EpisodeOverview

In this episode of I’ll Probably Delete This, we cover the start of the partnership between Dr. Seuss and publisher Random House. CEO Bennett Cerf wooed little known children’s author Theodor “Ted” Geisel. Beginning with a lunch at the 21 Club, Cerf showed Ted unwavering publisher support despite early flops like The Seven Lady Godivas. Cerf’s long bet on Geisel illustrates the importance of recognizing creative talent and the economic value of a strong backlist.

What You’ll Hear

| Time | Topic
| 00:00 | Cold‑open
| 01:05 | Intro
| 02:30 | Geisel’s first book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, 1937
| 05:40 | Cerf promises to publish anything Geisel writes, including a book with “naked ladies”
| 07:15 | Early Random House releases in 1939: The King’s Stilts & the spectacular flop The Seven Lady Godivas
| 10:05 | Long‑term contract and WWII
| 13:20 | Modest post‑war titles
| 15:05 | Breakthrough and backlist
| 19:30 | Random House buys Vanguard Press in 1989 just to get the two Seuss titles it didn’t control
| 21:15 | Why? Betting on talent
| 23:00 | Bibliography & sign‑off

(Timestamps are approximate)

Key Takeaways

• Commitment: Cerf’s “I’ll print anything you do” pledge shows how decisive belief in an author can change careers—and companies.
• Flops Aren’t Fatal: Even a disaster selling fewer than 50 copies didn’t shake Cerf’s confidence in Seuss. Failures can be tuition for future success.
• Backlist matters: Once Seuss became successful, every prior title turned into a perpetual revenue stream, for him and for Random House.
• It Can Take Time: Geisel’s real breakout books came 20 years after his debut.

Recommended Reading

1. Dr.Seuss & Mr.Geisel by Judith & Neil Morgan (Random House, 1995)
2. Becoming Dr.Seuss by Brian Jay Jones (Dutton / Penguin Random House, 2019)

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Credits

Host, writer, & editor: Will Jauquet
Cover art: Designed by Wili Joel Productions

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Judith Jones, long-time editor for Alfred A. Knopf, persuaded the publisher to take a chance on a French cookbook that no one knew they wanted. That book and TV made Julia Child a surprising star. Learn about three themes that helped make Mastering the Art of French Cooking a publishing success: counter positioning, fascination with the Kennedys, and the rise of TV.

For more on Judith Jones and her work with Julia Child, read The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin