The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-05
Lferature'S !. y
X ~ Trade Side.


to the writer replied that II was n eoo
deal like the old problem OF how man,
needles full OF thread does II take tn mak
shirt. II depends on the length OF IN,
thread, on the degree of popularity OF IN
book. and then some other things.
great many brilliant and stendily ponula
writers hesitate about undertaking the NH
iicntion of books simpy because there i,
an element of uncertainty In the ventur,
that does not comport with the ideas ~
the man who wants safe and rerula,
income for his family. or courv IN,
publisher says. when the author is certa,r
OF his audience, when he has n name sns
a book that is certain to command atten
tion his remuneration is as well assured
as In any other commercial undertaking
When me' sured by the standard OF othr,
occupations where there is practically no
Investment, except the time, brain and
energy tue remuneration of the successful
author is reasonably good.
Aside from the nhenomcnally successful
books of fiction, taking this class MS an
Illustration II Is considered about what
reasonable man would expect if a book
OF popular author sells mp to $1,000.
This seems TO be a point which publishers
and writer's have come to look upon MS
the limit of ordinary books. even of the
iirst-class authors. why there should be
fixed point where book ceases to sell
Is question that publishers do not 60
into, but the fact OF sort of Hercules
pillar in literature is taken for granted.
The great ocean of popularity beyond this
Is only to he sailed by the exceptionally
favored craft launched under conditions
that bring them luck.
The usual compensation OF the author
is 10 per cent Of the gross rcceipts from
the sale of the book Sometimes the nub-
Usher makes a contract for the purchase
outright nt II lump sum AS careful
business man. he has Ia make this such
sum as from past experience and his con.
ception of the taking" qunltiy of tho
matter can reasonably he expected to lie
returned In profits over and above his ex
pendiinrcs. AZ the ordinary book win
sometimes not sell more than 1900 or 2nuO
copies the 10 per cent of the selling price
TO the retailer may be taken as the average
amount the author is likely to get from
the publisher, If the book made INT
and the comparatively unknown author
who was compelled to take his lump sum
sees 1t running up into tho thousands and
then jumping to tho 100000 mark may be
he has something of tho same feeling
which weighs down the board of trade
man who has sold out when the corn price
was getting ready to take flight among
the clouds. He has mistaken the market |
that is ALL aud the publishers say that
there is no commodity In which dealing
can he done that is SO liable to disappoint
the dealer MS is books. The greatest OF
successes have been scored by authors who
have made proper study az the mar
ket," or, in other words. the literary lend.
,ncy of tlse public taste. aud written books
which appealed TO the sentiment of the |
time. The author Is too apt to catch
he changing and cratic tendency of the |
IN the loodtidc, and really good piece
If work may he left on the shelves when
I would have sold So fast as the presses |
'ouId have run on the sheets few months
earlier.
Fiction readers who at one fine grcedily
levour historical novels grow tired of the
me kind of mental pabulum and then the
historical novel becomes drug Sometimes
ne really well written book strikes the
ewness in subject, and others following In
ne same llne profit thereby. Publishers and
rifles attribute to this fact of tlmelmcss
n getting out second book of a class
hat has become popular a great deaf or
he success of "Ebcn Holden" which foi.
owed David Ilarum.' This book so.d
apldly to the 100000 mark. John ward
GLOWING in the same line as Robert
'lsmere,' had n much larger sale than
probably would have had at another
me.
Some of the well known and popular au
lors can depend upon large sales of what
yer they put out over their names. Craw.
ord, Hopkinson, Smith, Thomas Nelson
age and others of that class can depend
n sale of 5000 to 100000, and this
'ould net royalties of goodly proportions.
Irs. Ward for Eleanor" got for serial
ghts, It Is said, 10000, and then the ,
ovel In book form sold up to 10000 max. +,
u 1t profitable piece OF wor kfor hef.
~ ,
Publishers generally are not disposed 10 ,
'unsel the plan of trying a second story /
n the public as a serial before they have /
} put 1t cut In book form. IL the hit I
ade by first, as In the case Of Miss I
'hnston's ITO Have and to Hold" Is re- s
'ated In the second, all wen ana good. /
ut II It falls to meet the public approval !
the serial the book sale Is ruined Miss il
ohnston is said TO be contemplating this @
18th her new book, however, and to he a
Hing to rake her chances on II, when I
le publishers say her safest plan would 4
to let the first success carry her see II
I'D to paying sale Then. II 1t has II
crit Of Its own. 1t viii be all the better. n
A publisher undertakes the burden OF :
ltting the book on the market, and one :
~ OF the expense attached 10 this is Il
az 'dyertislng, 1t IS, as Barnum used to q
~ Getting the people know what you >,
~. Nm uAseli" II a book goes up to the ,
IL. H. uintlA-that is, sells that many copies u
snS l,upnlhler considers It worth adyeftis- O.
~, ts. Us doubtful about It's reach +,
- ~. nEuLN the first place he Is not =
,Ia e uorL - ruuh9 money on this branch Of ~
nn,ias ~, th%ertslng Of an '-%eady II
o "nI.ar W9rs aadst largely to It's sale or "
1000 are sold nVompm II can he copntea to
. 70 ga 10 the 5000 Knit That makes n
paving venture M hos n,,biishov. and
riiter and II tho httcrNEgs mi Wi W
nown before II makesf{or Nm sotnethinr 81
hat Is worth more than h gek ont ~ tie | al
COX aud which enables Nbtn Va get
eady sale for the next one m has%o ofrer