"Ah, you're Zhou Zixuan!"

There was a sound of surprise over there, I guess I didn't expect Zhou Xuan to call him.

"I don't know what the final result of your magazine is for my novel "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty?" Zhou Xuan asked directly.

There was a pause before he said, "I saw your reply two days ago." The editor-in-chief and the editor-in-chief discussed it, and the result was that the royalties you mentioned were too high, and we can only say sorry!"

Sure enough, this is the case, Zhou Xuan said in his heart.

Then Zhou Xuan took a deep breath and said, "If you don't have much confidence in my book, I can sign a gambling agreement with your society." ”

Wan Jinglin over there said strangely: "What is the specific content?"

"If the number of copies is less than 100,000, the royalty rate will be 5 percent. If more than 100,000 copies are sold, the royalty increases by one percentage point for each additional 100,000 copies until it is capped at 20 percent. Zhou Xuan said.

"What!"

There was an exclamation from there, clearly shocked by the audacity of the agreement.

After more than thirty seconds, Wan Jinglin said slowly: "This matter is not up to me, I want to report to the editor-in-chief, you wait for my news." ”

"Good!"

Zhou Xuan was very sure that Xiling Publishing House would definitely agree to his VAM agreement. Because this agreement is not bad for them at all.

The only downside is that if the sales volume exceeds one million copies, then Zhou Xuan will have 14% royalties.

The 14 percent royalty is already the royalty ratio of famous Chinese writers. As for 20 percent, that is the treatment that only the top few people with the highest level of literature can have.

Rongcheng, Xiling Publishing House.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Editor-in-chief Wei Xiyue rubbed his head and shook his head as he looked at the manuscript recommended by the editor in front of him.

Xiling Publishing House has been established for more than ten years and has never published a best-selling Chinese work, so Xiling Publishing House can only be regarded as a second-rate publishing house in China.

Look at the work submitted by the editors below. None of them lived up to his expectations.

At this time, Wei Xiyue couldn't help but think of the Ming Dynasty, but unfortunately the author's asking price was too high, otherwise it was really a work with great potential.

When he heard a knock on the door, he didn't look up and said, "Please come in." ”

Wan Jinglin entered the door and said a little hesitantly: "Editor-in-chief, the author of "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty" just called. ”

"Oh......" Wei Xiyue turned his head and said in annoyance: "Hey, it must be that the author didn't receive a reply and called us to ask us." Although our publisher cannot meet the other party's requirements, the final result should also be notified to the author as soon as possible. That's our problem, can you explain it to him?"

Wan Jinglin sat down on the chair opposite Wei Xiyue, his face was straight, and he said, "I explained, but it's a pity that he is very confident in his work." And put forward a gambling agreement, you need the editor-in-chief to take the idea. ”

Wei Xiyue frowned, and said unhappily: "Hehe, what gambling agreement?"

Wan Jinglin said the content of the agreement that Zhou Xuan said, waiting for the editor-in-chief's decision.

Wei Xiyue estimated that it was the first time to see Zhou Xuan's gambling agreement, and he was a little surprised, and couldn't help but ponder.

According to the agreement, such conditions would not do much harm to the publisher; The only thing is that if the sales volume really exceeds 1.5 million copies, then the royalty paid by the publishing house to Zhou Zixuan is as high as 20%, which is not an ordinary amount.

Of course, to be able to reach such a level of royalties, it is basically one of the best-selling works in China.

So it seems like a 20 percent royalty is too much for a publisher. But if you count the final sales, the profit from 1.5 million sales must be more than the profit from 200,000 copies.

At this moment, Wei Xiyue was full of curiosity about Zhou Xuan. What kind of self-confidence makes this Zhou Zixuan full of great expectations for the Ming Dynasty.

He has also read "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty", and he appreciates this kind of writing very much, which makes the boring history so easy to read.

Originally, if Zhou Xuan's requirements were not so high, he could have overridden the public opinion, signed the book with a royalty of 10%, and gambled on sales.

But Zhou Xuan's conditions are too high, reaching a high royalty of 18 percent, and it is impossible for them Xiling to agree to it when the sales volume is unknown.

After pondering for a moment, Wei Xiyue said: "The conditions for this bet are okay, but the details still need to be discussed. For example, is it based on the sales of one volume or the total sales volume? There is also the question of time limit, is it a year's sales or an unlimited amount of time to accumulate sales?"

Wan Jinglin said: "I didn't make it clear in this phone call. Why don't I call again?"

Wei Xiyue furrowed his eyebrows, slapped his big hand, and said, "You just call and ask for Zhou Zixuan's address, and we will go and talk to him in detail tomorrow." What is it like to meet this person who dares to propose such a VAM agreement?"

"I also want to get to know this Zhou Zixuan, but listening to the voice of the phone, I feel quite young. Wan Jinglin also smiled.

In the afternoon, Zhou Xuan received a call from Wan Jinglin. Zhou Xuan was still a little surprised by the personal visit of the editor-in-chief of Xiling Publishing House.

I didn't expect this editor-in-chief to pay so much attention to himself, and it seems that his strategy has been successful.

The next day, Zhou Xuan took leave in the afternoon and waited at home for the people from the publishing house to arrive in the county seat.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Xuan met Wei Xiyue and Wan Jinglin at the Tianxin Teahouse in the street garden.

Wei Xiyue is about forty years old, dressed in a casual suit, and his whole person exudes a sense of ability and shrewdness.

And Zhou Xuan only wore a set of Mysterbonwe's winter jacket, a pair of slacks, and a pair of sneakers. It looks like a high school student who likes sports and works hard for the college entrance examination in the ivory tower.

When Zhou Xuan sat in front of the two, he obviously found a look of surprise in each other's eyes.

Wei Xiyue picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, then smacked his lips and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the old pedant in our eyes to be such a young man." ”

As he spoke, Wei Xiyue stretched out his right hand: "I am the editor-in-chief of Xiling Publishing House, Wei Xiyue." ”

Zhou Xuan bowed slightly, shook hands with Wei Xiyue, and said with a smile: "Jiuyang! Old pedants can't write historical novels suitable for ordinary people. ”

Wan Jinglin next to him asked a little uncertainly: "Are you really Zhou Zixuan?

Zhou Xuan smiled a little playfully: "Do you want me to repeat the content of our phone call with you yesterday?"

"No, it's you. I just can't believe that the person who wrote the Ming Dynasty is so young. Are you a high school student, or a junior high school student?"

Wei Xiyue looked at Wan Jinglin a little speechlessly, the atmosphere he had just opened was completely destroyed.

Wei Xiyue only felt that Zhou Xuan was too mature, not like a middle school student at all.

Suddenly a voice in his head said: Maybe he can work a miracle?

"Ahem......" Wei Xiyue interrupted Wan Jinglin's question, then looked directly at Zhou Xuan and said, "Zhou Xuan, right, I don't know why you want to sign a gambling agreement with us?"