Total Earning?
The first thought that came to mind when I heard his voice was an embarrassment.
******************
Starting from the 10th chapter, you can receive a contract from Glema.
The day I uploaded the 10th chapter.
As if waiting, a contract proposal came from him.
[Hello, author Min Sung-yoon.]
-I’m PD Ji Hyun-woong from the Glema Management Web Novel Team. I was deeply impressed by reading your work [Still my NO.1], and I contacted you with the desire to work together.
At first, I was surprised.
Top-tier manager in the industry.
One of the managers on Glema want to work with.
There are many advantages to signing with Glema’s management, including commissions and promotions.
I also knew about these facts, so I was happy when the contract proposal was presented.
I was pleased with Ji Hyun-woong’s words about its marketability.
Without much hesitation, I signed the contract and, just as he said, I was able to successfully monetize it.
Married with the money we earned like that.
Ungrateful traitor!
Even if the editor scolds me like this, I couldn’t say anything. But he wasn’t like that.
For the year before our contact was lost, he left me frequent messages.
Even now, those traces remain on my phone.
-Author, it’s your birthday today. Happy Birthday.
-The weather has gotten much colder. Be careful not to catch a cold!
-I’ve been promoted to head of the Publishing Team! It’s thanks to you, author ^^
Suddenly stopping the serialization, he must have been stressed too.
It’s not his fault, nor the author’s:) fault.
What’s the most frustrating thing about working a regular job?
It’s when you’re blamed for someone else’s mess.
Yes, I need to apologize to him now.
“Yes, I will resume the serialization. You’ve suffered a lot because of me. I’m truly sorry.”
With the phone in my hand, I bowed my head.
He might not see it, but I wanted to do that.
“Um… No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. But are you feeling better now?”
The editor’s voice, sounded concerned.
Yes, that’s right. The reason he knows is because of my deteriorating health.
~~~
“Editor, I think I need to take a day off today because I’m not feeling well.”
“‘There are a lot of works…'”
~~~
When I repeatedly took breaks in the past, I couldn’t tell him that I was meeting my girlfriend.
So, I used illness as an excuse. No, I was really sick back then.
The fever of love. The cells of romance prevented other cells from functioning if they didn’t meet her.
I couldn’t sleep thinking about her, and insomnia developed.
The excitement of love made my heart race endlessly.
When I was alone, I lost my appetite due to loneliness, and at times, I even felt chest pain.
Love sickness. Yes, I was afflicted.
Looking back now, I probably wasn’t in a state to write.
That’s why the excuse of being sick came out naturally.
Repeating breaks like that and eventually stopping the serialization, it’s natural for the editor to think that I was sick and resting during the year.
“Yes, I’m fine now.”
I didn’t have the courage to say it was a lie.
Anyway, since I’m resuming the serialization now, there’s no need to dig into the past.
“I’m relieved. I’ve been really worried.”
“Yes, thank you for your concern.”
“Before the hiatus, my regular serialization time was 10 PM in the evening. I planned to upload chapter 201 at that time.”
“Oh, so you’ve built up a bit of a reserve during your break.”
It’s was a cold response, even if he didn’t mean that.
A thorn, no, a reserve, pierces through my chest.
But don’t worry. My hands are faster than my eyes.
“I’m going to start writing now.”
***
ʘ‿ʘ, the author’s words left Ji Hyun-woong speechless.
It’s not just any work. It’s a work he serialized before. And that was a whopping 3 years ago.
And now he’s saying he’s just going to write it today? Is that even possible?
One brush stroke (一筆揮之).
Occasionally, the grandmasters of the literary world showcase this kind of ability.
Memories from the past that he had forgotten surfaced.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Author, have you finished today’s manuscript?”
With over 50 authors, it’s impossible to keep track of everyone’s upload status.
But now there’s a debut rookie author.
Since they’ve recently signed and it hasn’t been long, I checked the daily progress.
However, the response I’m getting back was strange.
“Not yet.”
Well, that can happen.
It’s common to be a little late when writing.
“Are you finishing up??”
“No, I just turned on my computer.”
Ji Hyun-woong was surprised by the author’s words about starting work now.
A crisis.
Today’s serialization is in danger. Keep your promise to the readers!
A sudden quest.
“What’s going on? Is the plot stuck? Should I give some feedback?”
“Are you struggling with your writing? Can I help?”
Yes, I overlooked the fact that this is a rookie author with good results.
Starting with an early burst and then the flood of low-quality works after monetization – how many times has this happened?
I thought I would offer some advice if the author needed it.
“No, it’s okay. I got a bit delayed while eating.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With such thoughts in mind, Ji Hyun-woong was worried that taking a break today might not be a good idea.
“It’s 8 o’clock now, right?”
Only two hours left until the 10 o’clock deadline.
He voiced the question of whether he could finish by then.
He wanted to shake off the inner unease like that.
“Oh, it’s 8 o’clock now? I thought it was 9.”
***
“I forgot about your work style, author. Then I’ll believe that today’s serialization will resume.”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll end it here.”
Ji Hyun-woong was about to hang up the call, but Min Sung Yoon had a question.
“Just a moment!”
“Yes, author?”
“I have a question. When I went to the settlement page, I couldn’t see anything. Is this some kind of error? Why is this happening?”
Another advantage of Glema Management.
I can check how well my work has sold on the settlement page.
I logged in and was surprised by the much higher number of purchases than I expected.
So, I wanted to see how much I’ve earned so far.
But I couldn’t see anything.
In the space where the numbers should be, there was nothing written.
“Oh, I see.”
Readers often use the term “먹튀” (embezzlement) to describe well-off authors. It implies that they’ve profited significantly from their earnings.
I, too, faced such criticism during my early days.
While I understand that it’s a part of being a successful author, there’s a sense of injustice in it.
Glema has a policy that if a work isn’t serialized for a certain period, they withhold the settlement money until serialization resumes. Typically, the settlement money is based on sales from the previous month or the month before, which is then paid out in the current month.
Due to my hiatus, I haven’t received any of the sales revenue as part of the hiatus penalty for the past three years.
“We have kept your settlement money. Once you resume serialization, it will be paid out as usual.”
Glema didn’t simply take away that money. It seems they’ve been holding onto it and will return it once serialization resumes.
I’m not someone who obsesses over money. If that were the case, I might not have taken a break at all. My works were selling quite well even before I considered quitting as an author.
“Then, when will the payment be made after I post today’s serialization?”
“Oh, if you confirm today’s serialized work and request the removal of the hiatus penalty, the full amount will be deposited on the next payment date.”
My wife expressed her desire for success through her writing. Can success be objectively measured? There might be fame, but personally, I consider money to be the most tangible way to confirm success.
Unknowingly, I’ve been walking the path of success for the past three years. And the result of that is stored within Glema.
Yet another reason to continue writing has emerged.
“I understand. I will definitely resume serialization today.”
I was about to hang up, but Ji Hyun-woong spoke up.
“If you’re curious, would you like me to check how much settlement money has accumulated?”
Of course, I’m curious. Naturally, I am.
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“Yes, I will inquire with the settlement team and let you know.”
“Then please do that.”
***
After ending the call, Ji Hyun-woong immediately requested information from the settlement team.
Glema’s works, when they exceed 100 chapters, expand to other platforms as well. The 200-episode work of the current author has undoubtedly ventured onto other platforms as well.
And it’s selling well.
With trembling anticipation, Ji Hyun-woong awaited the call from the settlement team.
To reveal the amount of settlement money.
“How much could it be?”
Ji Hyun-woong was curious about how much settlement money the indie author had accumulated over three years. This was information that would be hard to check without the author’s request.
Impatiently waiting, Ji Hyun-woong’s contact with the settlement team was delayed.
Calculating the settlement money from other platforms would likely take quite a while.
“At this level of views…”
Ji Hyun-woong quietly calculated on his own.
Currently, the total views of Min’s work are 15 million. Subtracting the free views, it’s 12 million. Considering 100 won per view, the sales revenue is 12 billion. Normally, other authors would deduct Glema’s serialization fee, but for Glema-affiliated authors, there’s no fee.
Another advantage of being with Glema.
Simply dividing the earnings between the author (70%) and the manager (30%).
“8.4 billion from Glema alone.”
This is a considerable sum of money, but there are still earnings from other platforms to consider.
Typically, a 1:1 ratio between Glema and other platforms is considered good. However, for legendary works, earnings from other platforms are often higher. That’s the power of marketability.
“Let’s aim for 1.5 times.”
Just as Ji Hyun-woong finished his calculations, he received a call from the settlement team. He hurriedly checked his phone and smiled upon seeing the number that came from the settlement team.
“It’s almost spot on.”
21 billion.
