On the face of it, Andrew. The terms of the publishing agreement proposed by Jones Deslandon Books are very harsh and petty.

After all, with the best-selling price of "Brothers" in China, it can't be worth only 2,000 US dollars and more than 10,000 yuan in copyright fees every year.

But Xiao Fei knew that the condition they gave was actually okay.

In his previous life, after Yu Hua's "Brothers" was published in the United States, the sales volume accumulated in more than ten years was only 20,000 or 30,000 copies. After all, how much money can be made from the sales of 20,000 or 30,000 copies?

There's not much profit at all!

It's good that Langdon is willing to give 20,000 dollars for ten years.

Perhaps because of cultural differences, ordinary American readers do not like the books of Chinese authors, and they do not like to read them much.

When domestic bestsellers arrive in the United States, few do well. The books of Chinese writers have sold relatively well in the United States, that is, Yu Hua, and the three books "Alive", "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood", and "Brothers" have only sold more than 100,000 copies in more than ten years.

Maybe it's a cultural bias at work.

Perhaps it's true that our writers have not yet been able to grasp the narrative that Americans prefer.

In short, it is a cruel fact that Chinese books do not sell well in the United States.

Xiao Fei doesn't care about the manuscript fee income now, and the mere $20,000 is just a drizzle for him. What he is concerned about now is how to make "Brothers" a hit in the United States, make it a domestic bestseller, and gain world-class reputation.

That's what he thinks about now.

"Mr. Jones, ten years is too long, how about five years? I don't want Langdon to be paid, instead, I'll offer $100,000 to work with Langdon to do a good job in marketing my book in the United States. How is it? Xiao Fei said.

"Huh?!"

His words surprised both Jones and Lee.

Li Tianran doesn't know much about the U.S. book market, but he also thinks that Jones's condition is a bit too mean, and he wants to buy out the U.S. copyright of "Brothers" for ten years for $20,000?

What about this dream, right?

Just the Writers' Club published Xiao Fei's novel this time, and it has already paid Xiao Fei hundreds of thousands of manuscript fees. And it is predictable that every year later. "Brothers" will be reprinted, and it will sell well in the domestic book market. Xiao Fei's huge remuneration income will also continue.

This Jones dared to mention 20,000 to buy out the copyright for ten years......

I have to say that the hearts of capitalists are really black!

However, what Li Tianran didn't expect was that as soon as Xiao Fei opened his mouth, he said that he didn't want to be paid, but gave Random House another 100,000 US dollars to help him promote the book "Brothers" in the United States.

Xiao Fei's brain is in water, right?

Or is he talking the opposite?

However, no matter how you look at it, Li Tianran can't see any sarcasm on Xiao Fei.

Other words. He may well be serious.

Li Tianran felt that his brain was not enough, was Xiao Fei crazy, or could I not keep up with the situation of the times?

Jones was also a little confused, he thought he was hallucinating and misheard Xiao Fei's words.

"What?" Jones asked.

Xiao Fei emphasized again and said with a smile: "Mr. Jones, I mean, I will give away five years of copyright royalties from Random House for free. In addition, I have to pay $100,000. Together with Langdon, he made the book "Brothers" a bestseller in the United States. ”

"But, Mr. Xiao, I don't understand, why did you do this?" Andrew. Jones looked at Xiao Fei with a confused expression.

This time he was sure he had heard correctly.

The young man in front of him, the hottest young writer in China recently, doesn't even want copyright fees. And then pay out of your own pocket to promote your book in the United States.

He couldn't figure out what Xiao Fei's purpose was.

"I just wanted my book to be a big seller in the United States." Xiao Fei said with a smile.

"But even if you don't, Langdon will do his best to push your book. Try to make it sell well. "Andrew. Jones said.

"No, there are too many books operated by Langdon, and they won't pay too much attention to my book, so I want to use this way to put forward my conditions, so that they will become more serious about me and increase the promotion of "Brothers". Xiao Fei said.

"What's in it for you?" Andrew. Jones asked.

"Of course, there are benefits, if my novel becomes a big hit and becomes a foreign fiction classic in the American book market, then I can establish myself in the American book market, and in five years, maybe I can earn more royalties." Xiao Fei said.

Andrew. Jones shook his head.

He didn't know what to say.

He just thought that this young man was very bold and thought long-term, but in fact, maybe his ideas were of little use.

The book market in the United States is a very picky market.

Americans have very tricky tastes, and it is very difficult for a foreign novel to become popular in the United States.

"Xiao Fei, you have to think about it clearly, this goal of yours is difficult to achieve, and there is no precedent for Chinese writers to become popular in the United States. I advise you that it is better to accept the conditions I have offered you for a second buyout for ten years, and that, as you say, you will have to pay Langdon $100,000 in marketing fees, and don't even mention it! "Andrew. Jones said seriously.

He was really thinking about Xiao Fei's interests.

"Nope! Mr. Jones, I have thought it very clearly, and what I have just said is my deliberation. However, I still have my own conditions. Xiao Fei said.

"Okay, since you have decided, then I have nothing to say, Mr. Xiao, you might as well say your conditions, I'll listen." Andrew. Jones said.

Xiao Fei thought about it for a while, and then said his thoughts.

The first one, the $100,000 he offered, was to work with Langdon to do a book review contest for readers across the country to "read "Brothers", write book reviews, and win $100,000 book review awards.

The year-long event is open to readers of the English-language version of the Brothers novel in the United States.

The awards are divided into three categories.

One first prize, $50,000.

Two second prizes, $10,000 each.

30 third prizes, $1,000 each.

As long as the reader of "Brothers" writes a book review of the novel after reading the novel, and publishes it in print media and authoritative online media, he can participate in this book review award with sample newspapers and online screenshots.

Form of participation: Mail the screenshots and original manuscripts of the book review sample and book review published on authoritative online media to Random House, which means that you have successfully participated in this competition.

How do I win?

Random House will invite a number of authoritative book reviewers from all over the United States to evaluate the book reviews sent to them, and select 100 book reviews that have real insight, and then Xiao Fei, the author of "Brothers", will personally read these 100 book reviews, and finally determine all the winning book reviews for the three awards.

Immediately after the end of the awards, the book review awards will be presented to the readers of the winning book reviewers.

There are two benefits to doing this:

One benefit is that it stimulates readers who have no intention of buying "Brothers" to buy a book and then write a review to try their luck in the media.

The second advantage is that, stimulated by a lot of money, it is estimated that for a period of time, book reviews about "Brothers" will appear in all the print and online media in the United States. This will create the illusion that people all over the country are reading "Brothers", so maybe the book will become popular all of a sudden.

At the end of the day, it's a big promotion.

Prize-winning book reviews have been done by many people in previous lives, but the viciousness of the prize money is relatively low, and the stimulation is not too strong.

No publisher would be willing to spend so much money on such a book review activity.

What is the concept of $50,000 for the first prize?

It can be said that $50,000 is already a year's salary income for an American with a moderate income or above. It is possible to get $50,000 for reading a book and writing a book review, and the vast majority of Americans will be tempted to see this estimate.

Xiao Fei believes that as long as this marketing is done properly, the English version of "Brothers" will definitely become popular in the United States immediately.

The second condition put forward by Xiao Fei is that if the sales of "Brothers" in the United States exceed 1 million copies within five years, then Langdon needs to return the $100,000 marketing fees paid by Xiao Fei to Xiao Fei, and at the same time pay Xiao Fei's royalties at a rate of 10% of the sales yards.

At the end of the five-year period, the parties can enter into a new agreement for the copyright of "Brothers".

The specific terms of the new agreement can be negotiated at that time, but Xiao Fei can guarantee that Langdon has the priority to obtain the copyright of "Brothers".

Andrew. Jones was dumbfounded.

He didn't expect Xiao Fei to have such a grand plan.

However, thinking about it carefully, Jones feels that Xiao Fei's marketing strategy may really be able to achieve good results.

If "Brothers" can indeed sell more than 1 million copies in five years, it will be considered a super bestseller!

Langdon would have agreed to Xiao Feiti's compensatory conditions.

However, the 10% royalty is a bit high.

"Mr. Xiao, I can convey these words of yours to Random House." Andrew. Jones said.

Afterwards, the three of them began to eat.

At 9 o'clock in the evening, Andrew . Jones went out and found a phone call to make a transatlantic call, and made a call to the United States.

Knowing Xiao Fei's conditions, Random House agreed very happily.

Probably they felt that it was too slim for "Brothers" to sell 1 million copies in five years, and if they could really achieve this goal, it would mean that their company had another writer with a significant influence on the American market, and they were too late to be happy!

In short, in Langdon's view, no matter how you look at these conditions, it is a good thing.

Andrew. After Jones got the authorization, he agreed with Xiao Fei when he returned to the private room, and signed the copyright agreement the next day. (To be continued.) )