Chapter 45: Bestseller

In the entire novel market, sports and athletics are highly unpopular genres.

Especially at a time when fantasy adventure novels from other worlds are widely embraced, this genre lacks a reader base.

So, even with "Tennis Prince" garnering massive praise, editors didn't hold high expectations for this novel's sales. But it seems many have underestimated its potential.

"Why didn't you inform us?"

The chief editor's emotions were tumultuous at this moment.

The female supervisor paused for a moment, then looked sympathetically at the two: "You really didn't know? I informed the chief editor the very day 'Tennis Prince' started running out of stock. It seems like our esteemed chief editor forgot to inform you."

The chief editor and the deputy chief editor felt a chill in their hearts.

They knew the temperament of the chief editor. The fact that such a significant event hadn't been communicated to their editing department could only signify one thing: the chief editor was displeased.

The company had four editing departments, each responsible for different genres of work. Additionally, each department had a chief editor and a deputy chief editor, with the two overseeing youth fantasy novels.

The ultimate head of all four departments was the company's chief editor.

Seeing the sorry state of these two, the female supervisor's anger dissipated, and she simply smiled, "Do you think your department is any different? Shipping is within my scope of responsibilities. Can your department conjure up a batch of stock for me?"

This was the truth.

The editing department was only responsible for selection and ensuring the quality of novels, while the sales aspect was not within their purview.

However, usually, these kinds of matters are communicated to the editing departments.

This time, it should be the chief editor's way of issuing a warning. Hence, it was only today that the chief editor and deputy chief editor became aware of the situation.

"So, how many orders do we have now?"

The chief editor forcibly suppressed their complicated emotions.

A voice came from behind, "The combined orders from major bookstores in Qin Prefecture total four hundred thousand copies. They'll be delivered to the stores tomorrow. Considering the subsequent market demand, I've instructed the publishing department to print an additional fifty thousand copies directly."

"Chief Editor, sir!"

The three turned simultaneously to look at the man behind them, the chief editor of Silver Blue Library, one of the most authoritative figures in the company.

"Yes."

The chief editor nodded, with a stern gaze carrying a hint of displeasure, "The decision to initially publish only ten thousand copies of 'Tennis Prince' was exceedingly foolish. However, seeing that your editing department, at least, didn't brush this novel aside, I'll pardon you this once."

"Yes!"

The chief editor and deputy chief editor sighed in relief, feeling as if they'd received a royal pardon.

"Luckily, they included 'Tennis Prince' in the initial lineup for super rookies to enrich the novel market. If we had missed out on such a treasure, the company would have suffered significant losses."

"Additionally," the chief editor furrowed his brows, "I reviewed the plan, and 'Tennis Prince' was originally slated for only one million characters. I suggest that the editor in charge of Chu Kuang should have a thorough discussion with him. The company hopes he can expand the outline and aim to write over three million characters."

If a book's performance is poor, it will face severe cutbacks. Conversely, if a book does well, the publishing house will encourage the author to write as much as possible because more characters mean more profit.

"Understood!" the main editor nodded repeatedly.

Most authors would not reject such an offer. After all, authors also need to make a living, and who wouldn't want to earn more money?

Furthermore, the chief editor added, "It's imperative to provide excellent service to Chu Kuang. There should be no conflicts with him. If Chu Kuang is poached by another publishing house, both of your positions might be in jeopardy."

"Of course, we will ensure that," the main editor replied quickly.

Even without the chief editor's reminder, the editorial department would treat Chu Kuang with the utmost respect. The success of 'Tennis Prince,' a competitive sports novel, would undoubtedly have a chain reaction. This is just the beginning. In the future, the market will inevitably see a plethora of competitive sports novels, and Chu Kuang might just become the face of competitive sports novels in Qin Prefecture!

...

Super Rookie is a large-scale literary competition, and Silver Blue Library is a well-established publishing house in Qin Prefecture, so many industry peers are keeping an eye on the results of their literary competition.

"It seems like this year's Super Rookie has gone astray."

"Out of the five books from Super Rookie, four have ratings below five stars. The only novel with high acclaim is called 'Tennis Prince,' but its chosen theme is quite niche, so its sales are unlikely to perform well."

"Silver Blue Library is also facing its share of challenges."

"Super Rookie's downfall is a significant blow to their reputation. This year has been tough, and we can expect a decrease in the number of submissions to Super Rookie next year."

...

The publishing industry is buzzing with discussions, and competitors are somewhat delighted by the setbacks faced by Silver Blue Library, as rival publishing houses are always at odds.

Ding Sheng Publishing.

This is a publishing company on a scale similar to Silver Blue Library.

The prominent editor-in-chief, observing the underperformance of the Super Rookies at the Silver Blue Library, felt an unusual delight. He went so far as to call the manager of a certain chain of bookstores.

"Seems like the current batch of super rookies isn't doing too well," he said deliberately.

"I've been troubled by that lately," responded the manager of the chain of bookstores across the line, appearing somewhat distressed.

The editor-in-chief, even more pleased internally but careful not to reveal it, put on a facade of sympathy. "The market environment isn't favorable at the moment; try not to fret too much."

"You've misunderstood," the opposite voice explained. "The sales for 'Tennis Prince' have been exceptional. What's troubling me is the severe shortage of this book. Many customers come to the store specifically asking for it, but we've sold out."

The editor-in-chief paused, taken aback. "What?"

With a smile, the voice continued, "I might not understand your intentions entirely, but you must be wanting to enjoy a laugh at Silver Blue, right? The top four performers among these super rookies might not be shining, but the fifth, 'Tennis Prince,' is a hit. Hence, I've promptly placed an order for 150,000 copies from Silver Blue. They'll be stocked by tomorrow!"

The editor-in-chief remained speechless.

The voice across the line went on, "Sports-themed novels represent an untapped market. I suggest your publishing house pays more attention to this genre. Your market loves following trends, doesn't it? Just like how when the market for interdimensional adventures soared, everyone started writing them. Now, there's a market for sports-themed novels. Let's ride that wave!"

The bookstore only cares if a book sells well. Everything else hardly matters to them.

The editor-in-chief, in a daze, muttered, "Alright..."

After hanging up, he remained silent for a long while. Suddenly, he opened the messaging app for the editorial department and sent a message: "All editors in the Youth Adult Ficion Department must finish 'Tennis Prince' by tonight."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Read 'Tennis Prince'?"

The group chat immediately buzzed with confusion.

Seeing the bewildered expressions of his team, the editor-in-chief typed with more force than ever before, "Silver Blue managed to unearth a bestseller like 'Tennis Prince.' How is it that you can't? From now on, focus more on promoting sports-themed novels!"

The group chat fell into an eerie silence.

Sports-themed novels, a bestseller?

Is the editor-in-chief absolutely sure he hasn't misunderstood something?