[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-2":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Literary Master of Tokyo",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2354851,4607,"Chapter 2: Submitting a Manuscript in Person","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>The following afternoon, Akiwara Yuto tidied himself up, brought his manuscript, and walked out of his apartment with a brisk pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only 1:00 PM, still early for the appointed time, but since submitting this manuscript was of great significance to him, he decided it was better to leave early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the nearest station, boarded a train bound for Bunkyo Ward, and arrived at his destination—the Mantan Publishing office building—at 2:10 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and observed his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The building was a gray structure that looked less than ten years old. Standing over twenty stories high, it appeared exceptionally tall and imposing against the backdrop of the surrounding low-rise buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the main entrance, men and women in black suits were coming and going from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the flow of people, Akiwara Yuto entered the lobby, headed straight for the reception desk, and said politely to the female clerk, \"I am Akiwara Yuto, here to submit a manuscript. Could you tell me how to get to the *Tokyo Literature* editorial department?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his inquiry, the female clerk revealed a standardized professional smile. \"Do you have an appointment, Mr. Akiwara?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have already made an appointment with the editorial staff for 3:00 PM.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was still early, he planned to wait; after all, he was the one seeking a favor, so it was better to maintain a humble attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well, please wait a moment.\" The clerk nodded at him, picked up the internal phone, asked a few questions in a low voice, then looked up and smiled. \"Mr. Akiwara, the *Tokyo Literature* editorial department is on the 16th floor. Please follow me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood up, smiled, and led Akiwara Yuto to a conference room on the 16th floor, where she arranged for him to sit and wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conference room was small, containing only a long table and chairs on either side. Akiwara Yuto deduced that this was a space specifically designated for receiving contributors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, the clerk poured him a cup of tea, brought over a registration form for him to fill out, and left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto sat on the office chair, placed his manuscript neatly on the table in front of him, and began filling out the registration form, providing his personal information and contact details in full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the form, he straightened his posture and mentally rehearsed his pitch. Seeing that no one had arrived yet, he couldn't help but pick up the manuscript and quickly read through it once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his surprise, he ended up waiting for over three hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tea was finished, his throat was dry, and after his mind had wandered for a long time, the other party hadn't even shown a shadow, which made him feel somewhat angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered just leaving, but felt that if he did, the time he had already spent would become a sunk cost. After weighing his options, he decided to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He truly needed the money now, and if he were to make appointments with other publishers, he might really run out of time...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made this decision, he waited for another long stretch, even going to the restroom twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to go to the editorial department on the same floor, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was around forty, with an upright posture, a well-fitted suit, and a square face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, on this face hung a smile that didn't match his temperament, looking exactly like those politicians on television.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed the door open, strode in, sat directly across from Akiwara Yuto, and said, \"Sorry to keep you waiting. I am Takei Kohei, an editor at *Tokyo Literature*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that he had finally met the editor, Akiwara Yuto breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately stood up, bowed, and introduced himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The male editor named Takei Kohei merely nodded, gestured for Akiwara Yuto to sit, then picked up the registration form he had filled out and began reading it word by word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the smile on the other man's face gradually fade, Akiwara Yuto had a bad premonition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a short while, Takei Kohei finished reading the form and put on that \"politician-style\" smile again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Akiwara, is this your first time submitting to Mantan Publishing? Have you had any previous experience submitting to other magazines or winning any awards?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked this with an intention. In the current literary scene of Japan, there were only two ways for a new writer to debut: either by participating in a competition and winning a newcomer award, or by submitting directly to a publisher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were the former, he would value the manuscript regardless, but if it were the latter, the submissions were usually unsatisfactory, and he couldn't be bothered to waste his time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto didn't know the intention behind the question, but he knew that his lack of academic credentials and other factors were his weaknesses, so his plan was to get the editor to review the manuscript as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the article he wrote was a masterpiece selected from the many works of his past life, and he believed the editor would be convinced after reading it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for two seconds, Akiwara Yuto decided to be direct: \"I apologize, I am just a newcomer. Although I have no award-winning experience, I hope you can take a look at my manuscript.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Takei Kohei couldn't help but feel disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having read Akiwara Yuto's registration form, he already understood the other's educational and background status. He genuinely didn't believe that a high school graduate from a poor place like Hokkaido could have any outstanding writing skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his age, he probably hadn't even finished reading the works of famous authors on the market, let alone had much life experience. How could anything he wrote be any good?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he really think he was a genius?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He should just hurry back and read a few more books!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't be bothered to think further. He had seen plenty of such fools since he became an editor, especially after the economic crisis, when more people wanted to submit manuscripts to make a living, which only added to his workload.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he had to go to Ginza tonight to drink with a bestselling author; he was in no mood to deal with such small fry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he felt disdain in his heart, he still wore that \"fake\" smile and said, \"Mr. Akiwara, I understand your situation. Could you leave your work behind? I would like to carefully read your article.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of reading it at all. As the deputy editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Literature*, his time was precious. If it weren't for the publisher's policy of rotating editorial shifts for submissions, he wouldn't waste time sitting here with a newcomer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto hadn't expected that the other party wouldn't even have the patience to read the manuscript on the spot, and his heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a bit dissatisfied, but decided to try anyway, so he urged, \"Editor Takei, my article...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, Takei Kohei interrupted him: \"I am truly sorry, Mr. Akiwara. I hope you can understand the hardships of our profession. In any case, please just leave the manuscript.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused and added, \"After I finish reading the manuscript, I will get back to you as soon as possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planned to just toss the manuscript to his assistant later and write a rejection letter as quickly as possible to make the guy give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bumpkin from Hokkaido should just honestly go home and fish, instead of dreaming of being a writer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto intended to speak again, but seeing Takei Kohei looking at his watch, it was clearly a signal to \"dismiss the guest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helpless, he had to accept the facts. After all, repeated persuasion would only invite resentment, so he could only hope that the other party would fulfill their responsibilities later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, excuse me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up, bowed, and left the conference room, leaving behind his manuscript—which was only a copy; the original was in his own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Japan had very strict copyright protection, and as a major publisher of note, Mantan Publishing would face a huge scandal if it were exposed for plagiarizing a manuscript, so there was no need to worry about that risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that after waiting for most of the afternoon, only to be kicked out after barely saying two words, he felt a bit of gloom in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This society is very realistic; the weak without status can only ever suffer such treatment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>7:00 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*New Fiction* editorial department, Mantan Publishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asano Aiko leaned against her office chair with a cup of instant coffee, looking at the words \"Akiwara Yuto\" on the file folder in front of her, and sighed with some distress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a magazine editor who had been on the job for three years, mainly working on planning topics and recommending excellent manuscripts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, the editor-in-chief had not yet assigned her to work with specific writers, only letting her dig for newcomers on her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those potential stars who won newcomer awards were all eyeing literary magazines with more influential circulation numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a small magazine like *New Fiction*, with a weekly circulation of less than 30,000 copies, it was rare for anyone to come by and submit a manuscript, and the results were often unsatisfactory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened the file folder in front of her, preparing to briefly skim the manuscript and write a rejection letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't actually her job, but a task requested by a friend working in the *Tokyo Literature* editorial department on the same floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Asano Aiko was about to get off work and go home, the other party had run over, pressed their palms together, and smiled, pleading: \"Asano-chan, could you help me write a rejection letter? I have a very important date tonight. I'll treat you to a sundae next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that, she had inexplicably gained an extra task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she wasn't very willing, work was work after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An editor's duty was to guide newcomers, enabling them to write things that met market demands, while simultaneously unearthing \"geniuses\" with real talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the manuscript in her hand, which was said to be unrecognized by Takei Kohei, the deputy editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Literature*, it must have had some problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acting with the responsibility of an editor, she carefully took out the manuscript, placed it gently on the table, and prepared to read it once before writing the rejection letter as tactfully as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she read on, she found it hard to look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could such an article really have been written by a newcomer?!\u003C\u002Fp>",1810,"2026-06-21T03:58:01.347Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","65274de063da6d55859bd03fb6feb766a0243fbe232bc376c1aefdfb55509312","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-3","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-1",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]