Episode 101: A Changed Conclusion
Kang Lim, after meticulously completing the fairy tale illustrations, mounted them on thick hardboard.
He punched holes on the left side and tied the original illustrations with leather cords, forming a dummy book.
‘It feels good to shoot the work as if I’m in a residency studio.’
After transferring the original illustrations to the computer, he opened Photoshop.
He enhanced the colors that the camera missed and added slight shadows to make the protruding fibers stand out more three-dimensionally.
When printing a book, you need to actually inspect the colors to know them accurately.
However, the new laptop he bought this time almost perfectly replicates the actual colors.
There was no need to check at the print shop in advance.
‘As expected, Adobe goes well with Apple.’
He felt good about purchasing a laptop he had long wanted to use.
Upgrading materials always brings joy.
Kang Lim used the illustration program to add the storyline and the characters’ dialogues.
He converted the final work into a PDF file suitable for printing.
‘It’s been a long time since I exchanged emails with the editor in charge.’
How long has it been since he published his first book?
Kang Lim felt a bit nervous thinking about getting his next work evaluated.
He noted down the editor’s email address and opened a Hangul file.
Even if nervous, he needed to convey the requirements accurately.
International book fairs are exhibited by publisher booths.
It’s rare for individuals to participate. After all, to distribute books, you need a company.
If he was going to do it, Kang Lim wanted to renew the contract with World Book Publishing, which had a good reputation in the industry.
‘These days, there are many 3D illustrations where people make and photograph dolls directly, so they’ll like this kind of three-dimensional work too. But, this is for children with visual impairments… I wonder how much they’ll accommodate.’
At first, he thought about writing the story in braille.
However, the typewriter used to engrave braille needs to be custom-made for each text.
If he were to win an international contest, it would be translated into various languages… It was clear that the publisher would reject engraving different braille systems for each country.
‘Moreover, they say that less than 10% of visually impaired people can read braille. Considering the cost, it’s not efficient, so they’ll definitely reject it…’
Kang Lim decided to propose an audiobook instead.
Soon, there would be a surge of interest in original English texts in Korea, and parents who want to teach their children English early would prefer audiobooks.
The power of a story makes learning English interesting.
It’s a good language learning tool for children who are already weak in speaking and listening.
‘Producing an audiobook is not difficult, so it’ll be fine. If it becomes popular, it will sell well domestically too, so the publisher will like it.’
Kang Lim documented the specific requirements, including the voice for the audiobook, in the document.
He wanted detailed feedback from the editor.
World Book Publishing, Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu.
Kim Jinseok, Kang Lim’s editor, opened his email as usual.
It was the first thing he did after starting work and a habit to check new manuscripts.
Making money from literature was tough, but he was grateful for the writers who endlessly submitted their works.
Kim Jinseok downloaded all the manuscripts.
But… one name caught his eye.
‘Gasp, it’s writer Kang Lim? I heard he couldn’t attend the contest award ceremony because he was abroad… What’s going on?’
As soon as he clicked on the email, the editor’s eyes widened.
There was a message saying that he had completed a new fairy tale project and wanted to check if it was publishable.
Kim Jinseok downloaded the file with a surprised look.
His heart raced on its own. His planned project had just flopped, and he got scolded by his team leader, but this was a chance to make up for it.
‘Well, writer Kang Lim… His illustrations are, of course, great, and the story is good too.’
Kim Jinseok first opened the neatly organized PDF file.
<Draft Title: The Lamb Who Wants to Be Cashmere, or Wannabe Cashmere!>
The title itself was unique.
‘Why does a lamb want to be cashmere? Isn’t cashmere from goat hair?’
On the cover, a lamb was sitting arrogantly with its legs crossed.
A plump body and a greedy expression.
In front of the lamb were abundant delicacies and shining jewels, and behind it, people dressed in fancy clothes surrounded it.
The composition cut off the people’s faces, showing only their unique outfits.
‘Wow! This time, it’s expressed in a completely different way, using the collage technique. He must have bought items from abroad and attached them!’
Boleros adorned with frills, shawls embroidered with exotic patterns, and lamb wool clothes dyed in vibrant fluorescent colors…
Illustrations that fused various textures of fabrics and paints.
What stood out was that the colors were mysterious. No, they looked a bit eerie.
Kim Jinseok’s curiosity grew.
He couldn’t help but swallow his saliva and turned to the next page.
As Kim Jinseok turned the pages, his face changed constantly.
He smiled slowly, laughed while shaking his body, and breathed heavily with tension.
Kang Lim’s amazing scene composition made him hold his breath.
After reading the entire story, Kim Jinseok leaned back in his chair.
His head tilted back, and a silly smile spread across his face.
‘This is a hit. Especially, it’ll do well at the international book fair. It might even win the grand prize.’
Just as his editor’s intuition, honed over many years, began to kick in, Kang Lim called.
It must be to check if he had seen the email.
Kim Jinseok happily pressed the call button.
“Yes, hello, writer!”
[Hello! How have you been?]
“Great. How about you?”
[I’m doing well. Happy New Year.]
“Happy New Year to you too. I just read your email! It’s truly amazing. There’s no need to hesitate about publishing this. I’ll tell the team leader right away!”
[Oh, really? Do you think it can be published as is in Korea? It’s a bit heavy in content.]
“Haha. It seems like you’re already considering international contests? I knew this would happen when we first signed the contract.”
[Yes, at that time, discussing a follow-up work was a bit burdensome, but suddenly, the story came to me.]
Kim Jinseok smiled and checked the calendar.
The world’s three major children’s book fairs: Caldecott, Newbery, Bologna.
Among them, the Bologna Book Fair, famous for picture books, was approaching.
It was an event where fairy tale writers from around the world submitted works to determine the ‘Illustrator of the Year.’
“This is perfect timing for going international. I hope you continue to create many works and win awards like the Lindgren Award or the Carnegie Medal!”
[Haha. Thank you. I didn’t expect such a prompt approval.]
“Hey, there are no directly depicted brutal scenes, right? The characters are cute, and it’s metaphorically expressed, so it’s fine. If you visit international book fairs, you’ll realize that this is nothing.”
[Yes. I’ve heard there are many fairy tales dealing with social issues.]
Kim Jinseok opened a sample fairy tale book hanging in the office and spoke.
“The work that won the grand prize two years ago dealt with school violence, self-hatred, and depression. The ending was an open one, not confirming the overcoming of those issues. There were also many heavy topics like terrorism. You don’t have to worry about the review.”
[Oh, that’s a relief.]
“They actually prefer such contents. Once, our publishing company invited Walter Greenaway to judge a contest.”
[Wow… Isn’t he a very famous children’s literature critic? It must have been hard to invite him.]
“Yes. But it wasn’t very rewarding. We couldn’t select a winner that year.”
[Why not? Korean illustrations are top-notch.]
“He didn’t seem to like the content. He asked if Korea is a perfectly beautiful and clean country. He said it was full of too many pretty and happy stories. He argued that it wasn’t treating children as individuals but as targets for indoctrination. He said there were not enough stories that allowed children to make their own value judgments.”
[Well, there are no fairy tales with open or sad endings in Korea.]
“He said that elementary school students are not just naive but know how to make decisions on their own. While it’s good to give dreams and hopes and make them realize the precious things in life, it’s also important to shed light on the world we live in. Since this generation is exposed to media early, it’s better to learn about the world through books first. Foreign countries are the best, right?”
[Hmm…]
Kang Lim’s voice trailed off as if he was thinking deeply.
What’s this? Did I say something wrong?
As Kim Jinseok was watching for signs, Kang Lim spoke again.
[It’s a good point. But, I naturally think the sentiment is different abroad. Our country emphasizes the community over the individual, and honestly, public safety is better. There’s no risk of terrorism or shooting sprees, and there are no gangs in the city.]
“Haha. How can you say that when your work is so good?”
[Actually, the child I want to gift this picture to is quite young. I was thinking of making some modifications if you provided detailed feedback.]
“How old is the child?”
[He’s French, and he’s starting elementary school at six this year.]
“Well, I think that’s fine, but if you’re too worried, just don’t show the last scene. You can end it with the lamb’s family not opening the door, thinking it’s a wolf.”
[Hmm… But then I can’t tie up the loose ends about Dolly’s regular customers…]
“It’s okay. Many works are reviewed in such a way when they come to Korea.”
[Thank you for the advice.]
Kim Jinseok checked his email again.
Not only the PDF file but also the illustration files and the Hangul file were attached.
“Besides the digital dummy book, the rest of the files are the manuscript and individual images, right? It seems you sent them to make it easier to proofread, but I don’t see anything to correct. Haha.”
[Oh! You haven’t read that… ]
Kim Jinseok flinched at Kang Lim’s slightly disappointed voice.
[I thought it was strange… I wondered why you approved so quickly. There are many requests there.]
“Do you have any specific paper material you want?”
[No. I want them to read while touching various fabrics. In scenes where Dolly is designing or where animals appear.]
“…What?”
[You know how there are children’s books that maximize tactile sensations?]
The project Kim Jinseok had planned but failed miserably was a tactile book.
A fairy tale with various objects drawn and made to be touched.
If there was a clock, the hands could be turned… But paying attention to the details increased the cost, and there were no buyers, resulting in a loss.
It was as if Kang Lim read his mind.
[Oh, I adjusted it appropriately, thinking the cost would be high too. Would you like to check it?]
Kim Jinseok opened the illustration file.
It showed a scene where the lamb enters a snake’s den to steal its shed skin.
“I’m looking at the snake scene first.”
[Yes. Instead of the whole image, you can attach fake leather only following the snake’s shape. You can also create kits for other animal furs.]
“Ah… ”
[I’ve cut out the illustrations along the animal shapes. You just need to select the fabric and send it directly to the factory. What do you think?]
“… ”
Kim Jinseok found it hard to propose such a book to the company again.
Not only was there the failed performance, but there were also many requests, including making an audiobook.
“Writer, I’m sorry, but this seems difficult. We recently invested heavily in a similar project, and it failed. The risk is too high for tactile books.”
[Oh… I see.]
“Please contact us again if you have other works. I’ll definitely talk about this one too, even if I get scolded.”
[Thank you.]
“Oh, and congratulations on the publication of
[Thank you! You’ve worked hard.]
After hanging up, a bitter look spread across Kim Jinseok’s face.
Was there ever a day with such emotional ups and downs?
His heart felt empty.
Kang Lim fiddled with the book in his room.
It was unlikely that Kim Jinseok knew audiobooks were becoming popular, given that they hadn’t received much attention until now.
So he couldn’t blame Kim Jinseok. After all, a publishing company is also a business.
‘Well, there are many publishers. I can submit it to another place.’
What was bothering him was not that.
What kept coming to mind was the strange sense of déjà vu he felt during the phone call.
The feeling as if saying that profound foreign fairy tales were superior…
‘Honestly, it’s funny to distinguish between overseas and domestic works. When did I ever care about such things? Hmm… ’
His mother’s words also came to mind.
[A fairy tale should have a happy ending if possible!]
‘Wouldn’t it be better to handle heavy themes with a happy ending? Mixing half and half of foreign and our country’s styles.’
He pondered over his mother’s words.
Why did she say that fairy tales should have happy endings?
Because there are already enough sad endings in novels? No.
His mother said that a happy ending is never childish.
‘Maybe, a happy ending gives strength to rise again even in a tough and rough world.’
Readers empathize with the protagonist, so if Dolly becomes sad, children lose their dreams.
It seemed better for children to gain hope from books to endure the world.
Kang Lim decided to revise the ending.
After all, Dolly did regret thinking about her friends in the end.
When the fairy tale book was completed.
Small footsteps were heard from the hallway.
Careful steps approaching stealthily.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened slightly with a knock.
Erlin peeked in. Her red eyes sparkled.
Every time Kang Lim saw Erlin, he felt as if he was making eye contact with her.
Her eyes were that clear and beautiful.
Her cheeks puffed up with anticipation.
Erlin hesitated before opening her small mouth.
“Oppa, did you finish making the fairy tale book?”
