Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-07-05
Successful Book Agents.


al have been told that there is a
book canvasser who has earned $25, 900
year. Is that SOP" a Sun reporter
said to Mr.. George Washington Davis,
who is in charge of the canvassing de-
partment of D. Appleton & Co.
"You may judge for yourself" said
Mr. Davis, pulling cut memorandum
book. "This firm has paid $40, ,090 to Mr..
Samuel Collins since September last
for his personal services in canvassing
for one book, artistic Houses
"Is not that an exceptional
amount?''
"That is large sum, but Mr.. Col
Inns has been book canvasser for fif-
teen years, and has made a handsome
income. He began at $40 a week.
The book sells for $500 the set. One
of our agents made $1,000 in one
month selling Appleton's Cyclopadia.
Such men think it a poor week
when they do not earn 800. One of
our canvassers, named Rust, earned
81, ,248 in ten weeks selling the Art
Journal Another earned $3.50 in a
month selling The Gallery Of British
Art l could give you the name OF a
woman who has earned 1857 in one
week selling our books. There is Mr..
Fowke, whe has been forty years a
book canvasser should say he aver
ages $4,000 year by his personal
sales. He has sold many sets Of the
Cyclopedia. There is lady who has
just come in who earns $500 year.
suppose there are fifty men in the
country who are earning 800 week
as book agents.
"Of course these are not the sort of
men that funny paragraphs are writ
ten about They are gentlemen who
are good onyersationalists. People
like to hear them talk, and they know
how to talk to the right people. They
ride in carriages, dress well, and lose
no time. They know thoroughly what
they have to sell and how to sell it.
We can depend upon them to sell a
given quantity"
"Could they take any kind of books
and earn such wages?"
| Probably not. The most money is
made in selling expensive books. Pub
fishing runs in that direction now.
This firm put s50O,O00 into the Cyclic
pedia before they got cent back.
They put 100000 into Picturesque
America before they began to get
their money back. That sells for $24
a copy. If we depended on the trade
to sell it, we should have to get $500 a
copy to make it pay. Agents sell
books that could not be sold in any
other way. People will not go to
stores to look for books, but when they
see really good books offered in the
right way they will buy. The best
books are now published by subscrip-
ton
do you find women or men the
best agents?"
"Men. There have been some sue
cessful women agents, but they do not
show the same perseverance as men,
"Do men often fail at it?"
"Oh, yes. 1 try 5000 people year
who think they can be good canvass
ers, and ! think am lucky If ! get
ten good canvassers out of the 5000.
1t is like any other business, and re-
quires brains, aptitude and persever-
ance. Mere brass and assurance will
not do. A good book agent must be
a pleasant person"
"How do you find them?"
"They come to us. The most pro
life season for good canvassers is i'm
mediately after business panic. Men
who get out Of business, and have no
capital but brains, often begin as book
agents, and get a fresh start in life.
Sometimes they keep at the canyassing
only until they get capital to begin
business again. Sometimes they keep
on for life. The demand for good
book agents is brisk, and likely to in
crease" ."-NeU York Sun.