Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-10

!
Elements OF COst-SOme E1stima1aS-Nc-
cessity Of PubIIshePs-The Function Of
the Publishers Rcader''-An Emaxin-
arv Interview between Author and Pub
Iishcr-What the Reader DOcs-EerIns
between Author and PubIisher-T'hrec
TEOdes OF ArraHgemcnt-Fcn per cent.
! COpyright-Shares of Author and Pub
lIsher-A Fair Arrangement PhilOs-
OPhy of Literary Notices.
Copyright.
lFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
New YORK, Feb. S, 1872.
1t is common belief that in the matter Of
publishing and selling books there is some mys-
terry which takes it ont Of the ordinary rules of
business transactions Hardly day passes in
| which am not asked, orally or by letter, 81
have written book which [ wish published.
How shall get this done? And what will it
cost? | am quite ignorant of this kind of bust
ness"
In ordinary transactions the are but two
partes-the buyer and the seller. In book pub
fishing there are usually Three the author, the
purchaser and Intermediate between them, the
publisher, whose part is to bring the other two
in contact
| If the purport Of the question were simply
| how much it would cost an author 10 have
| printed for him certain number of copies of a
book of given size and fern, it could be very
easily answered. He would do just as he would
| if he wanted a given number of pairs of shoes
| manufactured of particular pattern furnished
by him. A printer engaged in that particular
branch of the trade will furnish an estimate
showing to a dollar the amount for which he
will do the job. The author need not, unless he
wishes, have any thing TO do with the matter
| from the time he delivers the manuscript
to that when he receives his volumes all com.
| pletc In the manufacture of book there are
| two elements of cost the one stationary, that is
| not depending upon the number printed; the
| other being so much for every copy printed, be
they more or less. The stationary element con
ssts of the expense of setting up the type and,
| if the work is stereovped, making the sterco-
type plates, and also, if the book is illustrated,
making the engravings. 1t has come to be held
that few books are worth doing which are not
worth stereotypng. The other expenses are the
cost of paper, the printing and the binding.
The entire cost of every copy varies with the
number issued, because the whole of the first ell
emeDt must be divided pro rata among all the
copies. Let us suppose it to be decided that the
book is to be a duodecmo OF five hundred pages
in fair type, upon good paper, and well bound
in cloth. Then the printing estimate, at present
prices of labor and material, would be very
much as follows, for one thousand copies:
Stereotype plates 81 per page.............. $500
Press work, 10 cents per copy, ............... 100
Paper 30 cents per copy. ...................' $50
Binding, 30 cents per copy. Observation-Disclosures. 80
Total cost for 1000 copies ...............S1 $500
That is, 81 20 would be the absolute cost of
manufacturing each of one thousand copies.
But suppose the estimates were for five thou
sand copies, the cost from the same data would
| be:
iIales, ~ eiorc. SJUU
Press work, for 5000 copies. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 800
Paper for 5000 copies 800
binding for 5000 copies .................... 1900
Total cost for 5000 copies $1,000
That is, 80 cents for each copy. If the esti-
mate were for 10000 copies, the same data gave
$500 as the whole cost, that is seventy-fve
cents copy. If the book is to be illustrated
the difference per copy between a large and
| small edition is yet more apparent. The cost of
each fair engraving is about $780, supposing
there are to be len, $500 ore is to be added to
the dead outlay. Upon 1000 copies this would
be sixty cents each, making every one to cost
81 so. Upon 5000 it would be twelve cents.
making ninety-two cents. Upon 10000, six
cents, or eighty-one cents for each All this, it
must be borne in mind is the mere actual eX-
| Of, =
question, 'What would it cost me?"
But suppose an author has 1900 or 5000 copies
of book, what shall he do with them? The
millions of purchasers of books are scattered
| over the whole country. The author cannot 90
| to them, and they cannot come to him. More
| over, few authors have the money which they
are able { willing to lay out in printing book.
Hence comes the necessity Of a publisher that
is, man who has the money to invest and the
facilities for placing the book before the wide
public. The really practical part of the ques
| ton is, GLOW shall ret Il publisher to under
take the issue of my book?' You must CON
vince him that the work will meet with sale
sutci mt to repay him for his capital, labor and
risk. And as his business is the means of his
livelihood, he must have profit for himself
You also wish to be paid for your labor in writ
ing the book.
| You therefore apply to a publisher, just as
you would to any other man with whom you
wished TO enter info a business transaction. His
first step is to examine your manuscript, in
| order to form an opinion as TO
whether it will pay to publish Il. You
must bear in mind that ne is as
| 1esirOus 10 enter into profitable transaction as
you are. If you have a good book he wants to
publish it; otherwise not. There is, perhaps, no
business which requires so much Judgment as
to decide wisely upon this very point Usually
the publisher has one or more confidential adj
yisers whose opinions he asks These advisers
are generally known as "readers" No one
man is able to read half the books which come
before publisher doing a large business; and
there is, perhaps, no one man capable of form
| ing sound Judgment upon every class of
work. So, as matter of fact, every large pub
fishing house has several regular readers besides
| others, eminent in their various professions.
| whom they consult in relation TO works in their
several spccalties. The readers are really the
counsel Of the publishers. Their function is to
give full consideration 10, and their best advice
upon all matters submitted to them. For this
they receive a salary and il would be consid-
cred on beth sides a breach Of trust if they ac-
cepted any COMPENSATION whatever from the
author for their work. In fact, unless there are
special reasons 10 the contrary, the conscicn-
tious reader prefers never to see the author in
relation to the book while the question is pend
Ing. He wishes bis opinion to be perfectly
unbiased one.
An imaginary case, which shall in all essential
points be one Of frequent occurrence, Will, bet,
ter than anything else, set forth the modus OPP
erandt Of the transaction between author aid
| publisher.
lou nave, let me suppose, written book to
winch you have gwen your best thought, and
no little amount of labor. You naturally wish
the world to have the benefit Of it, You feel rs
Bicon did when he penned that masterly pre-
face: "ThcGe are the medta,iuns Of Francis or
Nerulan, which, thar posterty might be aware
/ Of, he deems for their bpnc6t y p,rb,.. -