No more cutting on Citizen-it's a tight story, more can't be taken out. Miss Dalgliesh wants one very small cut, about organized religion.
May 17, 1957: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
Thanks for the suggestion about submitting plots for approval to Miss Dalgliesh, but we tried that once or twice and it just caused trouble; she approved the plots in outline but not when she saw the story, even though I had stuck to the plot line. This caused the biggest hassles I've had with her, over Red Planet...which has merely turned out to be her biggest seller of the list, even though I refused all of the changes she wanted where they differed from the approved plot. No, if I ever submit to her another story, it will be sight unseen till then and take it or leave it. I know I have not made clear why two changes, admittedly easy and unimportant, threw me into a spin and lost me ten days working time, cum much anguish. I don't know that I can explain it, but it is true. Part of the reason lies in that Chicago lecture of mine you read recently: [Mark Reinsberg arranged this as a seminar of four lectures, which were published as The Science Fiction Novel by Advent Publishers]. I necessarily write science fiction by one theory, the theory of extrapolation and change-but once it reaches the editor (in this case) it is tested by an older theory, the notion that this our culture is essentially perfect and I must not tinker with any part of it which is dear to any possible critic who may see the story. These things have now added up to the point where I feel unable to continue. I may write another. I don't know yet. I can't until some of the depression wears off. But I don't know how to tell her that I probably won't deliver the story she is expecting-I've tried six or eight times, wasted many days, and all the ways I can express it either sound rude or inadequate. I know this sounds silly, but it is true.
HAVE SPACE SUIT-WILL TRAVEL
November 8, 1957: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
Here are three copies of my new novel for Scribner's Have Space Suit-Will Travel. They are intended (I hope) for trade book, American serial, and British serial.
November 19, 1957: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Have Space Suit-Will Travel is a fine story...enjoyed all of it.
December 6, 1957: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein Scribner's enthusiastic about the book.
CHAPTER IV
THE LAST OF THE JUVENILES
STARSHIP TROOPERS
November 22, 1958: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
I finished a draft of a novel, working title Sky Soldier, at 5:20 this morning; I will start patching its solecisms and such on Monday. It won't have to be cut other than for dramatic reasons, as the draft runs about 60,000 words-proving that I can write a novel without forcing the publisher either to jack up the price or use smaller type...a point on which you may have entertained legitimate doubts.
You will receive the ms. some time after the first of the year; my typist will do it during her Christmas vacation. Miss Dalgliesh has inquired as to whether I intended to submit a book; I have admitted that I have-but I have not admitted that it has been written. I don't want her to see this until the last possible moment (I have
94 given her only the title and theme: a boy serving his military service in the future). I want to give her the least possible time to have nervous-Nellie second thoughts about it...because I am not going to change it to suit her.
January 10, 1959: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
Earlier today we mailed you two copies of Starship Soldier...since I anticipate that [Dalgliesh] is not going to like parts of this book, I might as well get the row over with...It is not a juvenile; it is an adult novel about an eighteen-year-old boy. I have so written it, omitting all cleavage and bed games, such that Miss Dal-gliesh can offer it in the same list in which she has my other books, but nevertheless it is not a juvenile adventure story. Instead I have followed my own theory that intelligent youngsters are in fact more interested in weighty matters than their parents usually are.
January 21, 1959: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Star ship Soldier enjoyed. Except that there were places where action stopped and author went in for lecturing.
EDITOR'S NOTE Starship Soldier, later Starship Troopers, was turned down by the entire Scribner's editorial board.
Lurton called and advised me; Robert was still asleep. I had to tell him.
As a matter of fact, Lurton was certain that he could place the book with another publisher. Walter Minton, president of G. P. Putnam 's Sons, later said that one of his editors told him that there was a Heinlein juvenile available. Walter instructed the editor, ' 'Grab it."
Miss Dalgliesh made the following suggestions about the book:
1. use it only as an adult serial
2. sell it elsewhere
3. put it away for a while
The Scribner's connection had ended; with it, the annual quarrels over what was suitable for juvenile reading. After Starship Troopers was published, Robert wrote only one more juvenile-Podkayne of Mars.
February 19, 1959: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
...I think I have handed you a less salable item than most in this ms. and I will be happy indeed to place it with Mills [Robert P., editor of F&SF magazine] and with any major trade book house-for which purpose I am willing to rewrite, revise, cut, or expand to any extent necessary. From a story standpoint, I am now convinced that this is not my best work; I intend to sweat and make it so. (But, privately to you, revision will be literary revision; I will not let even the ghost of Horace Greeley order me to revise my ideas to fit popular prejudice-I'll hike up the story but the ideas will remain intact.) "Ep-pur si muove!" I stand by my heresies. But I have no intention of saying this to an editor quite so bluntly; I'll simply improve the story as story until he will pass it.
March 23, 1959: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
Now to the piece de resistance, the Putnam contract for Starship Soldier:
First, my very warmest thanks to you for your unsparing efforts on this ms. I know that you thought it was weak (and so do I...and I intend to try to repair the weaknesses); nevertheless, you sold the serial rights to the leading specialty magazine and trade book right to a major trade house. My morale is greatly bucked up thereby.
I've been rather "shook up" over this ms...The book should be better than it is; I think I can improve it. I certainly will try to, working closely with an editor. Who will be my editor at Putnam?
September 19, 1960: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
...However, the Scribner's angle is a special case. Yes, I do know that Miss Dalgliesh is no longer there. But my irk is not alone at her; it includes Mr. Scribner himself. I feel that I was treated in a very shabby fashion, and I regard him as in part responsible and do not wish to place any more stories with his firm. Scribner's had published twelve of my books and every single one of them made a profit for them and each one is still making money for them. At one time Miss Dalgliesh told me that my books had kept her department out of the red.
So I offer a thirteenth book...and it is turned down with a brisk little note which might as well have been a , printed rejection slip, for it was just as cold and just as informative.
I then found it necessary to write to [George McC] to find out what the score was. He told me that it had been a joint action, in which several of the editors had read my ms-including Mr. Scribner-and that Scribner himself had joined in rejecting it.
Based on my royalty records I conjecture that my books have netted for Mr. Scribner something between $50,000 and $100,000 (and grossed a great deal more). They have been absolutely certain money-from-home for his firm...and still are. Yet after years and years of a highly profitable association, Mr. Scribner let me be "fired" with less ceremony than he would use in firing his office boy...not a word out of him, not even a hint that he gave a damn whether I stayed with them or not. I submit that this is rudeness, unpardonable in view of the long association.