The morning call., 1891-09-04
AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER.

As might have been expected, the enact
ment of the international copyright law has
revived the old controversy between author
and publisher. The cause OF the author is
being set forth with considerable power by
Mr.. Besant, who writes in London, and
reply has Just been published in the Forum
in New York, by MI G. Ii. Putnam, who
speaks for the publishers. Interest in the
controversy has been aroused on this side of
the continent by the accident that one or
more successful California writers have
lately dispensed with the services of a pub
Usher altogether, and have published their
books at their own expense, and dealt di-
rectly with the booksellers.
Mr.. Putnam makes the point that the re-
wards of book are often inadequate to re-
pay the author for the time and labor he
has bestowed on it; but that this is not the
fault of the publisher. If the public DO not
fancy the book, it will not sell, and the
author will suffer; but it is unjust for him
to lay his hardship at the door of his pub
Usher. To this the English publishers add
that great many books do not pay the ex-
penses of publication. Their contention
appears to be that the successful writer
should indemnify the publishers for the
successful books. 1t is hardly worth while
answering such an argument as this. 1t is
more to the point to go back to the broad
fact that whereas the country is full of pub
fishers who have grown rich at their trade,
the list Of authors who have acquired COM
potency by the use of their pen can be
counted on the fingers. This simple fact
implies an unequal division of the profits OF
book making
The present relations between author and
publisher are an instance of the tail wag-
gng the dog The author creates the book;
it is his brains. his thoughts. which give it
all the value it possesses. Unfortunately,
he has neither the capital nor the business
aptitude which enables him to put those
thoughts in commercial shape. and to sell
them to those who want them. He is COM
PEELED to seek the services of an intermed-
airy. And the Intermediary demands the
lions share of the profit for his share in the
work. What is the remedy?
Dickens and other mOnarchs of letters
threw off the yoke of the publishers, aud
printed and sold their own works. But how
many writers could afford to do that? Mr..
Gunter has tried il in this country; does any
one know whether he las done better than
he would have done il he had handed his
l.s. s,t,iiEls~ erG.E i'3s'l saeS FAC
one-Hot even the keenest critic, nor the
most experienced publisher-can tell in ad-
vance whether book will strike the public
fancy or net. Every new book is lottery
1t may make hit, but it may prove fail
ure. Almost every famous book published
in our tongue proved a surprise to its pub
fishers. Just as some of the most success
ful plays OF the day were produced with
fear and trepidation By managers, so some
OF the best books were hawked from print
ing-house to printing house, and were finally
put in print with many misgivings. The
man who put his hand in his pocket to pay
for paper and printing and binding and ad-
vertising, rarely felt sure that he was going
get his money back, and he charged for
the risk he took.
Established reputation is generally as
sumed to be guide for managers and pub
fishers. But it is not by any means an in
fallible guide. Men and women often write
one or two good books or plays, and then
the faculty of invention seems to desert
them. Miss Amelie RiVes wrote one pop
ular story; she appears to have exhausted
herself in the effort. 1t seems impossible
to believe that Robert Louis SteYenson's s
late productions are the work of the man
who promised to wear the mantle of one of
the great dead. There was a time when
publishers fought for the manuscripts of
Rhoda Broughton; now she is almost for
gotten; her new works are not read. In
these cases the author gets his revenge on
the publisher. 1t Is the latter who pays the
cost of the deterioration of the writer's
genius