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Chapter 34 Publication Matters Negotiation

He extended his right hand warmly and shook hands firmly with Chen Zhiyuan, his tone sincere: "Hello, Professor Chen! I've long admired your work. Your book is so brilliant; it has truly impressed our entire editorial department and we are very interested in it."

Chen Zhiyuan smiled modestly: "Mr. Wu, you flatter me. It is my honor and I am very happy to receive your recognition."

The two sides shook hands warmly and exchanged a few polite greetings.

Next, Wu Shuhan introduced Chen Zhiyuan to the people he brought: there was a manager in charge of market assessment, a senior editor, and even two professional legal personnel.

Chen Zhiyuan shook hands with each of them, maintaining his composure and humility while exuding enthusiasm and confidence, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

Of course, he was also slightly surprised: he did not expect the other party to have such a strong and professional lineup, even bringing two legal personnel, which showed how much importance they attached to this negotiation.

Both sides took their seats.

The meeting began with a discussion of the book "Those Things About the Ming Dynasty".

Wu Shuhan inquired about the book's expected total word count, general framework, and subsequent main plot developments.

Chen Zhiyuan answered fluently and clearly, demonstrating a comprehensive grasp and in-depth understanding of the entire work.

This prompted the publishing staff present to nod frequently, their eyes filled with even greater admiration.

After discussing the book's contents for a while, Wu Shuhan steered the conversation to the main topic, saying directly, "Professor Chen, our group believes this book is of excellent quality and has huge market potential. We very much hope to acquire its publishing rights."

Chen Zhiyuan readily replied, "President Wu, I have also heard about your company's strength and reputation."

I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate. Let's discuss the specifics of our cooperation.

Since both sides have a strong desire to cooperate, the subsequent negotiations entered a substantive stage.

The two sides quickly reached a basic consensus on many details, such as the publication format, the first print run, and the cover design, and the progress was quite smooth.

However, the two sides disagreed on the proportion of "signing fees" and "royalties," which involve core interests, and failed to reach an agreement for a time.

Chen Zhiyuan clearly stated: "Mr. Wu, the cooperation method I hope for is not a one-time purchase of the copyright, but a royalty system, where we receive remuneration based on the actual sales of the books."

Wu Shuhan nodded in understanding: "Of course, there's no problem with that."

"For new and regular authors, our publishing house usually offers royalties ranging from 6% to 8%."

Considering the truly outstanding quality of your book, we are willing to offer an 8% royalty, which is already a very high standard we can offer to a new author.

Any other young author would probably be overjoyed to hear about an 8% royalty and would have readily agreed.

But Chen Zhiyuan just smiled meaningfully, and then said calmly and firmly, "Mr. Wu, I have great confidence in my book. I believe it deserves at least 15% royalties."

"15%!" A young publishing staff member next to him couldn't help but exclaim softly, then realized he had misbehaved and quickly added in a lower voice.

"That...that's unlikely."

"This is a royalty rate that is usually only enjoyed by well-known authors who have been famous for a long time and have a stable and large readership, or by best-selling authors whose books are guaranteed to sell well."

Wu Shuhan did not reprimand his subordinate for interrupting, but instead nodded slightly, looked at Chen Zhiyuan, and spoke in a calm but explanatory tone:

"Professor Chen, you may not be very familiar with the royalty practices in the publishing industry."

"Let me explain briefly: new authors generally account for 6%-8%; authors with a certain degree of fame or whose works show the potential to become bestsellers can reach 8%-10%."

"Only a very small number of top-tier, well-known authors or super-bestselling authors who have proven to have a strong market appeal can potentially earn royalties in the 10% to 15% range."

Chen Zhiyuan smiled slightly again, his face showing no signs of impatience or being persuaded. His composure beyond his years almost made Zhou Shutang, who was watching quietly from the side, secretly give him a thumbs up.

She secretly admired him: Chen Zhiyuan, despite his young age, his composure and calmness alone put him far ahead of his peers.

After patiently listening to Wu Shuhan's explanation, Chen Zhiyuan spoke slowly and calmly: "Mr. Wu, what you said is a common situation in the industry, and I have a general understanding of it."

However, as far as I know, the royalty rate for some phenomenally bestselling books on the market can exceed 15%.

Just as Wu Shuhan was about to say something more, Chen Zhiyuan didn't give him a chance to continue persuading him, but instead took over the conversation.

Throughout, he seemed to hold a subtle psychological advantage, his voice loud and clear, exuding a powerful and rational confidence.

"Mr. Wu, since this is a negotiation, I'll just state my terms directly."

"With a signing fee of 500,000 yuan and a royalty of 15%, I can grant your company the exclusive domestic simplified Chinese publishing rights for 'Those Things of the Ming Dynasty'."

Wu Shuhan looked at Chen Zhiyuan intently, his gaze behind his glasses deep and unfathomable. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more:

This young man is truly remarkable!

That courage, that clear understanding of one's own value, that aura at the negotiating table... it's extraordinary.

He had begun to admire Chen Zhiyuan.

However, in the business world, one must fight for the interests that are rightfully theirs. For the sake of the company's interests, even a "bloody" struggle is perfectly normal.

Wu Shuhan leaned back slightly, his tone becoming formal and somewhat serious: "Teacher Chen, if I may be frank, the conditions you've set... are too high."

"If we use this standard, I'm afraid there's no need for us to continue talking."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shutang's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately became anxious.

She quickly winked at Chen Zhiyuan, her anxiety and worry written all over her face—she was afraid that this hard-won publishing opportunity would fall through because they couldn't agree on the terms.

But Chen Zhiyuan remained unmoved, as if he hadn't seen Zhou Shutang's hint at all.

He remained calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

"Mr. Wu, as the saying goes, 'If you ask for an exorbitant price, you can always bargain down to a reasonable amount.' This is the way of the world."

Chen Zhiyuan spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable certainty, "Please don't rush to conclusions."

"I actually have another cooperation proposal here. I wonder if Mr. Wu would be interested in hearing about it?"

Wu Shuhan's expression shifted slightly, and he raised his hand to indicate, "I'd like to hear the details. What's the other option?"

Chen Zhiyuan calmly replied, "The signing fee is 500,000 yuan, that remains unchanged. To be honest, I do need this start-up capital right now."