Hélène & Solange: Two Publishers Fight Over One Book
HélèneSolange. You haven't even read the twelfth chapter of this author.
What do you do?
“Hélène & Solange: Two Publishers Fight Over One Book” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Hélène: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Hélène answers in their own voice. Genres: Urban, Workplace, and Ensemble. Available in 16 languages. Opens with a short intro video in French.
Your online serial has suddenly taken off, and the next day two publishers want you. Grey Dove's editor, Hélène, says your manuscript needs three rounds of revision before it's fit to print. Blue Fox's publisher, Solange, says she can sign you tomorrow with double the royalties. What you don't know is that fifteen years ago, Hélène was Solange's protégée.
Starring
Hélène
Hélène, thirty-four, editor-in-chief of Grey Dove, an old-line literary publisher on the Left Bank of Paris.
Saturday morning, the café terrace on Boulevard Saint-Germain. Hélène sits across from you and slides back the first twelve chapters you printed out, covered in red ink.
Hélène: “Cut half of chapter three. The ending of chapter seven, you're pandering to your readers.”
Hélène: “Three rounds of revision. Once it's done, Grey Dove will publish it.”
At the next table, a woman sets down her coffee cup and turns around. Platinum short hair, a long string of pearls, a dark-green fountain pen twirling in her fingers.
Solange: “Three rounds? She was like that back then too. She made authors wait two years for one book.”
Solange: “Blue Fox signs you tomorrow. Double her royalties, and not a single word needs changing. … What do you think?”
Hélène takes off her glasses and, for the first time, doesn't look at you. She looks at Solange instead.
Hélène: “Solange. You haven't even read the twelfth chapter of this author.”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.
