ALS, nine pages, 5 x 8, May 2, 1909. Handwritten letter to "Jim," fellow author Herman Whitaker, commenting on the economics of writing. From "on board S.S. Tymeric bound from Australia to Ecuador," London writes, in part: "I thought this was a good chance to get experience on board a Tramp steamer, so started home the long way around. Shall run up to Quito, see a bull-fight, look around, and hurry along home. Expect to be in California some time in July. Gee! that's a crackerjack—'The Planter,' 168,000 words! I swear, Jim, you're making a mistake. Your stuff is all readable, ever line of it, & 168,000 words for $1.08 (department store) is too full a measure. You ought to have dropped that into two books. They would have earned you at least twice as much, and you would have felt that you had done twice as much.
Look at me: Call of the Wild 30,000, The Game 15,000, Before Adam 40,000, White Fang 70,000, No collection of short stories more than 50,000, 'Adventure' 70,000. This last one I've just finished—have placed it to-day in Soloman Islands. Love & adventure. I was running over my stuff yesterday not yet published in book-form to show you that I, too, have not been idle, I found that when I had completed present short story & written one more short story that I shall have 9 books to be published. Most of them are collections, & one of them is 'Martin Eden' which doesn't go on the market till this fall.—
All told, 28 books, but they were not 168,000-word books. You'd better reform, Jim, & give less generous measure to your public. I agree with you heartily about Lewis in all you say. Two things he lacks: (1) imagination in style; (2) biology in its relation to sociology…
Your speaking of Percy reminded me of the days we used to box…I'll look for a bout with him when we meet. I'm boxing every day with the three mates of the Tymeric. Black eyes & bloody noses all the time. We're going it hard, I can tell you. I took the third clean off his feet yesterday with a left hook. All I can say, despite two game thumbs and a dozen face-bruises, that I am the least marked of any of them. They are all husky young English fellows and they not afraid of taking punishment—nor are they afraid to give it. There isn't a muscle in my body that isn't aching and sore.
Charmian has had four attacks of fever since coming on board, & I've had one. Also our Jap. boy has had a touch. So you see we're not free from it yet, & it's eight months since we contracted it—nay, nine months. If you want the raw edge of the world the Solomons are hard to beat." Each page has been tipped-in to a larger 10 x 13.5 full morocco volume, which also houses original bookplates of Jack London and his wife Charmian; an ALS signed "Charmian London (Mrs. Jack London," regarding the sale of this letter by Whitaker's estate; and two signed photographs of Charmian London (one also bearing a Jack London signature stamped in facsimile). In overall fine condition, with scattered light staining to the last page of the letter.
