Chapter 82

Apart from suggesting a market survey to Editor Cheng, Xiao Fei also proposed a method to diversify the risk.

This method was quite simple: if the magazine did not want to bear the risk of publishing a "Special Issue of Novels" alone, it could first collaborate with a publishing house to publish the special issue, thereby sharing a significant portion of the financial risk with the publisher.

With the golden reputation of Harvest, most publishing houses would definitely be willing to offer cooperation opportunities.

In this way, the pressure on Harvest itself would be much less.

However, if they made a profit, the magazine would only get a small share, while the publisher would take the lion's share.

But this suggestion was the easiest to accept for Harvest, which now wanted to try something new but was afraid of the risks.

After Editor Cheng finished speaking, Chief Editor Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Let me think about it. If it doesn't work out, we can have a meeting tomorrow to discuss it. Everyone can speak freely. If it's feasible, we'll start preparing as soon as possible. To be honest, the pressure of publishing long novels is really too great. If we can publish two 'Special Issues of Novels' each year, it would alleviate a lot of the pressure."

"Alright, Chief Editor."

"Leave the manuscript with me; I'll read it carefully."

It seemed that a solution was in sight, and Editor Cheng felt much lighter. He quickly left the chief editor's office and realized his stomach was growling.

He went downstairs to find something to eat.

After coming out, he suddenly thought about whether he should inform Dai Houying about his communication with the chief editor, so she could pass the message to Xiao Fei. But then he thought, the plan was still uncertain, and it would be premature to leak the news. If it didn't work out, it would be embarrassing. So he put the idea aside.

The next morning, Editor Cheng arrived at the office early.

Because he had something on his mind, his brain was very active, and he didn't sleep well last night.

But when Chief Editor Xiao arrived, he saw that she also looked tired, with red bloodshot eyes, indicating that she had stayed up late.

Indeed, Chief Editor Xiao told Editor Cheng, "After dinner last night, I started reading 'The Fish That Walks on Land' while lying in bed. I kept reading and lost track of time. I finished the manuscript and looked at the clock; it was already 4:30 AM. I barely managed to get some sleep. Ha—! I'm so sleepy!"

The usually composed Chief Editor Xiao yawned widely.

"Chief Editor, did you read something good? Did you not sleep well? You must take care of yourself and not overwork," another editor said.

"Ha ha! Indeed, I read a good manuscript. It's called 'The Fish That Walks on Land.' The theme is the college entrance exam, and the author is a high school graduate who just finished the exam. The manuscript is in my bag. You can all take a look and we'll have a meeting later," Chief Editor Xiao said, handing the manuscript to the editor.

The other editors also gathered around to read it.

They were all very curious about what a manuscript written by a teenager under 20 could be like, especially one that had earned such high praise from the chief editor, who stayed up all night reading it.

Chief Editor Xiao returned to her office and, after work started, called a deputy chief editor of the SH Literature and Art Publishing House.

"Good morning, Lao Gao!"

"Good morning, Lao Xiao. Why did you call me so early? Is there something you need?"

Chief Editor Xiao briefly explained her plan to collaborate with their publishing house to publish a "Special Issue of Novels" for Harvest and sought his opinion.

To her surprise, he was very enthusiastic: "You want to collaborate with us to publish your 'Special Issue of Novels'? That's great! It's a win-win situation. You should have started this long ago. With Harvest's brand influence, it will definitely be very popular."

They discussed some details over the phone and agreed to have a deeper discussion later.

Both Chief Editor Xiao and the deputy chief editor of the SH Literature and Art Publishing House were not the final decision-makers, but they would report to their superiors. However, the issue should not be a problem.

After finishing the call, Chief Editor Xiao went to the meeting room.

By then, everyone in the editorial department had gathered.

While waiting for the chief editor, they were all enthusiastically discussing "The Fish That Walks on Land."

As members of the Harvest editorial department, they had seen many literary prodigies, but none of them had written a novel of this quality at the age of 19.

"This Xiao Fei is truly extraordinary. His writing is so mature, and his language is so precise and concise. Reading his sentences is a pleasure."

"Yes, yes, the novel is very engaging, and the author is very skilled at evoking the reader's emotions."

"Xiao Fei is going to be a sensation."

"A work of this quality should be published in the next issue of the magazine. We shouldn't make the author wait in line."

"Cheng, where did you find such a prodigy? Why didn't I have the luck to meet such a good author?"

Editor Cheng felt very pleased.

It was rare to receive such unanimous praise from his colleagues.

The people in the meeting room were not ones to follow the crowd.

When Chief Editor Xiao arrived, everyone quieted down.

The editorial department was small, with only six or seven people, so meetings were not overly formal. They were more like group discussions.

Chief Editor Xiao sat down and announced the plan to collaborate with the SH Literature and Art Publishing House to publish a "Special Issue of Novels," asking for everyone's opinions.

Editor Cheng smiled when he heard this from Chief Editor Xiao.

This meant that the chief editor had decided to publish the "Special Issue of Novels" and had already had in-depth discussions with the publishing house, reaching a preliminary agreement.

If the special issue could be realized, there would be no problem with publishing Xiao Fei's debut novel in the first issue of the "Special Issue of Novels."

After Chief Editor Xiao finished speaking, the discussion began.

Some said that this should have been done long ago. Publishing more long novels each year would definitely benefit the magazine's influence, and they supported the "Special Issue of Novels."

Others asked why they should collaborate with the publishing house instead of publishing it themselves, giving up most of the profit. After all, if the work was good, the "Special Issue of Novels" would definitely be popular with readers, and there would be no risk of loss.

Still, others said that collaborating with the publishing house had its advantages, as it would eliminate the cost risk for the magazine, although the magazine would still have to pay the author's fees.

Although there were slight differences in opinion, everyone agreed to try publishing the "Special Issue of Novels." If it was a success, they could then operate independently.

Chief Editor Xiao, being a decisive person, immediately decided to start preparing the first issue of the "Special Issue of Novels."

During the meeting, they also discussed which works would be included in the first issue.

Since it was the first issue, they had to ensure that only the best works were selected to establish the reputation of the "Special Issue of Novels."

After a democratic vote, Xiao Fei's novel was unanimously chosen as the lead story for the first issue of the "Special Issue of Novels."

After the meeting, Chief Editor Xiao called Editor Cheng to her office and told him that Xiao Fei's short essay could be published in the next regular issue of Harvest. If the series of essays Xiao Fei wrote for Editor Cheng was submitted on time and of high quality, it could be prominently featured.

This news was very encouraging. Editor Cheng quickly called Dai Houying to share the good news...

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