win the Hugo Award.
Perhaps when Westerners look at the Three-Body Problem, they bring it from the perspective of the Trisolaran people, the perspective of the invaders.
The Trisolarans discovered the earth, just like the European colonists discovered the fertile continent of America, killed all the indigenous people, and then turned the land into their own. This is exactly what they did before things.
Chinese readers generally like the second part of The Dark Forest, because what Chinese readers bring into it is the perspective of people on earth and the perspective of the invaded.
So for Chinese readers, in the situation where the strength of the enemy and ourselves is very different, Luo Ji penetrates into the dark forest theory, successfully frightens the Trisolarans, and protects the earth of the Pearl. This plot is more substitutive. Sensational.
Such a plot is obviously not in line with Western values. You are obviously a weak person and should be oppressed by the strong. Why can you be on an equal footing with the strong just by using your brain?
Westerners believe in Darwinism. Survival of the fittest is not suitable for elimination. In their view, the strong bullies the weak, or even destroys the weak, which is the rule of the world.
Based on differences in values, Zhang Wei did not come up with the English version of "Three Ti", but came up with another work suitable for the American market, that is, "Three Ti", which has sold more than 30 million copies in the United States. The Hunger Games.
The United States has a total population of more than 300 million, and a novel can sell 30 million copies, which is definitely a phenomenal work.
"The Hunger Games" is obviously very popular with Americans. Not only does the novel sell well, but the movie is also very popular even if it is crappy. There are still many book fans who are willing to pay for it, and in the end they sell it hard. It grossed $2 billion at the box office.
After leaving his contact information, Zhang Wei left the manuscript of "The Thirst Game" with Xuele Group.
Top publishers like Xuele Group receive many submissions every day. Three days is already considered highly efficient.
Thanks to Zhang Wei being introduced by 21st Century Publishing House, he was able to enjoy this kind of treatment. If you submit a paper normally, it is common to wait for news within a month or two.
...
Three days later, Zhang Wei received a call from Galante, saying that Xuele Group was willing to publish "The Thirst Game" and invited Zhang Wei to New York for detailed discussions.
So Zhang Wei came to Xuele Group again, in the same room as last time, and met the same people.
"Mr. Zhang Wei, our editor has read your work, and the editor's evaluation is quite good, which meets the requirements for publication. If you are willing, our Xuele Group can provide you with publishing aspects service." Galante said.
“I am very honored to be able to cooperate with Xuele Group.”
Zhang Wei is not surprised by this result. After all, the quality of the work is there. If a novel can sell 30 million copies, as long as the editor is not blind, he will definitely not let it go.
Galante continued: "Then let's talk about publishing in detail! Let's talk about our process first. Under normal circumstances, if a newcomer makes a new work, the first printing quantity Definitely not a lot.
When releasing new books, we will first release them through several channels based on the type of work and the audience. If the sales are good, we will release it through other channels.
For example, for your book "The Thirst Game", the main audience should be teenagers. We will first distribute your works to campus bookstores, and the first batch of distribution will be concentrated in several major cities.
< br>If the sales are good, we will increase the printing volume and then release it to campus bookstores in other cities until it is released to the United States. Then we will decide when to release it to comprehensive bookstores based on the feedback from campus bookstores.
If the efficiency is very good, we will also increase the number of placements, place the work in a bestseller position, and provide advertising support to help the work get on the bestseller list.
But my personal suggestion is that you don’t have too high expectations for this. For new writers, the bestseller list is still relatively far away. ”
Zhang Wei nodded. A publishing giant like Xuele Group, which has been in business for hundreds of years, naturally has a mature publicity and distribution system. The book recommendation and elimination mechanism has also been tested by the market for a long time. .
Galante continued: “Then let’s talk about royalties. For new writers, our Xuele Group’s royalty standard is a unified 5%. "
Hearing this figure, dissatisfaction flashed in Zhang Wei's eyes. 5% royalty is the lowest level even for new writers.
So Zhang Wei shook his head: "Mr. Galante, this number is quite different from my expectation."
"But this is a reasonable number. For new writers, it is uniformly 5%! This is the market price . ”
“Even for a new writer, 5% is the lowest. What’s more, the quality of my book "The Thirst Game" is better than the average level of similar works on the market. Royalties are unreasonable.”
“Mr. Zhang, you may not know much about the American publishing market. In addition to professional writers, the competition in the American book industry is very fierce. Business executives, professional scholars, and even athletes will also write books.
Sometimes, a person may be known by people because of several news reports, and they will take advantage of it. Write a book when you are passionate about it and make a fortune
For American readers, in addition to novels, they have too many choices, including political, economic, cultural, educational, celebrity autobiographies, memoirs, analysis of certain events, etc.
Even for novels, there are many categories to choose from. In addition to the latest novels, there are also many classics. For new readers, they prefer classics to works by newcomers.
That is to say, in the US market, in addition to facing competition from peers, you also face competition from other non-peers. In front of your peers, you are just a newcomer and lack competitiveness; in front of non-peers, you also lack gimmicks and fame.
So we give new writers a 5% royalty, which is definitely a very reasonable figure. After all, we have to bear the risk of publicity. Galante instantly showed the shrewdness and calculation of the Jews.
“If this is the case, I can choose to publish it at my own expense, and I will bear the risk of publicity. "Zhang Wei said without hesitation.
"Sorry, our Xuele Group does not accept self-publishing!" Galante's refusal was not sloppy at all.
“5% is really too little. You may not know that in China, I can get 15% of royalties!”
“But in the United States, you are just a new writer ! ”
“But I have had success stories. The sales of my last novel exceeded one million a few months ago, and it is still growing rapidly. It is worth your investment.”< br>
"Mr. Zhang, the American market is different from the Chinese market. What Chinese readers like may not be liked by American readers! After all, you are not an American. There has never been a novel written by a Chinese that can sell well in the United States!"
"John Tolkien is not an American. Isn't "Lord of the Rings" also a hot seller in the United States? It has become one of the best-selling novels in the United States.
JK Rowling is not an American either. You should learn from it. The group also represents the publishing rights of the Harry Potter series in the United States. Is it possible that the royalties you give JK Rowling are only 5%?”
“But you are not JK Rowling after all, so we can only give it to you. 5%, no more!" Galante's tone became stiff and his expression became impatient.
Zhang Wei originally wanted to try to negotiate the price with Galante, but Galante's look clearly meant that he was determined to hold on to 5% and had no intention of bargaining!
"It seems that the differences between us are quite big." Zhang Wei sighed and continued: "In this case, I can only express regret."
"You mean you don't plan to cooperate with Xuele Group?" Galante asked.
"Your quotation is too low. I don't want to lose money." Zhang Wei shrugged.
"Mr. Zhang, you have to think carefully. You are a new writer, and as a Chinese, it is impossible for another publishing house to give you a higher quote! And we have learned Le Group has the largest channel in the United States, and other publishing houses do not have this advantage! Choosing our company is the right decision. "
"Not necessarily?" Zhang Wei! A smile.
Now is the Internet age. Do you think Amazon is just a decoration?
What's more, the person standing in front of you is a senior consultant from Amazon!
There is no place for me to stay here, I have my own place to stay!
(End of this chapter)