Chapter 33
Chapter 33 – What is Important
It was the serial publishing .
It was the same that it was only electronically like electronic book . But unlike an electronic book with ‘one book’ type, the serial publishing was about 5000-6000 characters for one ‘section’ published serially . So about 20-25 sections were released for one book .
Jaegun was planning to try this for a new book .
He fulfilled the dream for paper books so now it was money .
About 10 cents for one book, Giving up money for the service web and the management and the writer gets about 5 cents . If the view are about 1000, the profit is about 50 dollars .
“Could I stop you here?”
“Yes, thank you . ”
Jaegun left the taxi and headed for the subway station .
Walking with his hands in his pocket, Jaegun was thinking what to write about in his sequel .
‘I can’t think of anything . ’
Maybe it was because of his problems with his father .
Or maybe because he was tired of writing too much .
He had nothing come in his mind . He had to write, but he couldn’t think of what to write .
A fantasy with blades and magic, A martial art story with a master looking for foes, it was the same . He couldn’t think of anything as he was riding the subway .
Jaegun, leaning on the elderly section of the subway, took out a memo and a pen .
It was a habit that he kept materials for writing everywhere . It was different from a phone memo . If he was writing the characters, the setting, and the background with a pen, a story could just magically come up sometimes .
‘Ah, what…’
The pen didn’t write as if it was out of in
Jaegun put the writing materials right back, sighing . He decided to think as he went to his quiet house . He pointed his lance at the background out the window .
… .
“Meow, meow . ”
“Uhh, Rika, don’t do that . ”
“What are you doing, I need to sleep more . Please let me sleep . ”
Jaegun,with a tired voice, begged and turned around . But Rika didn’t care . Still meowing, she kept scratching Jaegun’s back .
Beep! Beep!
He could now feel the vibrations coming from the top of his bed as he woke up more . Jaegun pulled his phone and muttered .
“Aauh, waking me up so I can take a call . I don’t need to take a call . ”
It was a phone number that he didn’t know .
Rika glared furiously at JAegun, who was going to throw the phone away . It was a glare that was saying she wasn’t going to let him go .
Jaegun looking at that glance, put the phone to his ear .
“h.e.l.lo . . ”
“h.e.l.lo, is this Writer Ha Jaegun?”
A man’s voice was asking .
Jaegun pulled himself up and answered .
“Yes, so . ”
“Excuse me . I am Ahn Tekwon who is taking care of the search website Navin genre literary service planning .
“Ahah, yes, h.e.l.lo . ”
Jaegun stood up putting his legs below his bed .
A conversation that he heard for the person in charge of the Digital Literary Contest came into mind .
There were going to be places that were going to ask for interview, so Navin was one of them .
“I want to have an interview about Writer Ha Jaegun’s writing tendencies and things relatings to your life . THe interview will be on the main ‘Book of the Month’ corner as well .
Jaegun’s sleep completely went away .
Navin was the company that ran the country’s biggest search website Navin .
It was about 15 years since the beginning . The daily usage was 18 million people, the users were 40 million, the global member registration was over 500 million so it was the site that had the biggest size in the country .
This Navin was going to put his interview in the main screen corner .
Jaegun was a person so he could not be not excited . He wasn’t jumping up and down, but his heartrate was definitely getting faster .
“You can come to the company place, or you can pick a comfortable place . But to our point of view, we went to have the interview at your writing place, how is that?”
“My writing place?”
Jaegun asked while looking around .
This room was the only writing place that he had . It was filled with the minimal materials needed to write and live .
“Yes, writer, is that difficult?”
Jaegun answered immediately .
It was an important place that he spent writing till now .
There was no fancy, but there was no shame . Isn’t it an error that a writer should even be shamed that he was writing in a shabby place . With that thought, Jaegun immediately answered .
“I’m find if you can come to my house . I’ll be fine . ”
“Thank you . Then we must make an appointment . Tell me what day you would like to meet .
“Hm, how about Thursday?”
Yes . I will call back a day before . And I’ll send to the your mail about the general outline of the interview so it would be nice if you can look it over once .
“Ok . ”
“Yes, then good work . ”
Jaegun looked at Rika who was sitting on the bed . Feeling the gaze,Rika layed back down and shook around
“You woke me because it was Navin’s call . That’s it?”
“Meow,”
“Yes, you be my manager . But let’s eat . You’re hungry and I’m… wow, what is this . Did I drink this much yesterday?”
THere were 10 cans of beer on the ground . It was messy place because he couldn’t think of a story . Jaegun bent his waist and picked it up .
Beep!
A call came as he was about to clean up .
It was Editor Kwon Tewon . Jaegun remembered his call with Somii and answered .
“Yes, editor . ”
“Writer Ha, you wanted to release a sequel? I heard from Somii so I called right now . You should have told me right away .
“Haha, well Somii is in charge of me, and I thought you would be busy with other writers . ”
There was no lie in Jaegun’s words . Tewon was always busy . It was amazing seeing his personality and energy as he took care of all the StarBook writers even as he was busy .
“Have you thought about what to write?”
“Ah, editor, I feel like I have to continue the series . ”
“Continue? The Modern series?”
“Yes . ”
Jaegun answered .
Continuing a series that was successful before .
It was a decision that he made yesterday . He had no story to write but he wanted to publish something quickly so naturally it came to this different .
THe two main characters of the Martial Rankings and the Modern Rankings were two different characters . But they got the powers from the same origins . Taking that origin of power as the background, he was planning to write a story that these two characters collide as the 3rd story .
“What do you think, editor?”
Jaegun asked as he gave an outline of the plot .
Tewon couldn’t answer quickly . In the end, he answered carefully,
“It’s not bad . First the two earlier series sold well . But the problem is that the main character is two people . A two top story is definitely a story that readers dislike .
“Yes, I’ve thought of that . ”
“And the serial publishing is worrying as well . All of these were paper books so to release a sequel to a previous work, and to change it to a serial publishing is a bit too much . There’s no confidence that the readers of the paper books will all go to the serial publishing .
“Then, I’ll release it to paper books . ”
Jaegun added in his mind, ‘for the last time . ’
Other side of the phone, it felt like Tewon was taking his clothes .
“Yes, writer . We should meet soon so when is right? I’m fine today at anytime .
“Then I’ll se you today . I want to get some air, Iso I’ll come out to Guro . Should we meet at night .
“Let’s do that, then, let’s just have dinner today . About 7 today, writer .
“Yes, I’ll see you soon . ”
Jaegun cleaned up quickly and went to the computer . Cleaning his face somewhat, he opened Word .
“Phew, there’s about 6 hours till 7 . There’s a lot of time .
He need to write at least an outline of the last Rankings series .
Jaegun started to type out a plot . It was definitely easier making on from a finished story instead of creating a new story .
As he was just about to get into it,
Ding Dong!
The bell rung and stopped JAegun’s project .
Jaegun shivered because the bell almost never rung and got up .
“Who is it?”
It’s me, writer, Ma Jonggu . ”
“… . Yes?”
Jaegun opened the door with a horrified face .
Two men were smiling very widely outside .
It was Hetae Media’s general manager Ma Jonggu and a.s.sistant manager Park Gyungsu . Two people both had a big box in their hands .
“General Manager, a.s.sistant manager, what are you doing here without any warning?”
“I had to give a present to Writer Ha so I came here/ . ”
“Ah, yes, thank you… but what if I wasn’t going to be home . ”
“Hahaha, I didn’t think that far . I could come back later, or I can call later so . ”
Jonggu was laughing and answering .
Jaegun couldn’t even get irritated because it was so stupid . This was the definition of pushing like a storm . Is this how Hetae Media’s working style was .
“Well at least come in . ”
“Ah, weren’t you writing something?”
Even as he said that, Jonggu was already taking off his boots .
Jaegun moved sideways and Jonggu and Gyungsu came inside and laid down their boxes .
“What are these?”
“These are deer antlers, These aren’t just deer antlers but really good ones, but you’ll be able to eat them for at least half a year . Writer is way too skinny . This is Hetae Media’s hope that you will be healthy and write great stories . ”
Jonggu’s words came out like it was practiced . /
Jaegun, with a surprised face, managed to nod his head to acknowledge his thanks . He pulled out two cups .
“Have a drink of coffee . ”
“Ah, thank you . ”
“I’ll be using the restroom for a second . ”
He felt that he at least needed to brush his teeth and wash his face as a human . He put a towel around his neck and went into the bathroom and locked the door .
As Jaegun leave, Jonggu whispered into Gyungsu’s ears .
“You’re going to say it when the time comes?”
“Isn’t it better to just give the present today only? It feel too obvious . Maybe wait a few days…”
Jonggu softly clucked his tongue .
“This guy is still saying these sort of words . It’s the end nowadays if you can’t get writers quickly . And Writer Ha is huge . If we wait and lose, are you gonna take the blame? Do you want to get chewed by the representative?”
“Hm…”
Gyungsu couldn’t answer .
Jonggu’s eyes caught the notebook screen . Jonggu, as if pulled, went to over and looked at the screen and widened his eyes .
“Look at this . Isn’t Writer Ha already going to continue the Ranking series from StarBooks?”
Gyungsu also widened his eyes as he saw that .
“Ah, I think so . ”
“I think so? You idiot! Look at it . If we take our times because it looks to obvious, then who’s the gonna take the blame…”
Creaaak!
The door of the bathroom opened . Jonggu and Gyungsu both immediately fell to the ground .
Jaegun was coming out . Jonggu, acting as if he was calm, put a cup of coffee to his mouth, but because it was too hot, he screamed .
“Are you ok?”
“I, I, I’m fine . Writer . I”m fine . ”
Jonggu was answering as he was quickly ripping out tissues and cleaning the floor and his mouth . Jaegun, smiling bitterly, stand in front of them . And then he said subduedly .
“You came to ask for a sequel?”