Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-07
The Making Of Books.


The returns from the publishers are
in. and ii appears that in 1914 there
were 657l new books published in the
United States. This is llIS more imam
in 1908 and is an increase of about one
half over the number annually pub
lished a decade ago. Most Of the in
crease. and. in fact, most OF the total
number of books are made up of works
of fiction. At first thought it seems
that 1000 new books in single year is
a great number: and so it is, and Yet it
is true that this country is far behind
the other civilized countries in this
matter. Great Britain. with half of our
population. published 5000 books last
year and both France and Germany,
both with many millions fewer people
than we have. published one third more
volumes issued this country ranks but
little ahead Of Russia, Italy and Spain,
lands where the masses are densely
ignorant and where poverty prevails.
What is the reason for this? Our
reading public is probably half AS large
as that Of Europe. We spend more on
education than any other country on
in libraries is greater than of all the
countries Of Europe combined. And
Yet. i'll all classes of books except fic-
tiOn-in Verse, in history. in philosophy,
in science, in encOnOmic literature, ana
even in books of religion,-thiS coun-
try comes very near the end of the list.
An answer TO this question is given by
the literary editor OF the Philadelphia
Press, and probably ne writes very
close to the truth.
The simple and effectual reason I'M
dOubtedly is that in no country Is the
publication of books of pure learning
80 badly paid as in the United States
If n man writes Il short history of Il
careful sort in France or Germany he
w III receive moi IL lar ~ iNep' - ~ ''AN
fairly adcuuate In this country he
Will probably be out OF pocket on the
bare mechanical cost of typewriting
and making the necessary corrections
in the proofs. Purely popular histo-
iies occasionally sell. but these are few.
In another field. like that of aca-
t,cmic learning. Il German professor
who writes an important book on a
subject wholly out Of popular demand.
like a careful history of Egyptian or
Babylonian religions. will find IL pub
fisher willing to pay him from 500 to
$1,000 for the sale of the first 1000 cop
les. In this country, the author will be
asked 10 guarantee the publisher
against loss. and the odds are that he
will find the publisher was right in re-
qurns the guaranty.
y Philadelphia. distinguished for
exploration, published an important
work of travel few years ago. II
sold twice as many copies in England
us in his own country. AS FOR his own
city, it bought next to none.
This is equally true of verse. Now
and then a single volume or poem like
The Man with the Hoe" attainS Il
passing popularity. 1t is true OF mos:
volumes of verse today, published by
those who are now writing verse in this
country. that not over two or three is
sues find sufficient sale for their
verse 10 pay the expense of publica-
tion. Il is no unusual thing for a pub
fisher to issue Il volume Of verse by
man or a woman who stands i'll the
foremost rank of those writing verse at
the present time. and find after Il year
that the sale has not exceeded from
20 to $50 copies.
Countries. like men, get what they
pay for. The United States pays the
largest rewards known to the race for
material progress ana the management
Of material affairs. In letters and in
learning it pays less and in the imme-
dat" current years it furnishes less to
than its position among the
greater civilized lands renders fit.