Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-23
THE BOOK BUSINESS.
THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS OF AL
THOR AND PUBLISHER.

Tne Poor Chap Who Pays for His Own
Plates md prfnting-Press Sotices-Per
Cent. on Saies-The Subscription System.
No firm accepts n book and buys it in man
uscript, unless it is sure that it will prove re-
munerative Several of the larger firms are
also publishers of mouthlies The custom is
to buy manuscript that can first be used in
the monthly or weekly, and then sent out in
book form. In this way there is a saving in
the expense of the magazine, and SO wide ad-
vertisement given the story, or other serial,
that it is sure to sell well when published sep |
arately. But the poor chap who pays for his |
own plates and printing gets very little ad- |
vertsing The firm holds it to be its first |
duty to push its own books. 1t gets so per |
cent. for handling Jones Essays and Re- |
views" that handling consisting in advertis-
ing, mailing to purchasers and distribu-
ting to the press But you may be sure that
as little advertising will be done as the
author Will submit to endure. A sure way
Of determining which Of the books pub
lished 10y any firm are its own property,
and which the property of authors, is to note
which receive by the firm, the most extern
sive advertising. II a book is very thoroughly
and persistently pushed it is owned by the
publishers. OF course there is difference in
firms, and this discrimination Is not often
carried so far that the firm can be charged
with dishonesty. But the 50 per cent. charge
in reality requires, and should secure for the
book, a very earnest push. Every reasonable
effort should be made to get it before the
public, and keep it there As a rule it is
fnrty yrrIf for Of mi 81 q
most | still allow an exception to a few
firms After that it is never spoken of by the
publishers, or the slightest interest taken in
| it, except to alphabetically locate it in their
catalogues. If it reach a second edition, in
spite of their hinderances, there is seldom
any note taken of it by the publisher, but his
so per cent goes on.
| Let US countap on a specie basis. A book SELL
| ing for $3.50 will cost the author, for plates
and printing 1000 copies, from $500 to $500.
| He now owns the stock with the plates, and
can do as he pleaseS with it, He can proba-
bly, do nothing without further aid of the
publisher. He hires him to handle the book.
This includes sending to the press for criti-
cism, say $50 copies Fifty copies more will
! be- absorbed in the way of furnishing those
distinguished people whose opinions will be
of value You may deduct POO copies from
your first edition, handled" without any
cash return. But you get your press notices,
| sometimes valueeS5 and nonsensical, some
times antagonistic, but needful Your 500
volumes left we presume to be sold, which
will net Sl2 600, You will receive 5000 toward
defrayiug the cost of publication. In nine
cases out of ten your book does rot sell 800
copies in ten years. You can pocket your
loss and earn your bread some other way.
But If a second edition is demanded, you still
| leave one half the sales with your publisher,
and get out of the possible 81 500, $3.50 You
will now be recompensed for the original out
Law. and have from $500 TO 800 over. The
''if,r however, is very large.
The other plan, whereby the publisher
| gives an author ten or other per cent. on
sales, is fairly and picturesquely shown up by
Mr.. Hawthorne Let lis look at this little
closer. A book, novel or otherwise, that is
of readable value, costs not less than six
months close work. And there are few
books put on the market each year that en-
body the research, experience and thought of
many years. Suppose volume to have cost
its writer one year of thinking, study and
composing Copying and proof reading may
be added as the positive torture part of the
work-the appendix OF fire. He then begins
to get his 10 cents copy sold. You may
take your figures from this point from Haw-
| thorne At the end of the first year after
issue he gets 800. 'Or, if the edition be the
unusual one Of 5000, the authors share will
be $500 My object in this article is to help
TO dispel the visions of aSpirantS TO author-
ship. The successful novelists pocket from
500 to $500 a year You will do much bet
ter raising onions at 81 per bushel in Connec-
ticut bottom lands, or even corn in the river
bottoms OF Kansas 1t is folly to fling your
self among the Bohemians with only hopeo
and expectations 10 pay your board bill.
Not one author in 500 is enriched; not over
one in 1C0 gets competence, while with many
it is out of pocket to publish.
For sure profit the subscription system Of
fers most advantages. That is, the book by
agents is carried to and urged on purchasers,
while in the other cases it is left on the shelf
to wait for purchasers. The subscription
book often reaches 5000 copies; not seldom
900 or IS, 600 and in some cases of special
notoriety, it passes to and above 100000.
There are many things to be said in favor of
this system, but with rare exceptions 1t is the
publisher who reap the harvest. He buys
brains, and retails them in a market of bis
own making. 1t is simply question with
ran author whether he can do better than
make the sale If he receive 10 cents a
copy on the sale of 10000 copies, he receives
his 81, coo The custom is TO allow the per-
centage TO diminish until 5000 copies or
more are sold, and then lapse altogether.
There are many forms Of contract entered
into between authors and publishers of a CO.
operative sort Some firms arrange as fol-
lows: The writer of book shall pay for the
making OF the plates, the publisher doing the
press work and binding, with advertising.
In this case the author, not owning stock,
receives what copies he desires for private
use at large discount, say 60 to 10 per cent,
and royalty of 10 cents on all copies sold
OF course this plan is capable of any amount
, of notifications. 1t is not likely, however,
, in any form, to enrich the writer of book.
, This leaves US the final, and not at all
agreeable, fact that he who writes book
must seek something else besides cash returns.
The equivalent is often more than sufficient
in the honor received-''E. 2. F." in Globe
| Democrat.
The Fashionable Fox Terrier.
The fashionable puppy is the bull or fox
: terrier, with decided leaning in favor OF
the last The fox terrier is, in the first place,
| dog aasiiv taEan ra nj for he a,1iovs his