Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-31
WILL GET 81 A WORD
FOR HIS HUNTING TALE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT a HIGH
PRICED AUTHOR
IL Said to Have Made at Least a
Quarter Of a Million from
Books Already
Published

NEW YORK. July 30.-The price
Charles Scribners Sons will pay Presi-
dent Roosevelt for his account OF his
hunting trip through the African jun
gle is the highest ever given to an
author for work OF slInllaE cAat-
acter.
Not only will the president receive q
luYnp sum of between 100000 and $7b,UO0
for the serial privileges, but ne Will
also get a high royalty on the book,
into which the magazine articles Will
be incorporated.
It was learned on good authority that
this royalty Is not less than 10 per
cent on gross sales, and Is probably as
high as 20 per cent. 1t Is said the pub
fishers expect to sell enough copies OF
the book so that the president Will re-
ceive in all $3.50 000-or something ike
81 a word. -,
At see no objection to making public
the fact that we will publish the presi-
dents story of his adventures in Al
rica," said Charles Scribner this AFTER
noon. ''Ths details of the ARRANGEMENT
! will have to come from oyster Bay,
however. We understand that the
president wishes to announce them
himself in such length as he sees Mt.
Highest Price Ever Paid
"Tbe articles will run serialiy 81
Scribner's Magazine and then Nia 9e
published in book form. There VIII -
from eight to twelve installmente, eH
of from 5000 to 5000 words. The price
we are paying is, believe, the 4ishesl
ever paid for any magazine ser e.
When it was pointed out ~ M.
scribner that Samuel S. Mcclure of
McClure's Magazine was reported TO
have offered 100000 for this same pr1Vi-
lege and that Mark Sullivan OF Col
ller's had named $4,000 as his BID, Mr.
Scribner said: while I cannot name
the sum, I may say that we onersu
approximately what the olhsr PupiiSn
ers did"
@Then why was it," asked the re-
norter that the president chose your
house as his publisher"
1T suppose 1t was because he was
satisfied with the way In wnlch we
have been handling his books. We
have issued all his latest works, you
know. Certainly we did not OFFER any
more than the other magazines DID,
President Not a Stakeholder
"Tt Is limited that President Roose-
Welt is a, stakeholder in your company;
is there any truth in that?" Mr.. Scrlp-
ner wass asked.
HE has no interest in the nrm
whatsoever" was the reply.
When questioned about the royalties,
he said: 1--WE are giving President
Roosevelt more than the ordinary
royalties, of course. They are not the
highest ever paid. however. We ex-
pect tremendous sales, SO that IN all
probability the amount the president
will receive from the rolayties Will ex-
coed that from any other single work.
The presidents books have always
been big sellers. Mr.. Putnam Of G. P.
Putnam's Sons, the firm which pub
lished all of President Roosevelt's
earlier works, said today:
"Since 1884, when we first began to
publish them, we have sold 100000
volumes. They are in fifteen volumes
and include his works on civic affairs,
his western stories and his History of
the Naval War of 1872 They are still
good sellers"
Writings Bring Fortune
Scribners announce that they have
sold over 200, 900 copies of 1.-THE Rough
Riders" published in 1899; 100000 of
"Oliver Cromwell" at 81 a book; 10000
of the Roosevelt book, a supplemental
reader for school children, and at least
$4,000 of Outdoor Pastimes of an
American" which retails for SO.
In addition to this there are special
editions de luxe and his contribution
to the american Statesman Series.'
A conservative estimate of the number
of volumes which have been circulated
Is 100000 The ordinary rolalty al
lowed is 10 per cent, but IL is known
that the president invariably gets a
much higher rate. One publisher esti-
mates that the earnings from his
books, entirely apart from his maya
zine articles, are in the neighborhood
of $25o,Ooo.