回答一位海外华人学者的问题，发现真是不好解释中国的出版现象。涉及到问我想不想去大学教点书，我赶紧退避三舍，咱不是博士，不想大学的事，不能为了教书而在高龄上去混博士学位呵呵。

   Hi,thanks for your kind letter! I'm glad that  you  will come and work for two years here.Aside from the academic part of it, you will find your China experience very helpful to your writing career!

    And thanks for your kind consideration regarding my teaching interest. I like to teach a little bit indeed. But I know I have no teaching experience,nor higher academic degree(I'm simply an MA, although it took three years to earn an MA in China instead of 1 year as in the UK).That's why I never tried to get a position in a university where a PhD degree is always required.If a PhD is a prerequisite,I think I'm doomed not to have anything to do with universities except as a "visiting fellow" or visiting something! It's too late for me to study for a PhD degree.So don't take my interest too seriously.But my thanks are all the same.bbb

    写传记的事，千字一百元是目前大陆比较普遍的稿酬，而且是一次性买断几年。一定问清楚是几年，一般5年比较合理。5年后他不再版，就可以给别人再版了。但决不应是永久版权，也不包括大陆外的中文版权，更不包括外文版权。我还没签合同，还不知道具体情况。今年我估计要到秋天才能写，所以没急于要合同。大陆的稿酬普遍低，但学者们大多有工作和工资，所以也不太在意。另外，他们可以把书里的内容摘发在各种报纸和杂志中再拿稿酬。一般来说，报刊摘发后的稿酬要等于一本书的全部稿酬。