Creator
John Muir
Recipient
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Transcription
449850 Madison Avenue[cihm?] New York CityJune 25, 1911Houghton Mifflin CompanyBoston, Mass.Dear Sirs: I like the looks of My First Summer" very much & thank you for the pains you have taken to make a book out of material so common.I also thank you for the doz. copies you have placed at my disposal for distribution among my friends. Will you kindly send them to the following list with my compliments.
2I have been reading over the M. S. of my autobiography making corrections and a few changes.Years ago in reply to publishers letters I promised to allow several of the best publishers to read it before signing any contract.I now regret having placed myself under these obligations, for I think that an author should select his publisher on more general grounds than a slight difference in royalty.I have not mentioned your proposed terms however to my other publisher.3
3Mr Scaife told me as I was leaving Boston that your proposal was to pay me a royalty of fifteen per cent. on the retail price, increasing to twenty after the sale of ten thousand copies. I can't accept the ten thousand copies clause But if you will change the terms to twenty per cent on all copies sold I shall send you a corrected copy of the M. S. and sign the contract without further delay. Anyhow, whatever13
4luck this first volume of my life story may have I shall remainFaithfully yoursJohn MuirP. S. As to the magazine rights, Mr Scaife told me that he thought the Atlantic and Youths Companion would perhaps pay about $750. This price seems far too small. I think it should be at least $1000.J. M.
Location
New York
Date Original
1911 Jun 25
Source
Original letter dimensions unknown.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to Houghton Mifflin Co., 1911 Jun 25." (1911). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 6114.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/6114
Resource Identifier
muir20_0401-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 20, Image 0401
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
Owning Institution
The Houghton Library, Harvard University. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
