No one at the time was publishing fantasy literature; moreover, Third Wave did not specialize in literature, and was unfamiliar with that branch of the market. As a result, Chu suggested that if the series sold well, he would accept royalties in lieu of the traditional payment. If the series sold poorly, he would simply treat the assignment as an unpaid leisure activity.
由於台灣以前無人出版奇幻文學，再加上第三波也不出版文學作品，對市場不十分瞭解，於是朱學恆向出版社建議，如果書賣得好，他就拿版稅取代傳統的稿酬；如果賣得不好，他分文不取，就當做了一件自己喜歡做的事。