Chapter 80

When Shi Tingyu arrived at the entrance, there were already seven or eight people gathered there.

The person at the front would state their name, and the mailman would find their mail or package.

When it was Shi Tingyu’s turn, most of the others had also arrived.

“Shi Tingyu…” The mailman muttered her name while searching through the mail.

Finally, he found a letter among the pile and handed it over, “Yes, this is it, from the Jingling City Fine Arts Publishing House.”

The military families around them were somewhat surprised; their mail and packages were usually from home, so seeing something from this publishing house was a first.

Someone who knew Shi Tingyu asked, “Lu’s family, what’s this Jingling publishing house about?”

Shi Tingyu didn’t know the contents of the letter yet, nor whether her manuscript had passed the review, so she casually replied, “Oh, it’s just some books and magazines I ordered from there.”

Some believed her answer, and some didn’t.

Some who knew about the Jingling City Fine Arts Publishing House asked if she had submitted any manuscripts for publication.

Shi Tingyu just smiled and didn’t confirm or deny it.

If she said she had submitted and it didn’t work out, it might become gossip in the family compound. If she said she hadn’t submitted and it did work out, she would be accused of lying.

She asked one of the people holding a package, “Sister-in-law, did your family send you something from home again?”

Upon hearing this, the sister-in-law’s attention was diverted smoothly, and she smiled happily, “Yes, indeed. I’ve told my mother-in-law many times to keep things for themselves to eat, but they insist on sending them over. Sometimes it gives me a headache.”

Other people chimed in with comments.

“You should be content. If my mother-in-law was half as good as yours, I’d wake up laughing in my dreams.”

“Exactly. Although my mother-in-law is good too, she doesn’t send things as frequently as yours does, every few days.”

“When can I invite your mother-in-law over for a couple of days?”

“Yes, then my mother-in-law can see how to be a proper mother-in-law.”

The sister-in-law liked hearing such compliments and continued talking.

The topic of mother-in-laws was something women couldn’t avoid since ancient times, and these sister-in-laws always had endless things to say about them. The attention of everyone present successfully shifted away.

By the time they finished discussing, there were hardly any people left.

Shi Tingyu returned home at this time and eagerly opened the letter from the publishing house.

“Comrade Shi Tingyu, hello.

Thank you for your trust in our company and for sending us your valuable manuscript.

The manuscript of ‘Loyal Dog’ has been carefully reviewed, and we unanimously agree that it is suitable for publication.

There are a few matters we need to confirm with you personally.

Firstly, regarding the initial print quantity.

We have observed that your artwork is excellent, with an inspirational storyline, smooth and natural lines, and harmonious and vibrant colors. Therefore, the initial print quantity is tentatively set at 100,000 copies. Depending on subsequent performance, we may arrange additional printings.

Secondly, the unit price of the books after publication.

For black and white comic books, the unit price ranges from 0.12 to 0.18 yuan, and for color editions, the average price ranges from 0.2 to 0.8 yuan.

Final pricing can be discussed over the phone. Our contact number is XXXX.

Thirdly, the method of royalty distribution.

Options include a one-time buyout or royalty commission.

Please contact us for specifics.

You can also send your requirements in writing. Looking forward to your reply.

Jingling City Fine Arts Publishing House wishes you good health.

August 7th, 1975.

This information on comic book pricing was found online.

After reading the letter from the publishing house, Shi Tingyu fell into thought.

She didn’t know much about the regulations for publishing books now, but from the contents of the letter, she could tell the publishing house was serious.

The prices mentioned were not far off from what she had heard.

She wondered if there would be a publishing contract between the publishing house and the author.

After all, copyright law was to be enacted in 1990.

But since the matter was negotiable, she could state her own requirements.

From the tone of the letter, Shi Tingyu could be sure that they were quite satisfied with her work.

She could clarify her thoughts and requirements to the publishing house.

The worst-case scenario was that it wouldn’t be published, but if that happened, she could wait a couple of years. When the comic book market soared again, she could publish it then.

Having made up her mind, Shi Tingyu took out some stationery and began writing a reply to the publishing house.

Her requirements were simple: she wanted to sign a publishing contract.

Regarding royalties, according to the future tax system, she wanted a 10% royalty.

As for the initial print quantity, she had no objections.

Given the current downturn in the comic book market, she trusted the publishing house’s budget and considerations regarding quantity.

After reviewing the letter once more, Shi Tingyu sealed it in an envelope. The next day, she would take a bus to town and send the letter.

In the evening, when Lu Weiguo returned from training, Shi Tingyu told him about the approval of her comic book.

Lu Weiguo was very happy for her. Actually, he had always believed that her comic would be published; after all, his wife’s art was so good.

However, when it came to the publishing industry, he knew very little and couldn’t offer her any help.

After sending out the letter, Shi Tingyu began waiting for news.

It wasn’t until the elementary school started its term that she finalized the details with the publishing house.

The publishing house agreed to her request for a contract and a 10% royalty.

Ultimately, the price of each comic book was set at 0.5 yuan.

Shi Tingyu calculated that after the initial printing, she would receive a lump sum of 5,000 yuan.

This price was definitely considered a huge sum of money.

She remembered reading about someone in the 1950s or 1960s who earned 8,000 yuan for drawing a comic book. At that time, it was an astronomical figure.

Shi Tingyu and the publishing house finalized the contract through letters.

By the time both parties confirmed everything, more than a week had passed since the elementary school started its term.

On this day, the loudspeaker in the family compound sounded again.

“Comrade Shi Tingyu, there’s a remittance slip for you. Please come to the entrance to collect it.”

Shi Tingyu immediately thought of her royalty payment.

She threw on a coat and headed out.

At the entrance, there was a postal worker on a bicycle, accompanied by several military wives holding packages.

Seeing Shi Tingyu approaching, the postal worker smiled, “Comrade Shi, here’s your remittance slip. Could you please sign here?”

Shi Tingyu took the remittance slip and quickly glanced at it, seeing the clear 5,000 yuan payment.

The postal worker was actually quite curious.

He didn’t know what book she had published that was worth so much money.

A few military wives glanced towards Shi Tingyu, but she discreetly blocked their view. Nevertheless, they managed to catch sight of the several zeros on the slip.

They exclaimed in surprise one after another.

Shi Tingyu quickly signed her name, stamped it, and took the remittance slip.

Once Shi Tingyu left, the military wives surrounded the postal worker with questions.

“Who sent such a large sum to Captain Lu’s wife? I saw so many zeros.”

“Comrade postal worker, where did this remittance slip come from?”

“This is a huge amount of money.”

The postal worker hadn’t expected these women to surround him with questions.

He was worried they might get the wrong idea. Given the current tense situation, he didn’t want any trouble for Comrade Shi Tingyu. So, he explained briefly, “Comrade Shi received this money as payment for a manuscript from the Jingling City Publishing House.”

The military wives exchanged looks, wondering when Captain Lu’s wife had published a book.

What surprised them even more was the amount of the payment.

“Just for this one book? What if she publishes more?”