On Thu, 8 Nov 2001 20:30:07 +0100 (CET), Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com> wrote:
>Got funky copies of these two letters from a guy I know in Santa Monica
>who bought a cardboard box full of Scieno papers and shit from somebody.
>So I scanned them.
>
>Anybody know anything about them?
Yep, I read these despatches because the LRH PR Department got
involved.
>
>**********************************************************************
>
>DOREEN (Hand-drawn arrow) 26 Oct. 1980
Doreen Gillham (Smith). Killed in horse accident a few years ago.
>
> cc: M
Mary Sue
> Snr PPRO
Laurel Sullivan (Watson).
> R Accts
Mike Smith maybe at this time.
> Gale
Gale Irwin (Reisdorf), then possibly CO CMO.
>
> RE: NOVEL
> MAN, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES
Battlefield Mirth.
>
>Dearest Doreen;
> Coming to you shortly, when proofing is complete,
>is a full length, brand new science fiction novel: MAN,
>THE ENDANGERED SPECIES.
> It is 428,750 words long and just possibly could
>be the biggest sf novel ever written.
> It is in a brand new modern style, is very fast-paced.
> Such a property must not be confused with old reprint
>novels from magazines and yesteryear. It is a very valuable
>property and if not mishandled or downgraded in marketing could
>be worth half a million. The field is starved for modern
>science fiction: what there is is mixed up stuff.
This will win Hubbard points in next years's "Writers of the Future"
awards.
> Yet there is
>a tremendous reading public for it, not just a specialized sf
>public. The box office of "Star Wars" has created quite a market
>along with other popular films and this has not been backed up
>on the stands with new sf novels. The market is major-publisher-
>wide open.
> My name has value in that field still. It does not
>matter if the boffs in it have knocked me - they always did.
Hey Loser Clam, have you noticed anyone else who was knocked by boffs?
> I worked out how it could be published under my own name.
>
>(snip)
Can you post the snipped section?
>
> Now here are the things _to_ do:
> I enclose a list of major publishers. There are check
>marks after those that might have interest. These are your
>tergeted [sic] xxxxxx [crossout] people.
> You want this to go out first as a hard cover, then as
>a paperback. Serialization is possible - it would make a good serial
>but I know of no mags that would be able to do it. The hard
>book publisher might.
> Any sales contract to be drawn by my copyright
>attornies with all clauses end rights safeguarded. Powers of
Attorneys. I'm quite certain Hubbard typed this himself.
>attorney will be sent to you and to Mike Smith to empower you
>to sign it.
> I am sending you two, proofed copies of the book. Use
>one of these to get several copies typed. Work with the other
>one meanwhile. I suggest the one on the paper marked "copy"
>be used for the working copy and the original be used for the retype.
>This is because the original was xxx [crossout] the one proof-read first
>and the one marked "copy" was proofed from the original so the
>original may be found to be more accurately proofed.
> Contact Forrest Ackerman and have a talk with him.
>
>(snip)
>
> The writing and publication of a major sf work occurs
>half a century after my first becoming a pro, paid writer. It's
>a celebration of a golden wedding with the muse in 1930. Few
>writers turn out a major work fifty years after they began and then
>turn it out in modernized style and make it what may be the
>largest single work between two covers in its field. The PR
>angles are good. Push them.
> The ms will be along. It only needs its proofing finished.
> So, over to you. And get it in the bookstores and on
>the newstands [sic] in big bright lights.
>
> Love,
>
>
>
>***************************************************************
>
>
>
>DOREEN cc: M 27 Oct [1980]
> Snr PPRO
> R Accts
> Gale
> Re: Novel Copyrights
>
> I do not know that there is: however, if any
>threat exists to my copyrights or fortune being taken over
>by someone through suits or such, then please do the
>following:
> Consult with my copyright attornies and see if
>there is a way to copyright this work so that it cannot be
>picked up or taken over.
> It is a brand new work and, until it is copyrighted,
>printed and sold, it has no value. I can copyright it in
>the name of anyone I please without, I think, its becoming
>a gift, but even that is beside the point.
>
>(snip)
>
> So please look into this. Your POA covers it. I am
>sure there is nothing illegal about it: I wrote it and I
>can determine, before it becomes valuable, its fate.
>
> L
>
> R
L R (Love, Ron) was his standard closing during this period.
He would have used the salutation "Dearest Doreen" because he did treat her rather mushily at times.
(c) Gerry Armstrong
>
>