 For the next twelve years Christopher wrote novels in several genres including science fiction, mystery, adventure, and romance, but he was unable to get a single one published, even as his short stories continued to sell.In 1953 he finally sold his first book, "Look for the Body", a 60,000 word detective novel, to Phoenix Press of New York City for $150.But his true success came in 1954 with the publication of "The Lucky Baseball Bat".