Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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This is a work of fiction and has no relation whatsoever to any real names, events, organizations, place names, or persons.
As mentioned in Chapter 19.
No sooner had he stepped into the café than a scolding voice rang out.
Woo Ji-hyun recognized the familiar tone and voice right away. He didn't even need to look for a seat—he just headed straight over.
"My main stomping grounds aren't in Juwan. And usually, we meet in Bupyeong. So why'd you come all the way to Juwan? And not even Bucheon."
"I had some business around here."
"Hmm."
Even though only two of them were sitting there, the four-person table felt completely packed.
Their builds were that imposing—the two brothers he was meeting today.
Despite Woo Ji-hyun bulking up quite a bit himself, he still looked scrawny standing next to them side by side.
"But damn, you've really filled out. Your shoulders look almost twice as broad now."
"I've been hitting the gym hard. And squeezing in other workouts here and there."
"And you're still churning out work like that?"
"Churning out? Speak for yourself—some of us actually put in the effort."
Woo Ji-hyun corrected Yeo Woo-jin as he took a seat in the empty spot.
Kang Tae-jin, who had been sitting quietly with a smile until then, extended his hand.
"Long time no see, Ji-hyun."
"Yeah, feels like almost a year."
"Has it been that long?"
"Time flies when a year's gone by."
While Kang Tae-jin looked startled, Woo Ji-hyun replied nonchalantly.
He then glanced back and forth between the two men across from him with a knowing look.
They might not realize it, but Woo Ji-hyun already knew what this meeting was about.
'Just different people this time. Timing's about right. Yeah, it's time for it to kick off.'
The royalty non-payment crisis—what could be called a royalty scam in harsher terms—had blown up, twisting fates once more on a massive scale.
And the result was this current situation.
Fortunately, though, the main thread hadn't changed.
"I must've been too neglectful. Sorry about that, Ji-hyun."
"Nah, it's fine. Everyone's busy just trying to survive. Being able to meet up like this every now and then is something."
"Exactly. That's huge. Yeah, life's tough, but we're all still holding on to our writing."
"You don't even write anymore."
Yeo Woo-jin ribbed Kang Tae-jin.
As a full-time writer, he wrote slowly, but he was still active in the game.
His friend Kang Tae-jin, however? Not so much.
He scribbled now and then, but it had been well over two years since his last publication.
"I'm writing. Results just aren't coming."
"You won't be able to going forward."
"Still planning to chip away at it. Gotta keep the feel alive."
"Just handling your agent work will be overwhelming enough."
Yeo Woo-jin gave him a skeptical look.
No matter how hard you tried to write, if you didn't have the time, it was impossible.
And Kang Tae-jin wasn't exactly the diligent type as a writer anyway.
"You're not even cheering him on—instead you're piling on the pressure?"
"Just being realistic. It looks tough."
"I'll go order some coffee."
"Ah."
As the conversation dragged on, Woo Ji-hyun stood up first.
Might as well get some coffee while they waited.
"Sorry. Got carried away talking."
"It's all good."
"The reason we asked to see you is..."
Kang Tae-jin began explaining in his calm tone.
And the content was exactly as Woo Ji-hyun had anticipated.
"The key here is the e-book distribution rights."
"There's stuff on secondary uses too. OSMU—One Source Multi Use—is gonna be huge going forward."
"I think so too."
Woo Ji-hyun nodded as he listened to Kang Tae-jin's explanation.
But Yeo Woo-jin shot him a slightly puzzled look.
It was like Woo Ji-hyun had known this topic was coming.
"Ji-hyun, you get proposals from other places too?"
"Nope. Nothing like that. And nowhere worth it anyway."
"Munpia's gearing up."
"My relationship with them fizzled out after their copyright enforcement went all sloppy. I pop into the community now and then, but I'm not active."
Even after Woo Ji-hyun's answer, Yeo Woo-jin didn't drop his suspicious vibe.
He was way too calm about it.
But pressing further would be awkward.
"You know the mess we're in over there, right?"
"Hard not to. But I trust you guys. Most people don't even know about their community stuff anyway."
"Thanks."
"But isn't the settlement split kinda low? You marked it as 6:4, but that's after the platform takes their cut first, right?"
In e-book settlements, the split was the most crucial thing for writers.
So Woo Ji-hyun zeroed in on that first.
"Standard split is 6:4, so that's where we're starting. We'll notify you right away if it changes."
"Better to spell it out clearly in the contract. There are a lot of pages here."
"If that's what you want, we can do it."
Kang Tae-jin nodded at Woo Ji-hyun, who stated his terms without hesitation.
As a fellow ex-writer, he knew all too well that one line in a contract was worth more than a thousand words.
At the same time, it confirmed once again that this much-younger brother of theirs was sharp as ever.
'The others just skimmed the explanation and stamped the contract without a second thought.'
He had no intention of exploiting his juniors, but he couldn't deny being disappointed.
These weren't rookies—they were established writers with some name recognition—and yet they stamped so irresponsibly. Kang Tae-jin had shaken his head inwardly.
He added more details to the explanation.
But they just pretended to listen.
Scribble. Scribble.
Recalling how the older guys had acted, Kang Tae-jin pulled out a pen and jotted notes on the settlement split.
Identical notes on both contract copies.
He figured there was a reason Woo Ji-hyun was doing so well.
"Hmm."
"Take your time reading it. Contracts are crucial. But unlike other publishers, we don't have any poison pills. Just the standard stuff."
Yeo Woo-jin said this after downing half his caramel macchiato in one go.
It was true, so he spoke with total confidence.
And it made sense—they were all ex-writers founding the company.
"This is good. The clause letting you terminate anytime after three years."
"Only the early members get that. Won't include it from now on."
"But what can I do? I can only contract up to Barun Publishing's stuff."
"Wait, what?"
Yeo Woo-jin had assumed, since Woo Ji-hyun wasn't being picky, they'd snag all his works. Now he looked flustered.
He hadn't even considered this.
"I only have four novels contractable with Q&D Management. Dream And Fantasy, Blaze, Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero, and Asura Sword Emperor."
"Wh-what? Why?"
Yeo Woo-jin stammered, he was so shocked.
Kang Tae-jin next to him said nothing, but he was just as stunned.
Like Yeo Woo-jin, he'd planned to take everything.
"Linus Publishing has exclusive distribution rights on the rest. That's why their splits are a bit higher too."
"It's in the contract?"
"Yeah, checked it again before coming."
"Haa..."
Yeo Woo-jin and Kang Tae-jin sighed deeply in unison.
Four books might sound like not much, but it wasn't.
Dream And Fantasy and Blaze wrapped at six volumes each, but Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero and Asura Sword Emperor were epics over ten volumes.
Still, human nature being what it is, the ones you can't have always sting more.
"Didn't expect this, so I didn't mention it earlier."
"No, we should've asked first."
"Four books is still plenty."
The two shook off their regret, faces full of disappointment moments before.
No matter how tempting the other works, exclusives left them no room to maneuver.
"Right. Four's not bad. And it's not just any writer—it's Woo Ji-hyun."
"Exactly."
"Hahaha."
Woo Ji-hyun gave an awkward laugh at the sudden hype from the two.
Especially Yeo Woo-jin's vibe—it was unfamiliar.
From twenty to twenty-six, he'd never heard that from him once.
If anything, it was curses.
"Instead, how about your next work? Brought an extra contract just in case."
Kang Tae-jin broached it slyly.
He pulled out another contract, as if to say, take a look.
"Give it a read."
"Sure."
Woo Ji-hyun glanced at Yeo Woo-jin, who spoke in the same tone as his friend, then picked up the contract.
But Woo Ji-hyun's expression turned odd.
He read it slowly, face unreadable.
"No big differences, but a few tweaks. We have zero interest in print books. Focusing on e-books and paid serials. Paid serials as the core—we think it'll blow up. Rental shops, you know the deal."
"Totally tanked. As of January 2012, about 1,500 left. Including ones not taking new releases or comic cafes, maybe 1,600 to 1,700."
"Matches what we figured. But no book sells 1,500 copies anyway. Factor in returns."
Cold hard facts, but reality.
And Yeo Woo-jin and Kang Tae-jin could state it definitively.
The rental market was done.
Sure, shops wouldn't vanish.
But mainstream? No more.
'The transitional phase I've been waiting for has arrived.'
He got full royalties per volume, but sales still mattered to Woo Ji-hyun.
Not breaking 2,000 as a writer? That bruised the ego.
Exhibit A: Yeo Woo-jin sitting right there.
A top-tier writer everyone respected, now half-retired from writing.
"Paid serials are the only way. It's already starting. Question is when the boom hits."
"My take? Soon. Naver's recruiting for their platform. Based on fame and standards, of course. And talks with us are positive."
"With your lineup, the writers are solid."
"Won't lose to any publisher."
Kang Tae-jin flashed a confident smile.
They had plenty of top writers ready to deploy.
Add Woo Ji-hyun, and it'd be an unstoppable roster.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll think on this contract."
"Mind sharing why?"
"No next-work contract with Linus, but they have first dibs. Built up goodwill, treatment's decent. And they're competent."
"Next-next work is fine too."
Kang Tae-jin jumped in quickly.
Given Woo Ji-hyun's pace so far, aiming beyond the immediate next wasn't bad.
Plus, with the company still finding its footing, that timing might even be ideal.