New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-13

is therefore more profitable, even considering /
the increased first expense Of getting the pubic |
10 know that it exists
The obvious need. would say. then. Is 10
get those books Of actual and acknowledged
merit which will last. but it is not only difficult
to get many such books. but the expense OF
making them and telling the public Of them
often takes a year. or several years. perhaps, to
recoup the first investment Meantime the ex-
pense goes on at the rate fixed by the novel.
which sells by the fifty thousands, we will say.
All this can be remedied by getting for more
serious work the sales secured for novels Of tenn
porary popularity. No doubt 1t can be done,
but who will do it,
Another thing the coming publisher will do Is
to invent books which the public really wants
or thinks IT wants. and he will manage to Gre
ate the book to fit need which only this mag
nation can foresee or guess at.
1t has often been said that authors are as
difficult to deal with as artists musicians. but
experience leads me to believe that the writers
of books are no harder to do business with than
the people who set the type and print the books
or the booksellers who sell them An authors
book is his baby-"the child of his BRAIN" be-
lieve the correct phrase is Can 1t be CONSIDERED
strange that he looks with dread upon the critic
who wishes TO chop out sections and passages or
his pages. or remake what he has worked out
with care and labor? One might as well expect
mother to have her baby improved by reduc-
ing the number of its fingers or reshaptng It's
ears. The surprising thing IS that so often is
the publishers opinion sought for and his advice
accepted so readily. 1t takes tact to deal with
writers. but more than 1t does to deal with
any other person of spirit-s lawyer or doctor.
let us say, trained nurse.
1 fancy that 1t is the notion of having rela-
lions with distinguished authors which makes
publishing appear attractive to the yOungster
choosing a career, but let him not forget that
the pleasure and satisfaction Of the relationship
rest upon a quid pro quO-that the publisher
must do his part with skill and ability to keep
the connection profitable TO both. Many times
his best is not good enough; but. then his con-
science need not trouble him, and he let II
go at that.
The subscription work has the great ad-
vantage OF dealing with the buyer direct. The
number of customers and therefore the oppor-
tunities. greatly increased. 1t would take
page of this paper even to mention the schemes
which one must invent and are still to be in
vented to work this out to it's full field Of use
fulness. Happily. a branch of the business
which has always been more or less looked down
upon, it is making its way up rapidly.
In the old days book which cost 80 cents.
and worthless one at that. forced upon
an unwilling buyer for ten times that sum by
the sheer force Of the feroclous and untamed
energy OF book agent. This old type of agent
terror to the customer and to the pub
Usher. and he robbed both the buyer and the
seller with high hand. His modern prototype
scorns to sell by the aid Of the hard luck story.
and he leaves his customer with some remnant
of self-respect. 40 that he may again sell the
same man. Uncle Sam. also. has interviewed.
distributed now are sold by mail. and the very
best books brought into homes on the So
called instalment plan. How great this business
is in the aggregate IT is impossible to say, but
it is known that about half a million sets Of the
Encyclopedia Britannica have been sold in this
country-a book made primarily for the purposes
of a people living three thousand miles away.
This gives some indication of the possibilities
They have only been touched. Surely the books
and the personnel will improve and buyers will
multiply MANIFOLD.
Then come to magazine publishing. A
great publishing house needs at least maya
zine-a half-dOzen would be better II they might
all have separate fields and the force could be
gathered to run them all at high level Of eff
fciency. Mr.. HarmswOrth publishes forty or
more In England. and all with success. The
strong features of the magazine published in
association with the books is too obvious 10
talk about but even as a separate business IT
has many advantages over book publishing. For
one thing, It has more continuous life; once
begun with a fair share Of success it is built
up year after year solid foundation The
publisher has here also the pleasure Of dealing
directly with his customers, whom, if he is
clever, he will interest as his friends both among
his subscribers and his advertisers His chances.
too, are many sided and touch many depart
ments: the suggestion OF ideas in editorial con-
tents in illustrating. IN plans for selling and in
drawing into his net the elusive advertiser who
won't be coaxed until all the others have been
secured.
The sale of educational text and college books
IS a thing quite apart. and here the young grad
uate often finds his opportunity. hts college
training and experience doing him an immediate
and assured service AS a book once introduced
has the chance for long and steady sale. the
risks are less constant ana the effort less spas
mOdlc.
One would say that all these branches should
be in a healthy, state Of vigor in this perfect
n NC