, 1875-01-17
neutrality-suspicious. RQoK-MAKERS.

| 4 writer in the Boston Transcript, eyi
| dently member OF an intimate Of one Of tn,
| largo publishing houses Of that city, contrib
| utes svnoe information about the relative
| popularity of different classes Of books
which ought to be of value to literary people,
| and Of general interest. At q. time when
pretty much everybody has tendency to
rush into print, and special calling for Lit
crazy work is tho de1usion Of half the men
and women who, as CHARLES READE BAYS,
know how to write but not how to read, it il
well that the experience OF publishers outside
the technical points Of their trade should
be more generally understood. Il it
were , so, there would be less time
wasted which might BE- prodtably employed
in saving wood or running sewing machine,
and tho publishers might save the annual
salaries Of several "re&de.s," and the read-
ers preserve n1ens sata throughout tho
ordinary span of lifetime. The first I'M
preston which we believe the publishers Of
this country would generally like to spread
abroad-and it would be in the interest Of
American literature as well as their OWLS
that there are too many books, The compe-
lt:ion in tho publishing business is very great,
and the embellishments Of book-malung have
made IN inroad On tho profits. The supply
of trash is SO large, and the demand for gen.
uine merit 50 small, that the superintendent
issue Of book1 can scarcely fail to hare de-
pressing influence upon the book-hade gen.
orally. So much by way Of general reflection;
the suggestions Of the Transcript writer are
mora detailed and practical.
In the first place, the supply Of works Of
fiction Is larger than any other class OF books.
Within the last few years the stories for chill
drcn have been almost as numerous rs the
stories for adults. Indeed, the ono class has
tronched upon the other until it is no longer
easy to draw the line; somo Of the "juve-
miles," so called, have commanded large sales
and great popularity among the old folks,
and the young people ars so precocioVs now
adays that they seize upon the adolescent 70
manco before their time. We have recently
seen the statement that the greed for novels
among the reading people Of the present dry
is SO absorbing that it will only disappear with
the failure Of the supply. But, according to
present Indications, this failure will never
occur: There are already mora juvenile
books than it is profitable for the publishers
to keep in print, and the mass Of fiction con-
tzibuted by all nations in al languages for 200
years may be drawn upon in addition TO the
modern aocretiona Poetry, We learn, is tho |
greatest Of all drugs, in tbs literary market, !
md We ars not surprised thereat. OF al poor
stuff poor poetry is the vi1est Poetasters
md rhymeaters are as plenty. always a. black
oerries in aonson, but the real poets are as
rare as tho gems OF the sea Your nameless
poet writes thousand lines whore HoaAcE
vrote ono, in these days as of DID,
md so 1t is That the proportion Of poetical
works declined BY the publishers is
much larger than. that Of any other class Of
,ooks. Publishers are lkewise flooded with
Essays, and but few are ever accepted. Tic
Imateur scribblor, who contributes IN occa-
ionAl article to his home newspaper, or o.
:asionally finds his way into local periodi-
'al, is always consumed With desire to sao
ais fugitive productions gnthored together
md reproduced in hook-form. Hs is con-;
'incsd that they are worthy of mora last;ng!
urn, sorsstfsA d icaaszAnt u Tho tast that +