New-York tribune., 1878-07-22
AMERICAN PUBLISHERS IND FOREIGN
AUTHORS.
A POINTED cARp IRON HENRY HoLT 4 90

~
TO fhs Rdftor OF The Tribune
SIR: Your correspondent, &C. w. S." in writing
from Paris on July L. says that 40 the Literary Con-
gress, resolution passed IN favor Of interna-
tional treaties which should to the author
the right of authorizing translation and adaptation
Of his works" and adds Should this wish ever be
acted on, we may DO spared the spectacle OF an
American publisher proclaimIng in France that he
has issued in America translations Of the works Of
dozen French author without any payment TO the
authors save III one or two instances
Now, as American publishers who have made somo
such proclamation as your correspondent describes,
we are ANXIOUS to learn how giving the foreign
author the control he mentions, would produce any
such result he predicts.
Notwithstanding the great variety in contracts
between authors and publishers, the average result
of all such contracts must inevitably be that pub
lishers, if they maintain their soyency do not pay
authors any money unless the authors books earn
it, Now, while hardly " one or two" cut of every
dozen translatons published here ever earns any
money under the present laws, how can any larger
proportion of translatiOns earn any money if the
laws were changedi
1t may be asked way, il tFanslations are so unre-
munerative, we have published 80 many. The
answer is, that II took good while to learn better
But we now publish them very rarely. and have for
some time had on our office door placard on which
is printed " No tTanslations wanted" And one of
our very few publications In which tTanslating
plays a part that have gone 10 more than one ed-
tOn, is printed ettcr-fOrm with which TO decline
the myriad requests 10 undertake TRANSACTIONS with
which we are pestcred. We may add that other
publishers are learning the unproductiVcness Of
tTanslatiOns. and paying for their experience.
We have always been In favor of extending TO
foreign authors precisely the same legal protection
that Is extended TO our own. Our senior partner
was an officer of the old International Copyright
Association and we would be ready 20 cC0peTats in
any reasonable Efforts similar 10 theirs But among
the many sound arguments IN favor OF international
copyrght we have never been able TO recognize
that il will enable publishers to pay royalty ON
books that earn none:
Your correspondents queer state OF mind on this
subject seems 70 be connected with the assumption
involved in his question regarding another house
his first book in all cases y This other house Is
abnndanty able TO take care of itself but as the
query relates TO the point upon which we are de-
Tending ourselves, we may be justified In provision
ally answering II.
ii the house he inquiries abont pays young
foreign author "a royalty on hIs first book IN all
cases" or In out of twenty, II pays young
foreign authors more Literally than any well-c0n-
Quoted house pays young American authors and If
IL reprints the young Foreigners book without
obliging hm to take the risk himself it deals moro
literally with him than any publisher generally
afford to deal with the young American.
In previous letter your correspondent indicated
that he considered few criticisms on our literary
style worth q place in your columns. Competent
aud disinterested Judges pronounce one OF these
criticisms absurd its face but do not propose
10 AJAX your space 10 discuss IT, Our only reason for
alluding 10 It, is that 10 adds to what justification
we have already exhibited for our, in turn inviting
your correspondents attention TO a matter OF
rhetoric-the necessity 10 good writing Of first I'M
dersiandng what you are writing about. Your
obedent servants HENkY Holt a. Co.
25 Boad-st Ne,c- York July 10, 1878.