1980 My Literary Era.

Chapter 277 Mr. Lin, the person who bears the most grudges
Since its establishment in 38, "Sing Tao Evening News" has been developing very steadily, and it has firmly ranked among the first-line newspapers in Hong Kong.

By 1954, Hu Xian, the daughter of the founder Hu Wenhu, took over the family inheritance and vigorously developed its newspaper industry. In 1972, "Sing Tao Daily", "Sing Tao Evening News", "Sing Hua Daily", "English Standard" After the integration of the media, Xiangjiang Xingdao Newspaper was established, and soon became the leading media group in Xiangjiang in the form of group army operations.

Hu Xian himself has become the "Queen of the Newspaper Industry" in Xiangjiang. His fame is no less than that of his father, and his wealth is even better.

Entering the 80s, the competition in Hong Kong's newspaper industry has entered a fierce stage. All newspapers and magazines are crossing the sea, each showing their special abilities, and they are always full of tricks.

"Sing Tao Evening News" has benefited from the large-scale content of novels since the 60s. As the deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Cheng Yiqiu is naturally extremely sensitive to this type of content.

Readers in Xiangjiang have a preference for romance novels, especially novels with fleshy dramas. This is one of the reasons why the works of many female writers such as Guo Lianghui, Li Bihua, Zhang Ailing, and Yi Shu are popular in Xiangjiang.

The temperament of "Lover" coincides with the works of many Xiangjiang female writers in this era, and at the same time, the writing style is more delicate and sophisticated. The love between the hero and the heroine, and the description of the sex between the two are all beautiful and beautiful , tactfully and seductively, compared to those love novels that are popular in the market today, I don't know how much higher.

After consulting several readers who had read "Lover", Cheng Yiqiu resolutely found his old friend Gu Cangwu, and proposed to reprint the novel "Lover".

He also learned through Gu Cangwu's eloquence that the tactful and beautiful work "Lover" was written by a mainland writer, and what is even more surprising is that this person is actually a man!

It turns out that "Lin Weimin" in "Bafang" is not only a pseudonym, but also a real person.

However, it would be easier to handle this way. The disparity in remuneration between Mainland China and Xiangjiang is calculated by ten or a hundred times. It is estimated that even the price of a newcomer can win the reprinting right of this novel.

But Cheng Yiqiu never expected that before his wishful thinking could be realized, he would be slapped to the ground by the opponent.

"What should we do now?"

Cheng Yiqiu looked at his old friend and hesitated for a moment, "Why don't you make another call and discuss it?"

Gu Cangwu couldn't help but rolled his eyes at him, "If you want to call, you can call, I don't have such a thick skin, this Mr. Lin has a big temper!"

Cheng Yiqiu said helplessly, "Then, add ten Hong Kong papers to him!"

Gu Cangwu was completely speechless, he felt that his old friend had really changed since he became the deputy editor, and he was full of the smell of money and miserliness of a businessman.

"Tell him yourself."

Gu Cangwu made up his mind not to get involved in his old friend's mess, and walked aside with arms folded.

Cheng Yiqiu suddenly fell into a dilemma.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to make another call.

Before, he was purely in the mindset of picking up a bargain, but now that he can't find a bargain, he will give a relatively higher price.

Do business, don't be ashamed!

Yan Wenjing heard Lin Weimin say a few words in an extremely impatient tone, then put down the phone, and asked with concern: "What's going on?"

"The editor of "Bafang" said that a newspaper in Hong Kong wanted to reprint "Lover", and gave me a price of ten Hong Kong dollars for a thousand characters." Lin Weimin explained briefly.

Hong Kong is still under the administration of the British. The Hong Kong dollar has been a subsidiary currency of the pound since its birth. In 1972, due to the continuous depreciation of the pound, the United Kingdom announced the implementation of a floating exchange rate. The Hong Kong economy was hit hard by the binding of the Hong Kong dollar to the pound. , thus depegging from the British pound.

At the same time, because Hong Kong's own economic volume is too small, the Hong Kong dollar has a narrow scope of circulation as a currency. It must be bound to a strong currency to maintain a stable currency value, so it announced that it will be linked to the rice knife.

In 1973, when the economic crisis broke out in the United States, the Hong Kong dollar was forced to unbind from the rice knife, and a floating exchange rate system began to be implemented.

As a result, in 1982, the Hong Kong dollar experienced three crises within one year, and Hong Kong’s economy suffered a heavy blow. Hong Kong decided to implement a fixed exchange rate with the rice knife.

Since the beginning of this year, the exchange rate of RMB to rice knife has infinitely approached 2:1. In conversion, the thousand characters and ten Hong Kong dollars given by the other end of the phone are about two thousand dollars and fifty cents.

In the industry, the difference in the manuscript fee between the first article and the reprint can often reach three or four times. If you convert it, it is actually not bad.

But the problem is that when Lin Weimin publishes works in his own unit, the standard is 15 yuan per thousand words. This time "Contemporary" publishes "Lover" because Lao Meng and Lao Tan are trying their best to reduce it to 12 yuan per thousand words.

Obsessively asking for royalties externally, and aggressively asking for royalties internally?
This is not Teacher Lin's style.

Besides, it's not that he doesn't have experience in publishing novels abroad. "Farewell My Concubine" has earned him two to three million dollars in the past year, and now he looks back and picks up the small bargain of ten Hong Kong dollars.

Isn't that self-defeating?
He's not that short-sighted.

After chatting with Yan Wenjing for a while, Lin Weimin was about to leave when the phone on Yan Wenjing's desk rang again.

"Hi, hello!"

Lin Weimin and Yan Wenjing made a gesture, and they were about to leave the office. Unexpectedly, after hearing a few words on the other end of the phone, Yan Wenjing waved to Lin Weimin, motioning him to stay.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Weimin asked, "Leader, what's the situation?"

"It's still the phone number from Xiangjiang. I guess I still want to talk to you again. Let's wait a little longer."

Lin Weimin was a little impatient, looked at his watch, and reluctantly said, "Okay."

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the phone finally rang again, this time it was Lin Weimin who answered the phone.

"Hi, Lin Sheng, hello, I'm Programmer Yi Qiu, deputy director of "Sing Tao Evening News."

When I came up, I reported my family name, and there was a word missing in the title. Don't look at this word, but it is a difference in status in Xiangjiang.

The reason why Cheng Yiqiu called it that was mainly to show his respect for Lin Weimin.

Lin Weimin's later generations have watched countless Xiangjiang movies, so they naturally understand this language habit.

"Hello, Editor-in-Chief!" Lin Weimin said politely.

"Haha! I'm so sorry, it was I, Mr. Togu, who asked you to reprint the request before. There may be some communication problems between the two of us. I told him that it was RMB [-]."

Ten RMB for a thousand characters, that is 34 Hong Kong dollars for a thousand characters.

It seems to have increased by more than three times, but in today's Hong Kong newspaper industry, 40 yuan per thousand characters is a symbolic contribution fee. Among the authors who contribute to newspapers every day, the contributors who receive this level of contribution fee are the most. No reputation, the quality of the article is lackluster.

Many people don't write for this fee at all, but because of interest, so it is called a symbolic fee.

Lin Weimin shook his head again, his perception of Cheng Yiqiu fell again.

"Mr. Cheng, I think you should talk to me after you think it over. Maybe your newspaper should stop reprinting my novel."

Lin Weimin still couldn't hold back, and said a bit of acrimony. This person is arrogant before he is respectful, pays lip service but does not pay attention to the truth, does things stingy, and repeats them again and again, which is really disgusting.

It's best not to reprint it, it will save a lot of money for your newspaper.

The second half of the sentence that he didn't say was the last honor Mr. Lin gave Cheng Yiqiu.

Writers and literati are not lofty saints who do not eat the fireworks of the world. Farmers make a living by farming, workers make a living by going to work, and writers make a living by writing.

According to the statistics of later generations, among the total 293 letters between Mr. Wang Zengqi and his friends, publishing houses, and editorial departments, 42 letters mentioned manuscript remuneration, accounting for about one-sixth of all letters.

The old gentleman also bluntly stated in the letter that he did not write for profit, but for fame.But for the sake of my family, I also need to earn a little more money.

On the other hand, the level of the manuscript fee standard is also to some extent the publication or the degree of recognition of the work by the publisher.

The price you paid is low, which means that the quality of your novel is not good!

Compared with Cheng Yiqiu's caressing over reprint fees, Lin Weimin was more concerned about this reason.

Who can not be angry when the works written by hard work are rejected and rejected by others?

"Breakdown again?"

Seeing that Lin Weimin only said a few words this time, Yan Wenjing hung up the phone, his face darkened, and asked.

Lin Weimin shook his head and said, "Probably he wants to come to me to pick up cheap ones. In the future, don't answer the phone calls of this newspaper. It's a waste of national resources. And this "Bafang"..."

Lin Weimin stopped here, "Forget it, it has nothing to do with them."

Saying that, Mr. Lin made up his mind that this "Bafang" will also be blacklisted in the future.

Do you really think I took advantage of you by posting Lao Tzu's novels?

Lin Weimin, who was disgusted by Cheng Yiqiu, transferred his anger to "Bafang" and Gu Cangwu by the way.

Who says literati are not stingy?

Mr. Lin is the most vindictive person!

Especially when you meet someone who wants to blackmail his manuscript fee!
Xiangjiang's "Sing Tao Evening News" called and asked to reprint "Lover".

October is over and November is ushered in.

At the beginning of the month, there were two incidents related to Lin Weimin. One was the performance of the play "The Horseman" in the Capital Theater, and the other was the publication of "Lover" in the sixth issue of "Contemporary" this year.

"Tao Ma Ren" has been welcomed by hundreds of thousands of readers since it was published at the beginning of this year. The sales volume of the first supplementary issue of "People's Literature", which published the novel, exceeded 150 million copies. Marching towards million-copy sales.

The news of the adaptation of the drama has already spread widely, and it has gained a lot of attention before the performance.

Now, once it was performed, it was immediately enthusiastically sought after by the Yanjing drama market and fans, including many readers.

Compared with the enthusiastic pursuit of "The Horseman", the fate of "Lover" just published in "Contemporary" is completely different.

(End of this chapter)