Read Online Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind by Ellen F. Brown, Jr. John Wiley - Free Book Online Page B

at all.” 55 He also made no effort to meet Mitchell while in town, for which he later apologized. 56 Perhaps he wanted to read the book before passing judgment. However, his trip did lead to what appears to be the first announcement of Mitchell’s novel in the press—a plug that probably came from the local Macmillan office. After reporting Brett’s thoughts on the current state of publishing, an article in the Atlanta Journal noted that his company’s spring list “prominently includes Gone With the Wind , by Margaret Mitchell (Mrs. John Marsh), of Atlanta, about which the publishers are most enthusiastic.” 57
    Although Brett had presented a disinterested front, the Journal was correct that Macmillan was well pleased with the results of Mitchell’s labors. With time getting short, the book’s release was pushed back two weeks, to May 5, just to be safe. But otherwise, all systems were go. On January 25, the publisher ran an eight-page ad in Publishers Weekly , the leading industry trade journal, announcing its upcoming catalog as Macmillan’s “strongest” list in the company’s history. Although no one at the firm had yet read the book from start to finish, Gone With the Wind was the first title promoted in the notice and one of only three that included a photograph of the author. The ad categorized Mitchell’s work among accomplished writers H. G. Wells and Phyllis Bentley. Taken aback when she saw the announcement, Mitchell wrote Cole: “Good God, this book isn’t good enough to be there. I know you know your business—but I hope you haven’t made an error in judgment because of a kind and loving heart.” 58
    As of January 28, Macmillan still did not have all the chapters. Cole sent a terse telegram to Atlanta that day demanding to know when Mitchell would be finished. Rhoda Williams, who handed Marsh the telegram, later recalled that he responded with a mixture of fury and exhaustion. 59 The manuscript was nowhere near ready. Several sections had not been edited, and many pages needed retyping. However, they had no choice but to send it off. Marsh wired back that the rest of the pages would be mailed the following day. Good, bad, or ugly, the final sections were in the mail on January 29, 1936. 60

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In Cold Type
February–March 1936
    T he editorial review of a manuscript can take weeks or even months. In Margaret Mitchell’s case, Macmillan did not have time to be so meticulous if it hoped to meet the early May publication date. Lois Cole knew John Marsh had editing experience from his years as a teacher and working for newspapers and trusted he would have caught any significant errors. 1 As Mitchell had sent sections of the manuscript to Macmillan over the previous weeks, sales manager Alec Blanton reviewed the copy and decided it was good enough to go directly into production without detailed editing. 2 When the final chapters arrived, they were shuttled off to join their compatriots that were already being typeset, a process by which the text was set onto printing plates that would be used to mass produce the book’s pages. 3 If Marsh had let any major mistakes slip through, Cole trusted they would be caught later during review of the galleys—the draft typeset pages of the book.
    Two days after Marsh mailed the final pages of the manuscript, he wrote a lengthy letter to Cole detailing the harrowing experience he and Mitchell had endured over the previous weeks and their utter lack of enthusiasm for the literary life. The opening sentence set the tone for what was to come: “My Dear Lois—I hope my telegram and the g d manuscript have reached you long ere this.” 4 He then set forth a detailed list of concerns. First, he wanted to squelch any expectations Macmillan had about his wife publicizing the book’s release. Though many aspiring authors dream of becoming famous and embarking on book tours, Mitchell