tokyo voice

No.90 Chapter [-] Lei Yantian Strike

Lightning library, editorial department, a temporary reception room.

Three cups of hot boiling water were neatly placed on the table, with a faint white air rising.

The man in the expensive brand-name windbreaker silently took a mouthful of hot water to moisten his throat, and immediately fired the first shot.

"I've heard about the reputation of the Lightning Library in the industry. Today's visit really deserves the reputation. Miss is so young to be responsible for editorial duties. It can be said that she has both talent and beauty. But in my personal opinion, you should also pay attention to rest on weekdays. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a pity of this era if the rare beauty is damaged?”

Yin Ze tried his best to make a gentle smile. With just this weak facial movement, he has activated the power of a [-]-year-old life corridor. The business model has started, and he is bound to take the lead in this network expansion confrontation.

"Hehe, I'm not so beautiful, you must be being polite." The editor smiled lightly, indifferently, politely perfunctory, and didn't even take his eyes away from the laptop screen, even as if to return the favor There are no words of praise.

Master Yin didn't expect to lose first, and frowned slightly, thinking that this person is not simple.

"Mr. has come to deal with publishing matters at a young age. I don't know what to do? What kind of classics?" The editor continued to type on the keyboard, and asked in a templated way.

"Ha, I never do the knowledge of searching for chapters and excerpts, citing scriptures and classics." Yin Ze said with a skillful air, "It has nothing to do with the prosperity of the country, and the great sages since ancient times may not rule any classics. Little do they know that Yi Yin, the prime minister of Shang Tang, was just a slave who plowed the land, and Jiang of Xing Zhou..."

"Okay, okay, I got it. It's another half-can of water that doesn't even have a journal." The editor politely interrupted.

"Again?" Shimadzu Nobunaga, dressed in a suit and leather shoes and wearing a watch, looked like an insurance salesman for a large company, accurately captured the key words.

"Speaking of which, my friend's "Demon Front" has clearly won the No. 2 library newcomer, but it is still far away from the book sale date, why is that?"

Yin Ze asked sharply.

"Of course, a small role like me doesn't need to know so much about the library. But the remarkable achievements of No.2 should have been published as early as last year. Hmph, could it be that the editors have given resources to their own people? I am I heard that the editor’s childhood sweetheart also contributed.”

"...can you be more tactful." Shimadzu Nobunaga said.

"To be precise, it's my childhood sweetheart and current boyfriend." The editor corrected.

"What? Not only do you not prove your innocence, but you also defile yourself. What are you trying to do?!" Yin Ze was shocked.

"Unnecessary things, what proves innocence?"

Miss Editor said very calmly.

"In terms of ranking, Mr. Luntai is indeed No.1. This is the result of the review. I'm just an ordinary editor, and I don't have that much ability to get through the back door. In addition, I think the information you may get is By mistake, Shimadzu-kun’s Bunko Newcomer Award is precisely a small essay competition, not an annual general election, and the priority is very low, but that’s the case, the top three will also have the opportunity to be published, but the review will be very strict .”

"Has Taijun Lun published a book yet? Then it's my brother's turn." Yin Ze cupped his hands, and unceremoniously peeled off the fruit platter on the table.

"This is exactly what we are discussing today." The editor took a closer look at a handsome man in a windbreaker, "...so who are you? Could it be that the author with the pseudonym 'Being Yourself in the Flame' is actually a duo ?”

"My lord, Yin Ze." The handsome man in the windbreaker swallowed a citrus, straightened his collar, and proudly spit out his name, which has gradually become famous in the art circle of Tokyo.

In today's workplace, who doesn't know the dignified SuperWorker?

"Who? I haven't heard of it." The editor answered immediately.

"..." Yin Ze.

"Maeda-san, he is the illustrator I invited." Shimadzu Nobunaga explained.

"It turned out to be the author of light novels." The editor was stunned.

"..." Shimadzu Nobunaga.

"Generally speaking, it is our job to find an artist for light novels, but since the teachers are here today, let's go through a procedure." Maeda Wanzi has a strong business force, and she began to ask one by one, "The teacher is here Have you opened an account with Pixiv?"

"No." Yin Ze shook his head.

"So do you run a personal website?"

"nor."

"Do you have relevant illustration work experience?"

"The experience of drawing illustrations for books...Thinking about it, I really don't have it."

"Then did you come from an art academy?" Wanko Maeda asked again.

"It was not in the past, and it is not now." Yin Ze said, "In the past, I studied outdoor environmental art, but now I am a liberal arts student."

"Then your job now is painting anyway?" Maeda Wanko frowned.

"No, I'm an active voice actor." Yin Ze spoke clearly.

"Is there always a Twitter number?"

"Have."

"Can you simply take a look?" Maeda Wanko breathed a sigh of relief.

"Of course." Yin Ze took out his mobile phone, logged into the Twitter account and switched to the small account, showing it to the other party.

I saw that the user's avatar is the default empty avatar, and the personal homepage is blue sky and white clouds. It has been created for several years, but so far, there are less than 50 posts, only 10 active followers, and only 60 fans.No matter how you look at it, it looks like a robot and a troll account.

"..." Miss editor took a deep breath, she felt that the negotiation was a little bit impossible, "Sir, don't you underestimate light novel illustrators a little bit?"

"No, why did you say that?" Yin Ze was puzzled.

"Light novel illustration work can be said to be a major way for many illustrators to get ahead. Many independent illustrators have received attention because of light novel-related work and ushered in a turning point in their careers. There are still many illustrators on Twitter regularly. I want to do light novel work, please label light novel work, and look forward to getting opportunities." Maeda Wanzi said, "Usually, editors dig out, and look for painters with matching styles from the tone and atmosphere of the work. This step often pulls out a list of dozens or even hundreds of people, and finally selects a few to contact."

"Using this method of elimination is really a big wave washing away the sand." Yin Ze sighed, "...the most indispensable thing in Japan is painting."

"Illustration of light novels is not just about drawing pictures. It is very important to design character images and character design skills. After all, we need you to be able to draw all kinds of cute girls who are strong, weak, gentle, stern, tsundere, black and straight. My child. If it’s just that the second creation is very powerful, no matter how beautiful it is.”

Wanzi Maeda said.

"Furthermore, you have to know the whole body, and you can only paint the face and bust, and it will still be ruled out. The change of expression is also the key point. Some painters only know how to play poker faces, which is obviously not acceptable. From a long-term consideration, it must be An artist who can draw rich expressions is better."

"In terms of clothing, not only the background, but also the current fashion trends must be studied. If it is Shimadzu-kun's fantasy style, it is best to read classic Western fantasy novels to learn various elements. If you only read For reference, if you follow the gourd painting, the quality will of course be lower."

Maeda Wanko continued.

"There are also props, characters other than cute girls, including monsters. In addition to painting ability, we also need to pay attention to the artist's update frequency and growth potential. The last point is character. type, then whether we can work together as a business partner is still to be considered.”

"...Are you looking for an illustrator?" Yin Ze looked embarrassed, "Aren't you looking for a cartoonist?"

"Hehe, there is a saying that light novels are just 'text comics'." Maeda Wanko said with a smile, and then concluded seriously, "In short, I rarely hear that there are good books buried by bad illustrations, but there are many. Few mediocre books survive because of illustrations. For example, have you heard of "InfiniteStratos"?"

"A famous business miracle..." Nobunaga Shimadzu said, "The original work doesn't have much merit in terms of story connotation and setting. It is a very pure harem work, but its sales are particularly amazing. Not only that, even The adapted animation BD is also selling well."

"Pure harem? When did its animation come out?" Yin Ze was taken aback.

"Last year? Or the year before last?" Shimadzu Nobunaga thought for a while and said.

Damn Brother Bojing!I haven't heard a single bit of news!

The man opened the corridor of life cautiously, wrote down this sum in the virtual notepad, and settled it later.

"Another example, do you know the popular animation "Hyogo" before?" Maeda Wanko asked.

"Of course I know that." Yin Zecheng said sincerely, "I even participated in the production."

"The original novel came out quite early. You can look at the first few editions of its character design, and compare it with the current character design made by Kyoto Animation. If you are a reader, you walk into a bookstore and you see these two covers. , which one would you buy?" The editor lady typed on the keyboard, searched out the illustrations of the novel in 2001, and turned the laptop around for them to read.

Naive monochrome background.

A boy in a white T-shirt stood on the grass, looking up at the sky in a daze.Purple hair color and eyebrows, hairstyle between flat inch and dog gnawing bangs, deep expression, straight face with a double chin...

"It's really a sense of age, with a strong Showa style. It reminds me of the illustrations in elementary school textbooks. It's really a nostalgic trace of the times." Yin Ze commented.

Judging from this comparison, Takemoto’s new character design can be called a great success, and it is true that the Showa red deer has been flattened into high-quality fresh meat.

"Animation has driven the sales of the classic series. Based on the influence of the drama alone, I think this kind of benign influence on the original will continue for many years. This is the expressive power of the picture." Maeda Wanzi said.

"That's not right. The original work was well written. In fact, even if the illustrations in the first edition are not beautiful enough, it doesn't prevent it from emerging." As a reserve light novelist, Shimadzu Nobunaga stood up at this time. Come out, there are thousands of keyboard players behind you.

"The truth is this truth."

Miss Editor said quite sincerely.

"In short, it is a long-standing tradition to add illustrations to novels. After all, there is a saying that both pictures and texts are rich in pictures and texts. The name of the author and the name of the illustrator will always be marked on the website. This means that if you succeed, you have half of your meaning and respect. As long as the text and illustrations can pass the level, it is unlikely to be cheated. Shimadzu-kun’s writing skills are still good Yes, I don't want him to be held back."

"Maeda-san..." Shimadzu Nobunaga heard this for the first time, and was a little moved.

"In short, the stronger the illustrator, the better. Even if he loses his mind one day, at least he can make a collection of paintings and sell them. If he becomes popular, he can still make a lot of money like IS." The editor said firmly.

"..." Shimadzu Nobunaga.

"I understand, you mean that you are worried that I won't be able to do it." Yin Ze nodded, "Actually, I'm not very good at drawing cute girls, but monsters like the Minotaur are very good. "

"I've already drawn up the list, and I'm going to confirm it with Shimadzu-kun today." Wanko Maeda clicked on a document, and there were many pseudonyms on it. At a rough glance, there must be more than 60 people.

"Pay attention to collecting so many painters who fit the tone of Shimazu's works. The editor Sang is really dedicated." Yin Ze said.

"Your works are relatively dark and fantasy, which are somewhat contrary to the general environment. There are relatively few works that are highly skilled and consistent. I tried my best to find them. The synchronization rate of illustration style and works is also very important. You really set me up It's a difficult problem." Wanko Maeda sighed, "And you told me that I hope to have the atmosphere of Castlevania, it's hard to find."

"Is it the texture of darkness and death? Brother Shimadzu really has a big picture, but I am willing to help. Since the editor and Brother Shimadzu like Kojima Fumi-sensei so much, why don't you just ask me directly?" Yin Ze pondered Said, bowed his head and started flipping through his phone.Before, Yoshimoto and Amano-sensei pulled him into a group, and Kojima-sensei was also in it, waiting for him to ask.

"You don't have to look for him. He is my most trusted and powerful illustrator. Whether it's hitting the street or selling well, my friends and I will share weal and woe." Shimadzu Nobunaga said calmly, "Just ask Maeda-san to trust me .”

No.90 Nine Chapters Two Swords

The hands of the clock turned.

The phones in the editorial department kept ringing, and even the temporary reception room could hear those lively exchanges.Invisibly, there is still a scent of rice wandering in the tip of the nose.

"Thank you, now that you're here, do you want to try the food in the editorial department?" Wanko Maeda glanced at his watch and asked.

"Are you full?"

"Is it free?"

The illustrator and the author are on the same page, each asking the most pressing questions.

"Actually, it's just a convenience store bento. I can add up to two spoons of my homemade roasted pepper and pickles, but you may not be used to it." Maeda Wanko said and made a phone call, asking colleagues to bring three sets of curry chicken, "Corridor There's coffee around the corner, you can take it yourself."

"Details determine success or failure. There are five types of coffee at the corner. The leadership is implying overtime work..." Yin Ze sighed as if he had come here. Taste the happiness that Rinta-kun has had."

"Editing can be regarded as a kind of service industry." Maeda Wanko rubbed the bridge of his nose to relieve fatigue, "In addition to appeasing difficult authors, he also acts as a peacemaker among the bosses of various companies."

"I don't think I'm a difficult author, so I will definitely save trouble." Shimadzu Nobunaga said reservedly.

"Of course your current rank is not 'difficult', you are 'bottom'." Maeda Wanko said truthfully, "If you dare to delay the draft, we dare to give up. But if the pillars have no inspiration, we can only Pray to God for the pathetic way."

"..."

"There are a lot of low-profile writers like you, and the only way to prove yourself is to increase sales. When you sell 50 volumes, let alone come to the editorial department in person, there will naturally be a The group had a heated discussion on how to help you carry out publicity." Wanko Maeda took a sip of hot tea and said lightly, "Of course now, I am the only one who is willing to spend time on you."

"Very good. I personally think that this will be a successful investment." Yin Ze nodded vigorously, helping to support the situation, "My brother is quite literary and talented, he can be called the youth version of Osamu Dazai, and he will surely succeed in the future. Miss Editor really has a unique vision."

"Teacher Lie Yan's talent, there are indeed some, but what makes me happier is that he is willing to communicate."

Maeda Wanko folded her hands and said in a calm tone.

"Light novels have been highly industrialized after years of development. From a certain point of view, the first creator is actually an editor rather than an author. Before publishing, we have already investigated and predicted the market, and the original author of the novel is Executors who bring our plans to life."

"There is such a thing." Yin Ze rubbed his chin and frowned, "Then this book on the battle line of the demon clan is a bit contrary to the general environment. Although there are beautiful girls with slim figures, the main theme is kingly adventure and the possibility of failure." Will it be big, editable or decided to help?"

"Hehe, those who engage in creation are basically weird guys. If they are not allowed to write out what they most desire first, and if they are not allowed to settle their regrets, they will always compete."

Maeda Wanko took out a lady's cigarette, but did not rush to light it, saying as usual.

"Let them unleash their power first, and wait until the blood cools down, then they will be patient and produce 'commodities'-after being cut in half and left out a few times, they will make a choice sooner or later. Don't blame me for speaking directly , the industry is like this. This is a black sea, deep and wide. Under the darkness of tens of thousands, no matter how hot the brilliance is, it will be dim and inconspicuous. It has nothing to do with ability here, and luck is the most important thing. We give advice, do The investigation is also trying to bring in a little bit of luck."

"I still think talent is more important." Yin Ze shook his head, "A real meteor falling into the sea will only set off an earth-shattering tsunami, not silence."

"That's because you're a painter, not a writer." Wanko Maeda glanced lightly at Ikemian, "For specific pictures, people have a set of innate aesthetics, and they have a basis for judging whether they are beautiful or ugly. For cognition, red is red, and blue is blue. But the story is different, where is the dividing line between high and low thinking? Where is the line between good and bad ideas?"

"That's true..." Master Yin pondered.Putting aside pure art, in the circle of original painters, what is emphasized is that if you draw well, you will be able to succeed, regardless of qualifications, it is all based on the work, the ruler is there, and there is no room for people to tell lies.

"The industry is based on sales, and it is not easy for people to win the list. Especially in today's era of rapid information dissemination, it takes a lot of brains to come up with an interesting idea and setting. And even if it succeeds once , does not guarantee success for the second time. When starting a new series, it is another time to run away from home and start from scratch." Maeda Wanzi said with a deep sigh.

"Miss editor is really mature. Although she is very young, she must have seen many failures so far. But judging from my position, in this creation... no, in this transaction, my words are also important."

Shimadzu Nobunaga said naturally.

"Although the things I wrote are not so novel and not so eye-catching. Although the editor Sang said so many alarmist words, it is myself and my story that determine everything in the end."

"Shakespeare's 37 dramas were originally adapted from other people's works. The story of Goethe's "Faust" has also been written by many people. These two great writers have injected profound content into the old stories. , changed the character of the character, and added rich and complex meanings of life. The great tragedy "King Lear" tells the story of three sisters, which is common in any national folk tale. The two sisters are sinister and unkind, and the third little sister My sister is kind and lovely, and the relationship between the characters in Andersen's fairy tale "Cinderella" is like this, isn't it?"

Shimadzu Nobunaga said slowly.

"Researchers of Western literature have made an inductive statistic and found that throughout the ages, the stories are roughly the same, and there are only 36 main plots in various classics, such as revenge, misunderstanding, similar appearance, prodigal son returning home, brother recognition, etc. Therefore , Any resemblance is purely coincidental, this statement is not a so-called evasion of suspicion, but a sincere statement of the facts."

"But these are the 'routines' that many people think are outdated, and many people can't understand them. Because they are interfered by too many factors outside the story."

Don't be fooled by the complicated environment and get stuck in the maze. If you only think about chasing novelty and lose the basic logic and structure, you will only go further and further away.

"I know I don't have any amazing talent, but I will do it down-to-earth." Shimadzu Nobunaga chuckled, "The editor Sanyomo thinks I have some potential, so he told me so much. But I didn't think so much However, actually being able to sit here and discuss publishing matters has exceeded my expectations.”