Chapter 171 I am as timid as a mouse (Thanks to the leader Doclamur)
Hearing this question, the prince said in his heart, here we come.
He thought about this question many times in his mind and rehearsed many decent ways to answer it, but in the end he could not convince himself.
In short, it’s not easy to answer, let alone not to answer.
Pu Yuyang played with the stirring rod in the paper cup with his fingers and stared at him playfully.
"Others submit their articles from high to low, but you submit from low to high. I think our magazine is much better than "Ancient City". The reputation and circulation are all slightly higher." Pu Yuyang gestured as he spoke, making this book lose the Korean market. "Why did you do it the other way around?"
Wang Zixu said : "I know it's a bit strange to do this."
"No, I'm not saying you're strange," Pu Yuyang said, "I just don't understand it. I'm just curious, so I just want to chat. Can you...explain?"
Pu Yuyang is a very interesting person. She said she doesn't think Wang Zixu is strange. But if Wang Zixu is not surprised, then there is only one explanation for his behavior: he despises "Get".
Wang Zixu waved his hands repeatedly: "I misunderstood. In fact, it is my dream to be able to publish in "Get"."
"Then why didn't I give you the dream from the beginning? Want to put on wings? ”
“Because I... have broken wings.”
Pu Yuyang laughed out loud, and then sat upright, with his hands flat on the table like a primary school student:
"Be more serious, my question is very serious. According to your answer Answer, we may even withdraw yesterday’s conditions.”
“No,” Wang Zixu said, “I thought “Acquisition” only looked at the quality of the manuscript.”
“The quality of the manuscript is the first priority, but we are also very concerned about the author’s own thoughts.” After saying this, she may have realized that her statement was a bit official, so she simply made it clear:
"To tell you the truth, I heard that your manuscript was submitted to "The Ancient City" in the middle of the night yesterday. No one else wanted it, so it was submitted to us. I will describe my feelings at that time: cardiopulmonary arrest."
Wang Zixu pursed his lips and asked, "Who told you about this?"
Pu Yuyang's expression was slightly hesitant, and then said: "Don't worry about it, we editors have our own communication channels. Normally we will not communicate with the author in this situation, but because I know you and know you a little bit, I specifically want to talk about this matter openly.
"Do you remember? When we were talking about life and ideals, you said you wanted to be a pure writer. I still hear your words and admire them very much. But do you still have the sincerity you had back then?"
Wang Zixu pursed his lips.
Talking about the past is the unique right of middle-aged and elderly people, but talking about the future is the advantage range of young people. Ten years ago, that was after Chen Qingluo left. He and several classmates gathered together in the self-study room and talked about the future.
The other students all talked about their favorite majors, universities, jobs, and even the kind of person they would marry and how many children they would have. Only Wang Zixu was particularly aloof.
He said, "In the back alleys, a basket of food and a ladle of drink are missing, and I will not change my joy. I will write novels for the rest of my life. That is my wish."
This statement sounded very pretentious to some people, and Xie Cong hated it so much that they forged a ten-year feud. Pu Yuyang was also present at the time and said, Wang Zixu, you are so awesome and it’s great to have your own dreams, but I don’t know what I want to do.
Nowadays, people who don’t know what they want to do are sitting in the editorial department of "Get", holding the power of life and death to "not change their joy". It's a bit ironic no matter how you say it.
Pu Yuyang tilted his head and asked, "Is it because it's not convenient to explain the reason?"
Wang Zixu shook his head.
"No matter what the reason is, at least give me an explanation," Pu Yuyang said in a low voice, "I came all the way here, you should believe that we attach great importance to you and don't want anything to happen because of this matter. There was discord. ”
Wang Zixu knew that Pu Yuyang had traveled all the way south by train and had warmed up for a long time to get here, not just to talk about life and ideals with him.
Their editorial department must have misunderstood him.
He didn’t know what she thought of him, and he didn’t want to know what she thought. He was tired of all the unspoken rules and thin red lines when it came to submission.
He decided to tell the truth.
"Actually," he said after considering the sentence for a moment, "the version I sent to "The Ancient City" is different from the current version, and has been significantly revised."
Pu Yuyang drank coffee: "Well, a responsible author This is indeed the case. Your explanation is..."
"I have changed it 23 times in total."
"Twenty-three times?" Pu Yuyang almost choked on his coffee and coughed violently.
It took a long time for her cough to subside, and she patted her chest and said in a voiceless voice: "600,000 words, you revised it 23 times? It's not a full-text revision, right?"
"The full text has been revised 23 times, and there are countless partial revisions."
Pu Yuyang was stunned: "Is this the revision suggestion given to you by "The Ancient City"? ? ”
Wang Zixu continued: “They did not provide me with any revision suggestions. I have revised it 14 times. After it was rejected by "The Ancient City", I revised it 6 times and was rejected again. "Yangtze River" was rejected. Then, I revised it three times and submitted it to you. I have saved all versions of the manuscript and can show you the differences. "
"No, no, no. I believe you." Pu Yuyang said quickly, and then asked, "Why do you have to revise it so many times?" "Because... I am as timid as a mouse."
"Huh?"
"Pu Yuyang, I have to admit to you that I did not just eat and drink in the back alleys and just write. In fact, like ordinary people, I found a stable job, fell in love, got married, and promised Bear social responsibility.
“I don’t dare to live a life that is different from most people. The huge uncertainty of survival surrounds me. I only dare to live along the path of my parents and the people around me, because I am as timid as a mouse.
“But why am I so timid? Because my efforts are not rewarded. Do you still remember the essay competition held by our school in the second year of high school? I stayed up for three nights, but the essay I wrote did not win any awards. In the end, the son of the grade director won the first prize.
"I have submitted articles to "Get" before. I have submitted articles to many well-known magazines, but I have not heard back. I can only attribute it to my lack of hard work, so I read more books and stayed up more all night. Three revisions were not enough. Just change it 5 times. If 5 times is not enough, change it 10 times. I am as timid as a mouse, but I am also as stubborn as a donkey.” I completely, completely, and thoroughly understand that every writer has more or less similar ideas. The most important thing in literature is to persist in the future..."
Wang Zixu said: "So Shi Tonghe pushed. They recommended me to contribute to "The Ancient City". "
"Huh?" Pu Yuyang was stunned again, "Did Shi Tonghe recommend you?"
Wang Zixu risked his life and said: "I confess, I may have offended Shi Tonghe. He used some small tricks, which caused my manuscript to hit a wall in "The Ancient City", and "Yangtze River" also stopped accepting it. I am worried that you will not accept my manuscript considering Shi Tonghe's influence, so before I don’t want to say it. The situation is like this. I’ve told you the truth. You can reconsider my manuscript. " "You underestimated our "Acquisition". Shi Tonghe will not affect our manuscript selection."
……
陆清璇第二天见到段小桑时，对方脸上仿佛有一道神仙水和遮瑕膏修饰不住的精致绝望。
"So, it failed?"
"Yeah."
"After waiting for two or three days, it simply failed?"
"What else should I do." Lu Qingxuan Xiaoxiong spread his hands.
Duan Xiaosang rubbed his forehead: "You are classmates, there is still a chance to meet, don't give up so easily, right?"
"I have already shown her cards, she is wary, and it will be difficult to get anything out of her in the future." Lu Qingxuan lied.
Last night she tentatively sent a message to Du Kezhu. She thought she would not get a reply, but she didn't expect that not only did she reply to her, but she also talked for a long time. It seems that their friendship has not been affected at all, and they have even become slightly closer.
Lu Qingxuan said this just because she didn’t want Duan Xiaosang to start from Du Kezhu again and make it difficult for her. Duan Xiaosang sighed: "It seems that we can only start from another direction. Some time ago, "Shuya Mantan" published an interview with the little prince. The account owner is Zhang Wei, who is quite famous in the publishing circle. Starting from him, we may be able to find some clues."
Hearing the word "exclusive interview", Lu Qingxuan seemed to be touched by some memories, but she couldn't remember the details.
She asked: "Sister Xiao Sang, why are you so persistent in looking for the little prince? There are so many excellent authors in the world, and you will be able to discover many with your discerning eye. Why do you have to find the illusory little prince?"
Duan Xiaosang Sighing: "You're still asking me? After all, it's not for your cousin."
"My cousin? Xiao Mengyin? Don't she and the little prince not get along?"
Lu Qingxuan tilted her head to express confusion. When Xiao Mengyin hit the internet last time because of a popular article comparing her to The Little Prince, her response was neither salty nor bland, meaning she didn't want to be compared. The evaluation in the literary circle was actually quite favorable to her.
In people’s eyes, no matter how popular the Little Prince is, he will always be kitsch and cannot compare to Xiao Mengyin who writes pure literature. Therefore, although the little prince has many fans, his public opinion is far inferior to the support for Xiao Mengyin.
This situation is quite sensitive, and fans of Little Prince must be holding their breath. If the two fans quarreled, it might cause some trouble. Xiao Mengyin should avoid the little prince, maintain the aloofness of his persona, and try not to get involved or touch the powder keg.
Duan Xiaosang said: "On the surface, it is true that we don't deal with it, but in fact, it is precisely because we don't deal with it that we have to establish a personal relationship, so as not to... Forget it, this is all an adult's business, you don't have to worry about it as a kid."
Lu Qingxuan pouted.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and said: "I remembered, why didn't you find Wang Zixu?"
"Who?"
“Zizixu, Wang Zixu from our magazine.” Lu Qingxuan said, “I remembered that last time someone asked him for the little prince’s contact information and wanted to schedule an exclusive interview, and he readily agreed. Although I don’t know if it was fulfilled later, but he may indeed have the little prince’s contact information. ” Duan Xiaosang frowned and said, “Is the Wang Zixu you are talking about the recently famous Chang Ge? ”
Lu Qingxuan glared: “Isn’t this a joke from our NTU Literature Department? ”
Duan Xiaosang sneered: "I often visit forums. Don't underestimate the influence of your stickers."
Lu Qingxuan thought about it, and it was true. The two lists of NTU Library are very famous. Duan Xiaosang, who is engaged in this industry, will definitely pay attention to them.
Duan Xiaosang said: "Thank you for the reminder. I'd better go find Zhang Wei first. If there are really no clues, I will try to find Chang...Zixu."
Lu Qingxuan nodded: "But Don't look for him recently. He has been busy polishing the manuscript for Feishi recently, and he has been very sleepless and sleepless. "He? Is it for Confrontation Feishi?" Duan Xiaosang was surprised, "He has been rejected twice and hasn't given up yet."
“How come you know him so well?”
“It’s a joke. No explanation.”
…
Lu Qingxuan returned to the club and found that there was a bit of anger among the crowd. Ning Chunyan and Diao Yiwen were discussing something enthusiastically. After saying hello, they were told that today the warm-up for the Feishi Literary Award had begun, and the first banner author had been announced.
It turned out to be Shi Shuqiu.
Lu Qingxuan quickly sat down and looked at the Weibo of the organizer of Feishi, which read:
【Shi Shuqiu's "Yesterday's Star" takes us into a charming banquet of life. Reality and illusion, the material world and the poetic world. When reading this work, a magnificent picture seems to slowly unfold before our eyes, giving us a wandering experience like falling into a dream and waking up from a dream... ]
After Lu Qingxuan finished reading, he raised his head and said: "The evaluation is quite high."
"It's more than quite high. Diao Yiwen said, "Is Shi Shuqiu going to be overjoyed?"
Ning Chunyan said: "Usually Fei Shi opens with heavyweight works. Shi Shuqiu's piece doesn't even have 100,000 words, it seems to only have 80,000 words. It can be seen that it is enough to give Shi Tonghe face."
Lu Qingxuan was silent.
This is not a real nomination. According to the process, the Feishi Literary Award will go through three stages: shortlisting, nomination, and first prize selection. It is still in the shortlisting stage. Posting a blog to promote Shi Shuqiu's works is on the one hand to warm up, and on the other hand it is to give outstanding works more space to display.
Of course, not all entries can receive this treatment. Basically, works that can be displayed in the shortlisting stage are equivalent to entering the nomination in advance, with very few exceptions.
Last year, Xiao Mengyin’s work was also the first to be released for warm-up.
Ning Chunyan clenched his fists. She could have imagined what Xiao Mengyin would say - look, I said the first prize will only go to Shi Shuqiu - she would definitely say this, and then she would raise her eyes and look at the person with her lower part, showing an expression that she wanted to be beaten.
Lu Qingxuan opened her phone to read the forum, took a breath, and then showed the screen to everyone:
"The Literary and Art Association and the school decided to hold a seminar on Shi Shuqiu's "Yesterday Star"."
"Let me take a look." Ning Chunyan grabbed the phone, took a look at it, and gave it back to her.
“What does the seminar mean?” Lu Qingxuan asked.
Ning Chunyan said: "It's just a matter of gathering a bunch of literary critics, sitting together for a meeting, and praising the works."
After saying that, she added: "Of course, it's not all praise. There must be different voices. But since the decision has been made, it must mainly be praise."
Lu Qingxuan asked carefully: "Is it generally just praise? Only famous authors can hold seminars? "
Ning Chunyan smiled bitterly: "That's more than that."
If the work is enough to hold a seminar, it must be at least the level of chairman or vice-chairman of the Provincial Literary and Art Association, and an organization has officially endorsed it to help support the new work and hold such a seminar;
Or maybe the work has aroused huge social repercussions and the social discussion is extremely high. The literary circle has to respond to this wave of enthusiasm and give a professional attitude, so a seminar is held;
Or maybe the work itself is of extremely high quality, but the channels for reading and learning are relatively narrow. In order to expand the circle, authors and literary critics are called on to read and appreciate, and a seminar is held for this purpose.
Shi Shuqiu has nothing to do with these three situations. One can imagine who is behind it. Ning Chunyan thought to herself that the dinner was not in vain after all, and it still played some role.
Of course, Shi Shuqiu’s ability to receive this kind of treatment is also related to his own success. His works are not parallel imports. They have been approved by several teachers and won the first public promotion. The quality is certainly not bad.
Children of famous people and rich people work hard and get two points in return, so they can always go further and further in the fields they are good at.
"Why hasn't Wang Zixu replied to the message?" Ning Chunyan lowered his head and looked at his phone. "I told him that I agreed to reply to him, but he has been silent until now."
"It can't be that I'm cheating, and I don't dare to tell you." Diao Yiwen immediately used bottom-line thinking to make the worst reasoning.
"Sister Xiaochun, you said before that if he can't pass "Get", what will he do?" Lu Qingxuan asked.
Ning Chunyan shook his head: "I don't know."
...
"You underestimated our "acquisition". A stone in the same river will not affect our manuscript selection."
The voice came from behind, not Pu Yuyang in front of him. Pu Yuyang held the coffee cup and looked at Wang Zixu with a complicated expression, but said nothing.
Wang Zixu turned around and saw a well-dressed old man standing up from the table and extending his hand towards him.
"Let me introduce you," Pu Yuyang got down and said, "This is the editor-in-chief of our editorial department, Li Minyang."
Wang Zixu stood up, stammering and speechless, and awkwardly stretched out his hand to shake his hand.
Li Minyang stepped down from his seat and sat down across from Wang Zixu's table. He put his hands on the table and said with a smile:
"Sorry, I tested you a little."
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