The Life and Death

of a Lesbian Novel

BY THEODORA

THE MANUSCRIPT WAS FINISHED AND TYPED AND SENT OFF TO AN AGENT BY THE FIRST OF JULY, 1959. THIS WAS LIKE SENDING IT INTO A BOTTOMLESS PIT, AND ABOUT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT MUST BE GONE FOREVER, AROUND THE FIRST OF OCTOBER, CAME THE GOOD NEWS. A HARDBACK PUBLISHER WAS CONSIDERING PUBLISHING MY BOOK. TRUE, IT WAS ONE OF THE SMALLER HOUSES, STRUGGLING AND NOT VERY OLD, BUT LEGITIMATE AND REPUTABLE. TO SAY I WAS HAPPY IS INADEQUATE. THEN SILENCE. NO NEWS UNTIL EARLY SPRING, 1960.

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"THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DELAYS," CAME THE WORD. THEN IN LATE SPRING, THE FINAL NEWS NO SALE, BOOK REFUSED. MY AGENT SAID, " AIT A WHILE. I'LL TRY OTHER HOUSES. BOOKS OFTEN KICK AROUND FOR YEARS BEFORE FINDING THE RIGHT PUBLISHER,"

THEN HE WROTE TO ME LESS THAN A MONTH LATER. "I'VE HAD AN OFFER FROM ONE OF THE WORST PAPERBACK HOUSES. THEY'LL DO THE BOOK, BUT WANT CARTE BLANCHE ON REWRITING IT FIRST, AND THEIR CONTRACT IS VERY POOR. YOU'LL HAVE TO SELL YOUR RIGHTS TO THE BOOK COMPLETELY."

WROTE BACK AND ASKED, "WHAT KIND OF REWRITING?"

"NOT MUCH," WAS THE REPLY. JUST A LITTLE EDITORIAL CHANGE. BUT IF I WERE YOU, I'D HOLD OFF FOR A BETT R DEAL. THIS BOOK CAN DO

BETTER THAN THIS PUBLISHER."

I WROTE BACK THE SAME DAY. "NO! GO AHEAD AND SELL IT. I'LL SIGN THE CONTRACT."

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF SEPTEMBER, 1960, I FOUND MY BOOK ON A LOCAL NEWSSTAND. IT HAD A HIDEOUS COVER (I HAD EXPECTED THAT) AND A FOOLISH AUTHOR'S NAME WHICH I HAD AGREED TO USE, AND A TITLE TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE STORY AND UTTERLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE

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