Letter from Naomi Long Madgett September 27 1977

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LOTUS PRESS
P. O. Box 601
College Park Station
DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48221

September 27,


Professor James A. Emanuel 
P.O. Box 593 
Scarsdale, New York 10583 

Dear Professor Emanuel: 

I must apologize for my failure to respond to your note of query 
earlier. I was so involved completing Lance's book and also try- 
ing to complete my sabbatical year project that I just had to let 
some things wait. 

I am well acquainted with your work and would be interested in con- 
sidering publication of your post-1970 poems. In considering the 
submission of this work, you should keep in mind that it probably 
would not be published until early 1979; that, however, would be a 
firm date and not subject to the usual publishers' delays. 

I do not know how much Lance told you about this very small company. 
It is a sideline with me; I am a full professor in English at Eastern 
Michigan University and, at the same time, try to keep up with my 
own writing somehow. I am seeking to avoid getting in over my head 
financially as a publisher by taking on only the books which I can 
pay cash for as I go along. This cash comes out of my own pocket 
in large outlays; it dribbles back in very slowly. Nevertheless, 
this whole publishing venture is a labor of love and I enjoy the 
challenge. I cannot pay royalties as such; the best I can offer 
is twenty-five complimentary copies to the author and a 20% discount 
on any additional copies which the author may wish to order. There 
is no requirement that he order any, nor do I expect him to contribute 
financially in any way. I send out announcements of publication and 
list the book in the usual places. Several distributors are handling 
our books and the exposure is increasing all the time; distribution 
is, however, still a problem for any small publisher. In the event 
that an author's book sells especially well, we will be happy to share 
the profits with the author. If you are still interested in submitting 
your manuscript, I will welcome the opportunity of considering it. 

I appreciate your comments on 0 Africa, Where I Baked My Bread, 
which are included on the enclose leaflet. 

Thank you for your comments on my three poems. It is unfortunate 
that anthologists tend to select the same few poems for reprinting, 
especially when their selection does not represent a poet's best 
work. 
        Sincerely, 
[Signature - Naomi Long Madgett]
Sorry I 
ran out of space. Lance is sending you an autographed copy of his book.

Full description

Typed letter from Naomi Long Madgett to James Emanuel, dated September 27, 1977. She is interested in publishing a volume of Emanuel's post-1970s poetry.

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  • type
    Image
  • created on
  • file format
    jpg
  • file size
    2 MB
  • container title
    James A. Emanuel Papers
  • creator
    Naomi Long Madgett
  • issue
    Box 2 Folder 19 Madgett, Naomi Long, 1977-1979
  • rights
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • rights holder
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • version
    27-Sep-77