Editing E. E. Smith (section)

===Writing ''Skylark''===
In 1919, Smith was hired as chief chemist for F. W. Stock & Sons of [[Hillsdale, Michigan]], at one time the largest family-owned mill east of the Mississippi,<ref>[http://www.hillsdalecounty.info/history0118.asp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416144752/http://hillsdalecounty.info/history0118.asp|date=April 16, 2007}}. Retrieved April 5, 2007.</ref> working on doughnut mixes.<ref name="sanders1"/>

One evening late in 1919, after moving to Michigan, Smith was looking after his child (presumably Roderick) while his wife attended a movie.  He resumed work on ''The Skylark of Space'', finishing it in the spring of 1920.<ref>Sanders, p. 1; Moskowitz, p. 14. <br>Warner says 1921.</ref><ref>"Doughnut Specialist Smith" says "It wasn't until 1919 that work really began&nbsp;... Five years passed before acceptance by the first science-fiction magazine on the American market, and two more years elapsed before it was published."  This is not consistent with other sources.</ref> He submitted it to many book publishers and magazines, spending more in postage than he would eventually receive for its publication. Bob Davis, editor of ''[[Argosy (magazine)|Argosy]]'', sent an encouraging rejection letter in 1922, saying that he liked the novel personally, but that it was too far out for his readers.<ref>Sanders, p. 9; Moskowitz, p. 15.</ref>  Finally, upon seeing the April 1927 issue of ''[[Amazing Stories]]'', he submitted it to that magazine.  It was accepted, initially for $75, later raised to $125.<ref>Sanders, pp. 1, 9; Moskowitz, p. 15. Both sources say that [[T. O'Conor Sloane]] was the editor who accepted it, but Sloane's Wikipedia biography states that he was managing editor for the first issue of [[Amazing Stories]] and associate editor until 1929, when he became editor, replacing [[Hugo Gernsback]] [Sloane's associate editorial duties included accepting material for publication with the final say in the matter from Gernsback].</ref> It was published as a three-part serial in the August to October 1928 issues<ref name=isfdb/> and it was such a success that associate editor Sloane requested a sequel before the second installment had been published.<ref>Moskowitz, p. 15.</ref> (According to Warner, but no other source, Smith began work on the sequel, ''Skylark Three'', before the first book was accepted.<ref name= Warner>[http://fanac.org/fanzines/Spaceways/Spaceways01-07.htmlHarry Warner, "Edward E. Smith — A Biography"]{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref>)

Garby, whose husband died in 1928, was not interested in further collaboration, so Smith began work on ''Skylark Three'' alone.<ref>Moskowitz, p. 15.</ref> It was published as another three-part serial, in the August to October 1930 issues of ''Amazing'', introduced as the cover story for August.<ref name=isfdb/>  This was as far as he had planned to take the ''Skylark'' series.  It was praised in ''Amazing''{{'}}s letter column,<ref>For example, [http://pobox.com/~flash/SF/Scans/Doc_Smith/Letters/John_Campbell_on_Skylark_3,Amazing_9-30_p567-8/ one letter]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from [[John W. Campbell]] on pages 567–68 of the September issue ends by stating that ''Skylark of Space'' had been "the best story of scientifiction ever printed"—although most of the letter was devastating criticism of the science in the story.</ref> and he was paid ¾¢ per word, surpassing ''Amazing''{{'}}s previous record of half a cent.<ref name="mosk16">Moskowitz p. 16</ref>