Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-01
OUR GREAT CLOAK SALE
CONTINUES ALL WEEK.
Grey stripe Skrng worth cents cents
wool Shaker Flannel, cents,
Good Canton Flannel, cents, IL cents
Fancy Donet Flannel chldrens wear, 21-2c cents
AL wool beaver shawls, worth cents cents.
Good felt Skirts worth cents,
Specially Low Prices on POrtiers.-
Chenille Porters, 10 feet long. 1913 cents a pair
THE BOOK BUSINESS.
THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS OF AU-
THOR AND PUBLISHER.

!
The Poor Chap Who Pays for His Own
Plates and s-inting-Press Notices-PeI
Cent. on Sales-The Subscription System.
No firm accepts 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 monthlies. 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 adj
veTtlsemenG 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 adj
vertising. The firm holds it TO be its first
duty to push its own books. 1t gets 80 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
little advertising will be done as the
author viii submit to endure. A sure way
OF determining which of the books pub
lshed by any firm are its own property,
and which the property of authors, is to note
which receive by the firm, tbs most extern
sive advertising Ii book is very thoroughly
and persistentiy 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 so per cent. charge
in reality requires, and should secure for the
book, q very earnest push. Every reasonable
effort should be mado to get it before the
- A.
thrust forward for q couple of months at the
most. l still allow an exception TO 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. Ii 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 count UP on specie basis. A book SELL
ing for $3.50 will cost the author, for plates
and printing 1000 copies, from $500 to 5000.
He now owns the stock with the plates and
can do as he pleaseS with it. He can probe
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 200 copies from
your first edition, handled" without any
cash return. But you get your press notices,
sometimes valueless and nonsensical, sCsne-
times antagonistic, but needfuL Your 500
volumes left we presume 20 be sold, which
will net ST., 600; you viii receive $500 toward
defrayiug the cost of publication. In nine
cases out Of ten your book does not sell $50
copies in ten years. You can pocket your
loss and earn your bread some other way.
But If Il second edition is demanded, you still
leave one-half the sales with your publisher,
and get out OF the possible 81 500, $50. You
will now be recompensed for the original out
lay, and have from $500 TO $500 over. The
"if,n however, IS very large.
The other plan, whereby the publisher
gives an author ten OK other per cent on
sales, is fairly and picturesqueiy shown up by
Mr.. Hawthorne Let us 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 OK
rnanv wears Suppose volume to have cost
its writer one year OF thinking, study and
Copying end proof reading may
be added as the positive torture part of the
work-the appendix OF fire He then begins
10 get his 10 cents a copy sold. You may
take your figures from this point from Haw-
thorne At The end of the first year after
issue he gets 500. ''Or, il the edition be the
unusual one OF $780, the authors share will /
DO $500" Ny object in this article Is to help !
10 dispel the visions Of aspiranfs 70 outhor- |
ship. The successful novetists pocket from /
800 70 $500 a year You viii do much bet
.er raising onions 1t 81 per bushel In Connec-
lieut. bottom lands, or even corn in the river
bottoms Of Kansas. II is folly &c fling your
elf among the Bohenians with only hopes !
md expectations to pay your board bill. /
Sot one author in 500 is enriched; not o"es
,no in 100 gets competence, wnlie with NAM /
I is ont of pocket to publish
For sure profit the subscription system Of
ers most advantages. That is. the book by
lgenss is carried 70 and urged on purchasers.
While in the other cases IL Is left on toe shelf
o wait for purchasers. The subscription
,ook often reaches q, coo copies: not seldom
Z. 600 or %, 600 and in souie cases o. special
,otoriety, it passes to and above i0u,oto
here are many things TO be said ia favor ot
his system. but with rare exceptions it Is TIE
WHO Er-p LIE A~c WY |
rains and retsils them in market Of bis
WI Insiing. II Is simply QUESTION with
n author whether lie csn do better than
nake the sale. II be receive " cents
opy on TIE sale of I9, go copies lie reoeives
is 81, o0. TIE custom Is 70 allow the per
entage e Diminish Until 2o0o9 cofiss or
pore are scid, and then lapse altogether.
There are many forms OF contract entered
ITO between authors and publishers os g CO.
perative sort Some dyTns Arrange - foh
1ws: The writer n ssok shall pap foE sls
aaking OF the plates. tt.s publisher doing the
res work and binding, With sdrsrtssins
4 this cass TIE aufoor, DO. owning stock,
ecsfvns Whist copses he desires for privsss
&c q. q laryv discount, say 90 70 20 pe- o&ct.,
I'd roTaisy Of Is cents ca al copies so!d
II course tAis plan IL oaYabls OF any sInsoEas
noditcstiorA II u not hkely. however,
4 auy form 70 enrich the writer Of . book
Ts.s leaves us - final, and nos a al
y1ee1ble, fact that he Ebo writes a book
us: sesk something else hezfaes eAka ret1rnA
he equivalent y osten more tax1 s1f-.cse1s
: tie homer reoeivel-'.E r. r IN Gssbs- |
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