I'D GIVEN IT. THESE WEREN'T WUCH, THOUGH, I THOUGHT. BUT THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. INSIDE THE BOOK WAS AN INTERESTING BIOGRAPHY OF MY LIFE WHOLLY UNRELATED TO THE TRUTH. THIS WAS OKAY,

FOR I HAD WANTED TO BE ANONYMOUS. BUT WHY SUCH BIG POINTLESS LIES?

STILL I SHRUGGED AT THIS DECEPTION AND SETTLED DOWN TO READ MY BOOK. BY THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER | REALIZED THAT THOSE LITTLE EDITORIAL CHANGES WERE PRETTY BIG INDEED, AND BY THE TIME I HAD FINISHED THE BOOK I WAS PRETTY SICK. "THOSE CHANGES” AMOUNTED TO ALMOST COMPLETELY REWRITING A SORT OF HAPPY SLICKENING OF THE TEXT, A GENERAL DEMORALIZATION OF ALL THE MAIN CHARACTERS, A FEW FACTUAL CHANGES, MINOR DELETIONS (ABOUT 1/3 OF THE BOOK) AND VARIOUS OTHER COMFORTING REVISIONS.

WHEN I PERSONALLY BEGAN TO RECOVER FROM THE SHOCK, MY FRIENDS' AND CRITICS' SHOCKED REACTIONS BEGAN COMING IN. "HOW COULD YOU?" THEY ALL CRIED, OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. AND THE OTHER APPROACH, "CHEER UP, OLD GIRL. IT ISN'T QUITE THAT

BAD.

DON'T KILL YOURSELF. DON'T KILL YOURSELF.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, ❘ PREFER THE FIRST REACTION.

NOW HOW TO PROTEST? AFTER ALL, I WROTE IT, I SOLD IT, AND PERHAPS MOST FOOLISHLY, I ADMITTED WRITING IT. NATURALLY IF I HAD TO DO THIS ALL AGAIN, I WOULD NOT SELL TO THE COMPANY AT ALL. I'M WRITING THIS FOR THE LADDER BECAUSE I HOPE THOSE OTHERS AMONG YOU, LIKE MYSELF, WHO HOPE TO WRITE PROFESSIONALLY AND PERHAPS FURTHER OUR GENERAL CAUSE, CAN PROFIT FROM MY SAD EXPERIENCE AND HAVE BETTER FORTUNE.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED RULES TO FOLLOW:

1. TRUST YOUR AGENT; HE KNOWS MORE THAN YOU DO ABOUT HIS

BUSINESS.

2. STAY SHY OF THE PAPERBACK HOUSES, PARTICULARLY THE POORER QUALITY ONES. (THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY OF THE FAWCETT LINES; THEY ARE TRUSTWORTHY.)

3.

BE PATIENT. BE WILLING TO WAIT TO BE PUBLISHED.

4. DON'T SIGN UNREASONABLY STRICT CONTRACTS NOR SIGN AWAY ALL YOUR RIGHTS TO YOUR WORK, IF YOU CAN POSSIBLY AVOID IT.

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