Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-03-27
ABOUT BOOKS.
For Ten Books Published One
Hundred are Suppressed.
GREAT FLOODS OF MANUSCRIPTS
Novels Now Lead In the Number of Books
0ffeped-Theology an 0verwrit-
ten defence.

ten defence.
There is sometimes disposition to
blame publishers for the great number
of useless books that annually come
from the press, but for ten books pub
lished nearly 100 are suppressed by
obdurate publishers. Of 100 manuscript
books sent unrequested to the pub
fishers of this city, more than 80
per cent are rejected by the house to
which they are first sent. and probably
more than rs per cent never find a
publisher. One general publishing
house accepts only 2 per cent of the
unsolicited manuscripts received, and
partner in another firm is of the
opinion that 80 per cent Of all manu-
the light.
Perhaps 70 per cent of all manuscript
books are condemned as hopeless by
the first reader to whom they are sent.
Many are condemned, and rightly,
after having been read only in small
part. The reader dips in here and
there when the first few chapters seem
to condemn book. and, if the ching
does not improve, he makes a report of
unconditional disapproval. The first
reader sometimes commends book,
but suggests material changes. 1t
then goes to another, and perhaps
another, and finally is considered
from the business point of view
as to its probable STABILITY. If
it is deemed salable the suggested
changes are presented to the author.
and after they are made perhaps the
book is accepted and perhaps it is not.
A novel recently sent to conspicuous
publishing house Of this city was en-
Enthusiastically commended by the f1rs6
reader, severely criticised by the Sec
ond and not condemned by the third.
1t was then sent back to the author,
with the suggestion that he make sew
eral radical changes, cut it down one
fourth, and resubmit the manuscript.
He did all this. and the publishers
finally declined to publish the book.
The whole transaction occupied about
eight months.
When m anus cript is approved by
the readers aud by the publisher the
terms that the latter offers may not
suit the author, in which case he de-
clines the offer and takes his wares to
another shop Authors agents, mid
dlemen better known in England than
in this country, hawk about manu-
scripts among the publishing houses,
and manage sometimes to have an
authors successive works published
by many different houses. One result
of this policy is that such authors have
no one publisher DESTROYS Of publishing
their works as whole, SO that it is
difficult to get their books in sets, and
individual works are apt to go out of
print. This has been the fate of
Julian Hawthorne.
Publishers who are also printers put
out many books that they would not
take the risk of publishing on their
own account. They sometimes appear
as printers-of such books, sometimes as
publishers There may be reasons of
taste why house prefers to appear in
the former capacity rather than in the
latter.
Publishers say that novels now lead
in the number of books offered, and
three-quarters of the rejected manu-
scripts are novels. The immense sue
cess and large profits of some novel
writers that burst upon the public
excite the cupidity of many imitators.
Every publisher is bear on the novel
market, as, indeed, upon every sort of
manuscript. Theology is much over
written science, and scores of volumes
on this subject are annually rejected
by New York publishers. A few stan
dard works on theology are supposed
to have been fairly profitable to their
writers as we'll as their publishers. AT
least one of the famous Presbyterian
theologians has had large sale.
Some houses are known as publishing
only orthodox works. This is true of
the Harpers and the Scribners. The
Putnams have published theology of
all sorts, from the strictly orthodox
treatise to works of destructive criti-
cism. The Appletons have published
much of the latter class, though the
head of the house is sound church
man.
Although many works on political
economy are published annually. Car.
lyle's "dismal science is gingerly
handled when it comes in manuscript
to the publishers. The late Oliver
B. Bunce was chief reader for the
Appletons when Henry Georges
Progress and Poverty came in manu-
script to the office. Mr.. Bunce. har-
dened reader as he was, sat up all night
with the manuscript, having carried it
home. and coming to the Office next day
apologized for recommending the pub
location Of politico-economio work.
The publishers were not surprised at
the apology. but they were at the re-