The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-21
Tricks In the Book Trade.

THAT is counterfeit" downtown
bookseller said, holding out what pur-
ported to be a reprint of work by .
popular English writer. 81 would not
tell everybody SO; but will wager any
smount of money that that work was
not written by the author whose name
duction of some obscure penny-a-liner,
published under the name of a we'll
known English writer to make it popu-
lar with certain class of novel-feaders.
This is one of the tricks of the publish
ING business. and not very new one
either. The deception has been prac-
tised so long that it is a wonder that it
has not been exposed long ago. 1t is
more frequently practised with cheap
periodical literature than in bound
books. Inscriptions publishers of this
class of literature use the names of
many standard English story writers as
sort of stock in trade. They not only
print their genuine productions almost
as soon as they appear in England, but
they make this dishonest use of their
names. Many publishers are so bold
in practising this deception that they
boast of it in sly way. There is no
law against this practise. and so long
as writer's can be obtained who can so
nearly initiate the style of standard En-
glish authors that the counterfeit can
scarcely be told from the genuine, do
not suppose novel reader cares
whether he is humbugged or not.
Il have known cases in which per-
SONS who could not write a paragraph
fit for publication have been credited
with tne authorship of literary produc-
tions. The fictitious. author. you see,
happened to be a person Of some noto-
riety, and with his name attached the
book became popular with certain
class of readers. Another trick resort
ed to by many publishers. and many,
too, that stand well in the estimation of
the public. is the publication of shoddy
books. The competition in the book
business is so great q certain sort OF
publishers practice deception even in
regard to the quality of their products.
Books are made with elegant covers
and every appearance of serviceability,
but they are things which must be
handled with care. They are low
priced, to be sure, but they are bound
in nearly the same style as more costly
and more strongly made books, and the
buyer congratulates himself that he has
got bargain. 1t is not long, however,
before he discovers his mistake. After
a few days' use the book tears loose in
the back and the leaves fall out. Here
is popular boys story book: Yousee,
it has red cloth cover embossed with
pretty design in gilt and black. 1t is
an octave Of 666 pages. and the price is
$1.25, seventy-five cents less than q
work of this size and style usually
brings. OF course it proves a tempting
bait to the buyer. who does not give the
character of the workmanship thought.
II is a cheat, because it is made to de-
ceive; and if it were not for its binding
the buyer would pay more and get
something that would be satisfactory"
ado the booksellers have any
tricks"
Tricks? There is no room for
tricks. Bookselling is going to the
dogs. Avaricious publishers are ruin
ing the retail book trade. Nearly all
standard books are now sold by can
vassers. The result is that the can
vasser may make his ten thousand dol
lars a year. while the retail bookseller
has hard job to live. Book canvass
ers are literally doing the bulk of the,
book trade. The cutting into the book
trade by the dry-goods bazars is also
having a bad eject on the business
These stores only use books to advertise
their business. and, of course, sell them
much lower than the retail dealer can.
Regular dealers are forced to cut down
their prices in a feeble effort to compete
with these dry-goods dealers. Acertain
Chicago publishing firm have branch
store in . dry-goods establishment m
this city. They offer their own produc-
tons at discount of thirty to fifty pen
cent. and those Of other publishers It
proportionate reduction. With these
drawbacks 20 contend with. it is mo-
wonder that the retail bookseller has 10
struggle for livelihood. IN + Ssa-