Release Reflections
At last, the book has finally been launched. First and foremost, I must express my gratitude to my editor, Little Phoenix. Without Phoenix’s recognition, I absolutely wouldn’t have persevered until now. The reason is simple: it’s hard to feel motivated to write a book that doesn’t earn any money, and even less so if it’s not under contract.
I wonder if any of the readers following “Pastoral Song” have also read my previous two Tennis King novels. That’s right, before this book was contracted, I had already abandoned two Tennis King novels—this is the third, and the first one to finally secure a contract.
How should I put it? After finishing “The Intern,” I thought long and hard about whether I should continue writing derivative fanfiction novels. I test-wrote two more, but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get them contracted. So when both books reached around 30,000 words, I cut them off.
In the past, I was the kind of author who wouldn’t give up unless I’d written at least 100,000 words and applied for a contract myself. But after “The Intern” received a station message at just 16,000 words, I gradually grew complacent. Now, if I pass that word count without a contract, I start thinking about quitting.
So, when neither book received a station message, I mustered the courage to submit directly to the editor’s inbox. This is the first time a Tennis King novel of mine has succeeded through internal submission. I thought Phoenix would reject it for being poorly written, but to my astonishment, I received a reply and a contract offer just three hours after submitting. I was so overjoyed that I spent ages thinking of a name for the book.
Because I feared my internal submission would fail, I hadn’t even decided on a title—I figured if it didn’t work out, I’d just revise and try again. Unexpectedly, just like our protagonist Naru Matsubara’s no-spin serve, it was a one-shot success! Once again, I must thank Phoenix for her kindness, quick replies, and wonderful attitude.
As for why the book is being launched at 150,000 words—it’s not because it’s doing well, but because it’s been floundering and I have no choice but to put it up for sale to at least earn the full attendance bonus. Honestly, I feel a little guilty for not living up to the recommendations Phoenix gave me. I didn’t achieve good results in the PK rankings; maybe, despite thinking I’ve been working hard, I still have a long way to go.
This book does have readers, but very few. The number of collections is low, and I suspect the number of dedicated followers is pitifully small. Unlike with the last book, where my own carelessness cost me the full attendance bonus, as long as I update according to schedule, I can still earn it for this one—three months, perhaps. If the results improve in those three months, I’ll consider writing more. If things remain this dismal, I’ll wrap it up and start a new project. That’s more or less the plan.
The results are much worse than the previous book, so I’m not expecting tips or high first-day subscriptions. If you’re willing to subscribe, please do so, but I won’t be releasing additional chapters. After the launch, I’ll ensure a daily update of 6,000 words to guarantee the attendance bonus, since I worry that 4,000 might not be enough. I appreciate all of you who leave comments in the review section and thank you for your support.
Oh, and I must give special thanks to “Super Silly Mouse,” who votes for me every day. Thank you for your recommendation tickets!
That’s all I wanted to say. See you this afternoon, everyone!