Charitable Publishing

I have been blessed all my writing life with charitable publishers. Most of that period I was with traditional publishing houses, such as Doubleday, Walker and Company, M. Evans, Ballantine, Bantam, Gold Medal, Fawcett, William Morrow, and Tom Doherty Associates/Macmillan.

The editors have patiently combed through my work, vastly improving it. I owe my success to their meticulous efforts. The publicity people have sent me on tours, and made sure that my book has been well presented to the reading public. Booksellers have welcomed me and arranged successful signings.

The publishers and agents have been prompt with my checks, and have looked after me carefully. In short, I have enjoyed a world not so much of my own making as one I inherited, a world of collegiality and respect. Some of my editors became close friends. I still correspond with other writers, who have helped me from time to time. It was a world of courtesy and graciousness.

That world may be subdued now, but it still exists, at least among the traditional publishers, sometimes called legacy publishers now. I'm not sure to what extent it exists in the new world of electronic media, but I would like to think that the special qualities of a literary life still remain, and are available to those who seek that life. Thanks to these gracious literary people, I have enjoyed a good life.