Chapter 103: Author Branding (Please Vote and Bookmark)

In Gu Xinxue’s view, Zhang Chu was simply too young and inexperienced; this was precisely the moment when he needed publicity and packaging the most. Nowadays, talent agencies are not just for stars—writers with potential like him also require comprehensive packaging by an agency.

In this era of information overload, an author finishing a book still needs meticulous packaging and marketing by publishers to transform it into a bestseller. Some writers produce rather ordinary works yet become emblematic figures in the literary world simply because they understand marketing.

It’s not just the writers themselves; many publishing houses and book publishers now regard packaging and hyping authors as a marketing strategy. They might invite celebrities or renowned authors to endorse a book—writing forewords, recommendations, or reviews—or have famous personalities accompany new authors on book tours.

If Zhang Chu’s novel *Detective Sherlock* hadn’t made a splash online, Nanhai Publishing House would surely have asked one of their star authors to lend their name for endorsement. Increasing exposure is crucial; no matter how good the wine, it fears being hidden in a deep alley. Many works, after a round of hype, can stage a remarkable comeback.

The commercialization of authors is now intense. The literary and book promotion circles are filled with professional promoters who care little about the actual quality of a writer’s work. Their sole concern is whether it can grab the attention of readers and online audiences.

Take, for example, the heated verbal battles some writers stir up—how much of that is deliberate? Like the little poem Zhang Chu just wrote, so many people rushed out to pick it apart. Are they truly worried about the future of Chinese poetry? Obviously not. They’re merely seizing the moment to make their names known; their motives are far from pure.

Once an author is packaged, they frequently appear at commercial events, fashion shows, and book promotions—where is the time to quietly create? Goethe once said that to become a writer, one must possess noble character, lofty ideals, creativity, a unique personality, extraordinary talent, a pure and powerful perspective, and a cultural and spiritual environment in which to live.

Of course, these are demands fit for a classic, traditional great writer—few can reach such heights.

Even Zhang Chu never claimed to be a writer. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he only dared to call himself a mere transporter of words. He didn’t mind having an agency but never wanted to be completely controlled by an agency or publisher, becoming a puppet earning money for them.

Priorities must be clear!

...

At Nanhai Publishing House, after Gu Xinxue received Zhang Chu’s tentative response, he promptly informed his colleague in charge of the Suspense Literature Summit.

“Xiaomei, all the authors attending have replied. Except for a few who can’t make it, everyone else agreed to come. Also, Zhang Chu only agreed to hold a launch event for *Psychological Crime*. Cancel all other activities involving him.”

This year’s Chinese Suspense Literature Summit was held at the “Fragrant Books of China” grand book fair, spearheaded by the China Writers Association and the Suspense Writers Association, with many publishers participating.

As a giant in domestic suspense publishing, Nanhai Publishing House was naturally one of the organizers. Many influential suspense and detective fiction writers in the country were signed with Nanhai.

There’s a saying: readers who don’t care about the publisher are unsophisticated. Perhaps it’s an overgeneralization, but there is some truth to it.

We usually consider brands when buying cars, electronics, clothes, shoes, or bags, but we’re indifferent to publishers. Most readers choose books by the title or author’s name, rarely comparing publishers.

Reading books isn’t hard, but if you want to collect them, you must pay attention to the publisher. Different publishers vary in translation quality, cover design, and typesetting.

In the suspense and detective fiction world, Nanhai Publishing House stands out, while Rising Star Publishing is ambitious, rapidly expanding with its Midnight Library, which encompasses a broad spectrum of suspense and detective works from various countries, schools, and styles.

Meanwhile, Jilin Publishing Group is considered a backbone of domestic suspense fiction, boasting two main detective collections: the Classical Detective Library and the Seven Luminaries Library.

The most regrettable is Masses Publishing, once the most influential publisher in the domestic detective scene. Setting aside *The Complete Sherlock Holmes*, this publisher released a series of award-winning European and American works, making it difficult for others to acquire those rights now.

Many other influential companies will attend, such as People’s Literature Publishing House, SH People’s Wall Publishing, Yilin Publishing House, Phoenix Publishing Group, and others.

Since this is a suspense literature summit, only top-tier figures qualify to participate. Yet Zhang Chu, a newcomer with no background or connections, was selected solely because of the sales and reputation of his two novels.

“Ah, Zhang Chu is really wasting his chance. This is the highest-level gathering in the industry. Others are eager to attend more events, but he doesn’t even want to participate,” Sun Xiaomei said, tapping her forehead and telling Gu Xinxue, “Forget it, I’ll call him and try to persuade him.”

“This matter is best handled by you,” Gu Xinxue shrugged off responsibility.

None of them were charity workers. Their desire to have Zhang Chu attend so many events was simply to boost the influence of these few books and help the company sell tens of thousands more copies.

If they could sell film rights or other licenses, the impact would be huge, and sales would multiply many times over.

With that, Sun Xiaomei dialed Zhang Chu’s number. Before two rings had sounded, a young voice answered.

“Hello, is this Zhang Chu? I’m Sun Xiaomei from Nanhai Publishing House, responsible for this year’s Chinese Suspense Literature Summit.”

“Yes, this is he.”

Zhang Chu thought Sun Xiaomei would verify his identity and discuss arrangements for pick-up or accommodation.

Sun Xiaomei spoke methodically, “Here’s the situation: I just heard from my colleague, editor Gu Xinxue, that you don’t want to hold any events related to *Detective Sherlock*, including signings, is that correct? The summit is actually a huge platform, not just for our suspense literature but for all Chinese literature. It helps amplify your work’s influence. Think about it—many film companies and foreign publishers attend.”

“You know *Detective Sherlock* is currently embroiled in copyright disputes. Besides, how could domestic film companies possibly produce movies or TV shows about Sherlock Holmes? They might manage a detective Di Renjie adaptation, but not Sherlock,” Zhang Chu grumbled lightly. The local soil just wasn’t suitable for adapting *Detective Sherlock* to screen; his hopes lay more on *Psychological Crime – City of Light*!