New-York tribune., 1885-01-04
AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS.
sour NEW VIEWS OF AN OLD QUESTION.

SOME NEW VIEWS OF AN OLD QUESTION.
[ ' LONDON. December ~
| fresl, aspect of the author versus publisher
| ouestion il attracting attention in the press {;
| thanks as usual to some victims unreasonable
dislike TO being sacrificed on the altar OF trade.
The publisher this occasion occupies inc uh"suai
position not indeed of victim but OF servant I" the
caprice or interest of the circulating libraries; ana
| this in two ways Mr. X, we are told-and there il
| not much difficulty in letting " stand for Mudie-
| refuses to supply his customers with parNcui"i
| book because it is immoral. Confronted oy 'ho
| indignant author with demand to know on wha'
authority he puts this ban on an innocent Dook'
I Mudie replies that a couple of old ladies in the
/ country were shocked by it, and that he cannot
afford to run the risk OF offending old ladies IN the
| country. So he BUYS no more copies from the pub
Usher and the sale OF the book is stopped novels
as n rule being first produced in a form so expen-
awe that the public will not buy them. Ihis
again is d device of the librarian TO secure
monopoly of the novel business. The publisher
submits to Mudies dictation. thankful no doubt 10
have a few large customers for any wares he
produces rather than the chance OF less important
but more numerous buyers at retail. Ana lie mas
this further advantage that whereas the puohc
might not buy Many copies of the utter trash now
| 60 often doing duty as fiction. Mudie and his
door novel is so long as 1t not, in tho opinion OF
two old ladies in the country, immoral. Here,
then s the great Mudie whose real business is that
of peddllng books on hire domineerng over pub
Usher and author debating to both what shall be
written and printed how it shall be written ana
how printed; and stopping the sale OF any book
which does not comply with his conditions. or
which has the l-luck to shock the sesnibilIties OF
two venerable virgins in the remOter parts OF
England.
Apropos Of all which appears fresh letter which
lets in fresh gleam of light on the pubiishine
business. "Auctor" writes To The PdH NdH that
lie published some years ago. through one OF the
most respectable firms in London" political
biography in two volumes The book might have
been sold at a handsome profit at twenty -four
shillngs SO. but solely because of the pressure
put upon the publishers by the libraries the price
was raised to thrty-two shillings, or $s. The
library people, if we may judge by this specimen OF
their policy have made up their minds that the
public shall he compelled to come to theni, not iot
novels merely. but for every sort OF book. Noooiy
ia TO be allowed to own books. Everybody must
borrow them of the Mudies big and litte VINO nave
taken charge of tho book business IN England.
ANYBODY who objects to this. or who prefers
volume free from tho accumulated nastiness which
is the effect of an indscrimnatc circulation must
nav fine for his sIperiine fancics. so must
man 10 whom hooks are the tools of his trade
must saw | have no great faith IN any hostility
between Nude and the publisher. The latter looks
much less like martyr than like an accomplice
The letter from which am quoting contains
another very interesting statement. The respect
able publisher told the suffering author the sale oi
whose book was spoiled by the extra price that the
actual cost of production OF his two volumes wouid
have been fifteen shillings (S3 40. The selling
l.l.e Et.fn nfaer
cent and at the trade price the p.oGt wonld still
have exceeded 30 per cent supposins the statement
of the respectable Publisher to be true. But is it
truc' Does il cost seven shlngs and sxpcnce 10
manufacture an ordinary octave volume in Erg-
lands II it does, how happens it that similar
volume can be published in France at seven francs
and half, can be sold to the trade at SIX francs
or less can pay the author royalty oil perhaps two
francs more and still leave profit. as IT does. to
the publisher! If McssrS. Levy grow rich on the
proceeds of octave volumes the net return OF which
can hardly be more than four francs, it IS pretty
clear that the cost OF manufacturing that volume
must be less than four francs, less than half that
is. the sum which the respectable English publisher
names to the confi1ing author as the cost of man
ufacturing the English volume Of corresponding
size The discrepancy is far too great to be easily
&ccounted for if we are to shut our eyes and
accept the respectable English publishers account
Of the matter. Some day. suppose we shall open
our eyes.
The publishers, to give them due credit. are help
ing 20 make light Of the dark places. The help
they give IS not voluntary. Neither author nor
public has cause to be grateful to them. Such
contributions rs they make to the discussion are
wrnng from them. They mean to defend them
selves simply, and to perpetuate. If they can. the
system under which the author has so long been
.,<l.o. Ill
him. They no longer think they can afford to close
their lips in the hope that authors and the public
will keep their eyes and closed to all that Is
gong on abont them. If they persuade them
selves they have defence to Oficr they rush into
print They have done now. The Pail Mall
publishes to-day n letter which is anonymous. but
described as written by a member Of one of the
leading publishing firms In London. 1t might not
be difficult to identify him, for he writes in tone
of cynical fppancy. and more cynical contempt for
the author and public out OF whom he has waxcd
fat and both of whom he now kicks. The same
tone has been heard before. and wDll-knOwn name
was signed to the letter through which rang the
brazen note. But since experience has taught him
that it Is more prudent to write from behind mask
will let his face and name remain in the obscurity
he prefers.
| The wrongs of authors. sneers our anonymous
publisher. make their appearance with wonderful
| regularity. According to him, their complaints
may be collected under three heads, Of which the
third is that authors are kept long time waiting
! for their money. The only answer to this is that
| some publishers pay more promptly than others.
The grievance is serious one but pass to the two
| which are much more serious
| 1. Authors are-not paid enough for their work.
To which his answer is that great many expect too
much, and blame their publishers If their book
fails. He knows perfectly well that the real CON-
plant is that when book does pay the proportion
of the profit conceded to the author by the pub
sher Ia not inst or fair prOpOrtOD Ito that thare