Chapter 29

【Seeking recommendations and collections~~】

In the midst of the beer that could be considered a beverage-level pineapple drink, Chen Jiaxuan slightly felt a bit tipsy. She usually could drink several ounces of white wine without changing her expression, but now she was reluctant to get up from the sofa and leave.

If only she could stay here a bit longer, but was this fool really unaware, or just pretending to be?

After Lin Han finished cleaning the kitchenware, he saw Chen Jiaxuan with a slightly flushed face and couldn't help but say, "Sister Xuan, you look a bit tired. Why don't you go back, take a shower, and go to sleep? Get a good night's rest."

The tight-knit sweater outlined her graceful figure. Chen Jiaxuan wobbled to her feet from the sofa, picked up her bag, and walked to the door in her high heels. "You should go to bed early too. Don't stay up late writing or reading novels. If I wake up in the middle of the night and find your light still on, I'll turn off the power outside."

This threat didn't faze Lin Han. He shrugged and said smugly, "Only if you can wake up. Good night."

Standing at the door, Lin Han watched Chen Jiaxuan walk to the other side of the corridor and open her door. They exchanged a smile before slowly closing the door.

After taking a deep breath, Lin Han returned to the computer to continue writing his novel. This was originally an English version, and the Three Laws of Robotics couldn't be limited to just the domestic market. If it could be spread internationally, it would have a greater impact.

The English original required minimal modification, just a change in the background. The real challenge was in the Chinese version. Lin Han wanted to incorporate his own thoughts, not just a mechanical translation word for word. This naturally required a lot of mental effort.

...

At the same time, Tu Meilun, a young editor at "Novel Selection," was reading "Science Fiction World" non-stop. She was the one who had been in contact with Chen Jiaxuan and was responsible for the recommendation.

"Novel Selection" generally publishes novels from the current year, selecting valuable and meaningful works from about 100 to 200 literary journals. On average, each editor reads around 150 novels, totaling no less than 2 million words.

After reading so many books, these editors must select 10 works to be reviewed, and the final selection of novels to be published is decided by the chief editor and cross-reviews.

These selected works must reflect literary concepts and include literary judgments, but science fiction has never been recognized by mainstream literature. Not only do traditional literary writers look down on it, but even fantasy and martial arts literature receive better treatment.

If a science fiction novel can be published in "Novel Selection" once a year, it would be a significant event in the science fiction literary world, as they have long been marginalized, with almost no presence in the past few years.

Tu Meilun knew that science fiction was prone to bias, so she racked her brain to come up with a recommendation, "‘Novel Selection’ takes the responsibility of nurturing new literary talents. In the past 56 mid-length novels, only 7 were by new authors, which is a low ratio. The author of this novel, Lin Han, is a new talent in the literary world."

The "Novel Selection" magazine, hosted by the Chinese Writers Association, holds an undisputed position in mainstream literature. The preface and title were personally written by the famous master Mao Dun, with a rich history.

For ordinary provincial or municipal writers, the "Novel Selection" platform is extremely important. It can overlook the entire country, while ordinary authors can only appear in local newspapers or magazines.

If a writer's work is not reprinted, its reach will be very limited, and its influence will not spread. Unless it is published in a major publication, it will be as if it was never published if few people read it.

The circulation of a single literary journal is very limited, and it is unfair to bury a work here with just a small amount of remuneration.

For authors, they naturally hope their works will be reprinted more often, so more readers can see them. Authors also need to expand their reach and the income from reprints.

Therefore, whether they are well-known literary figures or talented newcomers, they are all very welcome when "Novel Selection" reprints their works.

Tu Meilun knew that science fiction and online literature were both discriminated against by mainstream literature, and standing out was no easy task. This was the cradle of traditional mainstream literature.

The professional selection of "Novel Selection" provides samples for literary research and discovers new talents in the literary world. It is the most influential and authoritative literary selection in the country, known as the "literary barometer" and "literary digest" by industry insiders, and even has the title of "National Novel Journal."

It represents the highest achievement in contemporary Chinese novel creation, including more than 80% of the winning works of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, and has received consistent praise from both inside and outside the literary world.

"How do I write a recommendation? It's killing me." Tu Meilun deleted all the words she had just typed, played with her hair with one hand, and aimlessly flipped through the pages with the other. She had already had two cups of coffee and needed to finish quickly.

...

The next day, Tu Meilun, who had been overly busy, almost missed her work. She rushed to the editorial department with breakfast, and the morning meeting was already nearing its end.

"Little Tu, what's wrong with you? How many times have you been late this month? And have you finished selecting the ten novels? Quickly submit the list, and I'll review it as soon as possible."

In a panic, Tu Meilun took the printed list out of her bag and said, "Boss, I worked all night on this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been late. I almost died from exhaustion."

Cheng Litao looked at his old friend's daughter, whom he had watched grow up, and couldn't bear to scold her. He took the recommendation and said, "Alright, alright, go to work. Try to get some sleep at noon so your father doesn't say I didn't take care of you."

"He's talking nonsense, you're the best, Boss!"

Tu Meilun blinked and quickly returned to her desk, eating breakfast like a little hamster, waiting for the final review results.

Back in the chief editor's office, Cheng Litao didn't nitpick. He picked up the list Tu Meilun had placed on top and looked at it.

"‘A Chess Game in the Army’—it describes the complex life and human nature in the military. The theme is good, and if the narrative is strong, it can be kept."

"‘The Story of Father and Son’—an abandoned child searching for his father, with a deep and meaningful plot. Take a look at ‘Volcano.’”

"‘Dear Fox Spirit’? What kind of novel is this? Trying to imitate ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’ but failing. How can this be published in our ‘Novel Selection’?"

"‘Rural Teacher’—the title is good, but why is it a science fiction novel?" Cheng Litao muttered to himself and crossed out the name with a fountain pen. "Young people have energy, but they need to be refined. Recommending any type of novel without consideration is not good. What can science fiction convey? Just fighting and discussing things no one understands. Let it develop for a couple more years."

One by one, the names of the novels were crossed out, leaving only a few with good themes and storylines. The rest were eliminated without detailed review.

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