China Entertainment Mythology 2004

Chapter 14 Ambition
In the afternoon, Yang Feng came to the office of deputy editor Yao Haijun.

"Editor Yao, how did you feel when you first read Liu Cixin's contribution in 99?"

Yao Haijun, deputy editor-in-chief of "Science Fiction World" magazine, the main promoter of China's Science Fiction Vision Project, will become an important promoter of Liu Cixin's "Three-Body Problem" becoming famous and even going to the world in the future. The famous science fiction writer Dong Renwei praised him as a "science fiction gold digger".

Yao Haijun recalled for a while, and said: "Grand imagination, broad vision, and charm that people can't stop."

Yang Feng smiled and said, "I also felt it today."

"Oh? According to what you said, it means that you have read a work that excites you? How about it, do you think you can enter the next issue of the Galaxy Award essay?"

Yang Feng smiled and said, "I'm afraid it won't stop."

Yao Haijun said: "That is to win this year's Galaxy Award? This year Xia Jia's "Guan Fairy's Bottle" and Qian Lifang's "Province" are rare masterpieces, even He Xi, Luo Longxiang, Liu Cixin and other veteran science fiction authors They are not necessarily sure to beat them.”

Yang Feng said: "If this novel cannot win the Galaxy Award this year, it will be a loss for the Galaxy Award."

Yao Haijun didn't expect that Yang Feng's evaluation of the work would be so high. He knows Yang Feng's character too well. He is not a person who will talk about it. Now he has a strong interest.

"What's the name of the work? Is it an old author?"

"The work is called "Moon" and the author is Li Mu. I checked and it's a newcomer."

Yao Haijun found this work called "Moon" from his mailbox and downloaded it, while Yang Feng sat on the sofa in the office. As soon as Yao Haijun saw this, he knew that Yang Feng had great confidence in this work, so I am even more curious about this "Moon".

After half an hour, Yao Haijun finally watched the whole work.

"Good, very good."

Yao Haijun looked up at Yang Feng: "You are right, if this novel cannot win this year's Galaxy Award, it will be a loss for the Galaxy Award."

Yang Feng said: "This novel will be published in the next Yinhe Award essay?"

Yao Haijun said: "Divide the novel into three parts and serialize it in a magazine. In the first part, the protagonist finds another seriously injured self in the abandoned lunar rover. In the second part, the No. 5 clone makes a video call to his home, and the person who answers the phone But as far as the daughter who has grown up, the third part is serialized to the end."

Yang Feng nodded: "Okay."

Yao Haijun continued: "The manuscript fee is settled at the highest standard of 180 yuan/thousand characters. Tell the author that this work may win this year's Galaxy Award, and the prize money ranges from 1 to 3."

"it is good."

"By the way, I would like to ask the author if he has any other works. If so, let him continue to contribute. If not, advise him to continue writing. This author is extremely talented, and Liu Cixin's first work has not reached this level."

"I'll do it right away."

……

According to the contact address on the manuscript, Yang Feng called Li Mu that afternoon.

"Hi, is this Li Mu, the author of "Moon"? I'm Yang Feng from the editorial department of "Science Fiction World". Our editorial department has already seen your work."

"Yes, I'm Li Mu." Li Mu answered the phone at home.

Yang Feng smiled and said: "That's right, your work has been unanimously approved by the editorial department of "Science Fiction World", and the editorial department has decided to serialize your work from the tenth issue. At the same time, Yao Haijun, editor-in-chief of the editorial department, gave a very high evaluation of your work, and he asked me to let you know in advance that your work has a chance to win this year's Galaxy Award."

Li Mu replied: "Okay."

Yang Feng asked again: "Do you have any other works? If you have any, you can submit them to the magazine "Science Fiction World". With your talent and writing skills, you may not be able to become the next Liu Cixin or Wang Jinkang."

After thinking for a while, Li Mu asked: "Is your "Science Fiction World" magazine connected with foreign publishing houses? If I want to publish novels in the United States, can you help with the operation?"

Yang Feng was quite surprised, and asked: "Do you want to publish books in the United States? Science Fiction World Magazine has always been in touch with and communicated with foreign science fiction writers and scientists. In 97, we organized the World Science Fiction Conference. Science fiction writers, scientists, and astronauts from all over the world came to China to participate in the conference."

"Since last year, Editor-in-Chief Yao of the magazine has been vigorously promoting the Huaxia Science Fiction 'Vision Project'. The goal is to complete the systematic publication of the core classics of Western science fiction literature in five years, to meet the long-awaited reading needs of readers, and to promote foreign science fiction. The prosperity of sci-fi literature research and original sci-fi. The magazine office is still in close contact with foreign publishing houses, but now it mainly translates and publishes western works in China. However, if there are works that meet the needs of the western market, the magazine office is capable of helping published in the West."

After listening, Li Mu asked again: "Is the category limited to science fiction works?"

"That's not true. The magazine and foreign publishing houses have relatively in-depth cooperation in the fields of fantasy and fantasy." After a pause, Yang Feng continued, "Mr. Li, publishing novels abroad is not as easy as you think. , for Chinese people, apart from paying their own expenses, the easiest way is still to first write a work that becomes popular in China, find someone to translate it into English after it becomes popular, and then see if there are any foreign publishing houses willing to publish it.”

Li Mu said: "Okay, I see, thank you, Editor Yang, I will contact you when the new book is finished."

After hanging up the phone, Li Mu fell into deep thought.

In fact, the reason why he contributed novels to "Science Fiction World" was definitely not for the 180/thousand-word manuscript fee, which was only a few dollars. What he really valued were the classic science fiction movies behind the science fiction novels.

For example, "Inception" and "Interstellar" directed by Nolan, and "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock or "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

The current domestic film market is still far from mature, and the market is not yet able to accept such domestic works. Moreover, with Li Mu's financial strength and domestic technical reserves, he is temporarily unable to make such works. A few years later?

What if these films could be released in the era of "The Wandering Earth" as domestic films?

Thinking of that scene, Li Mu was still very excited.

So he wondered, can he make novel versions of these works first?It is best to make these novel versions well-known abroad, so wouldn't these movies be "occupied" by him in advance?

It would be even more beautiful if it could become a bestseller and earn a lot of royalties.

Li Musi thought about it, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this plan was feasible. It just so happened that the preparations for "Taken" had just started, and there were not many places where he was used at present, so he had plenty of time.

Thinking of this, Li Mu decided to act immediately.

So which work will he write first?
What editor Yang Feng said just now is correct. There is a threshold for Chinese people to publish books in the United States. What is this threshold?In fact, it is fame.Publishing houses need to make money. Publishing houses must first feel that your book can sell well, and then they will be willing to publish your work.

In this way, Li Mu's goal became clear, and his primary reference index was to sell well.

In this way, he first ruled out "Inception", "Interstellar" and "Gravity". These three works are all original scripted movies, not adapted from novels. The best-selling Li Mu is not sure.

The original novel of "The Martian" is a bestseller in the United States, and both the original novel and the film it was adapted from won the "Hugo Award", which seems to be a good choice.

But the road to publication of this work was not smooth. At first, the author sought out a publishing house to publish "The Martian". After being rejected, the author began to serialize the work on his personal website and made it available for people to download for a fee.

Three months later, "The Martian" rushed to the e-book store's best-seller list in the science fiction category, and the publishing house just woke up like a dream and came to sign the author. "The Martian" was on the New York Times bestseller list for several months after its print edition was released.

It is true that the work is a good work, but it is still not popular enough.

Then Li Mu thought of "The Hunger Games".

Li Mu doesn't know the exact sales figures of the "Hunger Games" series of novels. There are many reports on the Internet. Has been firmly in the ranks of super bestsellers.

The novel has also been adapted into a series of movies, four of which have been released before Li Mu traveled, with a total box office of nearly 30 billion U.S. dollars. The author's income in 2012-2013 exceeded 5500 million U.S. dollars.

This is a super IP, Li Mu must not let it go.He plans to make a name for himself in Europe and the United States with this book first, and then publish works such as "Inception", "Interstellar", "The Martian", "Gravity" and other works in advance.

He also plans to write the Chinese and English versions of the novel together, saving the trouble of finding someone to translate.

He had never read the English version of this series of novels in his previous life, but fortunately, the movies he watched in his previous life were all English soundtrack versions, and the films were all equipped with English subtitles. Fingers, it is not too difficult for Li Mu to write the Chinese and English versions of this series of novels.

(End of this chapter)