Chapter 325: Publication and Follow-ups

Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Publication and Follow-ups

Taylor forced a slight smile, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of her notebook, which still bore the red pen marks from Irene’s last round of corrections.

"But don’t you think?" Taylor’s voice carried a faint, imperceptible sigh. "She’s clearly our peer—even a few months younger than me—yet she’s already standing at a height we can’t even imagine. I’m more nervous seeing her now than I am seeing my mentor." As soon as these words were spoken, Marcus fell silent, clearly struck by a chord of resonance in his own heart.

Irene was no longer the newcomer who was said to have risen to the top by luck.

After Million Dollar Baby burst onto the scene, all the rumors questioning Irene’s directing abilities vanished. Although this film didn’t earn Irene the honor of Best Director, its exploration of human nature and control of narrative rhythm—that deep discussion of dreams, regrets, and redemption—informed everyone that Irene Coppola was already intimately familiar with the art of cinema.

Not winning the award this time wasn’t because she wasn’t good enough. It was simply that the competition was too strong.

And all of this was far beyond the reach of these fledgling writers.

Marcus still remembered the shock he felt when he first finished watching that movie. He never expected that someone could film a boxing theme with such delicacy and power, and the one who created all this was actually Irene, who was the same age as him.

"Honestly, I still can’t figure it out," Marcus leaned back in his chair, his tone full of admiration. "How does she manage at this age to both master artistic expression and precisely handle the market?"

Taylor also felt this deeply.

The outlines Irene handed to them had made their eyes light up at first glance.

The tight thrills of Taken and the forbidden romance of Twilight were all the most popular elements in the current market, yet they were by no means simple, trendy pile-ups.

Especially the modification suggestions Irene proposed while grading their work. She always hit the mark precisely. For example, she told Marcus to add a ’memory kill’ of the protagonist’s daughter during the chase scenes, which both enriched the character arc and provided an emotional buffer within the tense rhythm—exactly the dramatic tension needed for a film adaptation.

Another example was reminding Taylor to strengthen the body language during Bella and Edward’s interactions, like ’the slight tremor when fingertips brush the other’s wrist’ or ’the quick look away when eyes meet.’ These details not only made the emotions more real but were also perfectly tailored for visual language, as if one could already see the frames appearing on the big screen.

Taylor flipped through her manuscript, where there was a note from Irene: "A physiological reaction can be added here when Edward smells Bella’s scent, such as pupil contraction or the Adam’s apple bobbing. This fits the vampire setting and serves as a metaphor for the pull between desire and restraint. A close-up shot in a movie would be very impactful."

Such notes were everywhere, and each one brought her a moment of sudden realization.

It turned out she had only been focused on polishing the prose, ignoring the cinematic potential behind the story, while Irene was already standing on a higher dimension, seamlessly connecting novel creation with subsequent adaptation.

"The outline she gave was attractive enough on its own," Taylor said softly. "The setting of the Cullen family in Twilight, the love between human and vampire, and those hidden racial conflicts—I couldn’t help but want to keep writing just by looking at it. What’s even rarer is that she can make every plot point have a sense of cinematography without damaging the core of the story."

Marcus nodded repeatedly: "Exactly. When I was writing Taken, I only thought about how to make the fight scenes more intense, but Irene reminded me that every move the protagonist makes must serve the core of ’saving his daughter.’ For instance, using his professional skills as a retired agent to crack traps both provides satisfaction and reinforces the theme of fatherly love. This kind of vision that understands both creation and the market is truly rare."

Time passed quickly amidst their lamentations. Before they knew it, the cafe door was pushed open, and Irene walked in carrying a stack of documents, a gentle smile on her face.

Taylor’s heart rate suddenly accelerated, and the cramps in her stomach began to act up again.

Irene walked to the table and placed the documents gently on the wooden surface, making a dull, soft thud.

"There was a bit of a traffic jam on the way, sorry to keep you waiting."

Marcus immediately stood up to pour her a glass of warm water: "We just arrived not long ago. We were just discussing the modification suggestions you gave."

Irene took the water glass: "I asked you here today mainly to discuss two things—the publication and subsequent writing progress of Twilight and Taken." She opened the top document and pulled out two printed agreements, "Lisa has already settled terms with Random House. They will be released globally simultaneously with an initial print run of one hundred thousand copies, with more to be printed based on sales."

Taylor’s eyes instantly lit up, her Adam’s apple moved as she wanted to say something, but she was afraid of interrupting Irene.

Marcus couldn’t help but lean forward, his face full of pleasant surprise. Although they knew publication was a sure thing, hearing the specific initial print run still made it hard to hide their excitement.

"Regarding the byline," Irene’s gaze swept over the two of them, her tone candid. "As mentioned when you joined, the first volume will be published under the pseudonym I created, ’Elena Ferrante.’ For now, your names will not be listed." She paused and added,

"But rest assured, the copyright agreement clearly states that you will receive a ten percent share of the novel’s subsequent earnings. In addition, bonuses will be issued based on sales: fifty thousand for breaking five hundred thousand copies, and one hundred thousand for breaking one million."

Marcus nodded immediately: "We understand. This was agreed upon beforehand. Being able to participate in such a project is already very satisfying for us."

Taylor followed with a nod, her sense of loss vanishing in an instant.

Compared to a byline, being able to participate in a Hollywood project was their main goal. Moreover, there were tangible earnings. This treatment was already better than any ghostwriter she knew, far exceeding her initial expectations.

Seeing that the two had no objections, Irene showed a gratified smile: "That’s good. Another thing is the progress issue. I hope the first draft of the first volume can be completed by the end of August." Her gaze lingered on Taylor for a few extra seconds.

"Marcus’s Taken has good rhythm control, and the progress is already halfway through, so there’s no big issue. Taylor, the emotional buildup in the first few Chapters of your Twilight is very well done, and the entire background has been laid out. The subsequent plot can move a bit faster, especially the part where Bella discovers Edward’s identity. In fact, many follow-ups can be officially revealed in the second or even third book. The focus of the first volume of the novel still needs to throw out a hook to attract everyone to keep reading."

Taylor’s cheeks flushed slightly: "Okay, Boss, I’ll speed up."