January 24 Tuesday – In Florence, Italy Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

I sent the notes yesterday.

A friend of ours who is intimate with Alden says he was aggravated because he did not get the £1000000 Story; so I stopped my work a day or two ago to see if I could write something that would meet his views. However I’ll not send the article now yet awhile.

Sam suggested he publish PW through the American Publishing Co. (and also wrote this in his notebook NB 32 TS 56), though Livy feared it might damage Webster & Co. to go through another publisher.

If the A.P. Co. still have their subscription machinery I should like to try, for there is no money for a book of mine (or anybody else’s for that matter) in the “trade.”

It may be that I have spoiled my subscription chances by issuing cheap books, but if that is not the case, I would like to pocket $30,000 again on a book as I used to do. And I don’t a bit like “serial” publishing.

If you think favorably of my idea, I will come over in March or April and examine into the thing with a view to issuing the book next December [MTLTP 322-3]. Note: see Mar. 10 for Hall’s reply.