The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-07
AUTHORS AND PUBLlSAERS.
Prices to Book Writers Divulged ~
LamsOn 4 Wolfe Failure.


Lamson 4 Wolfe Failure.
Some interesting facts concerning the re-
lations OF authors and publishers to books
Of comparatively recent issue. or which
have not yet been published. have come. to
light through the failure OF the Boston
publishing firm OF LAmson, Wolfe & Co.
The trustees for the creditors have sent
out circular giving an account Of the
assets to be sold and the conditions at
taehing 10 some OF the books In stock and
TO the contracts on which the books have
been or are TO be published.
Sixty-hye authors and about eighty five
books are represented in the list. In the
case OF each work the royalty to be paid
the author is stated and the variety in
the rates Is curious.
On his account OF THE Santiago CAM
paign." General Joseph Wheeler 10 to get
Is per cent on every copy sold. but Grover
Flint receives but 10 per cent on his
Marching with Gomez" Henry Clews.
the financier. has manuscript yet UNI
printed, Finance and Politics: The Last
he is to receive no royalty until 5000 copies
have been Sold but after that he IL to get
20 per cent.
On his novel. ''Zuleka," Clinton Ross IL
TO have a royalty OF 10 per cent up to $500
copies: after that up to 10. 90 copies his
royalty is to be Is per cent. and for all
above 10000 copies the royalty Is fixed at
III per cent. Bliss Carman gets 10 per
cent. on the first 1000 copies OF most OF his
books. and 0sper cent on all over that
figure.
Some books by Mrs Julia Ward Howe,
Edward Everett Hale and Louise Imogen
Quincy bear a straight royalty Of 10 per
cent. Mrs. Burton Harrison has a 10 per
cent royalty on three Of her earliest nov
els. Is per cent on "A Virginia Cousin
and "a Son OF the Old Dominion" partly
paid In advance. and % per cent on The
Merry Maid OF Already"
Six books by Charles G. D. Roberts were
published by this house, IA straight royal
~ OF 10 per cent being due on four, while
on THE Forge of the Forest" and "A SIS
ter OF Evangeline" the royalty is 10 per
cent. up to 1850 copies and Is per cent. on
all above that figure. In both instances
the 200 copies have been sold
Gilbert Parke- appears to have sold 1.-THE
Pomp of the Lavilettes". for lump sum-
as there is a note on that item In the list
To the effect that the author IL to receive
no royalty. but has the right to purchase
the work at "a reasonable price for the
plates" at the expiration Of eigh. years
from March G. 1896 Seventeen OF the
books In the list are subject to the authors
option to purchase, among them being "A
Hero in Homespun," by the Rev. DR.. VIII
liam r. Barton, and all OF Bliss Carman's
books
III Will be seen from this statement that
the usual royalty paid by this house. and
probably by most other houses. was 10
per cent: that on the books Of authors who
had become we'll known by their success
fui works or who had n reputation in other
ways that would be likely to make the
nook Sell well and quickly. as In the case
OF General Joe Wheeler tho royalty was
higher; while in the doubtful cases like
the book by Henry Clews, the author was
to get nothing as long as any risk re-
NAMED to the publisher.--Cleveland Plain
Dealer.