690531 - Letter to Brahmananda written from New Vrindaban, USA

Letters by Date, 1969

NEW VRINDABAN
RD 3
Moundsville, West Virginia
26041
May 31, 69

My Dear Brahmananda,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 23, and May 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the manuscripts of the First Canto, Hayagriva will send you a few chapters immediately, so you may do the needful with the MacMillan company. So far as the Exposition Press is concerned, this man is another Mr. Kallman. He wants to print himself and distribute himself, and when he'll print he'll charge $15,000 instead of $5,000 or $6,000, and he'll charge 40%-50% for distributing, and with condition that if they are not sold the books will be returned to you. The net result is if we give him the printing charges, he will spend $5,000 and charge us $15,000, immediately making $10,000. So far as selling is concerned, he promises to sell, but he is unable to so he returns the books. That is his policy and the reason he does not give straight answers. Once I talked with him, so I can understand his dealings. His disagreement with the design of TLC means that he wants to do this himself and charge. So I don't think we can trust this man.

Regarding sales of TLC, you should try to get it reviewed, do not spend money needlessly on advertising. You have got experience already advertising Bhagavad Gita, so unless the book is reviewed, there is no question of advertising. You should send reviewing copies to first class papers for review. Also, you may arrange for some respectable persons to review the book and then submit this review to the various papers for printing. You should try for this. Generally, it is the policy of every paper that they review books as soon as it is given to them. That is one of the items of journalistic policy. So far as distributing the books, no consignment should be given. That is very risky. Let them purchase one copy, two copies, three copies, as they like, but no consignment. Let them take one copy and take the scheduled commission. So similarly they can distribute and take the money. It is all right if the store would like to exchange our forthcoming books for the copies of TLC they have not sold, and it is all right for their money to be returnable, but don't take consignment. That is only false sale, or no sale. Try to get the book reviewed. Otherwise newspaper advertisements will have no effect.

I have already informed you in my letter of May 26, 1969 that I shall accept the invitation of Franklin and Marshall College. The Bhagavad Gita test you have written is very nice. The questions are all very good. Rayarama's negotiations with IBM is not yet final because similar negotiations are going on here with Pradyumna. So whichever one is easier we shall accept. I am pleased to note that you will be coming here to New Vrindaban, and when you come you may bring with you the Radha-Damodara Temple File which is in the closet near my room in a box. All of my books and files should be kept very securely.

I am very anxious to know about Sadanandini, but this misunderstanding by rascals about a Krishna conscious person is always there. Hiranyakasipu understood Prahlad as crazy, and he tried to put him in so many forms of Bellevue organizations amongst the animals, amongst snakes, amongst fire and poison. Even Lord Chaitanya, His relatives thought of Him as crazy. Therefore I wrote the essay, "Who Is Crazy?" Anyway, try to save the girl, and if she likes, she can be married with Chandanacharya. She will then be in charge of a good husband, so if the marriage is settled, they should take a regular marriage certificate, and then they should come here, and we shall perform our mode of marriage ceremony.

Regarding BTG, if you think it is better to not have the books sent to London directly, that is all right, but then you will have to pay the shipping charges to London. But unless you need more than your own 5,000 copies, why not let them try to sell what they can, and then if necessary, they can send to you their remaining copies. Or else if they are sure they cannot sell a sufficient part of their order of 5,000 then what they can sell may be shipped to them from Japan, and the difference will be added to our shipment of goods from Japan. Regarding Atma Ram & Sons, you may offer terms as you have on your rate sheet, and when you correspond with any seller, the terms is cash and delivery. That is generally understood unless otherwise arranged.

I shall be very happy to see you again when you come here. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

[unsigned]

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami