Chapter 43

Zhao Han looked at Lin Han with a puzzled expression, clearly not believing that this beautiful woman could be his agent, and had thought it would be a cunning man. Now, seeing Chen Jiaxuan's appearance, he relaxed, thinking that a young agent meant a lack of experience.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao. I am Lin Han's literary agent, and I am now fully responsible for his literary agency affairs," Chen Jiaxuan said with a smile, extending her hand. She had already made up her mind that anyone who underestimated her would suffer a loss.

"Hello, Miss Chen. Little Lin is a promising writer, and it's great to have you help him explore the commercial value of his work."

Lin Han and Liu Jun exchanged glances and then settled into a spectator mode, watching how the old fox and the young fox would clash.

Chen Jiaxuan showed her phone, "I have already discussed with the editorial department of 'Science Fiction World,' and they agreed to serialize 'I, Robot' in the magazine. The contract has been reviewed by our studio's legal department. The price is a trade secret and cannot be disclosed, but it is definitely at the level of a renowned author. We believe this book has the potential to be a bestseller, and a 5% royalty is hard to accept."

"To be honest, there aren't many science fiction works in the current book market. Many books end up unsold after printing, and we can't guarantee that this book will sell hundreds of thousands of copies. Therefore, we are being cautious with the initial print run, which can only be 50,000 copies," Zhao Han began to negotiate, not wanting to thin out his publishing house's profits unless it was a sequel by a famous author. Any book is handled cautiously in its first print run.

"Mr. Zhao, let's be straightforward. I have also privately contacted some other publishing houses, and they have all read the manuscript, but we did not choose to sign with them. Not every publishing house is as prestigious as Renmin University Press. Their distribution channels and sales scope are far inferior to yours. I believe you have read this book. If it can only sell 50,000 copies, it would be better not to sign and publish it, to avoid the trouble."

Lin Han turned to look at the radiant Chen Jiaxuan. Her beautiful profile glowed in the sunlight, her flawless skin seemed to have no pores, and her serious expression was very captivating.

Zhao Han cleared his throat. He knew that the Renmin University Press—Public Book Publishing Center had not published a science fiction novel for some time, so they were very cautious in this attempt, not allowing any major mistakes.

Why did Lin Han and Chen Jiaxuan choose Renmin University Press over other publishing houses?

The reason was simple: Renmin University Press represented mainstream literature and held a significant position in the domestic publishing industry. Many textbooks used by students were printed by Renmin University Press. If 'I, Robot' were published by such a prestigious publisher, it would mean that Lin Han was officially entering the ranks of writers and gaining recognition from the publishing industry.

This was similar to being featured in 'Selected Short Stories,' breaking out of a limited scope.

"I haven't held a formal evaluation yet, and our publishing house's process is not complete. I just don't want to miss such a good novel," Zhao Han smiled, changing his attitude and taking a more emotional approach.

However, Chen Jiaxuan was not convinced. The royalty was too low, and she could not accept it. This was Lin Han's debut, and it should at least not hold him back.

Chen Jiaxuan took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Mr. Zhao to be a science fiction enthusiast. If this book is published by your publishing house, you would surely be one of the first to read the entire story. And those who love science fiction understand it best. Others discriminate against science fiction; don't you want to change their views? The quality of this book and what it means to both science fiction fans and non-fans, only you know best."

"Tsk, Miss Chen, you're not giving in at all. How about this, 6% is my maximum offer. I can't give a higher number because the sales of science fiction novels are indeed not satisfactory, unless there is some influence."

Hearing this, Lin Han couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. He had discussed this issue with Chen Jiaxuan via text message before, and now it was finally happening.

Chen Jiaxuan, well-prepared, smiled confidently and said, "Mr. Zhao, since you are concerned about sales and we cannot accept a low royalty, why don't we compromise and choose a tiered royalty system?"

"Tiered royalty system?" Zhao Han touched his watch, falling into thought. This seemed to be a good solution.

A tiered royalty system adjusts the royalty rate based on agreed sales volumes. For example, the royalty for sales up to 50,000 copies is one rate, for sales up to 100,000 copies it is another, and for sales over 500,000 copies, it is yet another. This is flexible and suitable for those who are confident in their work.

Liu Jun, an observer, silently admired Chen Jiaxuan's approach. She had clearly wanted a tiered royalty system from the beginning but didn't say so, instead leading the negotiation step by step, calmly and steadily.

After some thought, Zhao Han realized that this method was indeed a good solution to the problem. "This method is good. Let's discuss the specifics."

"Here's the deal. Our publishing agreement with your house is only for the simplified Chinese edition. If there is electronic sales, we will charge a standard commission, what do you think?"

"That's fine. We won't publish an English or traditional Chinese edition. For electronic rights, we will list the e-book on platforms like Douban Reading and Amazon. The sales figures can't be faked, and we will pay 30% of the sales revenue as a commission."

The cost of electronic editions is very low, almost an add-on to the simplified Chinese edition, so the author can directly receive 30%, with the rest split between the publisher and the website. This is a standard ratio.

Chen Jiaxuan had no objections. She took out a piece of paper, drew a tiered diagram, and wrote at the bottom: "If the initial print run is 50,000 copies and the final sales are below 100,000 copies, we get a 5% royalty. If the initial print run is 100,000 copies and the total sales are below 200,000 copies, we get an 8% royalty. If the total sales are below 500,000 copies, we get a 10% royalty. If the sales exceed 500,000 copies, I require a 12% royalty, and if they exceed 1,000,000 copies, it should be 15%."

"Miss Chen, that's too much. I can't agree. Many authors who sell over a million copies don't even get a 15% royalty. Our publishing house can only offer 13%."

Book sales in this world are very high, as evidenced by the fact that 'Science Fiction World' usually sells 800,000 to 900,000 copies, indicating the overall level. Therefore, Chen Jiaxuan's demands were quite high.

Zhao Han's job was to counteroffer, and the two of them negotiated back and forth for a while before finally coming to a stop.

"Have we reached an agreement? 5% for sales below 200,000 copies, 8% for sales between 200,000 and 500,000 copies, 10% for sales between 500,000 and 1,000,000 copies, and 12% for sales between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 copies, and 14% for sales over 2,000,000 copies. Do you have any objections?" Zhao Han wiped the sweat from his forehead, finding it exhausting to negotiate with the young people.

Chen Jiaxuan smiled and said, "No objections. It's wonderful to work with Mr. Zhao and have Renmin University Press publish our book."

"You're quite something, no wonder Little Lin chose you as his literary agent." Zhao Han finally breathed a sigh of relief, extending his hand to Lin Han, "Write well. I want to see the ending of the story soon."

Lin Han stood up and said with a smile, "No problem. I'll start working on it as soon as I get back. It will be a pleasure to work together."

"Pleasure to work together. I'll email you the formal contract tomorrow. Have it reviewed by your lawyer, and then we'll sign it. Little Lin, don't let our editorial staff chase you for the manuscript. They have 108 ways to do it, and I bet you don't want to try them."

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhao. I have already planned it out and will write it all down in one go. I will definitely deliver it to you before New Year's Day, and the quality won't be lower than the previous parts."

Lin Han was confident that he could complete the novel to a high standard. He was just looking forward to the final royalty income, but that would take a long time, as the payment is based on sales, and he wouldn't receive any money until the sales figures were in.

Fortunately, 'Science Fiction World' was very generous, offering him 2500 yuan per thousand words. With several thousand to tens of thousands of words of the novel published in the magazine each month, this would ensure Lin Han's income.