The road to getting a book published is never smooth, even with a brilliant manuscript. A good piece of work is useless if no one is willing to publish it, and true patrons are hard to find, especially for a wizard with no existing fame like this "Mr. Jerry."
The Daily Prophet publishing house was quick to reject Dudley's proposal. As one of the largest publishers in the European wizarding world, they were not taking chances. Dudley wasn't surprised; every new venture is a challenge.
Malfoy offered to have his father, Lucius, put in a good word, believing his influence would solve the problem. But Dudley politely declined. He had never met Lucius and didn't know much about him, but based on Draco's character and other family tales, he figured Lucius wasn't the sort of person you wanted to be in debt to. He was not a pleasant man to deal with unless Draco himself became the head of the family.
So, he sought out someone else.
"Mr. Dursley, are you saying you want to publish a book?"
Carrot, a prefect in his final year at Hogwarts and the scion of a powerful wizarding family, was surprised to see Dudley approach him.
"Yes, Mr. Carrot," Dudley replied. "I was hoping you could help me with a small favour."
The Carrot family owned another major publishing house, "Witches and Potions." It was the second-largest in the wizarding world, right after The Daily Prophet. It was the same publisher that had printed Gilderoy Lockhart's books, and they had made a fortune doing so.
"Even if you have come to me, if the quality isn't up to standard..." Carrot trailed off.
He didn't need to finish the sentence. He was being polite, but when it came to business, he wouldn't budge. He would be inheriting the family's assets after graduation, after all.
"You can take a look for yourself," Dudley said calmly, pushing the manuscript towards Carrot. He wasn't offended.
Carrot didn't think much of it at first. He just flipped through the pages, planning to get this over with quickly. But after reading just one section, he was completely hooked.
Dudley didn't rush him. He took a sip of his tea and a small bite of a biscuit, waiting patiently. He was an expert at this kind of negotiation.
Time ticked by. Carrot's pace slowed, and he began re-reading every paragraph. The world-building and vivid character descriptions of the Dungeons & Dragons-style fantasy story were utterly captivating.
Luckily, the manuscript wasn't very long. Carrot finished it in no time.
"What's next?" he asked, his voice filled with impatience. He was completely engrossed in the story.
"There's no more," Dudley said, shrugging. "I haven't written it yet."
"Well, Mr. Carrot, what do you think?"
Carrot straightened his posture. "The book is excellent, but..."
He went on and on, but his whole speech could be summed up in one word: lowballing. It was a common trick in the publishing world.
Carrot's business sense was sharp; he immediately saw the immense commercial potential of The Dragonlance Chronicles. If this book became a hit, it could be the next Lockhart. Or even bigger!
"I hear The Quibbler also has a publishing arm. If you don't think it's a good fit, I suppose I could try my luck there."
Dudley wasn't in a hurry. The art of negotiation is about who holds the power. Dudley might be big and strong, but he wasn't just muscle.
He had always favoured "Witches and Potions." He had only submitted to The Daily Prophet to gauge interest before approaching Carrot. The editor at The Daily Prophet simply didn't know a good thing when he saw it.
Dudley had looked into "Witches and Potions" and knew their predicament. They had soared with Lockhart's success but were now on the brink of ruin. They had focused all their energy on publishing his books, becoming complacent and not looking for new authors. This strategy worked well until Lockhart demanded a new contract a month ago.
He was a big-name writer, so it was only natural for him to ask for a larger share of the profits. If they didn't agree, he would simply go to another publisher. But the amount he demanded was so high that "Witches and Potions" couldn't afford it.
Without Lockhart, their primary cash cow, and with no new authors to fill the void, the publishing house was facing bankruptcy. The previous manager had expanded too quickly and had a major liquidity problem. They had overreached and now their business was paying the price.
"No, Mr. Dursley, that's not the right place for it."
As Dudley had expected, Carrot interrupted him immediately. The one who's desperate loses.
"The Quibbler's publishing house is not a reputable place, after all."
This was true. The Quibbler magazine didn't pay its writers.
"But I heard The Quibbler's sales are better than The Daily Prophet's."
"That may be true, but..."
Dudley gently tapped the table, cutting Carrot off. "It could work for The Quibbler... or it could work for 'Witches and Potions.' It's entirely up to you, Mr. Carrot. The publishing house is in a bad state, isn't it?"
Dudley put down his teacup and watched Carrot calmly. Carrot, a seventh-year student, felt immense pressure under Dudley's gaze.
Finally, he let out a long sigh. He sees right through me, Carrot thought dejectedly. He truly lives up to his reputation. I wonder how his parents raised him.
If Petunia Dursley were there, she'd say she had nothing to do with it; he learned everything on his own.
Once they had reached an agreement, negotiating the profit sharing was easy. Dudley's requested percentage was fair; it didn't harm the publishing house, and it certainly didn't shortchange him. It even gave the publisher a chance to get back on its feet.
Of course, all of this depended on one thing: sales.
Would The Dragonlance Chronicles sell well?
Absolutely.
About three days after the contract was signed, "Witches and Potions" began its promotional campaign. A week later, a novel titled The Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight was released in Flourish and Blotts and other major wizarding bookstores.
And just as everyone expected, the sales were explosive. It sold out on the very first day. The story of the continent of Ansalon captivated every wizard who read it.
"Print more! More! Get to it!"
The manager of "Witches and Potions" roared, and the wizards working there began a frantic period of overtime, all of them happy to be getting extra pay.
(The Quibbler not paying its writers is canon, and I genuinely wanted to write that the story was given to them. But the idea of them just taking the work without paying was just too much.)