"Hong Kong Commercial Daily", founded in 1952, is the oldest financial newspaper in Hong Kong.
Lin Xiaoguang knew this newspaper not because he had been to Hong Kong, but because a story impressed him deeply.
In October 1963, when meeting Japanese reporters in Peiping, he said boldly: "The imperialist revisionists have atomic bombs. Isn't it amazing that they have atomic bombs? They bully us like this. They laugh at us because we are poor and can't afford to make them. I want to make them even if I am a trouser."
Nuclear bomb!”
Anyone who knows him well knows that such words are commonplace for him. He is cheerful and passionate by nature.
It should be said that in the international environment surrounded by great powers at that time, it is commendable that we issued such heroic words. It doesn't matter that our family is poor, but we must not let others bully us. We will not be willing to cut ourselves off to bring down the emperor!
However, Jin Yong and Jin Daxia who were far away in Hong Kong published an editorial in Ming Pao just two days after this incident.
Therefore, as soon as Jin Daxia's editorial came out, he was immediately besieged by Hong Kong newspapers.
These five newspapers are "Wen Wei Po", "Ta Kung Pao", "New Evening News", "Business Daily", and "Jing Bao", and they are all prestigious newspapers.
One of them, "Business Daily", is the "Hong Kong Commercial Daily" that Mr. Fu just mentioned.
The Hong Kong Commercial Daily is a financial newspaper that usually focuses on economic reports. However, its supplement also serializes novels. In 1956, it serialized Jin Yong's "Blue Blood Sword", and in the following three years, it also serialized "The Legend of the Condor Shooting Trilogy".
"The Legend of the Eagle", which in the 1960s serialized Liang Yusheng's martial arts novels, "Return of the Sword", "The Legend of the Empress", etc.
Lin Xiaoguang originally planned to submit articles to Jin Daxia's "Ming Pao". Ming Pao's sales were huge and its influence was widespread. Moreover, since the decline of Jin Yong's seal Gu Long, Hong Kong's martial arts declined and Ming Pao's development was slow.
At this time, a phenomenal martial arts masterpiece appears, and with the recommendation of Jin Daxia, martial arts and Ming Pao will undoubtedly rise again.
But Mr. Fu said it was not Ming Pao, but Hong Kong Commercial Daily, which made him a little disappointed. Since Hong Kong Commercial Daily is a newspaper, its operation will definitely not be as flexible as a private enterprise, so don't expect too much in terms of royalties.
Sure enough, thirty words per thousand words is too low.
Lin Xiaoguang was helpless: "Mr. Fu, what kind of age are we in now? The Golden Hero has two or three hundred words per thousand words, and the newcomers are over fifty per thousand words. Can the Hong Kong Commercial Daily also use it?"
"You also know Jin Yong?" Teacher Fu chuckled.
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt that her question was in vain. If he didn't know Jin Yong, how could he know Ming Pao and submit articles to Ming Pao by name, considering that Jin Yong was the boss of Ming Pao.
Jin Yong was a household name in later generations. Even in mainland China, many people have heard of his name, such as Mr. Fu who once went abroad.
Lin Xiaoguang curled his lips: "In the world of martial arts novels, Golden Yong and Ancient Dragon are just like Shaolin and Wudang in novels, they are Taishan and Beidou. If I don't even know about them, then I am too unqualified as a martial arts writer."
"Then what do you think we should do? This is already the highest price I can get." Teacher Fu was also helpless.
This martial arts novel has 3.2 million words, 300 words for 1,000 words, and the total manuscript fee is less than 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, which sounds like a lot, but think about Jin Daxia’s 300 words for 1,000 words. If he were given this price, it would be 9
160,000 Hong Kong dollars, the gap is too big.
Even if this martial arts novel will be very famous, very successful, and have unprecedented influence in the future, he is a newcomer, and this is how newcomers behave.
Mr. Fu can help and submit the article to the Hong Kong Commercial Daily, which is already good, what more can you ask for?
Whatever.
Lin Xiaoguang figured it out and nodded: "Okay, let's do it."
"But..." He stared at Teacher Fu with a smile: "This novel will have more than three million words. If the market proves that my novel is good, it can also increase the sales of the business newspaper. I hope that the next work will be
, the remuneration will be further adjusted.”
Teacher Fu chuckled: "Let's finish writing this one first and then talk about it."
"Definitely."
Seeing that he no longer bothered with the issue of royalties, Teacher Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief. One was a good friend and the other was a good student. It was really embarrassing to be caught between two people.
Once this major matter was resolved, she was filled with envy when she thought of the royalties of 300,000 words and 9,000 Hong Kong dollars.
"You kid, you really surprised me."
Lin Xiaoguang smiled shyly: "Teacher, in fact, besides English, I have other advantages and strengths, but you didn't realize it."
"Why are you so thick-skinned?" Teacher Fu gave him an angry look.
"But, then again, with your current behavior, you will definitely not get any good results."
Of course Lin Xiaoguang knew this. Among other things, the clothes of pedestrians on the street were no longer as monotonous as before, and gradually became more colorful, which undoubtedly confirmed this.
Take the college entrance examination as an example. Many students from Qingbei have enrolled.
Times are changing quietly, Lin Xiaoguang smiled.
"In October last year, the National Publishing Bureau resumed remuneration, ranging from 2 yuan to 7 yuan per 1,000 words for a book manuscript, 1 yuan to 5 yuan per 1,000 words for translation, and 1,500 yuan for a feature film script. The spring of writers has arrived, and I am also keeping up with the times.
, responding to the call of the country is not out of line, right?"
Teacher Fu asked back: "Then why don't you submit articles to "People's Literature" and "People's Movies"?"
"Is Hong Kong also an inalienable part of the motherland? Let's not make it so clear." After the matter was settled, Lin Xiaoguang was in a good mood.
"You said it yourself, others cost 2 to 7 yuan per thousand words. According to the current official exchange rate, RMB 1.5 is worth 1 U.S. dollar, and 1 yuan is worth 5 Hong Kong dollars. For you, 30 Hong Kong dollars per thousand words is equivalent to six yuan.
, you are not much worse than He Jingzhi, Liu Qing, and Wang Meng."
When Lin Xiaoguang heard what she said, he realized that this matter was indeed not simple.
Since the Hong Kong Commercial Daily is a newspaper, it will be bound by the rules. As a mainlander, if he is given a royalties of 300 Hong Kong dollars for 1,000 words, it would be 60 RMB for 1,000 words, which is not much better than the big names in the literary and art circles these days.
Do you know how many times higher?
After thinking about this, he realized the good intentions of the Commercial Daily editorial department and Mr. Fu.
"Teacher Fu, thank you. I will be a noble person in the future, a pure person, a moral person, and a person who is free from vulgar tastes. It doesn't matter how much the royalties are. If I didn't have enough to eat, I wouldn't write.
Novels make money, you know, I’m growing taller now.”
"Actually, it doesn't matter whether it's money or not. I'm not interested in money."
"Forget it, don't be poor." Teacher Fu gave him a roll of his eyes: "You should think about how to remit your nine thousand Hong Kong dollars? There is a big problem here."