The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
The Money Rewards of a Writer.

Inc money hoWaTus Oi u NElLeE'
The announcement that Gen. LEW
WALLACE's will contained only four
sentences has additional interest be-
cause of the widespread understanding
that his very considerable estate was
based upon, II not practically derived
from the sales Of single work OF fiction.
The actual royalties paid to Gen. WAL
LACE during the last twenty-five years
are known probably to few persons; but
altogether they must have reached a
large total. In addition, Gen. WALLACE
undoubtedly received sums of no small
value from the dramatic presenta-
ton OF his story, and also from pub
lie readings given by himself in various
parts Of the country.
1t is no wonder that the financial sue
cess of this writer and Of a dozen Others
in the past ten years should encourage a
host of men and women TO experiment
with authorship, in the hope of winning
elusive fame and substantial fortune at
a single bound. The remarkable feature
of the case il that in tho last few years
such successes have become almost
chronic, and the author OF novel which
has sold lOO,O 900 copies or moro feels that
practically he can dictate his own terms,
for the reason that publishers compete
keenly for his next book When FANNY
! BURNEY's "Evelina' was published a
| century and a quarter ago it took Lon
/ don by storm, was eagerly discussed by
everybody from the King down" and
within six months had achieved what
was then a phenomenal sale Of 1000
copies, Nowadays a new writer, il he
or she happens TO strike the popular
taste, may see n book run into l5O, 900
comics or more six months after publi-
cation in this country alone, as occurred
only last season; while the author Of
several Of the largest selling" novels
may expect a sale of $4,000 copies in adj
vance Of publication-and sometimes
the expectation is realized,
Barring a few notable examples, the
booming Of fiction Is a recent develop
ment in the business of publishing books,
and the end thereof is not in sight, al
though some publishers are frank to
say they wish they could see it. The
expenses Of promotion and publicity,
they add, are enormous, involving not
only advertising in daily and weekly
newspapers, but the sending out Of mil
lions Of folders, circular letters, booklets
and catalogues, the postal charges for
which alone run into thousands Of dol
lars in single season. Also there are
travelling salesmen to be considered,
covering the entire country. While we
may appreciate the attitude of conserv-
alive publishers toward these new de-
velopments, il must not be forgotten that
the schools Of this country are gradual
ing each year hundreds of thousands Of
possible novel readers; and the chances
are that books Of popular fiction will
sell more largely in the future than ever
before.
One feature Of present conditions often
alluded to by the more fastidious readers
is that in point Of manufacture too many
of the new novels lack substantially,
excellence Of paper and printing, good
taste in cover design elegance Of general
! appearance. Apparently they are made
to read and throw away; but publishers
cannot altogether be blamed for saving
in the cost OF manufacture when writers
insist on having increased royalties. On
a basis Of 10 per cent. royalty, successful
authors used to write books Of what are
termed perm anent value realizing
therefrom sufficient for a good living
including an occasional trip TO Europe
and often leaving their families wei
or when they died. On a basis Of II
per cent. royalty a later generation coulC
J do all that their predecessors had &C