Chapter 3

I am a writer, Chapter 003

Chapter 3

“Huh? What do you mean, Mr. Writer?”

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Young Brother Sung-yong glanced between the trash Yang Section Chief and me, then asked in a flustered voice.

I was even more flustered.

I suddenly wondered what was going on.

‘Why now?’

If my memory serves me right, I was betrayed by my damn wife and lost consciousness. I remember up until that point, but when I woke up, I found myself back at this time.

It was as if I had done a ‘regression,’ a common plot device in genre fiction.

This kind of thing usually happens when you get hit by a regression truck or fall off the Mapo Bridge and get sucked into a regression hole.

I wondered if I was just dreaming.

But regardless of whether it was a dream or not, I had a basic understanding of the current situation.

I was in the year 2002, the year I was discharged from the military, and I was at the place where I would sign my first and last 'contract' as a 'writer.'

After understanding the situation, I gave a light bow to the surprised Young Brother Sung-yong.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have dozed off for a moment.”

“Yes, I understand. The contract terms are quite boring, after all. Still, I appreciate your understanding. It’s a standard procedure.”

“Ah, I know.”

Yes, it was standard practice to read all the contract terms to the writer.

I had done this countless times, so I couldn’t have been unaware.

Young Brother Sung-yong was puzzled by my response.

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

“I thought this was your first contract, Mr. Writer...”

I shouldn’t have acted like I knew.

But experience isn’t for nothing.

I quickly responded.

“Ah, I’ve heard some stories from friends I’m close to.”

When I mentioned that I knew some writers, Young Brother Sung-yong clapped his hands and seemed delighted.

He liked meeting writers, both for business and because he had once aspired to be a writer himself before becoming an editor.

“Oh! You know some writers?”

“Yes.”

“Could you tell me who they are, if it’s not too much trouble?”

There was no way I could tell him.

I just said that to deflect.

But responding wasn’t difficult.

“I’m sorry, but they don’t like to be in the spotlight.”

Some people would pry, but Young Brother Sung-yong wasn’t one of them.

He wouldn’t press if the other party didn’t want to talk.

This earned him trust from his acquaintances.

“Understood. Then, shall we continue with the contract explanation?”

At that moment, the trash Yang Section Chief, who had been exploiting me and Young Brother Sung-yong at the Blue Forest Publishing, interjected.

“No, I’m more curious about the people you mentioned just now. Could you tell me who they are?”

Yang Kyung-chul, Section Chief.

He was the complete opposite of Young Brother Sung-yong, believing that he could exploit writers and subordinates as he pleased. He was known for his boasting and gossip.

He probably thought I was just a newbie who had submitted a manuscript and was only 22, fresh out of the military, so he acted superior.

If I hadn’t regressed, I would have groveled to him because of his seniority and influence.

But now, I had no intention of bowing to him.

On the surface, I was in my early twenties, but inside, I was Jun-kyung, who had been in the industry longer than Yang and was older.

I looked at him with a very displeased expression.

“What did you hear me say just now?”

Yang Section Chief seemed genuinely surprised by my reaction.

“Huh?”

“I said that the writers I know don’t like to be in the spotlight and want to keep it a secret.”

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry.”

I scolded him sharply, and he backed down.

After all, in this contract, I was the one in the position of power.

Yang Section Chief probably thought I was just a nobody who couldn’t get a contract without submitting a manuscript, but his expression betrayed his thoughts.

He awkwardly apologized but looked at me with disbelief.

I decided to take a second shot at him.

“Are you dismissing me because I submitted a manuscript for a contract?”

Yang Section Chief, caught off guard, waved his hands in denial.

“No, no. How could I dismiss you, Mr. Writer? You are the one in the position of power here.”

It seemed he realized I had read his thoughts and decided to manage his expression.

But it wasn’t an apologetic expression.

He looked like he was quietly preparing to pounce on any mistake I might make.

With a blank face, Yang Section Chief handed the contract back to Young Brother Sung-yong.

“Sung-yong.”

“Yes, Section Chief.”

“Explain the rest of the contract to Mr. Writer.”

“Yes, should I explain the rest of the contract to Mr. Writer?”

“Yes, please.”

According to the rules, the company had to read all the contract terms to the writer during the contract signing.

It was standard practice.

For subsequent works, they might gloss over it, but since this was my first contract with Blue Forest Publishing, I should hear everything.

If Yang Section Chief had been the one explaining, I would have cut him off, but since it was Young Brother Sung-yong, I decided to listen.

If I had cut off the contract explanation and the deal fell through, Yang Section Chief would have blamed Young Brother Sung-yong, so I had to listen.

Young Brother Sung-yong read through all the terms in the contract.

After finishing, he smiled and asked.

“Is it difficult?”

He had a slightly chubby face and wore glasses, but his smile was quite youthful and friendly.

Thinking about it, he had been my role model when I became an editor.

A friendly and approachable editor.

But not now.

I didn’t know if this was a dream or reality.

But if it was reality?

It was an opportunity to change my life.

I didn’t want to miss this opportunity, even if it meant mixing personal and professional matters.

“It’s not that difficult.”

“Really? Usually, first-time writers find it quite difficult...”

Of course, it was difficult.

The contract was full of legal terms and conditions, making it hard for a new writer to understand.

Even established writers often didn’t bother to check the details because they were too complex and intricate.

In the end, writers usually only checked two things in a contract:

1. The contract terms.

2. The contract duration.

The second point was often overlooked.

In the industry, it was common for contracts to automatically renew for three years after the book was completed, unless a termination notice was given.

So, the most important part of the contract was the royalty rate.

In 2012, in the paid serial market on smartphones, the terms were usually split a certain way, with the settlement amount divided accordingly.

But now, it was the paper book market, where paid serials didn’t exist.

Typically, the terms were a certain percentage of a certain number of copies sold.

The contract in front of me read:

“3,000 copies at 8%, and a guarantee of 2 volumes... Can these terms be improved?”

For a debut writer, “3,000 copies, 8%, and a guarantee of 2 volumes” was an extremely low offer.

It couldn’t be helped.

This was a contract for a manuscript I had submitted after writing it in the military.

The standard terms for a debut writer who had achieved some success on a serial site were “3,000 copies, 8%, and a full guarantee.”

If the writer performed exceptionally well, the terms would improve.

That’s why most editors discouraged new writers from submitting manuscripts for contracts without first serializing their work.

Submitting a manuscript was essentially begging the publisher to publish it.

On the other hand, if a writer achieved success through serialization, the publisher would beg the writer to publish a book, offering better terms.

Young Brother Sung-yong was taken aback when I asked for better terms after submitting a manuscript.

Yang Section Chief’s expression was priceless.

He had thought he had secured a cheap contract with a writer, but now he looked bewildered.

Before I regressed, I was probably a pushover, so his reaction was understandable.

But then, Yang Section Chief seized the opportunity.

“We have internal regulations, so it’s difficult to improve the terms further.”

I knew this would come.

I mentioned the terms for writers who had achieved success through serialization.

“Really? I heard that Blue Forest Publishing offers 3,000 copies at 8% and a full guarantee to new writers.”

Yang Section Chief chuckled.

He thought he had me.

“That’s only for writers who have proven their success through serialization. You submitted a manuscript to us, Mr. Jun-kyung.”

“What if I achieve success through serialization?”

“Hmm, based on what I’ve read, I’m not sure if your manuscript would achieve success without our help.”

In summary, what Yang Section Chief was saying was:

“Your manuscript has no chance.”

He was subtly insulting me, and I latched onto it.

With a very displeased expression.

“So, you’re saying that my manuscript won’t achieve success even if it’s serialized?”

“Of course not, I wouldn’t think so lowly of your writing.”

He was belittling my manuscript.

Given this, I decided to take a stronger stance, even though I had initially wanted to end things amicably for Young Brother Sung-yong’s sake.

“Then, I’ll put off the contract and try serialization first.”

“If I don’t achieve success, this contract might fall through as well?”

He was laying the groundwork.

He was implying that if I failed to achieve success through serialization, I would lose this opportunity.

A rookie might be intimidated by this.

But who was I?

Someone who had worked in the genre market for 15 years.

I wasn’t fazed by this.

I pushed the contract on my side of the table towards Young Brother Sung-yong.

“I’ll come back with proven success.”

Seeing both copies of the contract, which should have been in front of the writer and the editor, move towards him, Young Brother Sung-yong’s eyes widened.

I felt a bit sorry for his flustered look, but my new opportunity was more important.

I formally apologized to Young Brother Sung-yong, even if not to Yang Section Chief.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hong Sung-yong, but I’d like to postpone the contract for today. If I achieve success on a serialization site and receive an offer with the same terms, I’ll sign with Blue Forest Publishing, where you are.”

Young Brother Sung-yong’s expression brightened.

This way, if I came back as a successful writer, he wouldn’t be blamed by Yang Section Chief.

But Yang Section Chief continued to provoke me.

He took the contract from in front of Young Brother Sung-yong and tore it up.

“Go ahead and try. But remember, if you don’t achieve success, you’ll lose this opportunity.”

Yang Section Chief, still threatening me, I stood up and left.

“Prepare to offer me the best terms. I’ll be going now.”

* * *