Chapter 77

Hearing this evaluation, Xiao Fei first went to observe Teacher Dai's face.

The expression on her face did not seem to be out of politeness.

According to Xiao Fei's understanding of Teacher Dai, she was not the type to be insincere; she was straightforward and genuine.

"Teacher Dai, do you think if I submit this long novel to Harvest, will they accept it?" This was what Xiao Fei most wanted to know.

Dai Houxing was silent for a moment, ran her hand through her hair, and said, "How should I put it? This novel is more than enough for Harvest, but now so many famous writers are vying for this magazine. Unless you are a very famous big-name writer, you might not have to wait in line, and your manuscript could be published right away. But for ordinary writers, if the editor doesn't consider the novel to be particularly outstanding, they generally don't get this treatment. Even if the editorial board's final review deems it suitable for publication, you would still have to wait in line, and the waiting time can vary. It could take one or two years, or at least half a year."

Xiao Fei had heard of this and was mentally prepared.

So many writers in the country were vying to get published in Harvest, but Harvest was only a bimonthly magazine, with a new issue coming out every two months.

Each issue of Harvest usually featured one long novel, two or three novellas, several short stories, literary reviews, and essays. The content of each issue was at most 400,000 words.

It was impossible to publish many writers' works.

There were too many wolves and too little meat! The competition was incredibly fierce!

For a young writer like Xiao Fei, even if his work was excellent, the editor would still hesitate when faced with a 300,000-word long novel.

The difficulty was not just a little bit; this was certain.

Xiao Fei himself also felt the difficulty was quite significant, and the hope was very slim.

But if he were to give up because of the difficulty, that would not be Xiao Fei's character. He thought he had to give it a try. To make a big splash, he could only rely on the Harvest platform.

He was thinking when he suddenly remembered something.

That was, Harvest had not yet started publishing special issues dedicated to long novels.

In his previous life, Harvest began publishing special issues for long novels in 2001, with two issues published each year, one in spring and summer, and one in autumn and winter.

Each issue featured three or four long novels.

The special issues for long novels had become a sub-brand of Harvest and were very popular among literature enthusiasts.

Hmm, could he suggest the idea of publishing special issues for long novels to the Harvest editorial department? This could also help solve the problem of difficulty in publishing long novels in Harvest.

Thinking about this, Xiao Fei felt more determined.

On the side, Dai Houxing watched Xiao Fei in deep thought and felt a bit ashamed that she couldn't offer more help to this talented young man.

"Xiao Fei, it is indeed quite difficult to publish a long novel in Harvest. How about I recommend you to publish in *Sh Literature*?" Dai Houxing asked.

"Actually, directly publishing through a publishing house is also an option. I have friends at the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House and the Yangtze River Literature and Art Publishing House. These are major publishing houses, and I can help you contact them."

Even if a long novel is published in a large literary journal, it still needs to be published as a standalone book by a publishing house.

In fact, publishing a standalone book sometimes seems more prestigious than being published in a journal.

But if Xiao Fei had to choose, he still wanted to try to publish on the Harvest platform first, to make a splash in the literary world, and then choose the best publishing house to publish the standalone book. Under the influence of the sensational effect, the book would sell better and have a greater impact.

"Teacher Dai, I still want to try Harvest," Xiao Fei said with a smile.

"You are quite stubborn, aren't you? But Harvest is indeed a great platform. If you want to try, go ahead. It's Monday tomorrow, I can take you to visit Editor Xiao at their editorial department," Dai Houxing said, tapping Xiao Fei on the shoulder with her finger, somewhat helplessly.

The two agreed on this.

It was already past six in the evening.

Dai Houxing's brother and sister-in-law, hearing about what happened at home in the afternoon, rushed back. They heard that Xiao Fei had saved their daughter and expressed their gratitude to him.

Dinner was at the Dai family's house.

After dinner, Dai Houxing called Xiao Fei to the study for a while.

By around 9 p.m., Xiao Fei bid farewell and left.

The next morning, after having breakfast, Xiao Fei went to Teacher Dai's house. When he reached the building, he encountered Dai Hui coming downstairs.

It turned out that Teacher Dai had instructed Dai Hui to go to the hotel where Xiao Fei was staying to invite him for breakfast.

"Xiao Fei, what a coincidence. I was just about to come and invite you for breakfast, and you're already here," Dai Hui said, with bandages still on her neck and face, but looking much better.

"I just had breakfast outside. Dai Hui, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, much better."

The two went upstairs to the Dai family's house. There was some polite refusal, and when Dai Houxing heard that Xiao Fei had already eaten, she was a bit upset: "You, I told you last night to come for meals at home. The food outside is not hygienic."

After Dai Houxing finished her breakfast, it was only a little past 8 a.m. The two took the bus and made their way to the Harvest editorial department.

Dai Houxing had already called Editor Cheng at the magazine the day before, making a preliminary appointment.

When Xiao Fei and Dai Houxing arrived at the building where the editorial department was located, Editor Cheng was already waiting there. Seeing Dai Houxing, he hurried over to greet her warmly.

"Teacher Dai, what a rare visit."

"Teacher Cheng, I'm disturbing you today."

"Oh, Teacher Dai, what are you saying? I look forward to your visits every day. How have you been? If you have any new works, don't forget to submit them to Harvest."

While the two were chatting, Xiao Fei stood to the side, watching.

Editor Cheng was of medium build, with a loud and cheerful voice. He nodded and smiled at Xiao Fei, his eyes taking in everything.

"Teacher Cheng, this is Xiao Fei, whom I mentioned to you on the phone yesterday. This young man is truly remarkable. His essays and prose are top-notch, with a unique style. His novels are also excellent, with strong narrative skills, vivid character portrayals, engaging storytelling, and profound ideas," Dai Houxing praised Xiao Fei without reservation.

Editor Cheng shook Xiao Fei's hand and smiled, "Teacher Dai doesn't praise people easily. It seems you must have something truly exceptional. I look forward to your work."

They followed Editor Cheng into the office and sat down on the sofa.

Editor Cheng arranged for some tea and then sat down with them. He looked at Xiao Fei and said calmly, "Xiao Fei, I have seen your work, and I have read Teacher Dai's comments on your essays and prose. Your essays are truly excellent. At 19, to write such profound essays, your future is boundless."