Warsaw. On the last day of sick leave, a day before his return to Drohobych, Bruno Schulz signs a contract with the Rój Publishing Society, represented by Marian Kister, to publish his second book, entitled Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass and probably gives the publisher the typescript.
The conclusion of the contract coincides with Schulz handing over the typescript of the book with illustrations, prepared for this edition. “I submitted my book to the publisher in January”, he reports to Zenon Waśniewski in June. The book submitted to Rój* would not be published until ten months later, in November 1937.
According to the contract concluded that day between Kister* and Schulz, the first print run was to be 1000 numbered copies (increased by 250 for the promotion purposes). The fee due to Schulz was set at 15% of the gross price, which should be “agreed” in the future between 6 and 10 zlotys per copy. The fee was to be paid in two parts: the first half before the book was published, the rest “in three equal monthly instalments after the book has been printed”. Schulz could therefore expect an advance payment ranging from 450 (at the lower price) to 750 zlotys (at the higher price) and the second part of the same amount after the book was released into the market. Ultimately, it was sold for 10 zlotys, which means that the total fee for Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass* was 1,500 zlotys gross (plus 15 author’s copies worth 150 zlotys).
See also: December 23, 1936*, January 9–11, 1937*, before January 12*, 1937*, January 12, 1937*, January 24, 1937*. (sr) (transl. mw)
