The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-26
Some Curious Figures in Book.Making.

Some Curious Figures in Book. Making.
From an interview with Mr.. William
q. Appleton, Of the firm Of D. Appleton
& Co., printed in the New York Herald,
we extract the following:
How was Mr.. Bryant as maker of
manuscript
"Mr. Bryant did all his laboring over
the first draft of his poems, and the
manuscript as we received it was like
copper-plate.'
How did his works sell ?" *
80 They have sold better since his
death than before, for some reason or
other
g What is the best-selling book you
publish, if not too impertinent ques-
ton %
The best-sellng book we publish is
sWebster's Speler,' and it has the larg-
est sale of any book in the world, e1-
cept the Bible. We sell 1000, 900 copies
& a year.
$50 A million copies year!''
4 .gtYes, and have for forty years. MAX
ing 10000, 900 Of 'Webster's Spoilers
that have issued from our presses. The
year following the emancipation of the
slaves we sold l,500, 900, because every
negro in the South thought it only nee
essary to have 'Webster's Speller to
read. After that year it fell back to the
original million, and has never varied.
We sell them in cases of seventy-two
dozen, and they are bought by all the
large dry-goods houses and supply
stores, and furnished by them to every
crossroads store in the country"
''Can you always tell whether a book
will be successful?'' a~
No more than a manager can pre-
dict the success of play. For example,
when Lothian was written we deter
mined to publish it. The firm held a
consultation, and some of the members
we're for printing an edition of 1900,
while others thought that was too many,
and doubted whether 1000 would sell.
Finally we agreed to venture with 2, 600.
You may imagine our surprise when I
tell you that we sold $4,000 copies Of
that novel,"
Another successful novel was Miss
Muhlbach's "Joseph III. and His Court. -
MI. W. W. Appleton, while travelling
down South, came across copy of this
book printed at Atlanta, Ga. during the
war. He bought it as curiosity, for it
was wretchedly printed on wrapping
paper. Having an idle hour or so one
day, he read the work and was at once
struck by the elements of popularity in
it, and it was published by the firm.
Every one will remember the success of
this story, and how it was followed by a
long series by the same author. Before
the accident that led to the publication
of Joseph IL" Muhlbach's novels had
been offered to nearly every publisher in
New York, the Appletons among the
number, and refused.
Two very successful American books
are Stewards Travels Around the
World, "and s'Gen. Sherman's Memoirs. -
Gen. Sherman, Mr.. Appleton says, is as
fast writer as he is talker, and he
seldom has to correct his manuscript.
ct should like said Mr.. Appleton,
taking up pencil and sheet of paper,
ssto show you the cost of book-making. 1
don't believe that people, when they
buy book for so cents, have any idea
of the capital invested to bring it down
at that price. For example, It cost us
$138, 900 to publish Picturesque Amer
lea, and that without adding the cost of
printing. To be sure we made q good
profit on it. Forty thousand copies were
sold and 81, 400, 600 turned in by our
agents. An even more profitable vent
ure was the American Oyclopedia, for
which the public has paid S., 76O, 600. OF
course, all of this is not profit. It costs
an immense amount Of money to carry
On our factory in Williamsburg. We
employ 600 hands, and pay out $293, 40
in wages annually"