After nearly a hundred photos, it was finally over.
"You've got a really solid foundation. You might even consider getting into film or something like that," Homan said, praising Catherine.
"You're very expressive— you'd be perfect as a model," he added, then turned to Ida.
"This is my business card. If you ever get the chance, I'd love to do a proper shoot with you. I can pay you and give you copies."
He handed a card to Catherine.
"Thank you."
Homan owned a lot of clothing, all of it glamorous and stylish. Even though Catherine was underage, many of the pieces suited her well. After finishing the conversation with Catherine, he walked over and handed a card to Ida as well.
"Kate, if you have time, let's go together sometime," Ida said excitedly.
"Alright," Catherine replied.
Seeing how enthusiastic Ida was, Catherine couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"Okay, you can come pick it up next week," Homan said, setting his camera aside.
"How's your fashion design company coming along? I heard you're looking for an agent. I think I could help."
The group exchanged confused looks.
To be honest, they had completely forgotten about that part during the photoshoot and hadn't given it any thought at all.
"I'll invest fifty thousand dollars," Catherine said, laying out her proposal.
"Lisa and Jenny will handle fashion design for now. Ida and I can model, and Lily will be the photographer."
"That's a pretty good combination," Homan nodded, clearly thinking it over.
"Maybe my photography studio could be part of the investment as well?"
Joining a company run by a group of high school students sounded absurd, but Homan didn't seem to mind.
"How would the shares be divided?"
"In my opinion, we should do it like this…"
Catherine invested $50,000 and also worked as a model for the fashion company, taking a 35% stake. At the time, fifty thousand dollars was a huge sum—worth more than ten times its present-day purchasing power.
Homan would effectively act as the company's CEO, overseeing daily operations. In addition, by leasing his photography studio to the company, he would hold a 30% share.
Lisa would serve as head designer with 15% of the shares, Lily would take 10%, and Jenny and Ida would each receive 5%.
"So what should we call the company?"
This was a very important question.
Never underestimate the importance of a company name—it can determine everything at critical moments. A catchy name spreads easily. Who would remember something dull or complicated?
"So what should we name it?"
"Let's settle all the preliminary details first and think about the name later," someone suggested.
"No rush. Lisa, use this time to design more clothes. Jenny can help too."
"Maybe we can hire more designers down the line."
"For now, let's leave it at that. We'll think about the company name, sales channels once we're established, and how to build our brand…"
"I think as long as Ida and Kate are walking down the street, all our problems will solve themselves. That's the best selling point."
"Uh… I have to get to my SAB class. See you tomorrow…"
As the saying goes, three women can sound like three thousand ducks, and Catherine finally experienced that firsthand. Fortunately, most of their suggestions were useful—except for the last one, which made Catherine decide to slip away early.
It was just past noon, and there was still some time before class. Naturally, Catherine didn't go straight to school. She decided to head home first, hoping her parents might have some good ideas. But as soon as she got home, Emma handed her a letter.
"Kate, you've got a letter. It's from the publisher."
Kate opened it.
The letter stated that the editors believed Catherine's books had strong series potential and wanted to acquire the rights to future installments to create a cohesive franchise. They even offered royalties of up to 15%.
Hmm… another letter revealing her earnings?
Catherine glanced at the signature: Robert.
This young and seemingly naïve man actually showed some experience—he knew to send a letter instead of contacting her directly, yet still revealed the company's financial figures.
The Harry Potter series was undoubtedly a long-term project, but sales had remained steadily strong. Including both hardcover and paperback editions, it had already earned Catherine $10,000 in royalties, bringing total revenue to $60,000—about $50,000 after taxes.
But why was a paperback publisher so interested in her novel? Catherine began to analyze the situation.
Initially, The Lord of the Rings had sold reasonably well in the U.S. market, but its $15 hardcover price was unaffordable for most people. Although paperbacks had become popular after World War II, Tolkien showed little interest in cheap paperback or serialized formats.
When Ace Publishing contacted him about releasing a paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings, they received no response. Ace went ahead and printed a paperback version without the consent of Tolkien or his publisher, paying no royalties—a classic case of piracy.
Furious, Tolkien quickly authorized Ballantine Publishing to release an official paperback edition in the United States. However, because pirated copies already dominated the market, the official version initially sold worse than the illegal ones. Tolkien personally intervened again, writing to American readers to warn them that Ace's edition was unauthorized and urging them to inform others. The response was immediate and dramatic: readers refused to buy Ace's version and even demanded bookstores remove it from their shelves. In the end, Ace Publishing paid Tolkien substantial royalties and agreed not to reprint the book after it sold out.
This copyright battle dragged on, but amid the controversy, paperback sales of The Lord of the Rings skyrocketed. The book climbed bestseller lists and quickly became a sensation on college campuses.
It was now 1960. The Lord of the Rings remained widely pirated in the U.S. until 1965, when Ballantine officially released a paperback edition. While a hardcover version existed, there was no legitimate paperback at the time, and Ace's piracy was only just beginning.
As a result, Catherine's Harry Potter filled a gap in the fantasy market—at least in the publisher's eyes. Her book had already sold over 5,000 copies by October 9, just one week after release. More importantly, sales showed a slow but steady increase rather than a decline.
Catherine had chosen a paperback publisher whose scale and commercial insight were undeniable.
Their interest in Harry Potter was likely an attempt to counter The Lord of the Rings piracy while expanding the influence of Paperback Publishing Company.
After all, everyone wants to secure their position and move toward a monopoly, and diversification seemed to be Paperback's strategy.
They therefore decided to seize the opportunity and prepare to publish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on December 25, 1960.
Once both books were on the market, Harry Potter would have a significant advantage.
Paperback Publishing Company recognized this, which was why they offered Catherine such a high royalty rate.
Of course, Catherine also made a few minor adjustments to Harry Potter, relocating the setting from London to New York City. Immersion mattered—especially with such an exciting release approaching.