To Moncure D. Conway
16 April 1876 • Hartford, Conn.
(MS: NNC, UCCL 01323)
(SUPERSEDED)

Hartford, Apl. 16.

My Dear Conway:

Just as I feared, Tom Sawyer is not yet ready to issue. Would not be ready for 2 weeks or longer, yet. Therefore the spring trade is lost beyond redemption. Consequently I have told Bliss to issue in the autumn & make a Boy’s Holiday Book of it. Another thing that has moved me to this course is the fact that whereas the Sketch Book sold 20,000 copies the first 3 months, it has only sold 3,700 the second 3 (ending March 30.) This distinctly means that this is no time to adventure a new book. I am determined that Tom shall [outsell] any previous book of mine, & so I mean that he shall have every possible advantage.1

First publication in England cannot impair my American copyright (have telegraphed ‸ Spofford ‸ & made sure on that point;) therefore I have just wired cabled you: “Hickson, Smithfield, London: We delay publication till fall, but you may publish as soon as you choose.”2

Now as to electros: Bliss will furnish full set of plates, (pictures, letter press & all,) at $2 per [page. ]—say total of about $600. Or, he will furnish the pictures alone, at 25 cents per ‸inch‸ square. inch. Total, for picture-electros alone, $150 to $200. Write or telegraph me which you want & I will send them. It is possible that Chatto may see his best market in waiting till fall & issuing as a holiday book. But he may do as he prefers.3

Get the May Atlantic when it reaches London. You may be able to utilize Howells’s notice of Tom.4

In haste
Ys Ever

Samℓ. L. Clemens

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

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1 The delay suited Conway. He had requested a postponement in a letter that had not yet reached Clemens (CU-MARK):

UCLC32317

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For Conway’s telegram, see 25 Mar 76 to Conway and 9 Apr 76 to Conway, n. 1.

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2 Clemens’s cables as received by Conway and by Ainsworth R. Spofford, the librarian of Congress, have not been recovered. He did not receive Spofford’s definitive answer until 17 April (CU-MARK):

UCLC32323

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Since American copyright on Tom Sawyer had been entered on 21 July 1875, it was secure even though English publication (on 9 June 1876) preceded American publication (on 8 December). American copyright was not perfected until 2 January 1877, when the required two copies of Tom Sawyer were received in Spofford’s office (Johnson 1935, 29; TS 1980, 25; Lehr 1982, 1).

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3 The edition of Tom Sawyer that Chatto and Windus published on 9 June was unillustrated, the result of delay in transmission of the picture plates. For information on their later illustrated edition, see 4 July 76 to Conway, n. 2.

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4 See Reviews of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Description of Texts and Provenance

Copy-text:

MS, Conway Papers, NNC.

Previous publication: MTLP, 98.

Provenance: The Conway Papers were acquired by NNC sometime after Conway’s death in 1907.

Emendations and textual notes:

outsell • out-|sell

page. • [deletion implied]