March 21, 1963: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
I don’t know how you manage to produce a novel of 500 pages in 25 days, even a first draft.
July 8, 1963: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Good story in Farnham’s Freehold, with enough adventure for some of the men’s magazines.
August 21, 1963: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Peter [Israel] said he was writing you about cutting and revision ideas, and you probably have his letter by now.
October 4, 1963: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Peter Israel says, “Bob Heinlein is the boss. I’ll express my opinions, but I have enough respect for his skill and judgment so that if he says a thing can’t be done, I’ll go along with the way Bob feels it has to be done. If he says the story cannot be cut below 100,000 words without seriously hurting it, I’ll publish it at 100,000.”
October 12, 1963: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
Farnham ‘s Freehold contract with Putnam’s: On page two I have changed the wordage to ” 100,000″ and struck out the delivery date and made it “to be arranged.” I need to know [their] absolute rockbottom deadline for fall ’64 publication. I know that he does not need the finished ms. by New Year’s Day, that being what I struck out-nor could I deliver it by then in a smooth, retyped form; I’ve got too much to do to it, and my typist will need at least two months after I have finished cutting it. When you ask him for his absolute deadline, please point out to him that in twenty-five years I have never missed a deadline by even one day. I am quite sure that most editors stick at least a month of cushion into a deadline date since most writers are notoriously unpunctual in such matters. I want to know what his real date is. I will meet it.
THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS
June 21, 1965: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
The original of this letter goes with the original ms. of The Brass Cannon [The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress], the carbon goes with the carbon ms. Both will be sent to you tomorrow, original by airmail in the early morning, carbon by air express in the late afternoon, in an attempt to have them go by different airplanes. As you probably know from the news, we are isolated other than by air — and the last I heard they were borrowing 1916 Curtiss pushers in order to move all the passengers, freight, mail, and food that is moving in and out of our small airport. Anent ms.: Please send the original to Putnam; it has with it a form for their supercolossal prize contest. But would you please tell him that I really have no expectation of a science fiction novel winning…
July 6, 1965: Lurton Blassingame to Robert A. Heinlein
Putnam’s likes new book, same terms as last book. Don’t like title; can you suggest another?
November 30, 1965: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
You saw a copy of — ‘s letter to me; I phoned him today. He had thrown me a curve in his proposals to edit a ms. which — had approved in toto-but I tossed him another curve back saying okay and how quickly could he ship me the edited ms. for my approval? — and pointed out to him that I had never signed a contract in the past with Putnam’s, nor accepted any advance, until the ms. was fully approved down to the least word. I think he was taken aback by this, but he quickly agreed to go over the ms. himself, see what the copy editor had done, and then either okay it the way I had submitted it, removing the copy editor’s changes, or send it to me for my approval.
THE PAST THROUGH TOMORROW
March 9, 1963: Robert A. Heinlein to Lurton Blassingame
I am returning herewith Peter Israel’s letter concerning ihe Future History. I don’t know just what he wants. I had had in mind an omnibus reprint book, using the first three books of the Future History. We hold all rights to (hese and we own the plates.