The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-08-04
Successful Book Agents.

ST have been told that there is book
canvasser who has earned s25 900 a year
Is that SOP" a Sun reporter said to
charge of the canvassing department of
D. Appleton & Co.
"You may judge for yourself" said
book. ''This firm has paid $50 900 to
Samuel Collins since September last for
his personal services in canvassing for
one book, Artistic Houses"
els not that an exceptional amount?"
'"This is large sum, but Mr.. Collins
has been a book canvasser for fifteen
years, and he has made handsome in
come. He began at $40 a week. The
book sells for $500 the set. One of our
agents made $4,000 in one month selling
Appleton's Cyclop@dia. Such men
think it poor week when they do not
earn 500. One of our canvassers named
Rust earned $1248 in ten weeks selling
the art Journal Another earned $3.50
in month selling The Gallery of
British Art could give you the name
of woman who has earned $357 in one
week selling our books. There is Mr.
Fowke, who has been forty years book
canvasser. I should say he averaged
$40, 900 year by his personal sales He
has sold many sets of the Cyclopadia
There is lady who has just come in who
earns $250O year. suppose there are
fifty men in this country who are earn
| ing 500 week as book agents.
''Of course these are not the sort OF
men that funny paragraphs are written
about. They are gentlemen who are
good conversationalists. 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 cell and how to sell it. We can de.
pend upon them to sell q given guam
tity."
''Could they take any kind of books
and earn such wages?''
Probably not. The most money is
make in selling expensive books. Pub
fishing runs in that direction now. This
firm put 100000 into the Cyclopmdia
before they got cent back. They put
$200, 900 into the Picturesque America
| before they began to get their money
back. That sells for $24 copy. If we
depended on the trade to sell il, we should
have to get $500 copy to make any
thing out of it. 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 ale now published
by subscription.
''Do you find women or men the best
agents?"
| ''Men. There hare been successful
women agents, but they do not show the
same perseverance as men,"
do men often fail at it?'
ooh, yes. I try three thousand peo
pie a year who think they can be good can
vassers, and think I am lucky if I gel
10 good canvassers out of the 5000. II
is like any other business, and requires
brains. aptitude and perseverance
| Mere brass an assurance will not do
A good book agent must be pleasant
person.
''How do you find them?'
"They come to us. The most prolific
season for good canvassers is immedi
ately after business panic. Men who
| get out of business, and have no capita
but brains, often begin as book agents
and get fresh start in life. Sometimes
| they keep at the canvassing 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 increase.-N. Y. Sun.