, 1874-05-31
AMONG THE PUBLISHERS.


there Was at that time but little competition, il
WAS 3 great SUCCESS. But, previous to the he
| be1non. the c1lption-publithtng business had
not reached the gigantic proportions it has nince
/ attained.
During the late Civil War, when every one
| WAS anxious to obtain the latest news, those whc
| had mover given any attention to reading any
| thing except their Own local newspapers now de-
| maDded information Of the contest waging be-
tween the North and South the points at Issue
the movements Of the various portions OF the
army; the history OF every great battle, with all
its minute Details result of which WAS, that
! the masses acquired a taste for roading and a
| thirst for knowledge. Men OF enterprise are
quick to realize the wants OF the public and they
| wore not SLOW to see this growing demand for
| literature.
It had been clearl demonstrated thousands OF
times that ten persons will porchase = good book
WHEN SOLICITED TO DO so,
where not ulore than one would. ever call for it
ut bookstore. Tho subscriptions business, too,
covers the whole country, and reaches not only
the cities and towns, but every village and ham
lot, ovory highway and byway, Of the land and
the canyaRsing agent, with his books, carries
| useful knowledge into many localities where it
might never penetrate by any other means. So
eager had the people become for books, such =
thirst tor knowledge had been created by the
War, and such al impetus had been given to the
criptlon-trade, that several trashy books
we're sold, which. for time. brought subscnp-
tion-publishers into bad repute. From the close
OF the War, however, the trade steadily i'm
proved. The people had acquired taste for
reading. aud tho demand for books is, up to
this date, constantly increasing; the more so as
the subscripslon-trade is now IN the hands OF
honorable meu.
It is interesting to note, as an evidence Of the
improvement aud discrimination Of the masses
III regard to reading natter, that it is impossible
for an agent to push worthless book. 4 book
to meet With ready gale, must possess some in
trinsic value to recommend it to the reading
public THIS il the more gratifying when it is
remembered that tho lutEent and most 1am11nar-
atlye nold for the canyRbslng agent ID villages
small towns, agricultural aud mining communi-
ties; and farmers, mechanics, clerks. Intelligent
lnboreEs aud factory operatives, miners. small
shopkeepers, and men of moderate means arc
the best buyers in the world Of subscription
books.
warfare between neutrality-suspicious. aud
trade publishers, the il-wl1 being mostly on the
Eide OF the trade. But the subscription-plan
met the wants Of large class Of people, end
proved such an immense success that nearly all
tic trade-publishers have now
a Observation-Disclosures
in Which they never sell except through canvass-
ing agents. among whom are Appletons, Serb
ners, OEHood j. Co., and many Others It is al
80 notable fact that books OF special cbarac-
ter, or the best class Of their publications. are
sold by subscription; aud the fact that publish
or can sell much larger number Of books by
subscription than through the stores has become
so we'll established that many OF our bost
authors refuse to write Tor publication in aDy
other way.
Another fact that recommends books sold in
this way is, that the publisher has no largo
Wholesale house, with its high rent and e1pen- |
aive clerks; no handsome retail store. with all
its costly equipsge. Only one man, tho agent,
comes between the publisher and tie seller, and !
the purchaser can have book cheaper than he |
could buy one, Of the same sizs and manufac- |
ture, ut the regular bookstore.
The subscnption-plan takes the precedence Of |
the plan OF peddIing books from the fact that, |
when peddler calls on person OF small means
and Offers valuable book for aale however
much he mar feel tho need Of it and wish to ]
purchase it, he cannot do 20, because be has not
takes his name, and engages to deliver the book
at 4 certain period In the future, the purchaser
can lay his plans accordingly, and have the
necessary sum by the time spccited for The de-
livery OF the book
neutrality-suspicious. embrace
WIDER RANGE OF SUBJECTS
than they did formerly, which may be Chased al
follows: Books Of solid information,-suc
IS histories and standard Biographies;
for use,-as Home~Physicians, popular law
books, veterinary works. etc.; books on biblical
Dr religious subjects: works Of entertainment,
comprising instructive facts in connection with !
lighter aud simply agreeable reading,-such as
lions, voyages, bome kinds of autobiographies, !
stc.; and, lastly, those Of dashy and purely
sensational @ !: charactsrmsneh as are apt to have
NINA in nrt nm ft,a |