New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-11
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
vv UOUGHTON ON AMERICAN LITERATURE
AND INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.

,vpRovED-OPPORTUNE PUBLICATION TEE
MAIN ELEMENT IN THE SALE OF
sooK-THE CAREER OF EX-ATToE-
NEYGBNERAL DEvENS-AFTER
BURKE'S PEERAGE
Washington, Jan 1O.-Mr IIoughton, the Boston
,rr>sher, is visiting Washington. lie is tall
ppo,,erful man. in the neighborhood of sixty years
r. acc. lie has the large frame and iron vigor
oorrmon to the inhabitants of Vermont, where
!. WAS born. lie has very large head. lie looks
,;te Scotchman Ills forehead is very broad
I'D high. His eyes are keen, deep-set behind a
1a;r Of gold bowed glasses. His nose is Roman
fT;s broad. fulcolored face is smooth-shaven' eN-
aont for rim of light-gray whiskcrs, which en-
o;rce il MS a frame. His hair is still thick, and
o,asolv trimmed. This veteran publisher, who
hos had great success, talks in very conservative
.ra,. about his business. He says that American
literature has had small chance NO" thaV we
have international copyright American authors
will have the necessary stimulus ana encourage
.n. ~ enable them to do great things Mr..
IIoughton says -.
I'VE have great topics, unusual phases of en-
,s,ance: and as a class. Americans have very Keen
.overs Of observation. There is no reason now why
We should HOt H1'c III ''iiN " W.
original literature
In discussing the literature OF the past IN tills
.,untrv. Mr. Houghton very clearly admitted that
fev authors could make more than. bare SUD-
.,s,once in writing books. Book-writing is as
nnch profession as anything else; but, up 10 tne
n,esent time il las been one of the poorest PAID.
The incentives being mcagre. the best men nave
Gone into other professions 1t Is the eNceptiohai
oh nv 10
nav the expense of most moderate living Oc-
casionally there is produced book whlch h'o il'O
on exceptional period. and the consequence Is
great sale, realizing handsome sum loi Us
writer But these occasions are rare Mt
pcllamv's book Looking Backward" owed, In a
GREAT measure. its popularity to the particular
,;r.o :, which If was produced. There was a
current sentjment throughout the country OF un'
.ssinc.s which gave the book its run over
400 ooo copies Of this work have been sold. II
&c one of the largest sales of modern puhlc"'io"S'
yct the hool, is cQualed and surpassed from
literary and artistic point of view by many
cations which have not reached tenth of its sale
asked MIR IIouqhton If il was not true tla'
,bere was prejudice in well established publ
o,tion houses against new ard unknown writers
He said that il was possible that there was some
such nrcindicc or. to put il differently there was
natural preference for known writers. ms
WAS very easy 20 explain. II was the same 1ecl-
inc which makes people prefer TO employ we'll
known people in other professions. Inc phN-
stefan Of cxrcricncc and the lawyer In wide piac
lice are considered more desirable TO have III q
case than Young end unknown practitioners 1cl
il was true that all the great men were al one
tine unknown. ard consequently publishers scruu
rize very carefully everything that comes III to
tbcrn from unknown sources Nh Houghton said
that he had with him a gentleman whom he calico
an expert. "a lich-class critic, who could discern
all Of the faults Of book at the first examination
I.e has become so critical. through long observa-
tion that few books meet with his entire approval.
If the publisher were to follow out his recommend
atoms strictly he would soon cease to publish any
books At the sane time. his advice and critical
Judgment were so valuable in the direction OF the
notifications that il was very Exceptional when
any publication brought ont by their house was
severely reviewed by the newspapers. Yet, even
the best and most experienced Judgment errs 0iteh
in an estimate Of tie possible popularity Of book
from tic examination of the manuscript. One par
ticular book which il is not necessary 10 name
ame 10 him In manuscript form, and il had three
SEPARATE examinations by three different people The
current of their judgment was against the book.
But this rejected book was brought out by .
Ncw-Yoili house. ard some 10000 copies were sold
in the first SiA months One disadvantage IN
bringing out the work Of new writer is the need
Of making it known. However excellent the book,
or however great may nc It's ultimate success, the
public has to be educated to the fact that there
is snch book 4 work Of a well-knOwn author
20 a certain extent advcrtiscs itself. There are
a number of people in the country who always buy
the publications Of certain writers. There is a
steady demand for them One of the most pop
ular writers Of tie present day. Mr. HoughtOn
Saws is Mrs Whitney. Her books have q very
steady sale. Publishers generally prefer In The
trade writers whose books have A steady sale from
year TO year, rather than a phenomenal or SEN
sational sale for short period, even though the
total reached by each may not he very different.
As an illustration Of the important fact Of time
and hook fitting together in order 10 produce a
great sale, Mr.. lIoughton spoke Of Uncle Toms
Cabin Many Of the critics condemned this
story from the point Of artistic finish and in its
proportions a. a story. But il came at time
when the public mind was inhamed with the
topic treated, and il contained so many touches
OF nature that it became one Of the great selling
hooks of It's time, and has since gone into all
modern languages 1t is All interesting fact
that the sale of this book still continues TO a
most remarkable degree Mr. Houghton says that
be sells upon average 10000 copies a year.
Several years ago hc got out a special edition
Of this book, OF which he sold GO, 900 copies.
One Of the discoveries of an unknown writer
came in the form of a little Christmas book Gale |
The Birds Christmas Carol" This book was
originally prepared for a church fair in San Fran
cisco by young lady of that city. 1t rad such
success locally that some Of her friends thought
it good enough 10 DC brought out 10y an Eastern
house. copy Was given to Mr.. tioughtOn lie
looked it over himself anG decided to republish it
without consulting with any o. the copy readers
or experts The result justified his judgment. 1t
had phenomenaly large sale and now sells every
year as a Christmas book. II has become a Christ
mas classic, and has some touches In 1t quite the
soual NJ the Christmas carol of Dickens.