My Dearest Friend, Robert ,
I have had the opportunity to review your manuscript The Adventures of & etc. And I am very pleased to say that I find it to be a most extraordinary work, and am most anxious to discuss publishing possibilities with you at your earliest convenience .
Drop by my office when you are next in London and we can explore several ideas I have as to how we might surmount your particular problem .
Most Sincerely Yours ,
Sir Cecil Hancock OBE
“S ir Cecil will see you now,” his secretary said as she stood and led Robert into his office .
“My, that was a prompt response to my letter,” Sir Cecil said, as he stood up from his desk and came to greet Robert .
“I did not want to waste any time. You know how anxious I am to see my book published and I wanted to hear your suggestions as to how we might get around my particular difficulty .”
“Of course.” Cecil indicated a chair by his desk where Robert stood but did not sit down immediately. He was far too anxious to sit just yet .
“So you are pleased with my literary effort?” Robert asked .
“I am, indeed. Very fine. Gripping and touching. I think there is a real possibility for a best seller .”
Robert beamed as he clutched his hat to his chest. “Then how might we do this—considering your previous reservations ?”
Cecil seemed not to want to sit while Robert was standing. He held out his hand indicating Robert should sit, which he finally did .
“I have spoken to Puntley about your situation and we have come up with what might be a possible solution for you .”
“I am eager to hear .”
Cecil tapped a pencil on his desktop. “You know, historically, there was another fine gentleman like yourself who was in your exact same situation .”
“Yes, and who might that be ?”
“The Seventeenth Earl of Oxford—Edward de Vere. It was said he was quite the scholar and well educated. He was well traveled, erudite, and widely read. It was known that he had a great interest in the theater and desperately wanted to write plays for Globe Theatre, but her Majesty Elizabeth absolutely forbid it, insisting it was inappropriate for a gentleman of his station. However, he was known at court under the name of Spear-shaker . And it has been widely speculated that he took on the name of Shakespeare and used that name to author what we know today as the Shakespeare plays and sonnets. There is no proof of this, but his situation should still stand as a model for your consideration .”
“Yes, now that you mention it, I believe I have heard the same story .”
“I do not know how amenable you might be to what I will propose, but I think it might be your best solution .”
“And that would be ?”
“We have a number of lesser known authors on our books. Their works regularly sell, but not spectacularly. Our suggestion is that you approach several different authors that we will suggest and sound them out about being a surrogate author .”
“I am not sure I understand .”
“Find an author whose name you can publish your book under. They already have an audience and a following. And if your book is successful, they will benefit by having a new best seller, and you can get your work published and remain anonymous. Of course, you will need to make the arrangement worth their while .”
“And how might that work?” Robert asked, interested but still a little skeptical .
“Since you will be using their name, you will need to compensate them in some manner. My suggestion would be a generous percentage of the royalties you might make on the book’s sales .”
“I would have no problem with that idea. Money is not a concern for me. I have found I really love being an author and I want to write and publish more. So, I am looking to form a long-term relationship with this individual .”
“But there is one other consideration…” Cecil added .
“Yes?”
“I feel quite certain the author you choose would wish to continue with their writing as well. There would need to be some sort of arrangement for that .”
“But what if our styles and content differ greatly?” Robert asked .
“That is certainly a consideration,” Cecil said thoughtfully. “We would need to give that some thought and come up with a solution. But first, we need to know if you think this arrangement might work for you ?”
Robert stood and looked out Cecil’s office window at the street below with its hustle of carriages and bustle of pedestrians .
“Yes, I believe it might.” He turned and addressed Cecil once again. “Have you communicated this idea to any of the authors you will be suggesting ?”
“We have not. Discretion seems to be the best strategy here if you wish to remain anonymous. Our thought was that you visit each candidate personally and make whatever arrangement you wish with the author you choose. It is imperative that your arrangement be as private as possible. Would you not agree ?”
Robert sighed. “It all seems quite ridiculous to me that I even need to do this, but if it must be, then discretion is certainly called for .”
“Excellent,” Cecil said, rising from his desk. “I shall have a list of appropriate authors drawn up for you and will send it to you in the next couple of days .”
“And once agreements are concluded then you will move forward with publishing my book ?”
“It will be our greatest pleasure. And I foresee a great success for all concerned .”
Chapter 2
D iana Browning was visiting her mother’s art gallery which was attached to the front and side of their cottage style house on the corner of two streets near central Cambridge. It was time for morning tea, and Diana usually took a break from the cramped little desk in her bedroom dormer window where she wrote each morning .
Mother was at her easel working on another landscape of rural country England which sold so well to visitors of the university .
“Quaint country landscapes and college courtyards,” Diana sighed. “Why not try something different, Mother ?”
“Because those are what sell, my dear. Is it time for tea already?” she asked as she plunged her brush into a jar of turpentine spirits. “My, how the morning has flown .”
“I shall put the kettle on. Come inside to the kitchen when you are ready .”
Mother stood up from her canvas stool and stood back to admire her painting. “Not too bad… I think it needs a steeple in the distance though, don’t you ?”
“A steeple would be just splendid,” Diana said a little sarcastically .
Mother gave her a sour look. “Now, be nice to your dear old mother .”
“Mother, you are not old—just jaded .”
“You will send me to an early grave .”
“What in heaven’s name is an early grave? Is it a grave that gets up first thing in the morning ?”
Mother waved her hand at Diana. “Now it is you who is being silly .”
They both laughed and linked arms and marched toward the kitchen, after putting a back in five minutes sign on the gallery door .