The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-01

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the expense if such be the agreement If
the book be of an interesting character,and
promises a ready sale, he will give COM
mission of fifteen or even twenty per cent
on the retail price. Out of this commits
| sion the author must expect to meet the
expense of making the plates, and, perhaps,
| he may have little over for bis toll. 1t
will, however, be a good book, which brings
| $500 to the latter, and, and, indeed, lew
| novels yield more than $500, while many
fail to repay the cOst of the plates.
INEVITABLE RISKS.
There are few trades more liable to ex-
cessive risks than book-maliing, fact
which both authors and publishers have
learned by sad experience. Some of the
most valuable works have resulted in fail
ure. An experience of this kind is found
in the life of Scott, which is SO full Of
granduer and misfortune. His publishing
house Issued number OF valuable works
whose Gales were unremuneralve, and in
| fact the loss on these sunk a large part Of
| the profit made on the Waverly novels. In
| O like manner our booksellers sometimes
| lose in one worthless edition all the profits
made on score of successful volumes.
| Speaking of Scott, may allude to typo
| graphical error in my last, where l refer to
his search in the Naples library for 'Mother
Goose" "supposing it to be Gas the types
| said) Of Scotch origin" If such be subst-
| tuded for Scotch ii will read more sensibly;
may add that "Mother Goose" is still
| paying book, being in steady demand, and
probably will live as long as any other
juvenile.
THE BRoETEs,
The literary history of three remarkable
sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anna Bronte,
illustrates in a very interesting manner the
exigencies of authorship. These girls lived
with their father in very secluded ham,
let, in the north of England, and were de-
sirous of publishing Il volume of poems.
They wrote } book house and arranged to
have the work printed and published at
the authors expense. The volume fell
dead from the press, and girls RENTED the
bill, which was equal to about $3.50. 1t
was hard loss, ADD made gap in the
little fund Of the family, but there was no
avoiding the results, which was borne with
cheerfulness. These poems were published
as the production of three brothers, Currer
Ellis and Acton Bell, and the best notice
which any of them received was accorded
to the poems written by Ellis, emily,
who was considered by Charlotte the most
talented of the family.
MORE EFFORT.
The gifted sisters we're not dishearte ned.
Charlotte had written a novel, which she
sent to 4 publisher, who returned it. 1t
was afterward sent TO six other houses and
was declined by every one. The book was
called "The Professor" aud l think has
never been published. Charlotte, while
this bool; was going the rounds, commenced
"Jane Eyre" which she determined to
make more of sensation novel thar 1.-THE
Professor" aud succeeded to remarkable
degree The MSS. was cent TO the great
house OF Smith. Elder & Co., who publish
ed it their own REX and it had a ready sale.
Subsequently the author and her sister
Anna went TO London to see the publishers,
and the latter were astonished to behold |
two diminutive young women, clad in dress
of rural simplicity, who represented so
popular book as "Jane Eyre" Charlotte
brought along Smith, Elder &c Co. s bust
ness correspondence as a proof of her
identity, and this removed all doubt.
A DISCOVERY.
Then, for the first time, the publishers |
learned that Currer Bell, once supposed to |
be man, was delicate glrl whose studies |
of life and society had been of very
limited character. Such was the entrance |
of the most talented family of the present |
age into the literary world. How tedious |
ora To- ha
learned by experience. Perhaps the career |
Of this remarkable trio is one of the most !
striking in the modern history of genius, |
and has an almost tragical character. Sell |
dom has the world witnessed three such |
talented sisters, who wIthered rapidly under |
misfortune, and followed each other in |
quick succession to the grave.
AUTHORS PROFITS.
have spoken of Washington Irving as
the best paid American author, and it is !
EVIDENT that he was the most successful in |
obtaining foreign patronage. Although |
John Murray at first declined Issuing the |
"Sketch Book" he was afterwards glad to |
publish all of Irvings works, and the entire |
sum realized by the author in England was |
fl2, 217-equal to nearly 100000. All Of |
this game from Murray except el,000, |
which was paid by Bentley for the "Alham- |
bra" The highest sale was for the "Llfe |
of Columbus" This work is now but little |
lead, and yet such was the interest in tne |
subject, that when published Irving received |
CO, $50 from Murray and 50, 900 from Amer |
lean publishers, iii all about $4,000 No |
American author has ever received 80 much |
for any work, except Mrs. Stove, who has,
It is said, cleared $4,000 on "Uncle Toms |
Cabin. .lrving's popularity increased |
rapidly during his latter days. Up to 1S43 |
he had received $4,000 and had bsen be-
fore the public nearly forty years. During |
the last eleven years of his life, his publish
or, Mr.. Putnam, paid him $SS,0G0. The |
demand has continued since the authors |
death, aud the commission received by his
heirs for five years, were 1874, 900. Bayard |
Taylor has made new fortune out of the |
sale Of his works, and at one time G. p.
Putnam devoted himself exclusively to Tay-
Tor and Irving, but he afterwards enlarged
his publishing operations. J. Il. Headley
has also done well, and 10 said TO possess
respectable competence.
THE GREAT HUMoRIsT.
Clemens, the humorist, better known az
"Mark Twain" has done better than any
man of his turn of labor. He has been
seven years before the public, and during
that time he has become rich enough TO
live on his income. His property in Hart.
ford is worth more than $4,000. Mrs.
Stowe has made more by her pen than any
other American woman, and has probably
IL lie, |