Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 22



Only Krnovel

EP 1 – Cause of Death

There are many ways to get bookstores to buy books.

Request writing from a popular author,

Spend a lot of money on marketing and place advertisements across the country,

Threatening the poor bookstore owner,

etc.

But the simplest way is-

It’s about making good books.

This is because bookstores want to stock books that readers will buy, and readers want to buy good books. In that respect, the desires of readers and the desires of bookstores were not very different.

But which book is a good book?

It was a question that became more complicated the deeper you delved into it, but fortunately, there were experts everywhere who could answer that question for you.

They even regularly review which books are good and publish them in literary journals.

And good books are rewarded.

That is the “Literature Award.”

So a book that wins a literary award is a good book.

Readers want good books.

Bookstores buy books that readers want to buy.

In other words, books that win literary awards sell well.

Literary awards make money.

In that way, literary awards have now become like a buff that gives books their commercial value. It’s like giving beef an A+ grade.

Then someone thought.

So wouldn’t it be okay to sell literary awards for money?

So the concept that was created is the “commercial fee business.”

* * *

This was not the only reason why the business of climbing fees began. The laws of supply and demand also worked together.

This is because making a literary debut is the dream of every aspiring writer.

To be recognized as a writer in Korea, you must pass a contest in a literary magazine, newspaper, or magazine and have your writing published there.

Only then can you be recognized as a ‘retired’ writer, meaning that you have made it to the ‘literary world’.

Those who do not do so and start publishing books first are ascetic. How dare you ignore the authority of the established literary world and approach the public directly?

You should be able to publish a book only after showing your writing to seniors in the literary world and receiving recognition.

Such a noble culture cannot be found anywhere in the world except Korea and Japan, so it can be said that only these two countries shine with the benevolence, wisdom, and wisdom of the East.

Moreover, if pure literature, which reveals the duty of Jeonghak, is like this, web-novels and other such things are vulgarly pushing the text directly to readers on the Internet, so I have no choice but to say that the duty of Kangho has fallen to the ground…

In any case, this was the perception of the existing literary world.

Literature is sacred, a light that brightens the dark world, and sometimes a power that represents the voices of the people –

-So the criteria for becoming a writer must be strict.

However, this perception collapsed with the emergence of new ideas. It is not capitalism, communism, or anarchism, but ‘make a living’.

Rice fell into the rice container.

People don’t read books.

People only remember Son Heung-min, but there are more than 200,000 Korean soccer players. Even if you exclude the people from the soccer club, there are more than 20,000 people. And among them, the number of people going to the professional league is about 850, including the first and second divisions.

What are the rest of us doing?

Fighting.

Fighting with livelihood, reality, and dreams.

The same goes for paragraphs.

People only remember a few major literary works. All aspiring writers want to make their debut there.

However, hundreds of minor literary maps do exist. They also regularly hold contests, submit novels, and encourage aspiring writers to debut.

However, we are living in an era where even major, historic literary magazines are collapsing due to financial difficulties. If people don’t read the book, would they buy and read a separate book about it?

The novel is at least better. Because there are enthusiasts who read it constantly. But now, most people who buy poetry books are people who want to become poets.

The literary world is slowly dying in the public’s ignorance.

So, if you want to make a living, there is nothing you cannot do.

That’s how minor literary journals began their ‘debut business.’

Of course, literary awards are not openly sold for money. Because that would lower the value of the literary award. What kind of merchant would damage his product?

However, we only contact novelists who submitted their works to the contest. You are a strong candidate for the award, but you need money to appear.

The cost may be the cost of making a plaque,

It may be the labor cost of inviting judges,

It could be the production cost of making the awards ceremony video,

You’ve already won a literary award and become a debut author, but shouldn’t you spread your books around? Since you have become part of our family, we will discount your books worth 1.6 million won and give them to you for 800,000 won. So buy the book –

– may be a cost.

The market price is usually around 300,000 won to 700,000 won.

Of course, for those who do not pay the fee, serious disqualifications will be discovered during additional screening and the literary award will be cancelled.

Conversely, if you pay an additional 1 million won, you can become a debut author by winning a special award through ‘individual screening.’

Ironically, the subscription fee sales of these minor literary magazines further increased the value of major literary magazines.

This is because major literary magazines never take money. Rather, ‘prize money’ is given to literary award winners!

Although there is a minor problem of taking away the work and forcing an unfair contract, what can one say?

As the fairness of minor literary magazines disappeared, the status and power of major literary magazines increased day by day. There is a reason why only writers who have appeared in major literary publications enter the mainstream of Korean literary circles.

However, this did not mean that writers who made their debut in minor literary magazines were not treated as writers at all.

They are given the title of writer so-and-so and treated with respect by newspaper staff.

I joined a local literary club and chatted, drank, went to events, drank, hiked, and drank. If you feel like you are not doing literature, you are mistaken.

In any case, the interests of the strong and the weak are aligned, and the “starting fee business” is still prevalent.

Like ghostwriting, it has become a ‘culture’ that exists implicitly even though it cannot be said overtly.

This is how the culture of debuting is maintained.

Those who know know, those who don’t know don’t know.

Hiding quietly in the darkness of Korean literary circles…

* * *

“So I bought sixteen literary awards.”

“Well, that, that makes sense…”

Baek Seol was trembling like an aspen tree.

I was afraid.

The darkness of Korean literary circles I encountered for the first time.

But what is scarier than that is Lim Yang-wook.

You bought 16 literary awards alone?

Of course, someone will take issue with this.

Baek Seol may be a bit clumsy, but he has good brains.

It was predictable what Lim Yang-wook would do with the 16 literary awards.

That was so scary.

“Tskcha.”

Lim Yang-wook brought her a box.

He smiled brightly and opened the lid.

“braided.”

Inside the box were 16 shiny awards.

In Baek Seol’s eyes, it looked like a bomb.

“Hey!”

“Why are you so surprised? Mr. Baek Seol?”

“Well, that’s…! “It’s a bomb!”

Lim Yang-wook looked embarrassed.

He looked at Baek Seol like she was a strange person.

“A bomb? “What do you mean when you see a plaque that looks fine?”

“Do not lie! “If it explodes, you know how many people will be affected!”

“Hmm…”

Lim Yang-wook grinned with a meaningful smile, like the scene at the end of a mystery novel where the criminal says, ‘Yes, I killed him.’

“okay. This is a bomb. “Do you know Baek Seol too?”

Snow White was convinced when she saw that expression.

Lim Yang-wook is the darkness of Korean literary circles.

They were trying to debut Moon In-seop by making a splash with his debut fee.

“Please don’t do this, team leader… Writer Moon In-seop is only an elementary school student! To be able to write something like this at that age is truly a blessed talent! He said he would get applause just by appearing in public!”

“know.”

“Then why on earth are you using such extreme measures? Yeah, that’s right. youtube! How about creating a channel on YouTube and coming up with the concept of reading books? Or wouldn’t it be nice to appear on a broadcast introducing gifted children? yes?”

“Then you don’t mind being on the 9 o’clock news?”

“manager!”

Yangwook Lim sat on an old chair in the corner of the warehouse.

And then I crossed my legs and looked away.

“Hmm… I heard the army has gotten a bit shorter these days, right? “I heard it’s less than two years.”

Baekseol was angry because he felt like Im Yangwook was treating him so casually when he said something different.

“manager! please! Stop talking weird! Throwing an elementary school student into the middle of media fire! “How can people be so cruel!”

“I stayed in the underground parking lot for two years, so it’s almost like I was in the military.”

“···I beg your pardon?”

Baek Seol finally found out how long Lim Yang Wook had been using the underground parking lot office.

2 years.

She was speechless from the shock.

“But it was nice not to be alone since Baek Seol came in two months ago. Since then, things have calmed down a bit. Baek Seol was uncomfortable being alone in a dingy office with a guy like me, right? I won’t say I’m sorry. Because the company put Baek Seol there so that I could quickly resign. “You’re in a similar situation to me, huh?”

“manager······”

“When I first went to the parking lot, I thought I could make it. I survived by converting an old warehouse into an office. But after about half a year, my hair started falling out. “Going to the hospital made me lose hair due to stress.”

Lim Yang-wook scratched his head inadvertently.

I still haven’t gotten used to the smooth feel.

Yangwook Lim. 36 years old.

36 is the age where you can now be called an adult.

However, no adult or person can remain calm in a situation where their entire fortune is being gambled away.

The secret thoughts that had been piled up in Lim Yang-wook’s heart began to pour out in a hurry.

“It wouldn’t have been a problem if I had set up a desk in the hallway in front of the bathroom. Even if others laughed at me, I would have responded shamelessly and fought against the world. But it was driving me crazy to be in a black underground parking lot, smelling the exhaust fumes all day long. I really feel like I’m being forgotten. No one was looking for me. But then they always cut my salary, saying I was audited for some reason. The most painful thing is this. “How long do I have to live like this?”

“······”

“I was living like a crazy person like that, but one day I looked in the mirror and I really wanted to die. “Half of my hair is missing, and it’s dirty and smelly because I haven’t washed it properly…”

Lim Yang-wook gritted his teeth.

“I couldn’t show that to other guys. So I shaved his head. cancer! Who am I! Isn’t this the ace of the Publication Planning Department, Lim Yang-wook? I endured this for two years, looking in the mirror every morning and muttering to myself. I.”

Sigh.

Lim Yang-wook dusted off his pants and got up from the chair.

Baek Seol just looked at Lim Yang Wook quietly.

He stretched for a moment and stared at Snow White.

“Did I say I was cruel earlier?”

“sorry. that···”

“no. no. Baek Seol is right. This floor is actually a bit cruel. “I am also a very cruel person who is trying to sell books by taking advantage of elementary school students.”

Lim Yang-wook sneered.

First I laughed at myself,