The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-06

can Publ1shers-Sulcidal Effects or their
Cspsdlty, &c., Sc.
Hook literature dead authors gone 70 Grub street,
and the Sunday newspapers and publishers (hose
who we're not snuned ont like taow candles the late
financial gae have taken the very harmless pursuit OF
sucking their thumbs, and wondering why the public will
not buy their shelved books, forgetting that they are
trash, which has had its day Publishers generally
but poor political economists they have very fine
appreciation Of literature; they regard ii article Of
traffic, to serve immediate and abuse as the
else Of their wisdom the case demands More than two
years ago the HERALD predicted that the policy pursued
by American publishers would produce the depres
sion experienced by the trade Our publishers
for moment take into consideration that there such
thing identifying literature with nationality and
making il serve as great vehicle rejecting society
truthful colors refining tastes and creating for itself
healthy demand. In Europe literature has standard
of excellence and this the publisher respects and pro-
tects knowing full well that il is that alone which
create a healthy demand for his publications We have
standard Of excellence, and criticism in which the
public has the slightest faith publishers with few
exceptions, discard literary excellence build up
sound trade in fasehood and punery and seek to force
demand for the veries trash OF which the reading public
become heartily sick We contend that it the PERM
cious policy adopted by the trade, and which felt
long before the panic set in that has produced this dearh
u the book market.
Men ignorant Of literature, and with scarcely capital
enough to set apple stand at the corner embark in
publishing with the hope of making fortune out OF
wonderful book, written by wonderful author dis
covered by wonderful accident in of the rural
districts, but who after ALL turns out TO be Miss in her
teens. And with this wonderful book and wonderful
author, the enterprising publisher flashes upon
q credulous public, only to practice decep-
On Dy aecrns con ne mas . sofa Least one
racter these enterprising publishers will not touch
They must have sensation novels sensation sermons"
and encyclopedias written by sensation cditors.r The
first must be written by ambitious females, and have plots
slightly obscene but so diluted with sentimentlity to
with the critics Of the tribune and such other dapdaed
parsons have love for books that set the country by
the ears, while sustaining their peculiar prejudces II
they make the hearts OF school girls ter and send spin
of forty to medtatng matrimony much the bet
But they must be sectonal-mus fire the preudces
Of section of the country and against another
The must be of the sensation order such
viii send the religious enthusiasm OF the ignorant into
blaze while the encyclopedia got up by sensation edi
tors expected to make "a great STIR" And with these
emasculated and sckly carrying perncious nfu
ence TO the 6resde our enterprsng publishers have
nauseated the public that it very properly turns from oil
publications with disgust
But in order to force their upon the public the
publisher finds necessary to resort to expedens that
feet great credit upon those who join him in carrying
them out He must have 'the opinions OF the press but
crush honest criticism and to do this he employs
some needy gentleman, who is critic for less than
three highly respectable newspapers and correspondent
for many more in the rural districts So engaged this
clever gentleman who generally has large circle Of fe
male admirers becomes the ready instrument Of his
poyer and is Of necessity bound praise his books in
such papers as he has access to. s also well known
that he Will books he has looked
and which may be found the stall of deaerin second
hand books three hours after he received them Another
well known and equally pernicous practice with these
terprsng publishers is that of compelling the critics in
their employ to write a series or notices of
some sensation book" they are about to bring
out. And these clever notices. written in the counting
of the enterprisng publisher and representing the
book perfect marvel in literature, the critic will get
his friends of the country newspapers to insert BY this
means the publisher gets vast number of highly color
cd opnons of the press which he parades in lengthy
advertisement, IN which his skill pufery is developed
feet of this cannot be other than perncous since il vir
tually practising deception upon the public. And the
public finding ii has been deceived time and again, will
longer permit itself TO be made the victim of such
Further, the publisher tells yos without the slight
est hesitation that he has need 10 pay for real talent
when by his skill at putting he force large sale
for that which he get for nothing But he orgets
that system OF trade based cannot long continue. Al
ready the public has lost all confidence in publishers
and critics; and, like sensible gentleman. seeks amuse
and instruction in old books OF established reputation
And publishers having brought their business TO
dead lock- besiege you with inquiries to how they
open new channels OF communication with the public and
regain its confidence. This is the natural result Of
tempting to make forced sales OF worthless wares instead
of endeavorng TO create healthy demand for something
OF real value.
But there s sl smother and greater error in the sys-
tenn adopted by recently established publishing houses
the manner in which authors in America paid. In
England men live by authorship alone; in America they,
with exceptions of necessity have other means
Of getting living In England author Of respectable
~ and reputation has line Of credit with his publisher,
who regards for his own interest to free the author
may be relieved Of all outside while pursuing his
literary abors We speak Of the system common at this
time Our publishers on the contrary require the author
expend his labor and money in the preparation Of his
book 10 wait six months from the date of publication for
settement and to accept notes payable at four and six
months for any balance that may be coming 10 him. The
author also forced to accept the publishers statement
correct, for he Is at his mercy and has OF
going behind IL TO ascertain the truth The author may
have spent years Of labor his book and by this PERM
cous system he is compelled still TO give his publisher
credit Of some ten twelve months Under this system
there chance for dependent genius rise and de
velope itself except IN the newspapers As Tor publish
er's notes, we have nothing TO against them except
that has become the fashion to fail before they fall due,
leaving the "wrers OF sensation novels prey 10 the
Infatuated broker, who shaved them at six per cent
month Indeed II was no rare sight Of late 10 see
author In Wall street pleading his necessities with Of
those sharp gentlemen OF whom he expected discount
and Offering mis- publishers note al a third Of. How
ever must not be forgotten that In good times the genera
sty Of the publisher will prompt him. consideration
authors necessities, 10 discount his notes for the
trfng sum Of three per cent month This we assert s
q common practice with New York publishers and will
go far TO illustrate the pccuatve character Of the relations
now existing between them and their authors
Indeed, while American authors have been struggling
10 extend the field Of their abors, American publishers,
instead Of subscribing their interests by encouraging
them, have onX thrown obstacles in their Whenever
effort nhe get an international copyright where.
by the author might secure some protection for his labor
and extend his usefulness into other countries the Ameri
can publisher the first TO forward and oppose
II. And now when he feels the blghiing effects of
his policy, becomes convinced that free
stealing Is not good political economy and that inter
NATIONAL c0pyrRht essential 70 the protection OF MS own
interests he round and its earnest advocate
but only so far II will serve his selfish ends. He
will the Of the author guise but he
not whit for his interests and would treat them with
little respect he would the interests of the printer and
binder both Of whom ought to be duly considered in
international copyright bill II has been said, and
fear with much truth that Irving and Cooper
only saved to American literature by the generosity "
English publishers let how far this is true and
also what the American publisher has brought upon him
self by his unwaverng opposition 10 an international
copyright
Up 20 the year 1852 American books, with few cxcep
tons were received in England with distrust In
deed had been long charged that America without
literature. But the works of such authors Irving
Cooper Bancroft and Prescott did much 90 dispe this
deeply rooted opinion, while the high literary reputation
gained for their works caused them 10 be sought after by
English publishers. Mr. John Murray and Mr.. Bentley,
prompted by sense Of justice 10 authors whether Eng
lsh or American paid all these authors large for
their works, which they produced in style that soon
gained for them demand not surpassed by the works OF
the distinguished writers. Indeed i well known
that Irving reeexed OF English pnhlher Cor hs writ