After several days of fermentation, "Arcane Throne" posted online by Wang Jian had garnered some clicks.
"But still, it’s too few," he lamented, looking at the website’s backend where the visits numbered less than 3,000.
Tom, holding his briefcase, stood behind Wang Jian and said, "Hurry up and change your clothes, and get ready for the book signing event."
Wang Jian reluctantly stood up and casually changed his clothes.
Then, he got into Tom’s beaten-up General Motors sedan.
"By the way, what should I be aware of at the book signing?" Wang Jian sat in the passenger seat, practicing his signature with a pen while asking.
"Adjust your mentality," Tom said. "George Martin is a famous science fiction and fantasy author and a renowned screenwriter."
"Most of the people there today will be his fans. It’s normal if no one comes for your signature."
Wang Jian glanced at Tom and nodded in silent agreement.
In fact, he had already researched George Martin beforehand.
That resume was ridiculously impressive.
Especially after becoming a famous screenwriter in Hollywood, and then returning to the field of fantasy literature.
To say that he was currently the most anticipated author in the fantasy literature field, other than the author of "The Wheel of Time," would not be an overstatement.
And himself?
"I’m a Great Mage" could be considered an unconventional hit.
And "Arcane Throne" suffered from the drag of its predecessor, starting high and ending low.
He didn’t have the credentials to compare at all.
Lost in his thoughts, Wang Jian arrived at the largest bookstore outside New York University.
Although the bookstore wasn’t open at the moment,
A long line had already formed outside.
Wang Jian followed Tom through the back door into the bookstore, where he saw several staff members had already set up two tables.
Next to one table, a scruffy-haired fat man was already sitting there.
The fat man stood up and walked toward Wang Jian.
"Hello, I’m George Martin, the author of ’Sand King’ and ’A Song of Ice and Fire.’"
"Are you ’I’m a Great Mage’ and ’Arcane Throne’s’ author, Wang?"
He spoke and extended his hand at the same time.
Wang Jian hurriedly grasped the offered chubby hand, responding, "Yes, Mr. George Martin."
"You can call me George," he said with a gentle smile, and continued, "Actually, I’ve read your ’Arcane Throne.’ It’s marvellous."
"It made me think for a long time," he went on. "Why would such an author write something like ’I’m a Great Mage’?"
"It was only recently that I figured it out." He looked deeply at Wang Jian and said, "You want to bring fantasy literature to more people. That’s why you wrote such an absurd story, right?"
Wang Jian: "?"
He heard the fat man opposite him sigh, "In this regard, I am not your equal."
"So, please keep it up. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of ’Arcane Throne.’"
With that, he went back to his seat,
Leaving Wang Jian standing behind with a stunned expression.
What on earth was George imagining?
Should he say, befittingly, ’No wonder he’s a fantasy novelist’?
Just then, the bookstore owner walked in and announced that the store was about to open.
Wang Jian took a deep breath and quickly walked to the other table.
The doors opened.
The queued crowd surged in instantly.
Some of them held books directly, some walked briskly towards the bookshelves.
However, the majority headed straight for George Martin.
Wang Jian sat to the side, watching all this with a bit of awkwardness.
Suddenly, a little boy approached him.
Wang Jian’s spirits lifted, he took out his pen, ready to sign.
And the little boy said in his childlike voice, "I really like your work."
"Thank you." Wang Jian took the novel, ready to sign.
Suddenly, he felt something was off.
He looked down.
It was "I’m a Great Mage."
He raised his head to look at the little boy across from him.
And the boy was staring back at him with a pair of innocent, wide eyes.
Wang Jian let out a wry smile.
Let it be.
"I’m a Great Mage" was okay, after all, he was still earning royalties.
Just a bit less.
As he signed his name in the book, he asked, "What’s your name, kid?"
"Ted," the child replied.
Then, Wang Jian continued to write a few words, "To Ted," on the title page of the book.
He then handed it back with a smile.
After that, people trickled in, some bringing novels for Wang Jian to sign.
However, embarrassingly enough, those bringing "I’m a Great Mage" far outnumbered those with "Arcane Throne."
Just as Wang Jian resignedly signed another "I’m a Great Mage," he suddenly saw a tall, skinny white man rush into the bookstore.
The man was holding a newspaper and ran straight to George Martin, whispering something in his ear.
George Martin frowned at first, signaling for the people in the signing queue to wait a moment.
After the man finished speaking and stood up.
George Martin looked down at the newspaper and then turned his head to look toward Wang Jian.
Then, he walked over to Wang Jian, newspaper in hand.
"Those online merchants and pirates are despicable," George Martin said with a hint of anger.
Then, he handed the newspaper to Wang Jian.
Wang Jian glanced down; it was the "New York Times," and followed where George Martin pointed.
There, he saw a news article.
The headline read: When Will Online Infringements Cease?
Continuing to read, the newspaper criticized various websites for infringing on many publications.
Among them, the most named and shamed for infringement volume was Cadabra.
And the most egregious, which even pirated the newly released bestseller "Arcane Throne": wangwen.com.
Wang Jian looked at the newspaper and then up at George Martin’s chubby face.
Again at the newspaper, then back at the man’s face.
Finally, he squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: This wangwen.com is mine.
Tom, standing beside him, looked at the newspaper and let out a sigh as he looked up to the sky.
At the same time.
In Cadabra’s PR department, Bezos was staring intently at the sales manager in front of him.
"Didn’t you say these books were authorized?"
The sales manager said timidly, "Some authors’ permissions to the publishers have expired, and they don’t have any direct descendants, so..."
Bezos said sharply, "What I need is a solution!"
The sales manager glanced at the newspaper and said, "We’ll immediately clean up the book library and offer a sincere apology."
After hesitating for a moment, he added, "We can also get a few newspapers to heavily report on this wangwen.com site, to muddy the waters."
Bezos pondered for a while, then said, "You go ahead and clean up the book library."
"I’ll think about it."
"Yes," the sales manager quickly left the room.
Bezos looked at the newspaper and mumbled to himself, "Is the least noticeable place right beside the spotlight?"
ps: Infringement cases involving Amazon have indeed happened, but the reasons are definitely not this.