Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-22
POSTERS ADVERTISE NOVELS
New Scheme of london Book Pro-
ducers to Force Wares.
HISTORY OF BOOK CLUB WAR
Publishers Generally Dissatisfied with
Existing Conditions of Affairs In
Trade-NOrthcIiHe's Dip
IOmatIc Coup.

LONDON, Nov. q. - Especially 90 Now
that the Times Book club war is definitely
settled-to nobody's satisfaction in par
ticular-many book producers are begin
ming to spend money on advertising their
wares. The latest evidence of this fact
is a huge poster Of a book called John
Silence" Advertising the novel by means
of the poster is a new departure in Eng
land, and the fact that one publisher has
begun 1t will have a stimulating effect
on the others. 1t may not be altogether
correct to describe the FOSTERING" of
novels as an altogether new departure,
for Fisher Unwin once employed Aubrey
Beardsley in this capacity and Heine-
mann ordered a poster from Nicholson,
but it was a long time ago, and, appar-
emily, the attempt in those days was not
a success.
However, the revival has begun, and
several London publishers are thinking
out striking ideas with which to hyp-
notice the public who AVE money to
spend on books.
The John Silence" poster simply por-
trays a man standing at a window look
ing out into the hight. His position Is
somewhat curious, as he is looking away
from the audience, as II were. and has
his back turned to the public. The poster
is said to have sold a good many copies
of the book. Methuens are contemplating
a poster for the book, 1.-THE Great Miss
Driver" and one critic predicts that when
the placard appears. London coachmen-
thinking from the title that the work
concerns them-will invest in a book
which does not appeal at all to horse
fanciers in particular.
Book Sellers Dissatisfied.
Concerning the great book club war;"
inquiry among booksellers reveals the
fact that they are anything but satisfied
at the outcome Of the struggle. Nor
does it seem possible to deny that they
have a very real grievance remaining.
Their position is this: The publishers
have won a victory over the Times In
the matter of net books, but the case of
the 6-shilling or $3.50 novel is still going
hard against the bookseller. There Is
nothing to prevent the Times Book club,
after three months, from the publica-
ton of a novel, putting its copies into
the Accent box, If 1t wishes to do so. This
hits the bookseller, small, large or me-
diminished, for the $3.50 novel is one of
his great mainstays, in spite of all that
is said about people not buying books.
They do buy high-priced novels, and, Of
course, they will not pay the bookseller
$1.1O, which is the English cash price
for a $3.50 book, If by waiting a little
they can purchase from the Times at,
say, 80 cents or Whereabouts. The book
sellers complain that the publishers have
been seduced by the Book clubs enticing
promise of a big first order" for new
works into agreeing to a settlement
which is unjust to the book-selling COM
munity.
There is a somewhat peculiar inside his
tory of the conclusion OF this Times
book wal which throws a slightly lurid light
on British diplomacy. 1t will be recalled
that 1t was announced to the world some
time ago that C. Arthur Pearson had bought
1.-THE Times" This was considered one OF
the greatest journalistic coups on record,
and Pearson was congratulated on his
magnificent luck in acquiring the "Thun-
derer." II might be said in passing, that,
through some un~explainable cause, the
London Times still yields an enormous
influence, despite it's fossilized condition and
It's prohibitive cost of 8 cents per copy.
Well, among the people most unctuous in
their congratulations to Pearson was his
great rival 'The Daily Mail" with Lord
Observation-Disclosures Alfred Harmsworth-
among the principal wreath-throwers. AS
soon as the first excitement is over, how
ever, Northcliffe himself bows to the public
as the actual owner Of The Times" and
c. A. P. is supposed to retire some distance
into the rear and sit down.
New Times Enterprise.
As soon as Lord Northcliffe found himself
fully installed in THE Times" he held a
conference with one of the largest Ameri-
- t.zzz..ztgo., Draptanoa IN no axarf-
whose diplomacy brought the book war to
an end, and restored to THE Times the
large amount of publishers advertisements
which had been lost owing to the wastefui
struggle. And now the little bird who
sits up aloft," and occupies his time In
rumor-catching, has it that Brentano and
Lord Northcliffe are Matching a big enter
prise that will soon be launched in connec-
ton with The Times and the book pub
fishers In America.
The Academy a journal OF many vicis-
STUDIES. is again in new hands, At least
1t now appears to be owned by Lord Al
fred Douglas instead OF being merely
edited by him. 1t is said that Sir Charles
Tenant, its last proprietor? has made a
present Of the paper to Lord Alfred. say
ing: Here, take the Academy and here
is some capital on which to run It," The
Academy" has seldom paid Its way, and
as a property 1t is somewhat OF a luxury.
1t is to be anticipated that the assistant
editor. who is Mr.. w. II. Grassland Of I'm
speakable Scot" Lovely Woman and
other fame. will have a still more free
hand now. He has already succeeded in
Transforming the character of the paper
considerably, for at first under Lord AL
fred Douglas sole editorship 1t had a
decidedly ecclesiastical flavor; and, as has
been remarked, Mr.. Crosland wears the
biretta with singular nl-ease,
Man of Originality.
Whatever may be said OF Crosland, there
is no doubt of his originality. He is a
man Of remarkable personality, being "a
great big fellow" with an Unsuitable de-
sire for the financial rewards of literature,
rather than the glory of which is supposed
to follow the pursuit of letters. In a re-
cent interview with himself in one Of
the magazines, the following passage oc-
Cured:
"'And now, Mr.. Crosland,' said the in
terviewer, with great Difference, and evil
dent awe at my literary reputation, will