[...] For the rest, things are beginning to be in a bad way with me again. My misfortunes always begin with the beginning of spring. My work is coming to an end and I cannot hope for anything fresh. Added to this I am still not free of debt and unluckily I have to pay for the ignorance of French customs which led me to give notice of removal from my lodging eight days too late, so that my scheme of spending this summer cheaply in the country is rendered vain. I have still no answer from Brockhaus—oh, I know what people are! I have sent a few stories to Lewald, who challenged me to it a year ago. My present journalistic work, useful as it otherwise is, brings in confoundedly little. The misery is that I am so totally unable to see what can bring me success as a musician. I must very seriously consider risking a decisive venture at the beginning of next winter. I must give a big concert with the Conservatoire orchestra and choir and produce my best things at it; otherwise they will never get to know me here. Only a favourable issue to my Dresden affairs, however, can enable me to do this. How long will that drag on!! Those people have had my business in hand three months and I have not yet got a single direct word out of them. [...]
Apropos! Perhaps you know of a good publisher? My friend Anders the librarian, the most learned musical philologist and historian in the world, has for some time been busy collecting most exhaustive and exact data about Beethoven and his works. He had already amassed a rich store when Schindler's book appeared, through which the extent of our knowledge of Beethoven has been immeasurably increased. It is generally agreed that this latest book has given us good material but yet it is far from being a true biography. Anders, who lacks a ready pen, has now offered to place all his material in my hands if I will write the book and go halves with him. We are both agreed that it is to be an exhaustive history of Beethoven which, while avoiding pedantry and learned quotations, shall tell Beethoven's story in light, perhaps imaginative style and at the same time discuss and define the great musical periods as their development can be traced in the sequence of the Master's works. It is to consist of two volumes of 30 sheets of Roman print, and from both aspects, as regards historical accuracy and as regards conscientious aesthetic criticism, it is to be complete and exhaustive, though lightly presented and made generally pleasantly readable. It should be a fine piece of work, a means of improvement to oneself and in any case a profitable speculation for the bookseller. Anders wants to offer it to Brockhaus—I should prefer someone else. [...]
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Vol. 1, selected and ed. Wilhelm Altmann, trans. M. M. Bozman (J. M. Dent & Sons, 1927), No. 53