THIS LETTER,
DATED 15th JUNE 1949, IS FROM ENID BLYTON TO CAPTAIN W. E. JOHNS –
(PROBABLY THE
TWO MOST SUCCESSFUL CHILDRENS AUTHORS OF THE 1950s AND 1960s)
IT MAKES
INTERESTING READING AS BLYTON GIVES JOHNS SOME SOUND BUSINESS ADVICE.
JOHNS WAS
CONTEMPLATING DOING AN “EXCLUSIVE” DEAL WITH “LATIMER PUBLISHING”
WHEREBY THEY
WOULD PRODUCE A BOOK SOLELY FOR “MARKS AND SPENCER” AND PUBLISH IT UNDER
THE “MARKS AND
SPENCER” NAME. JOHNS’
LITERARY AGENT, PETER WATT, SUGGESTED TO JOHNS THAT HE
SHOULD WRITE TO
ENID BLYTON “AS HE KNEW HER” TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANY EFFECT ON HER BOOKS SALES
BY TAKING SUCH
A COURSE OF ACTION, WHEN SHE DID A SIMILAR THING. THIS IS HER REPLY……
TO THE SIDE OF THE HANDWRITTEN
LETTER IS A TYPED TRANSCRIPT FOR EASE OF REFERENCE
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JUNE 15.49 Dear Bill, How nice to get a letter from you again! But don’t send me tantalising snaps like
that, I just can’t bear it. What a
wonderful way of getting ideas – just fishing and thinking! Gosh, no wonder you write first-rate
books. Did you see that you & I
were next to each other (once more) in popularity in a library poll? About M. & S I have done an “exclusive” book for Boots, also, as you know, an “exclusive” book for M. & S. & have already
done a second, & am seeing yet another publisher tomorrow about some M.
& S. books for younger children.
(This is all in confidence of course). I always
insist on a royalty. I |
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cannot bear losing control
over any of my books. If you don’t
have a royalty, but are paid a sum down, be sure it’s only for a certain
number of books, say 50,000. Any other
or further editions should be the subject of another contract & another
pay-ment.
You have to be very, very careful of M & S. They are after your name & they should
pay well for it. The attitude I take
up is this-: I want my books to get to
the poorest child as well as to the richest – but I want even M. & S.
books to be as well produced as possible.
I feel I am opening up a new market in the book-world when my books
enter their kind of shop – almost creating a new race of book-readers, which
should have a favourable repercussion on the book-sellers in general. I also tell M. & S. that I care more for
my name & reputation than I care for their money, & if they don’t
meet my wishes I’ll not do the books they want! Of course, I have no agent & never have
had, so I can afford to say these things.
An agent has to |
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earn his commission
& he daren’t say this. But be sure
you get decent book production. You
should be safe enough with Latimer House.
Gibbs is a decent fellow. Don’t
accept too low terms – your books should sell extraordinarily well in M.
& S. & they will make a lot of money out of it. Now about
repercussions on the book-trade. Yes,
there are plenty or will be plenty.
You’ll be reviled at all the booksellers
conferences & there will be letters about you in the trade journals. There will be threats of boycotting your
books & all kinds of wailings & gnashing of teeth. Take no notice. I don’t care tuppence myself – I say that
the booksellers have made fortunes out of my books & will continue to do
so - & if I want to do an exclusive book, which means that the individual
bookseller may have to forego a few pounds profit because he |
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can’t handle it,
well surely he can put up with that!
Your books & mine sell themselves!
Booksellers have no need to push them.
They go out as soon as they come in. I am sure my books have not been boycotted – booksellers are a
foolish lot but not quite so foolish as to cut off their noses to spite their
face. Anyway, I’m big enough now to do
what I like & so are you. I will
not be dictated to by either bookseller or publisher. I know my job - & if I give the
children what they love that’s all I care.
They are my only dictations: So
my advice to you is, accept the offer if it’s a good one & go ahead. It’s your
own business & no one else’s & what do you care about booksellers revilings? The great body of them won’t mind a
bit. For myself, I’d be delighted to
know we are again sharing a publisher, & if I can give you any more
information I’ll be very pleased. No, we haven’t been to France yet! We’re off to The Grand Hotel, Swanage,
Dorset, on Friday for a month. Plus
golf clubs & bridge cards but not fishing rods! Do let me know if you accept M. & S.’s
offer. I hope you do. Good luck to you & kind regards. Yours sincerely, Enid Blyton |
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IN DUE COURSE
JOHNS ACCEPTED THE ADVICE AND
WAS PUBLISHED
BY “MARKS AND SPENCER” IN MAY 1950 |
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RETURN TO THE MAIN W.E. JOHNS PAGE