The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16

Issued Last Year Than I'm lOOO-Enect
OF New Methods on Publisher, Author
ana Public-BOok Peoples Views.
u f. difficult 20 travel on the elevated
railroad or on the street cars in the days
without a pictured appeal TO buy this or
that popular novel catching the eye. Cir
culars setting forth the immense sale OF
particular books and reasons for buying
them All the business man mail. Columns
of the newspapers and whole pages of the
magazines are taken up by advertisements
describing the merits Of new books and
telling what critics say in commentator
Of them
Observane folks with good memories will
have noticed that all this has developed
in the last three wears or So Before that
book advertisement in street car was
rarity. Two or three columns, at most,
of lists of the new publications would cover
all the advertising space devoted TO books
in the newspapers. and publishers never
thought Of seeking buyers for a new novel
by sending out descriptive circulars TO all
the world.
But all that has changed, The publishing
trade, ono Of the most conservative in this
or any OF her country has brought its BUSH
ness met holds into tune with the spirit of an
ultra-progressive age Instead of waiting
for book BUYERS the publisher now sends
out To find them and allure them into buying
more books.
Where $40 was spent few years ago in
announcing the fact that such and such
new novel had been issued, 500, at least,
in some cases Thousand or ten thousand
events laid out in proclaming the fact, in
telling the public what kind OF n book 1t IL,
WHY folks should read it, why they should
buy il at once, why, in fact, they'd better
not delay an hour, but get 1t at once and take
il home before the fifteenth edition runs
out.
Prizes arc even offered by some publishing
firms TO book buyers. There are guessing
competitions TO stimulate interest in new
books, critics are invited to criticise and all
the arts of the skilled advertiser are in de-
mand in the publishing trade to sell new
books and revive interest in old ones.
What effect all this has had upon the
publishing trade. upon the reading public
and UPTON the authors who supply II, IL an
interesting question to great many people,
Either this great expenditure must have
so increased the sale of books "a to make
a fortune for the author and publisher of
every successful book, or a great many pub
fishing houses must be on the verge OF
bankruptcy.
The answer Ia found in the statistics Of
the publishing trade printed from time
TO time in its organs. The new methods
adopted to sell books have been enor-
mously profitable, both 70 author and
publisher. Book sales have risen TO tre-
mendous figures In the last three years, the
number of tho reading public has been
greatly increased and the number of new
books TO supply that public has been in
creased also.
It was toward the end of 1899 that the
way of doing things began TO make stir
In the publishing trade. In the year 1900
the number Of new books and new editions
rose from 1921 in the preceding year to
6,35s-an increase of more than thousand.
1t was PRINCIPALLY in fiction and the lighter
literature, but every class OF book pub
lished showed an increase.
In the next year the new methods were
in full swing and the change was even
more marked. Tho number Of new books
issued rose from 4 400 in 1900 TO j,i96, and
the number Of new editions Of older works
from 1866 to 26lj. Altogether in the num-
her Of books published there is an increase
Of nearly 2,0W-from 1856 to S,Hl-double
Ahat recorded in the year before.
And the number of copies of a successful
book sold was even more remarkable,
Whore 100 900 copies Of a novel that made
n hit had been phenomenal, a circulation
of half a million wa, not ont Of the way.
David Hamm," published in 1898. had
run up to half million copies by January
Of last year; Richard Carvel" was within
10000 of that figure. when knighthood
was In Flower" had sold nearly 355,OOo
copies: ITO Have and to Hold" and Janice
Meredith" mora than quarter Of a million
and "Fben Holden" by no means a phe-
nomenal book. had reached a sale Of 1925 ,00C
copies.
The aut hor'S ROYALTY may be averaged
roughly ~ 10 per cent. which on BOOB
listed a. 81 80 would be 10 cents a copy OF
the first edition of 5000, l2i9 per cent. OF
the second edition of $500, Is per cent.
on the third. and even little moro on sue
oeedng editions.
His share of tn" earnings, therefore
under the now state of things may easil'
be estimated. SO il has been good Trims
for the auth And a. it is not 10 be sup
posed that the publisher i in business 70
his health, his profit, despite the enormol
outlay, j. likely to Toe NJ least in proportion,
How the change has come about is n storV
sponsibc for II.
Three years or So ago the Hub found it
self getting left behind in the publishin
business in which it had 50 long held th,
lead. The best known authors We're seek
ing publishers in New York or elsewhere
Even Chicago was getting ahead, Phila
dclphia held her place, but Bost on's book
were dropping behind. II it had continue
Boston a. a factor in book publishing woui
have faded away.
But there was "A woman who had n grea
deal to say in the affairs of a certain pub
fishing house in Boston. And the woma
had been in the theatrical business.
Her firm got hold of IA novel which sh
thought ought TO make hit with the publ
and she determined that il should Sh
set about it by applying to that book tn
methods Of the theatrical advertiser.
Money was spent freely in pushing il
The book was advertised on the billboard
and In the cars.
A clever press agent sent to the countr