1897 When the Commercial Press was founded, Liang Qichao and others founded the Datong Translation Library in Shanghai. Liang Qichao wrote in his narrative: "Those famous houses in China who are willing to entrust this bureau to print on their behalf can print them, or pay in money or books after printing, and can negotiate and book them at any time." This is a statement of payment of remuneration, but no specific standards have been announced. It just means that the remuneration can be negotiated at any time, or given money, or given to a number of printed books as remuneration. In other words, at that time, the concept of "remuneration and royalties" was not very clear, because the standardized cultural market had not yet formed. "Booksellers" who make money by selling books have existed for a long time, but "freelance writers" who make a living by selling manuscripts are still in the gestation or embryonic stage.
At present, the earliest historical data about royalties that I have consulted in China is "20% of royalties" stipulated in the poster 190 1 in Shanghai ditto. The earliest historical data about the number of words in the manuscript fee was recorded by Liang Qichao: he presided over publications such as Xinmin Congbao and New Novel (both founded in 1902) with about two critical books, and every thousand words can be evaluated on 3 yuan. The number of essays may increase slightly (considering its article value), most of them will stop in 4 yuan, and ordinary people will also be 3 yuan. It is recorded that the door is two circles inside and outside, which is relatively large. "(Chronicle of Liang Qichao, p. 387)
According to my research results, the purchasing power of a silver dollar at the beginning of the 20th century is roughly equivalent to the RMB in 70 yuan today. The standard of remuneration stipulated in Xinmin Cong Bao and New Novel founded by 1902 can be divided into three grades, ranging from 2 yuan (now 140 yuan) to 4 yuan (now 280 yuan). Usually 3 yuan (2 10 yuan).
1903, that is, the second year after Zhang Yuanji entered the Compilation Institute of the Commercial Press, Lin Shu's new translation of Aesop's Fables was handed over to the Commercial Press. From 65438 to 0906, 50 novels translated by Lin came out one after another. In the same year, the Commercial Press published the first episode of Say No 100, followed by the second, third and fourth episodes. By the 1920s, Lin Shu had translated 18 1 novels, each of which was about 200,000 words. Some of these novels are both published and published, and there are also manuscript fees when they are published. Zheng and others recalled that Lin translated the novel Chinese Version, which was published by the Commercial Press at that time. In more than ten years, * * * has reached 140 species. ..... and it pays well. At that time, the general fee was 2-3 yuan per thousand words, and the fee for Lin's translation of novels was calculated at 6 yuan per thousand words, and one copy was purchased after translation. "(According to" The Lost of Lin's Translation of Novels ",quoted from" Essays on the History of Modern Literature in China, Fiction Volume ",p. 688)
In this way, the remuneration for each manuscript is about 1.200 yuan (60,000 yuan today). According to my calculation, due to rising prices, the purchasing power of1911919 in the early Republic of China was equivalent to that of 50 yuan today.
Before the 1920s, Lin Shu's income exceeded 200,000 silver dollars, amounting to more than 6,543,800 yuan. It can be seen that because the novels translated by Lin Shu sell well, the remuneration is more than twice that of the general regulations. ?
Zhou Zuoren recalled that in 1907, the Zhou brothers translated "Red Star over China" and got it to 200 yuan, with 65,438+10,000 words. "Usually, western translation can only get two yuan and one thousand words." (Memoirs of Zhou Zuoren, p. 196)
Copyright law and copyright law and their detailed rules for implementation
The first copyright law in China to protect authors' interests was the Qing Copyright Law promulgated by the Manchu government in Xuantong's third year (A.D. 19 10), just 200 years after the first copyright law in the world, Queen Anne's Decree. The full text consists of 5 chapters and 55 articles. However, the Qing regime withdrew from the historical stage shortly after its promulgation, and this copyright law was not really implemented. In the fourth year of the Republic of China (A.D. 19 15), the Beiyang government promulgated the Copyright Law. 1928, Nanjing National Government promulgated the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Copyright. The rights and interests of authors are protected by law.
At the beginning of this century, China's salary system has been formed and is in line with international standards. There are three basic forms of manuscript remuneration: (1) manuscript fee, also known as "pen-running expenses, pen-running expenses"; (2) Royalties, also called "royalties" and "royalties"; (3) Buy out the copyright, also known as "buying the manuscript at a fixed price".
The editor-in-chief, also called the chief editor, is the leader of the editorial department ... The editor-in-chief often serves as the editor-in-chief, and his monthly salary is about 150 yuan to 300 yuan.
Next to the editor-in-chief, he is the editor-in-chief, also called the director ... His monthly salary is about 150 yuan.
Below the editor-in-chief, there are important news editors who choose national or international news. There are local news editors, and the monthly salary of news editors in a province, a county and a place is around 80 yuan;
There are also special commissioners, such as Shanghai newspaper, who must be stationed in Beijing, or specialize in power generation or communication. The monthly salary of each person is about 100 yuan, and the communication fee is excluded.
There are special correspondents, both at home and abroad, and the big rate is calculated by article, one for each article, about 10 yuan.
Journalists are stationed at all major ports in China. The monthly salary of full-time workers is around 40 yuan, while that of part-time workers is only 10 yuan.
There is an interpreter, and the monthly salary of each person is from 50 yuan to 80 yuan. Proofreading and translation, the monthly salary is about 20 yuan.
A local editor can also be called a city editor. He is also an important person in the editorial department ... His monthly salary is about 80 yuan.
Directed by local editors, there are special interviewers, and the monthly salary is from 40 yuan to 60 yuan.
There are sports visitors with a monthly salary of around 30 yuan.
There are also ordinary journalists, whose monthly salary is about 10 yuan to 30 yuan.
Deputy Zhang (that is, the supplement) includes literary and artistic funny works, and there is also an editorial department with a monthly salary of around 60 yuan.
From 19 12 to 1927, this is a comprehensive summary of the economic treatment standard of "remuneration according to work" for the organizations and personnel of Shanghai newspaper industry. In addition, I also verified the actual salary from the historical data of some specific figures at that time.
Remuneration and royalties in the 1920s and 1930s
The Complete Works of Lu Xun contains the remuneration standards from 1920s to 1930s.
Lu Xun contributed 2-3 silver dollars per thousand words to the Morning Supplement edited by Sun Fuyuan; In addition, the Morning Post also has a kind of "special writing", which adds 30 to 40 silver dollars to the remuneration every month (see Lu Xun's My Words and I Always).
At that time, the remuneration standard was different. In Beijing's official newspapers, magazines and academic journals, the remuneration can reach 4-5 yuan per thousand words. Most newspapers and periodicals in Shanghai are run by the people, and the general remuneration is 1-3 yuan per thousand words. Because the administrative allocation of government-run newspapers and periodicals does not count the cost; Shanghai newspapers and periodicals are mostly commercial in nature, so we must pay attention to economic benefits. In the Complete Works of Lu Xun, there are several references to the standard of manuscript fees in Shanghai at that time. The lowest (note: tabloid news or "ass report" articles, etc. ) is 50 points per thousand words, with a maximum 3 yuan per thousand words. The general remuneration for Lu Xun's articles is several thousand words in 3 yuan, sometimes several thousand words in 5 yuan (such as the remuneration standard given to Lu Xun by the Commercial Press and Zhonghua Book Company), and the remuneration for The Collection of Two Hearts is several thousand words in 6 yuan, which is relatively high in Shanghai.
The remuneration set by the Commercial Press is Guo Moruo 4 yuan, Hu Shi 5-6 yuan, Lin Shu and Zhang Xingyan 6 yuan. ……
This compensation standard has not changed much from the May 4th Movement to the 1930s.
As for the special preferential remuneration, it belongs to Liang Qichao, 20 silver dollars per thousand words (about today's 1000 yuan). Zhang Yuanji, a veteran of the Commercial Press, replied to Liang Qichao's letter: "I had an appointment to write an article before, that is, from this month. ..... 20 thousand words will be inhuman, and will spread to the outside. It is difficult for everyone to help! " (See "Long Edition of Liang Qichao's New Year's Day Promise", p. 965)?
However, after the Republic of China, the published books usually calculate royalties; There are also writers who pay by the number of words or buy out copyright at one time.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the royalty standard drawn up by Shanghai publishing industry is generally between 10%-25%.
For example, 192 1, Taitung Bookstore promised Guo Moruo that the royalty was10%; Hu Shi's own royalty standard in Crescent Society is: first edition 15%, second edition 20%; The royalties paid by Beixin Bookstore to Lu Xun's works are generally 20% or even 25%. And Liang Qichao's worth is the highest, reaching 40% and even proposing "self-printing and self-selling, with a 60% discount". Commission payment time, according to the usual practice for three time periods (Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Eve) to check the actual sales settlement.
Compared with the 1920s, the salary standard in China did not improve significantly in 1930s.
The remuneration for manuscripts in Beiping is generally higher than that in Shanghai. In Beiping newspapers, magazines and academic journals, the remuneration can reach 4-5 yuan per thousand words. Most newspapers and periodicals in Shanghai are run by the people, and the general remuneration is 1-3 yuan per thousand words. Because Beiping is a state-run newspaper, the administrative appropriation does not count the cost; Shanghai newspapers and periodicals are mostly commercial in nature, so we must pay attention to economic benefits.
Almost all the works published by Lu Xun in the 1930s were paid royalties. Look up Lu Xun's Diary 1933 May 15 Diary: "Royalty for 500 Books of Two Places 125 yuan." Book of Two Places is priced at 1 yuan. According to the royalty formula mentioned above, the royalty rate of books in the two places is 25%. According to Lu Xun's Diary, the diary of 1932 12 15 reads: "The selected manuscripts are printed by the bookstore, and the royalty check is 300." This refers to Selected Works of Lu Xun published by Tianma Bookstore, the first edition 1 0,000 copies, and the price is 1.20 yuan. Lu Xun won the 300 yuan with a royalty rate of 25%. This was a very high royalty at that time.
Advertising, distribution, accounting, etc. The monthly salary starts in 20 yuan and ends in 17 yuan.
Comparing the above-mentioned Ge's records in the article "The Status of the Press, Section VIII, Employment" in Chapter VI of China's Journalism History191927, we can see that the treatment of Shanghai's news publishing industry has obviously improved in more than ten years.
According to Tao Xisheng's recollection, in the first 20 years of this century, domestic education was dominated by students studying in Japan, and modern new education also adopted the Japanese system. After the 1920s, a large number of graduates who studied in Europe and America returned to China, gradually controlling the domestic education and publishing circles. Even in the society, there is a prejudice of western first class, eastern second class and domestic third class.
For example, the editors of the Commercial Press, who were famous for publishing textbooks, had a great influence in the education field at that time, and their salaries were paid according to their academic qualifications. One is graduates studying in Europe and America, with a monthly salary as high as 200-250 yuan, and the other is graduates studying in Japan, with a monthly salary of 120- 150 yuan, while the monthly salary of domestic university graduates is only 80 yuan. ?
Due to the existence of this hierarchical concept in society, "foreign students have to join a party for social status and various problems in life, which leads to mutual exclusion of those who have returned from studying in the West", which aggravates the habit of despising scholars. (See Tao Xisheng's article Trends and Drips?
Newspaper remuneration?
From the materials of Shanghai Life, Shanghai Consultant and Shanghai Guide in 1930s, we can know that?
Shanghai is the center of national public opinion, so journalism is very developed. Although it can't catch up with the well-known newspapers in Europe, America and Japan in the circulation of one million copies, News, which claims to have a daily sales volume of160,000 copies, has become a domestic leader!
Newspapers are essentially news, so the demand for words is greater than other publications, but only a small part can accommodate literary and artistic works! Moreover, the attached publication is only amateur, and the newspaper authorities do not attach importance to it, and the literati also dismiss it as "reporting donkeys." ?
Supplementary issues of major newspapers in Shanghai
The names, nature, names of chief editors (editors), policies for collecting and writing, and remuneration standards for attached periodicals of major newspapers and periodicals in Shanghai in 1930s are as follows:
Guiding principles and remuneration methods of newspaper title editing.
News, new garden, beauty, interesting narratives at home and abroad, short and pithy, full of incitement, ranging from 2 yuan to 5 yuan in a thousand words.
The news newspaper Tea Talk is full of rumors about tea words and words that can be interpreted. Thousand words 1 half to five yuan.
The local newspaper attached a chronicle of local journalists, welcoming children's innocent works with 1,000 words ranging from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
On Li Liewen's overseas impressions and thousands of humorous sketches and pure literary works from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
Declare Zhou Shoujuan's satirical sketches, women and children in the Spring and Autumn Period, with 1,000 words ranging from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
The statement is attached to this port, Li Gongpu's humorous comments, social sketches, literary fashion, thousand words, 2 yuan to 5 yuan
Script translation of the manifesto "Linghe"; A Brief Comment on the New Silver Altar at home and abroad: 1,000 words ranging from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
Current Affairs News Huang Aesthetics Writing Clear Money Word 1 Yuan and a half to 5 yuan.
Current affairs news, humorous sketches of new Shanghai scenery, thousands of words, 1, half to five yuan.
Current affairs news, movies and operas, Liu Huogong's film and television dramas, news comments and other words, thousands of words, 1, half to five yuan.
Time movie Deng Shugu, domestic and foreign silver news, star life, the most popular photos, thousands of words, from 2.5 yuan to 5 yuan.
People's Daily and Yao Sufeng's works of Spicy Society in People's Dialect from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
Morning News Morning News Xu Zelai's literary and artistic creation uses 1 to sketch social life in a thousand words in 5 yuan.
2 yuan to 5 yuan: A few thousand words.
Women and housewives in the morning paper; Discussion words and interesting records about women's families; Thousands of words range from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
The morning paper said that Tang Zengyang's thousand-character essay went from 2 yuan to 5 yuan.
The big evening paper is spicy, and Zhang Ruogu's spicy words are graceful.
(Note) Nowadays, readers' interest in supplementary periodicals has increased. Therefore, in addition to the daily fixed ones listed above, newspapers have also added special pages in turn, such as medicine, radio, amateur, automobile, domestic products, economy, savings, cigarette insurance, scientific world and times literature of morning newspapers, and so on.
The preferential treatment of Lu Xun in Shen Bao Free Talk
In those days, the remuneration paid to Lu Xun by Shen Bao Free Talk was a thousand words of 6 yuan. There is "Lu Xun Diary" as evidence. Looking up the complete works of Lu Xun, Lu Xun published "Defending the Escape" and "Watching the Fight" in June 5438+0933, both of which were thousands of words. Looking up Lu Xun's diary again, Lu Xun received 12 yuan's free talk fee on February 8, 933. Free talk is paid monthly and will be sent to the author early next month. In February this year, Lu Xun published an 8,000-word article in Free Talk, and received 48 yuan's payment on March 8th. Published 1 1 articles in March, and received 66 yuan on April 7th. Seven articles were published in June and received by 42 yuan on July 6th. From this, we can calculate the standard of Lu Xun's manuscript fee in Free Talk.
Not only "Free Talk" was given to Lu Xun and 6 yuan, but also to Modern magazine, which was still slightly lower. Lu Xun's Memories for Forgetting was published in modern times on April 1933, with a full text of 5,000 words and a manuscript fee of 30 yuan. Lu Xun's About Translation was published in Modern in September, with the words 1 100, and the manuscript fee was 5 yuan.
1935 and 1936, Lu Xun's manuscript fee is still around thousand words 6 yuan. For example, two essays, * * * 2900 words, six "The Scholars"-sold in seconds, and seven "The Scholars"-two injuries, were published in 1935, Volume 5, No.4, Literature, and the draft fee was 17.50 yuan. Another example is:1On February 24th, 936, Shenbao published A Record of the Soviet Printmaking Exhibition, with words of 1550, and the contribution fee was 10 yuan. This means that there are still 6 circles per thousand words.
Lu Xun won the Award for Excellence before his death 10 yuan, in thousands of words. Lu Xun's "My First Teacher" was published in the first issue of "Writer", with 4300 words, and the manuscript fee was 40 yuan. The second issue of the journal published "Customs of Going through Customs", with 3000 words, at the expense of 30 yuan. It can be seen that Meng, editor-in-chief of the magazine, gave special preferential treatment to Lu Xun. (quoted from Ni Lu Xun's remuneration and present remuneration 1996. )
Specific income records of news publishing industry
News: 1922 Li Haoran, the editor-in-chief of news, has a monthly salary of 200 silver dollars, and hired Xu Cangshui to preside over the economic news edition, with a monthly salary of 180 silver dollars. At that time, the monthly salary of the editor-in-chief reporter was about 100 silver. Gu Zhizhong, an old journalist, said in his memoir "Journalist's Career" that he joined Shanghai Times on 1923 as a reporter with a monthly salary of 80 silver dollars. By 1935, when he was the director of the news department, his monthly salary was 170 silver, and at the end of the year, he had double salary (that is, the salary of 13 months per year) and dividends.
Declaration: 1927 Chen, editor-in-chief of Shen Bao, earns 600 silver dollars a month and 200-300 silver dollars for other senior staff, with double salary and bonus for one month at the end of the year.
Ta Kung Pao: The monthly salary of editor-in-chief and general manager Hu is 400-500 silver dollars. 1927 When Xu Zhucheng entered Ta Kung Pao, he was still a student with a monthly salary of 30 silver dollars during the probation period. By 1938, his monthly salary had increased to 170 silver. According to Xu Zhucheng's memory, the monthly salary of senior editors was about 100 silver.
From these examples, we can see that in the 1920s and 1930s, the income of newspaper staff increased year by year, and Shenbao received the highest salary, but it was similar: the monthly salary of ordinary editors was 80- 100 silver dollars, while that of "famous mouths" like Xu Zhucheng and Gu Zhizhong was about 170 silver dollars. The monthly salary of senior staff is between 200 and 300 silver dollars, and one month's double salary and bonus will be given at the end of the year.
However, when Zhang, a publisher, worked as an editor in Taitung Bookstore in the early years of the Republic of China, he only got 20 yuan's salary a month, so he had to collect it on the counter several times.
191212 In February, when Zhang Yuzhen, Zhou Hengfu and Li Xinlian first came to the Commercial Press, their monthly salary during the probation period was 24 yuan, which was "increased after half a year". Even Shen Yanbing (later Mao Dun) received the same treatment when he first arrived at the Commercial Press from Peking University Preparatory School. Usually, it is officially hired after half a year of probation, and the starting salary is 30 silver yuan per month; After that, the practice is to increase 10 yen every year.
Other people with slightly higher qualifications have higher wages. 1965438+In June 2002, when he and Ling Gang arrived at the Commercial Press, their monthly salary was 60 yuan. In June 5438+10, Ling said that he would be a teacher with a monthly salary of 80 yuan. "For the sake of the family, you can't abandon it a lot." The museum agreed to raise wages next year (two months later), and the ability is still worthwhile. The starting salary of Yanglai Art Museum is 160 yuan per month.
1965438+In February, 2006, Shao Changguang was willing to leave politics to work in the Commercial Press, and the monthly salary was negotiated from 160 yuan to 200 yuan. Shao Peizhi arrived at the museum in March with a monthly salary of 180 yuan. In August, Ping went to the English Department to compile, with a monthly salary of 100 yuan.
1965438+In September 2006, Dr. Jiang Menglin, who studied in the United States from Jiang Menglin (that is, he later served as the president of Peking University after Cai Yuanpei), has not returned to China. After being introduced to the Commercial Press, 200 yuan was given a monthly salary at the beginning.
1965438+ Zhou yueran came to the museum in February 2009 with a monthly salary of 180 yuan. 65438+ 10 thanks 200 yuan with a fixed monthly salary. 192 1 year, Zhou was recommended by Hu Shi to the Commercial Press with a monthly salary of 60 yuan.
The Commercial Press praised Hu Shi's service (or part-time job). Zhang Yuanji1965438+On April 8, 2009, the diary of the commercial supervisor wrote: "Tober Heng Tuo Chen Xiaozhuang went to Hu Shizhi with a monthly salary of 300 yuan." Hu Shi politely declined the kindness of the Commercial Press and said that he would continue to work for Peking University.
1921September, after Chen Duxiu returned to Shanghai, the Commercial Press wanted to hire him as an honorary editor outside the library, and Shen Yanbing came forward to negotiate a monthly salary of 300 yuan.
1922, at first, Zhonghua Book Company gave Tian Han a monthly salary of 100 yuan (because Tian Han was qualified to study in Japan). Later, the editing fee for inviting Xu Zhimo to edit Literature Monthly was 200 yuan every month (because Xu Zhimo was qualified to study in Britain).
It can be seen that the economic benefits of publishing house staff vary greatly. Those with high academic qualifications (especially those who have returned from studying abroad and have a doctorate), strong working ability and deep qualifications have higher wages and lower general staff. There will be bonuses at the end of the year. The most important thing is that the salary is basically adjusted every year, and the salary increase is generally 10-20 silver dollars.
Wages of workers in the press and publishing industry
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, workers in the news publishing industry were treated badly. For example, among the founders of the Commercial Press, Xia Duanfang, Bao Xianen and Bao Xianchang are all printers.
Liao Weimin's "Economic Life of Printing Workers in Shanghai", published in New Youth, Volume 7, No.6, May Day Memorial 1920, lists the wages of printing workers in Shanghai and says:
There are monthly workers and contract workers. Monthly workers (hourly wages) are paid according to the monthly salary, all of which are below 15 yuan. Contract workers (piecework wages) are unpaid on rest days and when business is light, and their wages are even less.
On the basis of 1920, this paper analyzes dozens of Shanghai situations (including commerce, China, etc. ), the wages of printing workers are divided into three grades:
Leading 20 to 50 yuan; From 10 to 30 laps; Apprentice 1 Yuan to 10 yuan.
There are only two kinds of female workers: folding books and stapling books. Folding books: if the dress (that is, foreign paper) is folded by one page, 20 pieces per thousand pages; 50 articles per thousand pages for two pages; 70 articles per thousand pages, three pages; Four pages, 90 articles per thousand pages. This paper (that is, domestic papers) has 7 thousand pages and 9 thousand pages. Staples: This book contains 5 articles, and the dress is slightly higher. The fastest book folding can get more than ten yuan a month, the average can get 5-6 yuan a month, and beginners can only get 2-3 yuan a month.
1925, the employees of the Commercial Press went on strike for economic struggle and won. The General Affairs Office of the Commercial Press published the Measures for Salary Increase (see Chapter 3 of this book). At the same time, the entire publishing and printing industry generally raised wages.
1927, Shenbao established a trade union for the first time. The trade union came forward and agreed with Shi Bao, the boss of Shenbao, that the minimum wage for workers was 29 silver dollars per month, with a double salary one month before the Spring Festival and a certain bonus.
During the period of 1927, the economic income of Shanghai publishers increased, as Ge described in the sixth chapter of China Newspaper History:
There is a minister in the business department, who is purely a businessman and must be capable and good at accounting. The monthly salary is about 100 yuan.
Under it, there are people who specialize in advertising, delivering newspapers, retailers, cashiers, Chinese and foreign books, soliciting advertisements and printing. Their monthly salary is about 30 yuan per person.
The printing department is managed by a skilled mechanic or concurrently by the Minister of Commerce. Under them, there are typesetters, typewriters, typewriters and printers. Its plate-making staff are directly under it, each with a monthly salary of 10 yuan to 20 yuan, but one person must still be selected as the leader. I will supervise some affairs, with a monthly salary of around 40 yuan.
Those who make copper and zinc plates sometimes go out to take pictures, and the monthly salary is about thirty or forty yuan.
For reference, list the lowest income level of mental workers at that time:
According to the study of modern Shanghai cities, the average monthly salary of primary and secondary school teachers in Shanghai during 1927 was 4 1.9 yuan (about today's 1400 yuan), the monthly salary of Chinese and English typists was above 30 yuan, and the monthly salary of office secretaries was at least 50 yuan. /Home/