The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-27
THE DELUGE OF BOOKS.

The enormous output of books in late years
surprises every one; few facts are more famil-
lar, few are more commonly remarked, and
few arouse such confusion OF mind as TO where
they come from. why they exist and how they
find buyers and readers. In the year 1895
no fewer than $3.50 new books were published
in England, besides 935 new editions of old
books In a single month the New York Times
has received more than 400 books for review.
The output is indeed SO large that one might
be tempted to infer that the proportion OF
books published to manuscripts offered Tor
publication is becoming every year much
larger than it formerly was. But the fact APP
pears to be that this proportion, instead OF
changing in that way, is changing in the
other direction. With all the increase in pub
locations there has also been an increase In
writing. Frederick Macmillan, at recent
dinner in London, stated that his house in one
year had accepted only TWENTY-FIVE books out
of 315 that were submitted; while A. Chatto.
in a publis he'd interview, affirmed that his
house accepted an average OF only about thir-
teen for every 500 submitted.
Surrounded as we have been by a flood, we
have therefore to thank the publishers that
we ere not in the midst of deluge. Assum-
ing that Mr. Macmillan's ia ito is the ratio of all
pu plishe and provided all submitted manu-
scripts had been published, but excluding the
unknown factor that the same manuscript was
often submitted to several publishers, we
should have had instead of $3.50 new books,
1880; while the same computation, with Mr.
Chatto's figures as guide, would have given
us 212, Gao books, or nearly 700 for each day
of the year, exclusive of Sundays.
The causes of this increase In the numb Der of
books are not far to seek. Cheapness OF pro-
duction-cheaper composition, CHI eaper paper,
hS,,6i 30 GRO On hI1to ora To
is the increase in the number of those who
read Popular education here shows some of
the results of its work. But who shall say why
3l3 persons should continue to write books
when only % can have them accepted, or why
500 should write them when only ID can hope
for acceptance? Is this also due to the spread
of popular education and the resultant ambi-
ton to write?
The ability to write has become common
accomplishment; that is, the ability to write
what is fairly grammatical. Scores of persons
who write books which they hope to see pub
lished probably do not realize that something
more than correct sentences is necessary.
Provided they have subject, with some
knowledge of it, all that remains necessary,
from their standpoint, is to write correctly
They do not know that correct writing no
more makes good writer than correct use of
mechanics tools make an architect No mere
grammarian ever was an rtist in words; in
deed, the greatest artists in words have some
times not been grammarians at all
The future probably holds for us little hope
that the number of books will decline; on the
contrary, they are more likely to increase in
number with the years. But we need not de-
spair; despair remains only for the Librarians
for Mr.. Spoiford and DR.. Billings The great
public will be protected, for the good books
will live, and the bad one will surely die-and
the death will be a natural one. There were
millions of houses in the ancient world, but
only one Parthenon. Italy has had millions
of buildings. but the Parthenon, ST. Marks
and st. Peters still stand, as they will stand
for some ages longer. We may get our 5000 or
10, geo books each year, but il will still remain
true that not more than one really great book
can be produced in century or so. Europe
waited several centuries to get her Dante, her
Shakespeare, her Moliere, her Cervantes.
Meanwhile, with the second great ones came
whole regiments of lesser men, who had their
brief reward, and then went each his silent
way, book in hand, into the unknown beyond.