It would be most desirable to print all tables in small type (petit) — otherwise they take up a lot of space, lose in clarity and convenience of readability for the reader. Particularly inconvenient are those tables that are printed sideways across an entire page (i.e., one has to turn the book to read them). For the reader this is all very important. The font used for the tables in the appendices of Vodovozov's book "Land Ownership and Agriculture" would be excellent; all tables in Chapter II and in other chapters should be set in such a font (Chapter II has the most tables; the rest have considerably fewer, but there are still some). All of this should be discussed with the publisher, as well as the matter of sending me proof sheets (as I have already written). For the sake of speed of publication, one could print in 2 printing houses — separately part 1 (the first 4 chapters) and part 2, with separate page numbering. By the way, regarding Mark's proposal to change the title and make it two volumes.

This, in my opinion, is hardly convenient. A more modest and more weighty title is convenient from the standpoint of censorship; a change of title would require from me a mass of small, but precisely for that reason burdensome, corrections to the text. There is no point in splitting it into two volumes: if one takes the format and typeface of the "Essays" as the norm, each volume would come out smaller than that book (and moreover, one cannot sell them separately by volume, since the exposition is conducted generally, with common references to different chapters, etc.). As for price, I never envisaged above 3 rubles and would consider a higher price undesirable (and a lower one unprofitable).

As for the number of copies, it is desirable to have as many as possible*: it is unfortunate that the "Essays" were published in a small number of copies. Regarding censorship obstacles for "Markets" — I do not expect them, unless there comes a period of especially severe strictness and persecution of our kind. And if the "essays" sell well, then "Markets" will certainly sell much better.

* I fully agree with Mark that there should be no fewer than 2,400. The only question is what the publisher will say!

This should be impressed upon the publisher. Another question concerns the number of author's copies (I hope you sent Manyasha 3 additional copies of the "essays"?). I think one should take 50, since this time I shall have to send them to a larger number of persons, and occasionally exchange them with zemstvo-statistical publications.

Well, it seems I have chattered enough — and probably there are a mass of repetitions compared with the previous, equally long letters on business matters! And you must be tired of reading these repetitions. It is rather like my own writings: the first draft of "Markets" I slashed and cut with the most merciless severity.

I shake your hand. V. U.

Everyone here sends greetings.

Sent from the village of Shushenskoye to Podolsk in the journal

First published in 1929 "Proletarskaya Revolyutsiya" No. 5

Printed from the manuscript