Dial Vice President Quits Post; Seeks Deal for Own Book Imprint

E. L. Doctorow has resigned & World, and the Seymour as publisher and vice president Lawrence books a Delacorte of the Dial Press, Inc., a sub- Press, another Dell subsidiary. sidiary of the Dell Publishing Some weeks ago, Mr. Doc- Company, to start his own book torow took leave from Dial to imprint And -devote more time complete hsis third novel, "The to writing. Book of Daniel," which will be In announcing his resigna- published by Random House tion, Mrs. Helen Meyer, presi- this fall. The book,hesaid, dent of the tow companies, Some weeks ago, Mr. Doc- praised Mr. Doctorow as "a torow took leave from Dial to most creative editor and pub- complete his third novel, "The lisher," and said a successor Book of Daniel," which will he would be named later. published by Random House Mr. Doctorow said he no this fall. The book, he said, is longer wanted to be responsible inspired by "a major political for the administrative duties of crime in the nineteen-fifties." his position, which he assumed He is also writing a manu- last August, succeeding Rich- script for young readers, "The ard W. Baron. Mr. Baron, a First Book of Revolution," to co-owner of Dial, sold his stock be published by Mr. Baron's to Dell and left to form his company. own publishing house. Mr. Doctor() joined Dial in Mr. Doctorow, whose au- 1964 as editor in chief after thors included Norman five years as an editor with James Baldwin and Howard New American Library. Fast, said he expects to com- He is the author of "Wel- plete negotiations later this come to Hard Times," and "Big week with a New York pub- as Life," two novels published lisher in the hope of launching by Simon & Shuscer. his own imprint. Under the ar rangement he would produce a series of books each year that would be promoted and distributed by an established publisher. Several other editors have developed their personal im- prints as a way of retaining editorial control over books while making use of the pro- motion and sales force of a big publishing concern. Among them are the Kurt and Helen Wolff books of Harcourt, Brace