DERLETH, August (1909-1971). Typed Letter Signed to Roy A. Squires. Sauk City, WI:  21 October [1939]. One 4to page on one beige leaf of Derleth's stationery. Approximately 10 1/2 x 7 1/4". Addressed "Dear Mr. Squires,". Signed "Cordially, [manuscript] August Derleth". 

"There is as yet no definite data available re publication date of some Lovecraft titles still await publication in Weird Tales. Our plans are for three omnibus books, probably approaching 1000 pages each: 1) THE OUTSIDER AND OTHERS -- containing all HPL's outstanding short stories, his Mts. of Madness, and his fine paper on Supernatural Horror in Literature; 2) MISCELLANEOUS PROSE AND COMPLETE POETRY, all other material HPL might have wished saved; 3) SELECTED LETTERS -- this may well be expanded into two volumes... All profit from this venture and from sales of Howard's last pieces go to his aunt, Mrs. Phillips Gamwell. Wandrei and I are not even deducting our own expenses, and secretarial work has so far come to about $200, and will in all go up to around $1000.00, counting possible backing cost of some or all the books, so that we can expect to lose that sum between us -- incidentally, that will represent in equal shares more than half my total earnings from WT [Weird Tales magazine], and all Don's earnings from that source. Mrs. Gamwell and all Howard's friends are counting on his readers when the time comes... The books will come one at a time, short stories first..." 

An excellent letter about the early days of Arkham House Publishers, and how tightly Derleth and Wandrei had to operate on virtually no profit. The Roy A. Squires association is excellent. 

Two vertical and one horizontal creases, a few additional minor creases. Fine.