Auction!
We’ll be getting out a newsletter later today, but I thought I’d post this now to give you a head start. Late yesterday we put six premium items up for auction on eBay. Five of them will close this Sunday, December 9, in the evening; the sixth wont close until Tuesday afternoon.
Here’s what’s up for bids:
THE CASE OF THE DANCING SANDWICHES, by Fredric Brown. A scarce small-press limited edition with an intro by LB.
TEN TALES, a rare small-press volume, handsomely bound and slipcased, original stories signed by each of the contributors, with an into by LB.
I, WITNESS. LB’s personal copy, with selections by a dozen members personally inscribed to him.
THREE IN THE SIDE POCKET. The original manuscript of an LB story.
KELLER’S DESIGNATED HITTER. The original manuscript of the Keller story which became the first episode of Hit Parade.
THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD. The original typewritten manuscript of the eleventh Scudder novel, and the last book LB wrote on a typewriter before switching permanently to a computer.
All of these lots are offered at no reserve, with opening bids of 99¢. And each has a Buy It Now price, in case you’d rather take the suspense out of the process. As I said, there’ll be a newsletter later today with other bookstore news, but I wanted to get this heads-up to you right away. Have a look, and who knows—you might snag one of these for 99¢.
—David Trevor, LB’s Occasionally Irritating but Generally Indispensable Assistant
Yay! I’m the high bidder on The Devil Knows You’re Dead. That ought to last about ten minutes.
Looks like someone beat you out, Susan…
Dear Lawrence
I am a late visitor to your work – but I am getting through it very quickly, it gives me great pleasure, thank you very much. Re Scudder’s trips to and fom the bottle, is that based on personal experience or not or none of my business?
Best wishes
Keith
London UK
Keith, thanks for the kind words. And, while the matter may or may not be any of your business—who am I to say,after all?—it’s not one I’m inclined to discuss.
LB
I have just finished Spider Spin me A web. It was immensly helpful. I shall certainly pick up A Walk Amognst the Tombstones. I’m sure it wll be brilliant.
My sister who has been published twice and has worked in two publishing houses in New York, and who read but did not like “The Pope of Greenwich Village” and told her editor so, told me that as I am about to send my first chapter of my 900 page book “The Curious Case of Mr. Ron Elsing” after careful editing, and a professional query letter which she will help me with, to an editor.
That an editor can usually tell by the first chapter that a book is worth the trouble.
Do you agree with that? I read Mr. King’s Misery and found it slow, until Chapter Four.
Then he hooked me, as he always does. Can judging one chapter determine a book’s overall excellence? Anyway 2013. The year I get published. Have a great Holiday.
Laszlo
I’d agree with your sister. No editor reads more than a few pages of an unsolicited submission unless it grabs and holds his/her interest. Good luck in 2013!