The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-27
THE RECORD OF A YEAR.
Some of the Notable Successes of nm
Indiana Publishing House.

While every loyal Hoosier is naturally
proud of the Bowen-Merrill Company, per-
haps few of them realize how important a
place ii is creating for Indiana on the maj
of the publishing world. Within the last
few years they have given special attention
to the publishing of fiction in large editions
and with most notable success. Booksellers
from Maine to Oregon are ever on the
watch for their announcements, and the i'm
print "Bowen-Merrilr' has become. with
the book trade, a guarantee that the book
on which it is STAMPED contains the ele-
merts of popularity.
One reason for this success is the fact
that they limit the number of their publica-
tons, which may seem a paradox. The
firm has pledged itself to the policy of pub
fishing few books, and those of merit rather
than issuing many and letting the public
pick out the good ones. A striking instance
of the care which they give to the selection
of manuscripts is shown by the fact that
within the last twelve months over four
thousand manuscripts were submitted TO
them, of which nineteen were accepted
They are the heaviest book advertisers
in the world. And especially do they value
the effect of advertising in the best daily
newspapers. Their advertising is notable
not only from its quantity, but for its at
Effectiveness, and that it is effective is
shown by the remarkable success of the
books which they feature in this way and
by the fact that practically all of the pub
fishers in the country are copying their adj
vertising methods.
The past year has been the most success
fI1 nf fba firms axiStanpo During the
spring season there were published in the
United States over one hundred novels, of
which the Bowen-Merrill Company pub
lished but five. Yet all five have been sue
c~essful. and two of them. The Mississippi
Bubble and Hearts Courageous" have
been among the notable successes of the
year.
1.-The Bookman," of New York, which is.
perhaps, the most widely read literary jour
nal in America, publishes monthly a list Of
the six books in greatest demand, a list
carefully compiled from reports received
from the booksellers all over the country.
In this record of reigning favorites, in
which every author and every publisher is
eager to have his book appear, the Bowen
Merrill titles are included more frequently
than those of any other publisher in the
country. In the last issue of the magazine
two of the six best selling books, or one
third of the total number, were published
by them. This is indeed a remarkable rec
ord and one of which they are justly proud.
When 1.-The Mississippi Bubble was is
sued in the spring it met with instant APP
prevail from critics and readers all over the
country. Miss Jeanette L. Glider, the
editor of the Critic, said of it: 1T is one
of the best novels that has come out of
America in many a day."
Hearts Courageous" by Halle Erminie
Rives, which was issued a month later. is
a love story of the Declaration of indie
pendence. 1t sale has grown steadily until
now when it is selling considerable in ex-
cess of a thousand copies a day.
OF the spring novels issued by this
firm none received warmer praise than did
1.-The Thirteenth District" a story of po-
litical life by Brand Whitlock. The book
at once gained for 1.-The author the warm
friendship of William Dean Howells, who
said: This is by far the strongest story
of political life ever written by an Amer
ican." Dealing as it does with politics, it
has made a special appeal to men readers
who appreciate its truth and its humor.
since, as a matter of fact, every man in
America is at heart a politician and in
sympathy with the ambitions and tumult
of political life, 1.-THE Thirteenth District"
has a wide audience.
OF the fall publications of this house, the
first was The Long Straight Road" a
vivid story of city life by George Horton.
Then followed THE Loom of Life" by
Charles Frederic Goss. author of 1.-The Re-
demption of David Corson." In this story
the author has demonstrated afresh his
ability to show with poetic insight the
masterful impulses and passions of men.
DR.. Goss has also written in quite another
vein Little Saint Sunshine" a pretty
Christmas story for children. The book is
illustrated by Virginia Keep. the Indianapo-
lis artist.
Edges" by Alice Woods, published sew
eral weeks ago, has had a marked success,
the first edition being entirely exhausted
within two weeks after the date of publi-
cation. The story is one of unusual quail
ty. and the publishers nave given it a
unique dress, it being printed on buff old
English paper with the cover in colors.