After more than ten days of hard work typing, Kevin finally typed out all the words of "Jane Eyre." Looking at the thick stack of printed manuscripts, he was very excited.
"I want to become a literary giant here," a voice shouted loudly in Kevin's heart.
Kevin spent a week's worth of living expenses to print out the manuscript, planning to take it to the local Derwent Publishing.
Dehay Publishing is not only an excellent publishing house in Edinburgh, but also one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the whole of Britain, all thanks to the many bestselling books it has published in recent years. Augustine's father's book is one of the long-term collaborations with Dehay Publishing.
In the entire publishing industry, when it comes to Dehay Publishing House, it has a resounding reputation. Therefore, this is also the reason why Kevin chose to submit his manuscript to them as soon as possible.
Dehay Publishing's address is near Prince Street, which is the busiest street in Edinburgh. It is also the transportation hub of the entire city, with almost all bus routes passing through here.
Prince Street stretches straight ahead, with the new city on one side and the old city on the other, extending all the way to the foot of the castle. It is also known as the "best street view in the world." At the eastern end, it connects to Carlton Hill, a small hill that offers the best vantage point to overlook the city and gaze at Edinburgh Castle from afar. During the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, artists in traditional Scottish kilts can often be seen playing bagpipes in the gardens of Prince Street.
Of course, the most famous feature of Prince Street is not these flowers and plants, but the renowned Scottish clock standing tall, with its main structure located underground. This clock was built in 1803, with a minute hand of 24 meters, an hour hand of 15 meters, a clock face diameter of 35 meters, and a floral clock pattern made up of 240,000 various flowers, with a cuckoo flower popping out every minute. It is said to be the largest and most unique floral clock in the world.
After being reborn here, Kevin couldn't help but marvel at the uniqueness of this clock. If he were in China, such an ancient artifact would probably no longer exist.
Kevin is a bit far from Prince Street now, so he can only choose to take a bus to get there. Although the UK is one of the most developed countries in the world, the cost of living is not particularly high. A day pass for the bus usually costs 22 pounds.
After buying this £22 day ticket, Kevin could take a bus anywhere in Edinburgh. However, Kevin was not in the mood for sightseeing now. He got off at Princes Street and then arrived at the entrance of Dehay Publishing House.
Kevin held the folder containing the manuscript of "Jane Eyre" in his hands, unable to put his feelings into words. At this moment, he could already imagine the surprise on Derwent's editor's face when they saw the manuscript of "Jane Eyre"; he could already envision the excitement in the market when Dehay Publishing placed "Jane Eyre" in the library; he could also picture himself entering the ranks of British writers with "Jane Eyre."
However, things didn't go as smoothly as he had imagined. When he walked into the lobby of Dehay Publishing House, a young woman with golden hair approached him.
"The sea, sir, may I ask whom you are looking for?"
"Hello, esteemed lady, I am here to submit my work. I have a piece that I would like your publishing house to consider," Kevin said politely.
When she heard that he was there to submit his manuscript to the publishing house, the girl with golden hair looked at Kevin with a peculiar expression. Although she couldn't sense any trace of a writer or intellectual aura from Kevin, this was England, a country known for its emphasis on politeness.
So the girl with golden hair continued to smile and talk to Kevin, but despite the smile, her words still carried a tone of doubt and sarcasm.
The girl with golden hair said, "Sir, are you sure you are really here to submit your work to us? You see, our Dehay Publishing House is famous throughout Scotland, and even across the whole of England."
The other party's words were very clear. As one of the famous publishing houses in the UK, Dehay Publishing's submission requirements were naturally very high. For a newcomer like Kevin to submit his work, the chances of being selected were almost as slim as being struck by lightning.
However, Kevin, who possessed the memories of a literary master from a past life, did not think so. He believed that when the editors laid eyes on the words of "Jane Eyre," they would undoubtedly sign the publishing rights for this book without hesitation. After all, "Jane Eyre" was very popular on Earth in his previous life.So, Kevin confidently said, "I am well aware of the reputation of Dehay Publishing House. However, I have a very good manuscript in my hands, so I would like to trouble you to have your editors take a look at it. Perhaps, they might need it."
At this point in the conversation, in the editorial office of Dehay Publishing House, a thirty-two-year-old woman was worrying about the goals of the publishing house in a small room of ten square meters.
"God, this is truly a terrible quarter, I can't find a single excellent manuscript. How am I going to explain this to my superiors."
The troubled young woman in question is Zela, an editor at Dehay Publishing House. Zela's daily task is to review manuscripts. As a renowned publishing house, Dehay naturally has its own set of management requirements, one of which is to deliver an outstanding work every quarter. However, with only two days left in this quarter, Zela has yet to come across a manuscript that could enhance Dehay Publishing House's reputation, which is the cause of her current distress.
The weather was already hot, and in her haste, sweat began to trickle down Zela's forehead and onto her cheeks.
Returning to the lobby, after some persuasion from Kevin, the girl with golden hair finally agreed to help Kevin deliver the manuscript to Zela for editing and review.
"Alright, sir, please give me the manuscript, I'll take it to the editor Zela right away. She's the only one on duty today," said the girl with golden hair.
"Alright, thank you. I believe God will bless you with good luck," Kevin said humorously.
Outside Zela's door, there was a sudden knocking sound. She set down her pen and said, "Please come in."
The girl with golden hair gently opened the door edited by Zela, and then saw the sweat on Zela's forehead, so she asked with concern, "Dear Zela editor, what's wrong with you? If it's too hot, you can totally turn on the air conditioner."
"No, my fever isn't caused by the environment. It's because of work issues. This is truly a terrible quarter," Zela said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a tissue.
"Oh, how can this be explained?"
"You know, our company has a goal every quarter, which is to have at least one outstanding piece, but there are only two days left in this quarter, and so far, I have read all the submissions and haven't found a single excellent work. So, I'm really frustrated," Editor Zela said helplessly.
As a receptionist at Dehay Publishing House, the girl with golden hair had naturally heard about the company's goal. However, in the past, there had been a great number of writers submitting their works to Dehay Publishing House, making this goal seem quite easy. It's unclear why this quarter has become so difficult. Perhaps it's because Zela's editorial requirements have become more stringent.
Speaking of manuscripts, the girl with golden hair suddenly remembered something, then handed the manuscript she was holding to Zela's desk, smiling and saying, "Zela, just now someone came to our company with his manuscript, saying it's for submission to our publishing house. Maybe you can take a look, it might help you achieve this quarter's goal."
"Manuscript? Whose is it? Harden's? No, Harden just finished his work last month. According to his habit, he wouldn't start a new one until at least half a year later. Could it be Wittes? Yes, it must be Wittes. Remember, Wittes hasn't written anything for half a year. Besides, he usually delivers his manuscripts in person to our company. Quick, I want to go out and meet him in person." Upon hearing about the manuscript, Zela finally showed a hint of surprise on her face.
"No, no, no, Zela editor, you might be disappointed, the newcomer is not the great writer Wittes. If it were him, I would definitely call you myself," the girl with golden hair explained busily.
"Oh, who is that writer?" Zela, the editor, looked at the other person with curiosity in her big eyes, their mysterious figure appearing particularly sexy.
"He is a young man who looks like a student."
Zela was indeed disappointed to hear this news. She had thought it would be a submission from a well-known writer, which would have helped her meet the quarterly target requirements. But now, upon learning that the other party is just a young boy, possibly even a student, the look of surprise vanished from her face instantly.
"Okay, you can leave the manuscript here. Maybe I'll have time to look through it. However, a newcomer's manuscript is far from helping me achieve this quarter's goals," Zela, the editor, said casually.
Zela is also a well-known editor in the entire British publishing industry, with a very unique perspective. The works she has discovered in recent years have been selling well in various libraries across the UK. Therefore, many people submit their works to her every year, including both slightly famous writers and completely unknown newcomers.
Zela had reviewed countless works by new writers, and in her mind, they all seemed inexperienced and lacking in originality. Therefore, when it came to the new writer mentioned by the golden-haired girl, she didn't hold out any hope at all.
"Okay, Zela editor. I'll go out first."
After speaking, the girl with golden hair turned around and gently closed Zela's door, then returned to the company's lobby.
