Apl. 7/82.
My Dear Osgood—
‸1.‸ I have always issued, after a prodigiously long canvass, as follows: Roughing It, 43,000; Gilded Age, 43,000; Tramp Abroad, 48,000.
‸2.‸ In the first quarter after issuing, we sold, of each, 10,000 to 20,000, say.
‸3.‸ In the second quarter after issuing, sales dropped down to where the “old” books were.
Doesn’t this simply mean that the sale marked “2” consists mainly of a tumbling of the books into the trade, by General Agents & canvassers?—& that the effect of it is observable in “3?”
Yes, sir, I think a subscription book has just two lives: One drawn from the public before issuing; & one from the trade, after.
I seem to know, now
Ys Truly
S L Clemens
[written vertically to the left of the signature:]‸I have written the Introduction to the Portuguese Phrase Book.‸
[written horizontally below the signature:]Did you send some brass stamp patterns whose cost you already know, to Webster to duplicate for experiment. Said you would.
[in pencil, on a separate piece of paper:]
P. S.—$1500 or $1600 is steep for an author who is already deep in 2 expensive law suits. Tell you what I will do. You sacrifice yourself for your guild, & I will for mine: You pay ⅓ of this trade-mark exploit & I will pay the other [⅔. How’s] that?
Ys
S L Clemens
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