Contract for Roughing It
In Elmira on 15 July 1870, Elisha Bliss prepared a contract between Clemens and the American Publishing Company for the book eventually called Roughing It. Clemens’s copy, signed only by Bliss and mailed later from Hartford, is in the Mark Twain Papers (CU-MARK). Bliss’s copy, signed by both men, is in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (CtY-BR). Clemens’s copy is transcribed below. The textual commentary records the variants between the two versions.
This memorandum made this 15th day of July, A D. Ⓐhistorical collation1870. at Elmira state of N. York. between Saml L. Clemens of Buffalo of said N York Ⓐhistorical collation& the American Ⓐhistorical collationPublishing Company of Hartford state of Conn wittnesseth
The said Clemens agrees to write for said Company the manuscript for a book upon such subject as may be agreed upon between them, & to deliver the same to them as soon as practicable, but as early as 1st of January next, Ⓐhistorical collation if said Company Ⓐhistorical collationshall desire it— Ⓐhistorical collationSaid manuscript to contain matter sufficient for a book of about 600 pages octavo. Said Clemens is also to do the usual proofreading Ⓐhistorical collation& give the ordinary assistance of authors Ⓐhistorical collationin bringing out said book & render all aid he can to its sale, Ⓐhistorical collation& is not to write or furnish manuscript for any other book unless for said company Ⓐhistorical collationduring the preparation & sale of said manuscript & book, Ⓐhistorical collation or wr furnish any part of the matter of this said manuscript to other parties— Ⓐhistorical collation The Ⓐhistorical collationsaid American Publishing Company agree to publish the said Book Ⓐhistorical collationin their best style, Ⓐhistorical collationto commence operations at once upon receipt of manuscript, Ⓐhistorical collation& to push it through with all the dispatch compatible with its being well done in text & illustrations— They agree to give the book as large a sale as they possibly can do Ⓐhistorical collationby using all means in their power, & make the utmost efforts both in preparation & sale to make it a great sal Ⓐhistorical collation success. They agree to pay Ⓐhistorical collationto said Clemens a copyright on every copy sold of seven & one half per cent of the retail Ⓐhistorical collationor subscription price, on copies given to editors & others to advance the sale of the book, Ⓐhistorical collationno copyright is to be paid— Statements of sales to be made to said Ⓐhistorical collationClemens every three months from after time of publication, & the copyright due to be paid at same timeⒶhistorical collation
The Mss for book contracted for by within contract by S. L. Clemens has been delivered to us entitled “Roughing It”
pr E Bliss Jr Secty 1explanatory note
on the back as folded:Contract with Am Pub Co—July 15, 1870
in pencil: “Roughing It’’
7½% retail price
R. It
in ink: Roughing It
Roughing ItⒶhistorical collation
Contract for Diamond Mine Book
On 6 December 1870 Elisha Bliss prepared a contract between Clemens and the American Publishing Company for a book about the South African diamond mines. He mailed it to Clemens from Hartford, probably that same day. On 20 December Clemens signed it and returned it from Buffalo, two days later requesting that Bliss send him a copy (2 Dec 70click to open link, 20 Dec 70click to open link, 22 Dec 70click to open link, all to Bliss). Clemens’s copy is in the Mark Twain Papers (CU-MARK) and is transcribed below. Bliss’s copy is in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (CtY-BR).
This memorandum made this Sixth day of December 1870 between Samuel L Clemens of City of Buffalo State of N. York. and American Publishing Company of city of Hartford State of Connecticut wittnesseth. The said Clemens agrees to send a proper party1explanatory note to the Diamond Fields of Africa to prepare notes of adventure &c there, to be used by said Clemens in writing the manuscript for a book on the subject to be ready & delivered to the said Company by the 1st day of March 1872 or sooner, said manuscript to contain matter enough to fill at least 600 printed octavo pages.— Said Clemens is to do all proof reading & give all other assistance ordinarily done by authors & is to aid in the sale of the book when out, all he can. In case from any cause whatever, the said Clemens shall fail to write a book on the above mentioned subject, then he is to write one upon some other subject which shall be mutually agreed upon The manuscript for the same to be of same quantity & ready at time arranged, for above—& during the term of preparations & sale of said book, be the subject what it may, the said Clemens is not to write or furnish any one matter for another book, or throw any other obstacle in the way of the sale of this, & shall not furnish any part of the Mss. of this book to, or allow it to be used by any other party. And the said American Publishing Company agree to bring out this book in good style & to use their utmost efforts to make it a success & to effect large sales of it, & will pay said Clemens a copyright upon each copy sold of eight & one half (8½) per cent of the subscription price of the book— All copies furnished editors or others to advance the sale of the book, to be free from copyright— Statements of sales & payment of Copyright to be made every three months— As the said Clemens desires an advance on said copyright to be used in paying said person for trip to Africa, the said Company agree to furnish said advance as he the said Clemens may want to the amount of Twenty Five Hundred Dollars, the same, to amount of Fifteen hundred Dollars, to be advanced as soon as said Clemens shall call for it, the balance during the year 1871 if it shall be needed & called for by said Clemens to carry out his enterprise.2explanatory note All such sums advanced to be deducted from the first copyright accruing on sales of said book
in purple ink:
in black ink:
This contract is hereby annulled by the substitution in its place of one dated the
22nd day of June
1872, between the parties by consent of both3explanatory note
Am. Pub Co.
E Bliss Jr Sect
on the back as folded, in unidentified hands
Contract with Am Pub‐ Co Dec 6—1870—
African Diam Contract
in pencil by Bliss: 1st Riley4explanatory note
Bliss could not have added this endorsement before the early fall of 1871, when the book’s title was finalized ( RI 1993 , 863, 873).
John Henry Riley.
Clemens received advances of $1,500 on 22 December 1870 and $500 at an unknown later date (22 Dec 70 to Blissclick to open link; SLC’s contract of 22 June 1872 with the American Publishing Company, CU-MARK).
The substitute contract stipulated that Clemens was to write the diamond mine book from Riley’s South African notes “if it is possible,” publishing it either as Mark Twain or, for a reduced royalty, under some other pen name. If Clemens found it “utterly impossible” to write the diamond mine book, or wrote it under an alternate pseudonym, he was to write another book as Mark Twain for the American Publishing Company (CU-MARK). He ultimately satisfied the 22 June 1872 contract with a single work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
The 1872 contract was in effect a second “Riley” contract, since it provided for the writing of the diamond mine book.