The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-18
Books and Authors
WHY BOOKS SELL

Herbert S. Stone & Co. say in their
notes:
The question, What, makes a book
sell?' has often been asked, but never sat
lsfactorily answered. The qualities that
push special novel out of the pile into
prominence are still mysterious The most
critical analyst can only look on and won 4
der. Some books that are advertised and
discussed extensively drop into insignif-
canoe within a month. The Confessions
of Wife, for example, Is already but a
dim memory, tho for a moment it made a
clamor. But neglect is less astonishing
than the way that a story by an unknown
writer will suddenly make itself felt,
AS a general thing, the public will pay
little attention to historical novel at the
present time unless it is an extraordina-
rlly good one. In recent years there have
been so many Of these books published
and so many Of them showing superficial
acquaintance with the period of history in
which the story is located, that many
readers turn with disgust to other forms
Of fiction. The author is fortunate who.
in this period Of inquiry for originality
and novelty strikes a new vein and knows
how to work it.
The late Charles Godfrey Leland, altho
he wrote much on various subjects and
was an authority on folk lore, ethnology
and other sciences, was more widely
known as a writer thru his "Hans Brett
mann" ballads, which Immediately cap
tured the public, by reason of the novelty
introduced in Hans Breitmanns political
and social career and written in the funny
lingo OF Teuton essaying to speak Eng
ilsh Leland has had many imitators in
this field, but none have surpassed him in
the humor Of such literature.
Another instance of hitting the SPOT,
IN the literary way was Bret EIarte's
speedy success as. a delineator of Forty
miners and society generally in the early
mining period in California, and later.
lie. struck a new field which has been well
worked by others since. Young Robert
Winthrop, before the war, had in two or
three remarkably strong stories found his
fresh. material in the far west also, and his
| books were Immediately appreciated. But
ne died young, and American literature
lost In him a real genius Stephen Crane
success with his first book was wonderful
but he did not live long enough to develop
all the literary art within him. Books
sell, evidently, because they give the pub
1lct something they want, a shifting Of the
| scenes;s or because they want a realistic
portrayal Of human nature; want to see
different classes of men, women and chill
dren,; typed just as their daily life shows
them. Alice Hogan (now Mrs Rice of
Louisville, KY wrote her first book,
Mrs Wigs of the Cabbage Patch" be-
cause she was in close propinquity with
| the Cabbage Patch and with woman
| living there who might as well be called
Mrs. Wigs as anything else She was
personally acquainted thru her charitable
work with the Cabbage PATCH people.
1t was place and people nearest to her
and Of deep interest to her. and she wrote
spontaneously and easily upon them The
| title suggested Juvenile story, but in a
few weeks $4,000 people were reading it
/ With eagerness, and the readers have been
/ increasing since: And this, a book which
1 Is qu1cken1ng to the good within people
ana might have been written by a, vestal
I virgin, 1T is so pure and good, and vet
/ therein are-many fine touches of humor.
| Why do books sell? {
i Well, RED Pottage' sells for certain
1 obvious reasons of a vitiated human taste.
Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch an
/ peals to the highest human love and sym,
i pathy. The best in human nature is still
| pretty widely distributed. It grows az.
| cordlng to the measure of contact wifi
the things that make for righteousness.
! Ihe most profusely advertised books
i cften have very limited sale Breakfas 81
ioods become good sellers thru liberal Sc.
ductive advertising chiefly. Books mus
nave some intrinsic merit to attract the
j public. Mr.. Dooley's Opinions. anl
"Mr. Dooley's Philosophy sell prodig.
1ously and have made Peter Dunno
/ comfy" because he 'thit the spot, If
Connemara dialect and Irish-An1ericar
i political and social philosophy. AS t.
some novels 1t is impossible for the aver.
age investigator to discover why on eartl
they sell at all, but they sell enormously
Some people enjoy eating garlic; Others
can endure It. There are fornidabl,
differences in literary taste, as in dramatic
and musical taste. Each of these tastes
is discriminating. Authors who special,
minister to each groan because thei
} books are often ignored. It is the sam
!, with horse which can be led to tn
water but you can't make him drink j
he doesn't want to-.