The details of Dorothy Richardson's publications in both England and the United States are clearly set out by Virginia Leigh Smyers, "Dorothy M. Richardson: Some Uncollected Authors L," The Book Collector 27 (Spring 1978),60-70, especially 63-67. Following upon Duckworth's publication of Richardson's novels, beginning with Pointed Roofs in1915, Alfred A. Knopf by arrangement imported sheets and bound them with his own title page, issuing Pointed Roofs in December 1916, Backwater in July 1917, and Honeycomb in 1917. Then as Richardson's literary reputation grew, he published in November 1919 his own newly set editions of the first three novels along with the next one, The Tunnel. This was followed by Interim in June 1920 and Deadlock in November 1921. When Knopf found that sales of Richardson's novels did not justify his investment, he reverted to the practice of importing sheets for Revolving Lights (1923), The Trap (1925), and Oberland (1928). After that he desisted altogether. The English editions of Dawn's Left Hand (1931) and Clear Horizon (1935) were imported and distributed by Peter Smith. The upshot of all this, only the first six novels set by Knopf are bona fide American editions. Only they have independent textual interest. By comparing the differences between the first issue of the First English Edition and the American Edition, we may gauge the reliability of the American text of each of the six novels, and Richardson's role in any changes made to them. The number of changes will be of less importance than their character and significance. Here the distinction between substantive and non-substantive variants, problematical in comparing the Collected Edition with the English First Editions, is even more difficult to justify. For just a few commas normally treated as non-substantive, when inserted in the American Edition of a novel and then repeated in the Collected Edition, might suggest an active role by Richardson in revising the American text. Even so, the distinction between more significant and less significant variants can still prove useful, and is retained here in spite of doubts. In evaluating the American editions, the conclusion will be that, in so far as the evidence allows one to determine such things, Richardson's involvement varied from imperceptible in Honeycomb to extensive in Deadlock. And in Interim, so compelling are the readings of the American Edition when compared to the English First Edition and the 1938 Collected Edition that it seems almost certain the American Interim served as copy text for the Collected Edition. Interim, however, is the exception. In setting the other five novels for the Collected Edition, Dent relied on the English First Editions as copy text. NOTE: Editorial conventions in the English and American First Editions are the same, unless otherwise noted. Dialogue and sayings, titles of books, journals, musical works, paintings and the like are in double quotation marks. Foreign words and phrases are in italics, and abbreviations like Mrs. and Dr. are fitted with periods.
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