Description:

Samuel Clemens Prevents a "Cheap Tom Sawyer" from Being Published, Superb Content

1p, measuring 8.25" x 11", Detroit, dated July 30, 1907. A typed letter signed, addressed to Samuel Clemens, with a handwritten note at the lower margin by Clemens. With flattened mail folds, edge toning, and minor soiling. Archive tape in places on verso. Slight smudging to some text. Clemens, better known by his pen name "Mark Twain", responds to a typed letter from W.J. Phelps, Vice President of the Phelps Company, which had recommended that Clemens release a number of his novels in paperback versions. Phelps had inquired "What good does it do to have them in the public library? It costs on the average 20c street car fare to go to the library, and a man should be able to buy Tom Sawyer in paper covers on any new-stand for that much. Your cup of satisfaction ought to be nearly overflowing, but it seems to me not quite, until you can have as many readers as Mr. Hearst's papers…"

In his responding note, Clemens opposes Phelps' idea, believing that no publisher would support it. Reading in full: "a conversation with nearly any publisher would prob concur here that no person who is not a pub can teach a pub anything valuable about his trade or can furnish him an idea about it which is new & has not been prayerfully examined personally. It would take me too long to write out an explanation of why there is not a cheap Tom Sawyer, but if he will consult a publisher the publisher will be able to furnish the explanation by word of mouth at small cost in the matter of time."

Samuel L. Clemens, better known to the world as Mark Twain, published one of his most famous works, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", in 1876. In the past, Clemens had himself pushed publishers to print paperback editions of his books but was met with minimal interest. For example, following the publication of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog" in Canada (Ca. 1870), he realized that while the Canadian paperback sold for 10 cents, the American edition sold for a dollar, and he immediately tried to interest his American publishers in a printing a cheap edition. And in 1891 he expressed his wish to published an inexpensive edition of "Connecticut Yankee" that would be available to the working classes. Clearly, by the time he received this letter, a disheartened Clemens had tired of the fight with publishers over the issue. It appears that the first edition of a paperback version of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" would not be published until 1962.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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