Novelist Running Through Time

Chapter 6: Cause of Death

Manuscript Submission to Publishing Houses.

Various publishing houses continuously collect works through emails and mail. There are no limits to this. The more, the better.

The way to secure quality manuscripts is to receive a large number of them. Without questioning, accept them all, and then search for good writing within that pile.

Of course, in this process, editors who endlessly read get worn out

But isnt that a sacrifice for the advancement of literature?

Anyway!

Manuscript Submission to Publishing Houses is much more relaxed compared to Annual Spring Literary Contest, which requires submission by a specific deadline followed by rigorous scrutiny.

You can even submit the same manuscript to multiple publishers. A manuscript submitted to Publisher A can also be submitted to Publisher B.

This isnt possible in the Annual Spring Literary Contest. If a story submitted to Newspaper A is the same as that submitted to Newspaper B, even if it wins an award, the award will be revoked.

It might seem a bit unfair, but this is to maintain the identity of the Annual Spring Literary Contest as a literary festival and to reject the crude trend of those who indiscriminately submit their manuscripts anywhere just to get selected.

Its certainly not a tradition to prevent promising novelists from negotiating with the place offering the best terms after trying out various places.

For these reasons, it can be said that the threshold is lower for submitting to publishing house manuscript calls than for the Annual Spring Literary Contest.

Therefore, countless manuscripts from numerous novelists flood the publishing houses, and the editors strive to find the pearl among thousands of manuscripts.

Of course, just slipping a letter into a mailbox full of mail doesnt mean the homeowner will immediately read it.

But I was confident.

Not because I thought I couldnt fail, but because of the confidence in the skills I had honed through hard work.

Even if it takes some time, someone will recognize my novel as good writing.

Like the professor who led me to university,

Like my old lover who loved my writing more than I did,

Like the bald editor who liked my writing to an award-winning extent

EP 1- Cause of Death

There are a few words that symbolize the art world.

Numerous singers sing with their artistic soul, but the ruthless music industry ranks them based on performance and sales.

Thats what a chart is.

The screen where countless actors joy, sorrow, and acting spirits pass is fundamentally a screen coated with silver.

Thats why its called the silver screen.

Since ancient times, there have been numerous books. Modern literature is like a giant altar built upon all those writings.

Thus, people call the literary world where writers and poets interact the literary circle.

The literary world is fucked.

Dont talk like that at work!

Lim Yang-wook, the team leader of Baekhak Entertainments Publishing Management Task Force Team, sighed deeply.

Gently tapping his smooth scalp with a handkerchief.

To be precise, its slowly getting fucked.

Ah, I told you not to talk like that at work!

The new employee, Baek Seol, retorted sharply, but Team Leader Im didnt care.

He lay back deeply in his chair with a languid expression and lamented while looking at the ceiling.

Ah I wish the Korean literary world would just collapse

Thats crazy.

Once, Lim Yang-wook had a dream.

A dream of revitalizing the Korean literary world.

Look at the Japanese publishing industry! One of the worlds largest markets! Numerous masterpieces released every year! And the dramas and movies based on novel originals!

Subways where its common to see one or two people reading books, and (though a bit rotten inside) publishing houses exist as proud corporations with a scale and power vastly different from Koreas.

With such a clear success model right next door, why is the Korean publishing industry so lackluster?

It cant be because people dont read books. If people dont read, shouldnt the industry make them read?

Isnt that the job of those in the publishing industry?

This is all because conservative, ritual-obsessed old-timers are occupying positions without actually doing anything.

I, Lim Yang-wook, will revive the Korean publishing industry!

or so he thought.

Fresh into this field, 26-year-old newcomer Lim Yang-wook believed so.

Well

Though from a lesser-known university, he had burst into Baekhak Publishing, Koreas largest publishing house, filled with confidence.

In contrast, the limp, wilted 36-year-old Lim Yang-wook, now a team leader, thought differently.

Ah I want to get off work.

We havent even had lunch yet, you know?

Dreams were high, but reality was a cesspool.

Literature is content. And content needs to be entertaining. But the writers who can write entertaining stories have all gone to the realms of dramas, movies, and web novels.

Why?

Because books dont make money.

Because getting a job is damn hard.

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Because connections, not skill, determine your evaluation.

Because veteran writers keep appearing in the news as sexual offenders.

Because if you manage to get through the Annual Spring Literary Contest, you get your work stolen and are forced into unfair contracts.

And,

Can you stop now?

I think you were just born in the wrong era.

The times have changed.

Certainly those with skills should be rewarded.

Those who work hard and sweat,

Those with talent should succeed.

Its all the same.

Everyone has skills,

Everyone works hard,

Everyone has talent.

Its not just the literary world.

The entire cultural industry is like that.

Take the music industry, for example.

In the past, people with flair and talent succeeded.

They became famous and appeared on TV shows.

But these days, that flair and talent are manufactured.

They push in dozens of promising kids,

Teach them dance and song, pick the best,

Leave them to the most professional doctors,

Transform them into the most statistically preferred appearances,

Invest massive capital and manpower,

And launch them with marketing that shakes the nation.

Then they become icons of the era.

And they take over the world.

Thats the era were in.

I just cant keep up

The times have transformed.

The old has vanished, replaced by the new.

The old ways can no longer survive.

Its the same with literature.

There was a time when politicians trembled at the criticism of writers and people were shocked by their words.

Not anymore.

There was a time when the whole country read serialized novels in newspapers and celebrated the birth of great writers.

Not anymore.

The decline of the Korean literary world is not because the literary world did something wrong, but because the times have changed, and it just happened.

The oppression of the Japanese empire, the stirrings of communism, the wounds of national division, the military regimes boots all have faded into history.

In times when expression wasnt free, literature was the only means of expression. Thus, literature could be the spirit of the times.

But in an era of free expression, what is literature to fight against? What should it enlighten and show?

Literature should have shown beauty.

That beauty lies in the love and tragedy sprouting amidst the conflict of two families, in the beauty of a knight charging into battle with chivalry and romance, and in the refreshing smile of a count who disappears over the horizon after completing all his revenge.

Originally, novels were for fun.

Purely for fun.

Only fun.

Fun is everything.

People watch what is entertaining.

When people watch, authority is established.

So, only fun is everything.

We shouldnt have belittled drama writers for their cheesy, low-level dialogue or dismissed Japanese light novels as vulgar monstrosities.

We needed to learn what needed to be learned, change what needed to be changed. But we only clung to the old ways. Thats why we couldnt keep up with the changes of the times.

The result is clear.

Drama writers, once treated as second-rate, are now leading the Hallyu wave. The rental store market influenced by light novels has now evolved into the booming web novel market.

New things are leading the era, and the old-fashioned literary world, having turned its back on the public, is stagnating in its narrow confines.

Thats why, during his time at Baekhak Publishing, Lim Yang-wook passionately argued:

Lets change!

Others said:

Hey, Lim~ssi. Stop talking nonsense and just keep printing worksheets.

Thats how Lim Yang-wook was demoted.

This was his first demotion.

When he was moved from the planning department, where he decided the companys direction, to a menial job of handing out pencils in the office, Lim Yang-wook saw this as a great humiliation.

So, he fell for the persuasion of his only college senior in the company.

Yang-wook

Yes, senior.

How about managing writers?

Managing writers?

Yes, like managing celebrities. Lets manage writers in the same way.

The seniors argument was this:

In an era where college entrance essays are becoming increasingly sassy and high-nosed actors promote their own works in variety shows for PR, should authors just sit and wait, hoping their books will someday hit it big?

Now, authors need to appear on TV.

They need to promote themselves.

They must cultivate star quality!

What the literary world needs now is a shining star to represent it! They will expand the markets scope and usher in a second renaissance!

How about creating a pure literature idol?

Ill follow you to the end, senior!

Thus, a task force was formed in Baekhak Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Baekhak Group.

Elite editors from Baekhak Publishing were dispatched, and experienced staff from Baekhak Entertainment who knew the ropes of celebrity management joined in.

Their sole purpose!

To create a star author active in the entertainment industry!

That was the grand start of the Publishing Management Task Force Team.

And.

It spectacularly failed.

How did it come to this

The Publishing Management Task Force Team was a disaster.

No.

Just saying it was a disaster doesnt fully capture the extent of their tragic failure.

Everything built by so many people crumbled in a single moment of tragedy.

As a result, the team leader, who was the senior, resigned in disgrace, and the members dispatched to the TF team returned to their original positions.

However, some who had fallen out of favor with the company couldnt return. Their office was moved to a storeroom in the underground parking lot.

The moment they smelled the car exhaust,

The remaining team members realized.

Ah, they want us to resign.

Thus, the remnants of the TF team wrote their resignation letters.

Except for two.

Ah life.

Now, only two members remained in the Baekhak Entertainment Publishing Management Task Force Team.

Team leader Lim Yang-wook, whom everyone expected to resign soon, and

The new employee, Baek Seol, the eldest daughter of the younger brother of the chairman of Baekhak Group.

Each carrying their own circumstances, these two continued their painful corporate life, enduring the disdainful looks of others.

Team leader.

Yes?

Im too embarrassed to go to the cafeteria.

Me too.

Then one day,

While sifting through thousands of manuscripts in search of a gem, Lim Yang-wook picked up a manuscript.

The title of the novel was Cause of Death.

* * *

Seasons changed in the blink of an eye.

It was spring.

The cherry blossoms bloomed.

And surprisingly,

Not a single publishing house had contacted me.

Its late-

No, its not that there was no contact; it was just delayed. I comforted myself with this self-hypnosis.

But when not a single call came through until the end of the winter break, my heart started to race.

I bit my nails anxiously and closed my eyes tightly.

Do I lack talent?

No! I have talent for writing novels.

Its said that a frog cant leap out of its well. Im not sure how good my own writing is.

But.

The professor who brought me to university even with a scholarship once said:

With a bit more polishing, you could make it big. Thats how I see it.

The editor, who published my work even at a loss, said:

Money comes second. Art comes first. And you are art.

My ex-lover, who loved my writing more than I did, said:

Give me the next part.

I believe theres a reason they said those things. I might not believe in myself, but I believe in the people who believed in me. Thats how I can repay their faith!

However, this resolution wavered every time I saw my empty email inbox.

Ah, Moon In-seop! Stop hogging the computer and come out!

Just a minute. This cant be right. Theres no way

I want to play League, so move already!

I was chased out of the computer room and pushed into the corridor.

I sat in the hallway, staring blankly into space.

I chuckled bitterly.

Am I really, truly, without talent?

How could not a single publishing house contact me? Editors are busy, but arent they supposed to regularly check their submissions?

Yes. They must not have seen my novel yet. Surely, they wouldnt have read it and thrown it in the trash thinking, This isnt worth publishing, just kindling.

But

If this false hope keeps repeating, I might not be able to withstand the agony and might resort to using dark arts.

To the [Childrens Literature Award].

If I submit my work to the childrens literature award, Id get a response right away.

My goodness! For an primary student, this is a work of genius!

How can such an primary student write such an outstanding novel!

By the gods! For an primary student, its perfect!

The judges would be shocked, and the journalists would eagerly seek my interview. Winning the grand prize would be a given.

But what meaning would there be in such success? Is it really because of my skills? Isnt it just because I traveled back in time?

Right. I must not give in to such temptation.

But a thought does cross my mind.

Do I have any proof that Im 22 years old?

When you get down to it, theres no evidence anywhere in the world that Ive lived for 22 years. The only basis is the memories in my head.

Of course, I could guess future events, but that would be a very persuasive argument that I know the future, not a scientific proof that Ive traveled back in time.

In short, modern science can neither observe nor prove what happened to me.

As a result, scientifically, I am a perfect primary school student.

Does that mean I could enter a childrens writing competition?

No!

I slapped my cheek as if to wake myself up.

If I keep this up, I might really go insane.

After all, waiting for the results of a competition is enough to drive anyone mad.

So, I fought against the evil urges within me.

* * *

Dont you think In-seop has been acting strangely lately?

This question arose in the teachers lounge of New Light Spring Orphanage, where the childcare teachers were chatting.

Right. I agree. I saw him crouching in the hallway, biting his nails

His eyes seemed a bit dull and vacant, too.

And sometimes he talks like hes lived his whole life already.

I think it might be because of the school violence incident he faced before

The conversation shifted focus.

Jeong-ah Teacher!

Yes, Yes, hehe!

Bang Jeong-ah jolted, her shoulders twitching. She seemed surprised to hear her name called unexpectedly.

Was there any issue when you were called to the school last time?

Oh, no! Nothing happened!

Is that so

The day when paper cups flew, hot coffee was spilled, and she ended up holding a childs hand and crying, was one of the most tumultuous days in Bang Jeong-ahs 25 years of life.

She didnt want to unravel this finished chapter of her life, revealing her dark past to her colleagues, so she carelessly denied anything had happened.

However, the tender-hearted Bang Jeong-ah was worried her silence might prevent Moon In-seop from receiving the help he might need, given his emotionally unstable appearance.

Eventually, she opened her mouth again.

Well, actually

Her words were interrupted by a visitor.

A stranger in a suit entered the teachers lounge.

He was bald.

Is there a teacher named Moon In-seop here?

Yes?

I am Lim Yang-wook, the team leader of Baekhak Entertainments Publishing Management Team. Is teacher Moon In-seop here-

In-seop went to school today.