Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind by Ellen F. Brown, Jr. John Wiley Page B

people” and “buckwheat people”—terms used to distinguish between those who were flattened by life’s storms versus those who bent with the wind and bounced back. 35
    By now, word had leaked in Atlanta that Mitchell had a book deal. Although the new author had tried to keep it quiet, she was irritated to discover Cole had mentioned the project to a friend with Atlanta connections. 36 A publishing contract was big news in Mitchell’s circles, and friends began calling and dropping by to revel in her accomplishment. The author found it virtually impossible to work amidst a constant stream of interruptions. On December 3, she finally came clean with Cole that the manuscript was not even close to finished.
    Three days later, Cole responded, full of remorse for having caused Mitchell any distractions. She was sympathetic about the research and encouraged Mitchell to take her time. Macmillan’s sales conference was scheduled for the end of the month, which meant the editorial staff would be busy until then. Cole assured her friend it was fine to submit the manuscript the first full week of January. Mitchell should feel free to take the time she needed with a clear conscience; having a quality finished product was the most important thing. Cole encouraged the author to find a quiet place in the country to finish the book in peace. “If you will pardon my saying so, it sounds to me as though you had been working too hard and that we have been applying too much pressure.” 37 Cole encouraged her to take things easy and not get so jittery.
    Any relief Mitchell felt at these comforting words would be short lived. Cole, it appears, had spoken out of turn. Latham did not want to wait until after the sales conference to see the final manuscript. Twice yearly events, the sales conferences were held at the home office in New York and attended by Macmillan’s sales staff from the branch offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco. For Mitchell’s book to reach any level of success, it would have to appeal to these people, who would be responsible for generating interest in the title at bookstores and libraries. Latham knew the sales staff well; they would be no pushovers. Their livelihood depended on them offering an honest assessment of a book’s chances, and he would have to make a strong case for Gone With the Wind ’s salability. Convincing them to get behind a novel of which he had read only an incomplete rough draft was far less than ideal. Moreover, Macmillan had decided on a publication date of April 21, 1936, just four months away. Among other issues, the cover art still had not come together. As Latham had predicted, the images drawn up from Mitchell’s suggestions had not proven workable, and he wanted the artist to read the text. The second week of December, Latham and James Putnam, George Brett’s assistant, approached Cole and laid down the law: Mitchell had to turn over the manuscript right away. 38
    Uncomfortable being the heavy, Cole wrote to her friend on December 18: “I am sure you are working your head off, and I hate to hound you, but do shoo it along.” Cole claimed she had been trying to save Mitchell from overwork and had been operating on the theory that, as long as the book was behind schedule, another week would not hurt, but Macmillan could not wait any longer. Mitchell had to send it all now. If it was not up to snuff, there would be plenty of time to make corrections later, Cole promised. She followed up with a telegram the following day instructing Mitchell to rush all available pages to New York. 39
    On the afternoon of December 19, Mitchell airmailed another portion and promised more would be on its way soon. 40 For the artist, it was too little, too late. By the time Macmillan received Mitchell’s package, the decision had been made to go with a dust jacket that focused on the book’s title instead of a pictorial