At that moment, a friend request from a stranger suddenly appeared on Harry's Discord.
Harry opened the notification with some annoyance and glanced at it, immediately feeling a flicker of curiosity. The person trying to add him was actually an editor from Group 9 of Web, and judging by the name, it seemed to be a woman.
Holding onto his last shred of hope, Harry quickly accepted the friend request.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9: Hello, I'm Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web. Nice to meet you!
: Hello, nice to meet you, Editor.
After replying, Harry immediately checked the other person's profile. It was clear that this Fox Jam editor was new. Just a few days ago, she had posted about joining Web, and she seemed very young, with posts that came across as naive.
Additionally, her most recent posts were all about recruiting authors. This new editor was clearly in desperate need of writers.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: Here's the thing. I came across your work during our cross review, and I found it very interesting. Would you be willing to sign with our Group 9?
Don't worry, I've already spoken to Editor 4, and he agreed to let you transfer over.
Seeing the editor's message, Harry was instantly thrilled!
After feeling unrecognized for so long, finally encountering someone who appreciated his work filled Harry with gratitude.
Even if this editor was just a small one desperate for authors, Harry was still overjoyed.
At this point, Harry didn't care about playing hard to get. He replied straightforwardly:
My Heart Won't Die: Absolutely! I'd love to join Group 9!
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: That's great!
However, there's something I need to clarify upfront. Our Group 9 is a newly established special division, and it's different from Group 4. The contracts for authors signing with us are also different.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: You can review the contract details. If everything looks good, just fill out the digital contract and send it back to me. Your book can then be published. I'll mail you the signed contract within three days.
"A newly established Group 9 with a different contract?" Harry was momentarily confused by what this young woman said.
Harry knew Group 9 had just been created and had heard rumors about Web changing its signing policies.
But he wasn't clear on the specifics.
After downloading the contract the editor sent to his desktop, Harry couldn't help but ask curiously:
My Heart Won't Die: Editor, could you explain exactly what's different?
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: The mechanism of our newly established Group 9 is actually different from the other eight groups. Our group is known as the Free Novel Group, meaning we specialize in Web's newly launched free novel reading website.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: So, our primary publishing platform is the free site under Web. However, your work will still be published on the main site, but that's treated as a distribution channel. Promotional resources will mainly be directed.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: Don't worry, your income is still guaranteed. Free reading doesn't mean authors won't earn anything. Our main revenue streams come from copyright and ad revenue sharing. If your work attracts many readers, your ad earnings will be substantial. Plus, all of Qifei's distribution channels are available to our group's authors.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: Also, our signing terms are more flexible. The contract I sent you is a relatively lenient first publication agreement. All copyrights for your work will remain yours, and electronic subscription revenue will be split 50 50.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: These are the advantages of our group. But there are downsides too. Authors signing with Group 9 won't receive any base pay or bonuses.
After hearing Fox Jam's explanation, Harry, a seasoned veteran in the online novel industry, immediately understood the implications.
It turned out Fox Jam wasn't genuinely interested in his work. Group 9 was newly established, and it was specifically for Qifei's new free reading website. They were struggling to recruit authors and were practically scraping the bottom of the barrel by reaching out to him.
Moreover, rather than calling Group 9's contract flexible, it was more accurate to say it lacked security. It was essentially Web's irresponsible strategy of casting a wide net.
Upon closer analysis, anyone with a bit of sense could see the obvious issues. A new website would undoubtedly have low traffic, and ad revenue sharing would pale in comparison to subscription income.
After signing with Group 9, authors would receive fewer promotional resources on the main site, if any at all.
Upon careful consideration, launching things this way was actually quite cost-effective for Takeoff.
By dumping works that the main site editors deemed unworthy but still had some potential onto Group 9, they not only avoided missing out on good works due to editorial misjudgment but also squeezed out competitors.
At worst, they could still freely pad their library.
Moreover, with no minimum guarantees, no buyouts, and no promotional resources, Takeoff essentially had zero investment. The authors bore all the risks, yet Takeoff took half the profits if the work succeeded.
The contract appeared author-friendly, but anyone with sense could see Takeoff was playing the authors for fools, reaping rewards without sowing.
"The Takeoff management are true capitalists, calculating everything down to the penny!" Harry shook his head with a bitter laugh.
However, this wasn't necessarily a bad deal for him.
At the very least, signing with Group 9 meant he retained full ownership of his book's copyright, with absolute control over its disposition. Signing with any of the other eight main site groups would mean granting copyright priority rights or even selling the rights outright.
Harry wasn't strapped for cash now. After pouring his heart and soul into his work, he had no intention of letting capitalists and unscrupulous editors take the lion's share.
: "Alright, thank you for the explanation. I'm willing to sign!"
Once he'd made up his mind, Harry immediately agreed, signed the electronic contract, and sent it to Fox.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: "Great, welcome to Group 9! From now on, I'll be your editor. Feel free to reach out anytime!"
Fox seemed genuinely pleased with Harry's decision, responding with warmth and politeness.
This left Harry feeling somewhat unsettled.
Editors were notoriously arrogant, rarely engaging with authors. Even successful authors had to grovel before them, hesitant to disturb these lofty figures unless absolutely necessary.
Yet Fox displayed no such arrogance, speaking kindly and treating authors with respect.
My Heart Never Dies: "Got it! Should I publish my work now?"
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: "Yes, please upload the first 10,000 words on the author backend. Make sure to select Web Network's free channel as the primary platform. Once it's up, let me know, and I'll arrange for it to be cataloged. The contract status will take about three days to update after I confirm the contract."
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: "Also, don't update too quickly at first. Two chapters a day, around 3,000 words per chapter, is ideal. Otherwise, you might miss out on certain rankings and recommendations if the word count gets too high."
Fox patiently explained every detail, something unheard of with other Takeoff editors. Typically, authors had to seek advice from veterans or learn through trial and error.
Harry's impression of Fox improved significantly.
My Heart Never Dies: "Understood, thank you for the reminder."
After replying, Harry eagerly logged into Takeoff's backend. After some thought, he decided to use his main account, Broken Thoughts, to create the work and publish the first four chapters, totaling over 10,000 words.
Before he could even notify Fox, Fox had already approved the cataloging.
Editor Fox Jam from Group 9 of Web: "Your work has been cataloged. Remember to stick to daily 6,000-word updates! This will help me secure recommendations for you."
My Heart Never Dies: "Will do, thank you editor."
After responding to Fox, Harry leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and took a satisfying drag. After so long, his work was finally signed again. Harry was back!!
"This time, I'll make you all see that my work isn't trash! That my persistence wasn't foolish!... Just wait! Wait for me to slap all of your faces!"
Harry muttered coldly to himself, took a deep breath, and watched as his work appeared in Web Network's and its free channel's new arrivals section, his mood lifting considerably.
After finishing his cigarette, Harry immediately opened his work's backend, eager to check the data for his new, highly anticipated work.