With next week’s release of “One City” (Yizuo Chengchi), a novel written by best-selling author Han Han, rumours are swirling about Han purportedly netting a contracted 20 per cent royalty fee.
If proven true, it will be unprecedented in the history of Chinese publishing, where authors generally get a 5 to 8 per cent royalty fee, or 10 per cent at most.
Such buzz on big money has lead to more interest in the book not only from Han’s fans, but also from many insiders in the publishing business.