Daily globe., 1883-05-02
The Profits of Authors.

Mr.. Kegan Paul, in his article in the
Fortnightly Review on "The Production
and Life of Books tells us many things
of interest, in the first place, writers OF
books, in themselves no inconsiderable
public, and, in the second, readers gener.
ally. He devotes one paragraph to the
payment of authors. or rather to the meth.
DDS of payment. On this subject should
like, with your leave, to say something
which shall be, in part, drawn from nv
experiences. Mr.. Paul, as have said, con-
demns the system of "half profit" It is,
he says, misleading and unsatisfactory. y
1t must entail upon the publisher q great
amount of trouble, and the author, apart
from the long delay which it aggravates,
If it does not cause, has no reason to love
it. An account of items which there are
no possible means of checking is an obvi-
Gus absurdity. It is only natural to vague
ly suspect the charges which it is impossi-
BILE to verify. Are these prices for print
ing, for paper, for binding. real or nomi-
nal, as nominal as tha publishing price,
of book? And this charge fer advertis,
ing, how is it made up DC not the news.
papers allow considerable "com-
mission," of which the publisher,
NV OhO oOCLO1 ROIS Iu6 D0uSuU
Why should l be doubted, as 1 remember l
once was, with 'share of trade dinner
or with " trade expenses" surely the con-
Germ of the publisher only? The royal
ty" system which Mr.. Paul advocates has
the merit of simplicity and economy of
trouble. The publisher has only, as re-
CARDS the author, to keep an account of the
copies sold. Payment might be made, I
suppose, within short time of certain
number having been reached, in the case
of first edition, or within a stipulated
time after the publication of a second or
subsequent edition. My own experience
of the royalty system has been perfectly
satisfactory.
But either the " half profit" or the ''roy-
alty'' system is to be chosen, rather than
the sale of copyright" Mr.. Paul prefers
this for certain class of books, as, for in
stance, for the ordinary novel," Posi-
bly, he is right, though what may seem at
the time to be an ordinary" novel NAV
tarn out in ihe end to be something very
extraordinary. If "Jane Eyre" or the
" Scenes of Clerical Life" had been sold
for lump sum the earrangementiwould not
have been by any means good for the au-
thor" to use Mr.. PauPs expression. NV
own experience on this point is so striking
that give it in some detail, though I can
not hope that experience will avail much
in the face of necessity.
Something like quarter of a century
ago, published a volume which achieved
considerable success, and still holds its
ground. My name was then unknown
and had to pay tho publisher certain
sum by way of guarantee against loss.
-Four years afterward I sold the copyright
receiving for it and for other work done
just as much as I had advanced, the ad-
vance being repaid at the same time. ]
was very poor in those days; 1 wanted
very much to take my wife and children
into the country, but had not the means
Then, on day when we we're all wearying
for fresh air, came the check. I had not
asked for it; it was offered by the publisher
do not blame him; he took the legitimate
advantage which every trader takes of his
own means and the workman's wants. But
! 1t was good bargain for him, and bad
one for me. l know this is a certainty,
because 1 have since published precisely
similar volume, which had had about the
same measure of success.
Of this have retained the copyright,
and receive from it annually nearly as
much as got for the fee simple of the
other. 1 can give, again from my own ex-
perience, another instance 10 the same
effect. Some years ago I wrote or COM
piled sundry small books. Other gentle
men who were associated with me did the
same. They sold their copyrights for.
say, e2O piece. Il do not give the true
figures, not wishing my good friend, the
publisher, to identify lne, but guarantee
their proportional accuracy.) 1 retained
mine, and 1 now annually receive for
some of these volumes more than the total
sum paid to my colleagues. while in one
case the income has amounted to nearly
three times as much. Let me say, then,
to my brother authors, with all possible
emphasis, don't sell your copyright.