The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-04
HOW BOOKS ARE MADE.

Boston Publisher Tells Some Secrets Of
the Trade-Successful Books
New York Mail and Express.
Permit me to ask what is first done with a
manuscript after its receipt
ut is at once turned over to q reader who
takes it with him, and after examining it care
fully. returns it to US with his opinion of it's
merit or lack of merit. We have eight readers
regularly engaged for this purpose If reader
returns manuscript with strong Endorsement
we then consider the merits OF the work from a
commercial stand point whether it is likely to
sell, how much it will cost for production, etc.
Frequently we turn the manuscript over to a
second reader, and sometimes to a third. If all
say, This Is strong work; think it will pay you
to publish it, or words to that effect, of course
their recommendations go long way in the
question of publication"
What kind of persons do you generally en-
ploy as readerSl'
I'm most cases men or women of culture who
themselves have done literary work; sometimes
lawyer who finds time from his professional
duties to give attention to literary pursuits,
doctor similarly situated, and sometimes wo-
man OF refined education qualified to do the
work. When we have any manuscript on
speciality, as scientific, medical or other subject
OF the kind, we engage some recognized profes
sional man in that particular All readers
are trustworthy, and some have been regularly
engaged by us for years. woman has been
reading for over eight years"
do you publish the works at your own risk, or
do the writer's assume part of the expense?'
NEARLY always the writer's are required to
bear part of the expense of the first edition;
always when they are new writer's. Sometimes
they cannot get into print without bearing the en-
tire expense 1t is a fact not generally known
that Longfelow paid within small amount of
of the total cost of production of his first volume
of poems, and James Russell Lowell paid all the
expense of his first work.
what's an ordinary edition, and its costa'
ga book of 400 pages is considered an edition
at !, 600, and the total cost, including dverts-
ing, copyright, books to the press for reviews
and all incdentals is about 81, 250 This first
edition. if all sold will bring net return of only
$675. leaving $500 unaccounted for. A second
edition will cost only $3.50. as the plates are on
hand and there is no expense on that score and
on this edition the net return will again be $685.
leaving still 1929 of the original expenditure to
be got out of the work. On the next edition.
if one can be disposed of. this shortage is cleared
up and very small pro 1T remains. Soft can be
seen that to be slightly profitable investment
there must be at least three editions Of 1000
copies of every book published. How can pub
fishers be blamed for their extreme caution2n
what class of manuscript do you most COM
monty receive for examination-novels essays,
Or"
Novels, by large MAJORITY" exclaimed Mr.
Lee with emphasis. ''Yes, indeed / suppose
we receive manuscripts or applications to read
manuscript tor one novel at least for every day
in the year. The West is especially subject to
the novel mania just now, and almost daily we
hear from persons with novels to print as far out
as Dakota"
And poems?"
"F1oods of them. But poems are the very most
unmarketable product in the literary line. 1t is
standing maxim among the fraternity that q
poet must have at least twenty years experience
and reputation before he can be considered
profitable investment for the publisher"
What is the largest edition of any one book
your house has ever publishedf
THAT Husband of Mne-l70 900 copies. Per-
fectly enormous, and it all came about by an ac-
cident, too. We had the manuscript on hand
for long time, and had about decided to throw
1t away, when one day we determined to let it
GO, just as experiment. The book went so
fast-not bit of advertising by US, either-that
we had TO run night and day for six days to sup
ply the demand. Then we brought out That
Wife of Mine as a companion piece and it fell
like lead the market"
Speaking of big editions Mr.. Lee then referred
to Peck's Bad Boy, published by Bedford & Clark,
of New York as having had probably the largest
sale of any book ever brought out in America.
Beford q Clark claiming to have disposed of
800, 900 copies. General Grants History was
acknowledged to be the ruling passion of the
hour in books and an easy sale of 200, 900 to
300, 600 copies foreshadowed for it. Next, Gen.
eral Lew Wallaees Ben Hur, with pres
ent sale of $4,000, named. much
greater demand for il was expected. AS to the
newspaper rumor that Miss Clevelands book had
already Yielded profit of $50, 900 for her, Mr..
Lee declared that there must be some mistake
as for profit of $50, 900, sale of nearly 300. 00G
copies OF the book would be necessary, and not
one-third of that number had yet been disposed
of. He presumed the error came from a posi-
BILE misunderstanding of casual statement that
the circuation.of the book had reached so, 00G
cODeS