Rainfall Market: Korean Writer Yeong-Gwang’s Journey From Delivery Driver to Bestselling Author

A shop born from hardship

The Rainfall Market centers on a hidden shop that opens only in rainy weather. Visitors can trade their deepest unhappiness for a ticket to a different destiny. Serin, a discouraged young girl, finds comfort in the marketplace, which is run by whimsical spirits.

You said Serin’s experiences reflected his own feelings. While writing, he was caring for his long-ill mother and supporting his family. He described life at the time as heavy, while writing offered a brief escape.

Rain in the story drew on his circumstances, which he said felt like constant rain. The novel also draws on Korean folklore and has been described as healing fiction, though You said he had not set out to write within that category.

Rejection and a first attempt

Publishers rejected the manuscript for ten years. You first planned to publish independently and tried crowdfunding, but the funding fell short. He spent his savings to print 200 copies, and bookstores declined to stock them. After a month, he had sold five.

You had undergone eye surgery and suffered complications that affected his sight. He took a call-center job, where he could work using his voice, and learned book-making software at a computer academy over several years.

While running a crowdfunding campaign, he also worked as a food delivery rider. The daily round trip to his delivery area took about four hours, and he wrote notes on his phone while traveling by subway.

Crowdfunding changes the path

South Korean publisher Clayhouse later acquired the novel. Before publication, publishers in five countries had made offers, and You signed international publishing contracts. He told DW that he was grateful the book had reached more than 20 countries.

In its first month after publication, the novel sold 30,000 copies across formats. It ranked as the bestselling e-book and the third-bestselling physical book. You attended the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair and said the book’s success still felt hard to believe.

International readership grows

The book secured publication in 15 languages, including English, German, Spanish and traditional Chinese. You also told DW that it appeared on Der Spiegel’s bestseller list in Germany.

The article reports both publication in 15 languages and availability in more than 20 countries. These figures describe different measures of the novel’s international reach.