The serialized novel *Helen* in *Ladies' Monthly* was like a small stone thrown into the lake of Lurendon, creating ripples that spread wide.
The first to notice were the printing factories.
As everyone knows, after the manuscript has been proofread by the editors, it is handed over to the typesetters for layout. Sometimes, these two roles overlap. After adjusting the fonts and confirming the layout, the printer operates the printing press, which is no simple task. At that time, people still used movable type printing, which required each letter to be placed individually. Only when a work's demand is so high that a second print run is needed is a lead plate casting used for printing.
Aside from the text, the most important part is the illustrations. The illustration department employed 150 women to hand-color the drawings, and this was one of the main reasons why *Ladies' Monthly* managed to quickly boost its sales in just six months. The magazine featured many illustrations, yet its price was only six pennies. Many other women's magazines were priced at one shilling.
Once printed, the pages were sent to the binding factory for assembly and then shipped to various locations that sold books. This was the full production process of *Ladies' Monthly*.
Given the wealth of the Duke of Berkeley, he had managed to streamline the entire production line, from the magazine office to the typesetters, printing factories, and binding houses, all of which were under the umbrella of his publishing company. He also owned several bookstores along Strand Street—one of the busiest streets in Lurendon.
As a result, his printing factory, in addition to printing *Ladies' Monthly* every month, also handled printing requests for other booksellers, giving him insight into the sales of other magazines.
In Lurendon, the best-selling magazine was *Cassell Magazine*, which published a variety of novels, complete with illustrations, and was priced at six pennies. Last month, it sold 70,000 copies. Among women's magazines, *Ladies' Home*, founded by Lady Archat, had the highest sales, with a peak of 40,000 copies, priced at two pennies. *Ladies' Gathering*, with its two-shilling price tag targeting the wealthiest readers, sold fewer than 10,000 copies.
Other women's magazines typically sold between 20,000 to 25,000 copies, with a price of one shilling, which, considering the price, was considered a decent amount of sales. *Workers' Friend* newspaper, priced at one penny, sold 100,000 copies.
The 15,000 copies of *Ladies' Monthly* sold last month might have been behind some others, but this month, things were very different.
The reason for the dramatic change was that the printing factory had received an order to print an additional 10,000 copies, and just a short time later, they were asked to print another 5,000 copies. Adding to the 15,000 copies already sold, a total of 30,000 copies of the magazine were printed this month.
What does 30,000 copies mean? It means that *Ladies' Monthly* had jumped from the bottom of the women's magazine sales pyramid to the mid-to-high tier, even possibly eyeing the top tier. If there were a sales chart for women's magazines, *Ladies' Monthly* would have already surpassed its competitors and claimed the top spot.
And this was only the first issue of *Helen*.
"Unbelievable!" At the editorial office, the male editor paced excitedly. Although the increase in sales seemed to have nothing to do with him personally, as a member of the magazine's staff, he naturally felt incredibly honored. "A mere 10,000 words, and it's directly doubled our sales. My goodness, where did all these new readers come from?"
He had thought that the previous sales had already exhausted their audience, after all, there weren't many women who could read and afford a six-penny magazine.
Lady Archat was busy opening reader letters, as the magazine had printed the editorial office's address, so all letters and gifts from readers were first delivered to the editors, who would review them before passing them on to the authors. This month, there had been quite a lot of letters, and most of them were addressed to *Helen*, as she had expected.
"Word of mouth," Lady Archat said mechanically, ripping open letters and scanning through them quickly. She then reached for another letter, carefully shaking it to ensure there were no sharp objects inside before opening it with a letter opener. "Many letters mention that neighbors and friends recommended it, and some subscribed through circulating libraries. There were too many people borrowing it; one copy was not enough."
She waved the letter opener. "In short, *Helen* has really sparked a lot of curiosity among our readers, and they're eager to enthusiastically recommend it to their friends."
"Quite magical," the male editor commented, dodging the sharp letter opener while secretly feeling pleased. "I bet the people at *Ladies' Magazine* are furious. They've always secretly competed with us, mocking us for running a losing business. Well, now look at us—30,000 copies. They'll never sell that many, not in their wildest dreams."
He sighed in awe. "I just didn't expect *Helen* to be so popular. To be honest, when I first read it, I thought it was interesting, but how did we get here? What's its secret?"
"How should I put it..." Lucy thought for a moment. "When I'm really angry, I just want to share it with my friends, especially when I'm very, very angry. If I meet someone on the street, I want to tell them. Of course," Lucy raised her hands in response to Lady Archat's disapproving look, "I'm just imagining it."
The male editor, however, was no longer paying attention to Lucy. He was astonished by the large pile of letters for *Helen* in front of Lady Archat and the few letters addressed to other works. He gestured at the pile and muttered, "All of these... are for *Helen*?"
He nearly gasped in disbelief. "I mean, the postage is expensive. Even if we receive a lot of letters, I doubt they would amount to this many."
The pile of letters for *Helen* was packed into a paper bag, sealed with wax, and sent by carriage to St. James's Club. There, a servant placed it in a special cabinet, awaiting the butler to retrieve it and pass it to the "lady's maid," a servant who would deliver it to Elena.
When the maid finally arrived, having passed through many hands, it was already Thursday afternoon.
The "Free Spirits" gathered in the banquet hall. To be honest, Elena despised these gatherings. When she was alone in her room without mirrors, she could still feel like herself. But once surrounded by her peers, she had to face the monstrous reality of her existence.
Many of her peers shared her feelings, and most of them preferred to stay hidden. Aside from necessary classes, she rarely saw other "Free Spirits" in the halls and public spaces. If she did, they would quickly vanish. Therefore, in the month she had been here, aside from Vera and the Duke, she had not met a third vampire, excluding the servants.
Even the paper doll outfits were designed by Elena and handed over to the maid for distribution. Sometimes, she worried about whether this routine would eventually drive her mad—after all, there was no internet here to keep her entertained.
"Here," Vera spotted her and waved for her to come over.
Elena hurried through the crowd of Free Spirits and arrived at Vera's side. "Looks like everyone is here today."
Vera looked up, surprised at the crowd gathered in the hall. "Because we all heard... *Ladies' Monthly* has been selling really well? It seems like a lot of people are seeing hope."
Elena, of course, knew about *Ladies' Monthly*'s sales. The Duke had written her a letter with the good news, and indeed, she needed a good piece of news.
"Not bad," Elena replied modestly. "It's the first time anyone has seen a novel like this. I think it's new and fresh for everyone."
"I really hope you succeed," Vera said, clasping her hands tightly. She had drawn two outfits for the paper dolls as well. "I can't draw, but maybe you can... maybe you can carve out a new path. I mean, maybe you can."
Elena understood. She, too, wished for a return to a normal life.
As the others whispered among themselves, the maid arrived with the paper bag of letters, finding Elena amidst the Free Spirits. "Lady, you have mail."
Vera, astonished, looked at the bag and exclaimed, "So many letters! The postage must not have been cheap!"
Elena took the heavy bag and decided to wait until the meeting was over to open the letters.
After the regular meeting, she was about to seek out the Duke when a "Free Spirit" in a dress stopped her.
"Excuse me," the Free Spirit hesitated, bowing. "I heard about your paper dolls... are you still looking for help?"
"Of course," Elena exchanged a glance with Vera. "I'm glad you're joining us."
The Duke's recognition had certainly proven useful.