I'm not sure exactly how much Peter Billingsley paid for 'A Christmas Story'. There might not be publicly disclosed information on the specific amount he paid.
Tom Hanks' payment for Toy Story is not common knowledge. Such details are often under wraps for various reasons. Maybe it was a combination of his reputation and the potential of the project that determined the amount.
Story Club was a well-known literary magazine in the mainland of China that mainly targeted young literary creators. The higher the level of the submission, the higher the quality of the submission, and the higher the return.
According to what I know, the fee for submitting a story is divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The fee for a beginner's manuscript is 1000 yuan, the fee for an intermediate manuscript is 2000 yuan, and the fee for an advanced manuscript is 3000 yuan. In addition, the story club would also award prizes based on the quality and popularity of the manuscript. For example, the first prize would be 10000 yuan, the second prize would be 5000 yuan, and the third prize would be 2000 yuan.
It should be noted that the submission requirements of the Story Club were very strict. The author had to provide a complete manuscript, including the outline of the story, the main body, the ending, and so on. At the same time, the author also needed to provide personal contact information for the story to continue the follow-up communication and editing. If the manuscript met the requirements, the story society would review the manuscript and pay the manuscript fee after receiving the review results.
It really depends on the nature and significance of the story. Sometimes they might pay a few thousand dollars, but for really big scoops, it could be a lot more.
The common pay for fiction is really hard to pin down. It's influenced by things like the length of the work, the demand for that type of fiction, and even the current market trends. Generally, though, it can be all over the place.