The Red Mansions

Chapter 14 Bargaining
In Hanmo Studio——

Jia Heng said: "The stories of the Three Kingdoms that are popular in the world are all scattered and unrestrained. In the manuscript, the plot of the story is absolutely different from that of the outside world. The following stories are wonderful, especially the opening one."

Liu Tong pondered for a while, and said with a smile: "No one knows about the following text..."

Jia Heng laughed and said, "Why don't you wait for me to write out all the manuscripts, and then show it to Mr. Liu? But at that time, whether it can be sold at Mr. Liu's place is still in doubt."

Liu Tong couldn't help laughing, and said: "Today I am amazed by the old man, and I believe in Mr. Jia's talent."

"How much does Mr. Jia want for Jia?" Liu said.

Jia Heng said: "How much can Mr. Liu give?"

Liu Tong pondered for a moment, smiled, and stretched out four fingers.

Jia Heng said, "400 taels?"

Liu Tong couldn't help laughing again, and said in a concentrated voice, "40 taels."

Jia Heng frowned and said: "Mr. Liu, just now, with so many characters, it took a lot of effort. Next time, even if you write banners and fight with others, you can get one or two."

In this era, one tael was roughly exchanged for copper coins ranging from [-] Wen to [-] Wen. In different periods, according to the fineness of silver taels and the size of copper coins, there were also fluctuations, unlike the stable currency value of later generations.

As for the price, one tael of silver can buy more than 300 catties of rice and [-] catties of high-quality pork.

In Jia Heng’s mind, the purchasing power of one tael of silver is roughly equivalent to more than 1000 RMB, and 40 taels is 5 to 120 yuan. This price buys out a book manuscript with 60 chapters and nearly [-] words. How should I put it, it is obviously a bit low .

Of course, as a businessman, Liu Tong must have left some room for bargaining.

As for the division by volume, it is actually not feasible, because Jia Heng has no way of knowing how many volumes Hanmozhai can sell, nor can he send someone to monitor.

After all, in this era, booksellers are leading the industry chain of book printing and sales. Except for a very small number of famous authors who publish in print and can talk about the share, a large number of authors are almost bought out.

How about saying that writing is poor for three generations, and writing a book ruins a lifetime?

People who write books are mostly in poverty...

Liu Tongdao: "How can this be compared? Besides, Mr. Jia probably doesn't know the market. Even if it is the capital of a scholar to polish his pen, writing these is only one or two taels of silver."

Jia Heng smiled and said, "Old Mr. Liu, you and I might as well be more frank, how about being open and honest?"

His psychological price is 300 taels, which is 40 million yuan.

After all, it is the four great masterpieces. If it is in later generations, this kind of masterpiece handed down from generation to generation will at least allow him to achieve financial freedom with one book.

"How much does Mr. Jia want?" Liu Tong smiled and said, as a businessman, sometimes he likes to bargain when you come and go.

Jia Heng said, "Just 400 taels."

Liu Tong couldn't help laughing, twisted his beard, and said: Mr. Jia, you really dare to ask, 400 taels?After selling this book, you may not get 400 taels of profit. "

This is just talking nonsense.

Jia Heng said: "Mr. Liu, why do you need to hide it from me? If this book is published in the world, the profit will be more than a few thousand taels?"

In his opinion, the publication of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is likely to become popular all over the world.

This is the charm of the four classics.

Liu Tong smiled wryly, and said: "How can there be so many? Hiring people to print, make seals, and so on, there is no need for cost. Hanmozhai can get 400 taels of profit, which is already great. Besides, the nickname is only in Beijing. , Jinling, Zhejiang, Fujian and other provinces have semicolons, how can they be published nationwide?"

Jia Heng smiled and said: "Since the old man thinks that the profit is less than 400 taels, why not like you and me, if a book is sold, Jia will get a profit of five taels of silver, what does the old man think? "

This is the sharing model, Jia Heng himself is not optimistic about the sharing, of course this is a reason.

Liu Tong smiled sheepishly, and said: "Young Master Jia is joking, but Young Master Jia does not know that publishing this book is taking a huge risk, engraving and materials, which one does not need to be wasted. Can't you find a son to make up for it?"

Jia Heng pondered for a while, this is why the division is difficult, the cost is not what Hanmozhai decides?
What is the difference between this and the pure profit sharing of a certain article's operating expenses in later generations?
After a lot of verbal and verbal discussions, until noon, Jia Heng's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was finally sold to Hanmozhai at a price of 240 taels, which can be regarded as two taels a time.

Also tell Jia Heng a truth.

Writing a book will probably starve to death.

"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation, only sells for 240 taels. These unscrupulous booksellers..."

Although Jia Heng was speechless, he was helpless.

The main reason is that he is not well-known. After reading this book, seeing the sales volume, and releasing a new book, he has the right to bargain.

Of course, on a single basis, 240 taels is not a lot, and if you live in a medium-sized family, it is enough to support you for a year.

As far as he knows, the publishing industry in this era has already formed a complete industrial chain. Needless to say, official engravings and private engravings are already very developed. Booksellers like Hanmozhai that integrate production and sales have their own workshops, their printing costs are almost negligible.

All the required labor costs are engraved on the engraving block.

Of course, Jia Heng didn’t know that, taking the “Collected Works of Mr. Yuzhang Luo” published during Jiajing’s reign as an example, there were 83 boards carved, with upper and lower two sheets, a total of 160 pages, and the engraver’s remuneration was 24 taels of silver.

Taking the carving of Jigu Pavilion as an example, every hundred characters cost three cents and five cents of silver. It can be said that the cost of engraving and printing is also low.

However, the price of books is extremely expensive, and every book is sold in twos and fives, especially popular books, which are even more popular.

In the publishing history of Jia Heng’s previous life, Jin Ying from the Qing Dynasty once said in "Proverbs and Lianbi": "Selling ancient books is not as good as selling contemporary texts, and printing contemporary texts is not as good as printing novels."

You can get a glimpse of the popularity of popular novels.

When Jia Heng entered Hanmozhai, didn't he go straight to the Shiwen section?

But the booksellers' share is the benefit of this channel.

Even in later generations, the fee for a certain reading channel of black heart is divided into [-]%. A certain author rewards himself with one hundred yuan, and the backstage gets one yuan and four.

"Young master Jia, please hand in the remaining manuscripts on time before the end of the month." Liu Tong said to Jia Heng with a smile while picking up a pen and paper to write the contract.

The old man's smile is much kinder.

Hanmozhai conservatively estimates that this business can earn more than [-] taels, why not feel happy about it?Not to mention, if you submit this new manuscript to your master, you will be greatly rewarded.

Hanmo Studio has not encountered a good manuscript for a long time.

But at the moment, neither Jia Heng nor Hanmozhai means what "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" really means.

Jia Heng pondered for a while, and said: "Old man, why don't you hand in the fifteen chapters first, and send them to the old man in the next few days. Recently, I have been entangled in many things, and I can't get rid of my hands and feet."

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is nearly 60 words. Even if he transcribed it, it would take time. He has to learn riding and archery from Xie Zaiyi, and is preparing to marry Qin Keqing. He is so busy that he can only find two hours a day to write.

Liu Tong said with a smile: "No hurry, our Hanmozhai publishes a book with [-] chapters, and it will be fine if Mr. Jia can send fifteen chapters before the end of this month."

Chapter [-], Jia Heng secretly thought what a profiteer!
A book is priced at least three taels of silver. With the virtue of Hanmozhai, it can’t be said that it will be made into a hardcover edition.
He, the original author, can't even afford a few copies!
However, this pricing is not an exaggeration. According to historical data, a set of "Journey to the West" with a hundred episodes in the Jiajing period was about 40 taels.

It can be said that the customers of this class of books are all scholars and wealthy official families.

As for ordinary people, limited by their literacy rate, most of them heard the stories from storytellers who turned from failed scholars, and then waited for the pirated version to be reprinted, and the price dropped...

Hanmozhai is currently in the first round of sales, and it is in the high-end market...

(End of this chapter)