New-York tribune., 1874-10-28
SUBSCRIPTION BOOKS.


vps-arsryEss PRosPEcTs-NEw BOOKS
~ OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSE'l
u,prroRp. Conn.,, Oct 18.-Harttord con-
,,,. nm. $1,000 Inhabitants. 1t is the Guy
m ala. I'm the United States and yet there are propaoy
,ore hooks published there in the course OF year. 10
he sod by agents. than published In all other cues
IN the country put together II was many years ago
noted for the publication OF schoolbooks The puoca
lion of books by subscription began here about niy
years ago. O. D. Case being one OF the hrst 10
The trade He successful and others followed MS
sxample though business did not immediateV so"
10 very great proportions. On the contrary IL pegan
Ole out until the war gave 1t an Impetus. anu ~ n
hela ,ts own ever since. The first war DOCK that
was published in Hartford was the story OF an army
nurses experiences, and entitled: nurse ana Spy.
II WAS said to be the original manuscript very poorly
written and in that shape utterly unpresentaoe' Inc
author had been book agent After being reiusea the
publication Of her work by several publishers In hare
ford she offered IL to one firm whose Judgment out
stripped the rest They took the manuscript hau re
yised and rewritten in parts by Journalist OF new
York and then published It, In eighteen months lsoow
copies were sod and the autho-who perhaps can ohy
be called so by courtesy-receved nearly s4ooo as nci
-rovaltyD on the gross sales. This immense success
Was after all lucky hit and not the result OF deperaIe
Judgment 1t surprised the publisher qute Is nuou ."
his neighbors for such sale was almost uhpreceue"'o
at that time subject was good one the country
rrayed information of the sort 1t gave; money WIS
olentv. there were many wounded soldiers to become
agents sympathy for whom alone would iesd persons
70 purchase; the first book OF TINS nature a."
these things served to make il successful Many "ar
books followed in rapid succession for seVerh years.
some OF which had a great SALE
EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS.
At least 30 900 agents must be employed by the Hart
ford firms in Of year. and more than looooo
circulars distributed the country This Is WITHOUT
taking account the general agencies OF these ls'
which are by nearly every established at Chicago
Nnxu-X -XnrR
Orleans. San Francisco and London. England. All
poins east OF Ohio are worked from the Hartford office
sysematzed as the business in this way thereIsno
any part OF the country that not al some
time visited by the bookagen The largest business Is
done by some firms in the West Others, whose books
have perhaps standard character do better In
the New-England aud Middle States To the farthest
districts Of the Western country the bookagent pene
trates and is there far than in the East welcome
guest one publisher few days ago sent BOOKS worth
s9 TO an in Montana Territory 800 miles from
any railroad. The books we're sent by mail, In special
bags at a cost OF SIC for postage. Books have been
supplied 10 agents in China, Japan, the Sand
wch Islands, Mexico Peru, and Constanunopie
From 1900 to 5000 agents are employed on one
book. Among the most successful OF subscription
book authors has been Mark Twain, who mas
received from his first books 100000 copyright, and
nearly $4,000 from "The Gilded Age" One Of the best
ways the extent and character OF the business
to give list of of the most prominent books
that been published IN this manner and the clrcu-
iation they have attaiDed.
"Ten Years IN Washington" by Mary Clemmer Ames,
2OOoO "Tel 1t All The Story Of Lifes Experience 10
Mormonism" by Mrs. B. II. stenhouse, $4,000; Kit
Carsons Life and Adventures" 10000; Lives and
Deeds Of Our selfmade Men," by Harriet Beecher
Stowe, 10000: "Iuside Life in Wa-street." 2oOc0;
"The Home Of Gods People" by the Rev. W. L. Gage,
1000; Fighting Fire." 10000 1.-THE Mormon Wife,"
1900; "Gded Age" by Mark Twain and Charles Dud-
ley Warner, $1,000; "Everybody's Friend" by Josh
Billings $4,000; MY Opinions and Betsey Bobbets"
1900; "RoughingIt ;" by Mark TwaiD 10000; Inno-
cents Abroad" by Mark Twain, 10000; Sights and
Sensations in Europe" by Junius Henri Browne. 2ooo
"Oyerland through Asia by 7. W. Knox, $4,000; I'm
civilized Races Of Men," by ]. G. Wood, 10000; "Per-
sonal History of L. 8. Grant," by A. D. Richardson
10000; Beyond the Mississippi" by the 100000
(" Field. Dungeon, and Escape" by the same, lo5ooo
"The Rebellion" by J. Headley, 10000 "Peb-
bIee and Pearls" by Mrs. A. d. Richardson. 10000;
"Bble History" by j. E. Stebbins, $1,000; Dictionary
Of the Bible" by DR.. VIM. Smith, 100000; " Lives and
Rpistles of ST. Paul." by Conybeare and Howson 10000
"ParsOn's Laws Of Business" 12500O; commentary on
the Bible,' bv Jameson. Fausett & Brown, $4,000
'sunshine and Shadow" by Matthew Hale Smith 100000
"Kuots United Book Of Detective Experiences, 550o
Smiths Dictionary OF the Bibe,' (condensed) $4,000;
"a womans Pilgrimage 10 the Holy Land" by Mrs. s.
NJ Grswod, 10000 " Bulls and Bears OF Wall street.,
1900; Underground" by 7. W. Knox, 25O0O Auto
biography of P. T. Barnum" 10000; Greeley's Confic
7tOOO; Eminent Women of the Age" 10000; "Phios-
ophy OF Housekeeping" by ]. b. Lyman. 1900: The
New World Compared with the DID," 4OOOO Health at
Home" by Dr. w. W. Hall. 10000; Washington, Inside
and Outside" by George Alfred Townsend 10000; Los
sings Civil War" in three volumes 1000 sets year
Lossings History OF the United States" 5000 sets
year; Fifty Years in the Magic Circle" signor Bz.
These the most popular books that have
been published within the last five years by
tbe subscription book publishers. Several
frms devote themselves to publishing Bibles.
Aunth fapt hera
this given the establishment OF large
printing houses In Hartford. at which all these books
are printed and made up Printing binding stationery,
DC. are said 10 be done cheapy there than they
be elsewhere. Even the paper is manufactured
within stones throw OF Asylumst. which nearly
all the publishing houses stand. There few pub
fishers who make book from beginning to end in their
establishments, after receiving the manuscript
from the author.
OPINIONS AND PROSPECTS OF PUBLISHERS.
From the time the subscription book business attained
any large importance there has been antagoDsm be-
tween and regular trade. The latter holds that
competitors flood the country with worthless books
poorly written poorly printed and bound containing
sma amount OF matter in large type and with wide
margins to the page for large price, The opinions OF
the subscription book publishers naturally the
verse. give you the result of conversations with
them their predictions on this subject and also con-
cernng their business prospects for the coming Fail
Winter.
BJiss, speaking for the American Publishing CON-
psny do hoi think there ought to be any antagousm
between the trade and ourselves. do think ws cam
interfere with each other each keeps his ground,
speaking for my own firm our boOks as general thing.
are books that written expressly for u.s. We select
good authors and pay high copyrights. and our books
are often such the trade would never have published
know there publishers In our branch of the book