“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(A hassle began developing last Thursday, involving Pat Golbitz at Pocket Books, Grace Bechtold at Bantam, and Tam, John Nelson, and Jane at Prentice-Hall. Nothing serious, but still somewhat upsetting. Also educational. There’s no need to go into all the complicated details here; it’s enough to say that the photos Bantam used in Seth Speaks were involved, especially the cover shot of Jane; as well as bids for Oversoul Seven between Pocket Books and Bantam; Jane’s fears that she’d end up committed for two more Seven books she hasn’t written yet; and various misunderstandings concerning ethics, expired option, and an offer to Jane to go to work for Simon & Schuster-Pocket Books, and to take Tam with her.

(Perhaps we should be flattered that the last we heard of the bidding saw Bantam making an offer to Prentice of $50,000 for the present Seven, plus the next two.... Jane spoke to John Nelson this evening before the session; he called her from his place, after failing to reach her this afternoon. As far as we know, the set-to is cleared up now, Jane is free, etc. Grace gave John sales figures for Seth Speaks which are much too low, so we really have little idea of how the book is selling, judging by those. Actually, Grace told Jane last week, and John this week, that the book is “a smashing success,” whatever that means, and is in its sixth printing. We aren’t due to collect royalty money this month from Bantam, however, which means the original $35,000 isn’t eaten up yet by sales. Some $12,000 to go.

(Pat called John unethical because he told Bantam that Pocket Books was interested in acquiring Seven. Bantam, who had the original option on Seven, then bid higher for the three projected Sevens than Pocket Books has so far—the latter has until this Wednesday to bid against Bantam’s $50,000 offer.

(John, in turn, called Pat unethical because she called Jane about the details of all of this, and then offered to take Jane away from Prentice-Hall. Both John and Grace are upset also because Pocket Books thought about using the same photo of Jane on the cover of their book—The Coming of Seth—that Bantam had used on the cover of their issue of Seth Speaks.)