Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-13
THE MAKING OF BOOKS.
4 CLOSE RACE LAST YEAR BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

A List Of the Works Issued-Some Curious
Features-England's Great Circulating
Lbraries-The Three Volume Book
Traditions in this Country.
A close race was run between England
and America in the number of books pub
ished last year. England brought cut
1907, a falling of Of about 500 from the
record of the previous year, while America
issued 4, 0S0 or decline of IS from the pre-
ceding year. When one comes to enalyze
these publications some curious features
are exposed In England the greatest num-
Der of books in one class, singulsrly
enough, were found among juvenile works
and tales, of which GIL volumes were
printed Theology and sermons came Sec
ond with 636 volumes; educational, classical
and pathological third, with 533 volumes,
and novels and other fiction fourth, with
ASS volumes While England published
only q new law books last year, this coun-
try issued 431 volumes, 435 of theology and
religion, and 934 of fiction, the novels out
numbering any two other classes of books.
The third class among American books
was the juvenile, numbering 3ss, while the
fourth was education and language, 225
volumes. The American list shows a de-
cline Of only nine volumes in the flood of
fiction, and an increase of IS volumes in
theology over last year.
ENGLAND's CIRCULATING LIBRARIES.
The English publishers are mainly at the
mercy of the great circulating libraries. 1t
has been clearly shown that the people in
England would welcome the single-volume
novel, but so great is the power Of Nude,
the head of the circulating library, that no
publisher dares to bring out a copyright
book in this inexpensive style. Only the
pirates, who steal American books, have
been able to demonstrate the truth that
readers are weary of the old and cumber-
some style of publication. The system of
distributing books by the circulating Ii
brary in England has been a great blow to
the sale of books to individual buyers.
Few, even among the wealthy, buy any
new books. They are all subscribers 10
Nudes and count on getting the opportu-
nifty to read all the books of the day soon
after they are published
Nude orders an entire edition of popu-
lar novel or a readable book Of travels or
Renaissance Indeed, it has gone SO far
in England that many publishers submit
manuscripts OF novels for his approval. If
he declares that the story will not do for
him, that is the end of the hopes of the am
bilious author. The publisher would
never dream of issuing book in the face
of this autocrat's approval The result is
that every book is padded out with thick
paper and printed in large type. Any or
binary novel which the American pub
Usher finds no difficulty i'll COMPRISING
into single volume the English publisher
spreads over three volumes, thus placingit
entirely beyond the reach of any one of
modest means who desires to own the book
N CLOTH OR FULL MOROCCO.
In this countr-- the publishers are not
under the GALL re of the circulating
library, but tn, 4re welded to certain
traditions whict, are very demoralizing
One of these is that book in cloth does
not deserve the same care in binding as n
book in half-calf or full morocco This
idea is derived from the English, who re-
gard cloth binding as merely temporary,
the covers to be stripped off whenever the
book is put in library style. Carlyle,
however, laid down the tr-.e law when he
said that the purchaser of book wanted
a volume for use, and that he demanded
only that the back be sound and well
made and the cover of durable material.
In this country there are thousands of
well-selected private libraries which do
not contain score of books in the regula-
ton library style. Why should man of
moderate means pay so for set of books
simply to have them in half-calf or half
morocco when he can get the same books
with the same paper, type, illustrations,
bound in cloth, for S25s 1t is silly affecta-
ton for a man of small means TO limit
himself to few books in fine bindings
under the imported idea that a gentle
mans library" should show nothing cheap
or common.-San Francisco Chronicle