At the beginning of December, Collins and Ward returned to their Westminster Hotel rooms in New York City where Ward continued to handle correspondence while Collins involved himself in rehearsals for the upcoming opening of The Woman in White at Daly's Broadway Theater. Ward wrote on Collins's behalf to his Canadian publishers, Hunter, Rose, confirming that the first two parts of The Dead Alive had been mailed to them from Baltimore, and reminding them that publication must not occur in Canada before the United States number was released, scheduled for 15 December. After publishing in parts, they would be free to issue it in book form. He closed with a reference to Collins's continuing busy schedule.

Problems with the American Literary Bureau persisted. Collins had completed his contracted obligation, having given the readings stipulated under the Bureau's management. During the time of his association with Brelsford, Collins had witnessed numerous examples of the firm's mismanagement: exorbitant ticket prices that affected attendance, booking inconsistencies that caused periods of both impossibly demanding scheduling and long periods of inactivity, delays in the scheduling of readings in New York City that resulted in a lack of credibility as he toured the lesser venues. As Collins wrote to Fred Lehmann, he believed that had been cheated by the American Literary Bureau, although what specifically caused the allegation is not known. He was, therefore, receptive to an offer from James Redpath to take over the arrangement and promotion of his readings. (The American Literary Bureau, however, continued to use his name in their advertisements in various publications for the duration of his stay in the United States.) The contacts and negotiations that preceded the offer are not known, but on 9 December, Collins responded to a letter from Redpath: