Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-10
SUCCESSFUL BOOK AGENTS.

~ have been told that there is book
canvasser who has earned 81, 900 year.
Ii that so?' Sun reporter said to Geo.
Washington Davis, who is in charge of
the canvassing department Of d. Apple
ton & Co.
You may judge for yourself" said
Mr.. Davis, pulling out memorandum
book. "This firm has paid $4,000 to
Samuel Collins since September last for
his personal services m oanvassing for
one book, Artistic Houses
Is not that" was asked, AN excep-
tionsl amount?'
This il large sum, bat Mr.. Collins
has been book canvasser for fifteen
years, and has made a handsome in
come. He began at $40 week. The
book sells for $500 the set. One of our
agents made $1,000 in one menth selling
Appleton's Cyclopedia. Such men think
it poor week when they do not earn
500. One of our canvassers, named
Rust, earned $l2l6 in ten weeks selling
the Art Journal Another earned $50
in q month selling the Gallery Of Brit
ish Art could give you the name OF
Q woman who has earned 1851 in one
week selling our books. There ID Mr..
Fowke, who has been forty years book
canvasssr. I should say he averaged
$4,000 year by his personal sales; he
has sold many sets OF the Cyclopedia.
There 10 lady who has Just como in who
earns $500 year. suppose there are
Afty men in this country who earn 500
q week a. book agents.
"Of course these are not the sort of
men that funny paragraphs are written
about. They are gentlemen who are
good ooaversationalists. People like to
hear them talk. and they know how to
talk to the right people. They ride in
carriages, dress we'll and loss no time.
They know thoroughly what they have
TO cell and how TO sell it. We can de-
pend upon them to sail given qaau
tity;"
and earn such vagee1"
Probably not. The most money ID
made in selling expensive books. Pub
fishing runs in that direction now. This
Arm pot 100000 into the Cyelop0dia
before they got q cont back. They put
t300OOO into the Picturesque America
before they began to get their money
back. That sells for 424 copy. II We
depended on the trade TO sell Il, We
should have 10 get $500 Q copy to make
il pay. Agents cell books which could
mot b sold in any other way. People
will not 90 70 storts 70 look for books.
but whom they 80 really good books Of
Jared In the right way they viii buy.
The bet books are new publisAed by
subscription"
"Do you And women or men the best
agsntsf
"Neu. There have been some sue
cessful women agents, bat thsy have not
the same perseverance, as men,"
do men often fail az itr'
"Oh, 20. Try 5000 people year who
think they can b good eanvassers, and
think am lucky Il get ten god oan-
vasssrs out Of the 5000. Is 10 like any
other businsss, and requires brains. apt
ituds and perseverance. Mere braap or
assurance viii not do agood book agent
must b Q pleasant person"
. How do you find thsmf"
"They GONE 10 %. The most prolific
season for good cAnvasDsrs 10 immedi-
assly after Q business panic. Mem get
out Of business and have no capital bat
brains; often begin - book agents and
ees Q frssh start in life. Sometimes
they kosp at the canyasaing only until
they Got capital 10 begin buainsas again;
sonsssimss they keep on for life. The
demand for good book agents 10 bFisk
and likely 70 increase"