The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-04-30
Vast Fortunes Made by Book
Writers.

Some interesting facts con-
corning the royalties received by
authors, editions Of popular books
and the works of writer's in gen
eral have been assembled by A..
| G. Detch, late chaplain Of the IN
diana Soldiers Home, who is one
of the most assidous bookWorms
in the country. All the time
that he can spare from his min
isterial duties he devotes to
books-good books--and in the
the last few years he has read
and studied several thousand
volumes. For his own amuse-
ment he began compiling the
| facts presented herewith and
then became so interested in this
aspect of literary work that he
continued the research until the
! following results were obtained.
Fanny Fern, receiving So each
week from two different publish
ers, was offered $1,000 for all her
sketches in book form. This
offer from another publisher was
the means of securing her $40, :
! 600 royalties during the next two
years.
Beecher received $50, 900 royal
ty for Norwood" Mrs. Stowe
got $40, 900 for Uncle Toms
Cabin 10, 900 copies were sold
in a day, 300, 900 a year, and soon
100000 were sold. The book
was dramatized in twenty differ
ent forms.
/ Thomas Moore received $50, 600
for three years work. Hannah
Moore received $4,000 for
Caleb in Search of a Wife.
SIS, 900 for Opinions of Man
ners," $4,000 for Percy" Her
modern Education was put
through twenty editions and
the total royalties during her life
were $780, 600.
| Motley received $50, 900 for his
copyright history. Prescott in
come was SIS, 600 per annum. DR..
Holland was paid $4,000 for his
"Manse,' $4,000 for Katrina, /"
| $12, 900 for Bitter Sweet"
Scribners paid Bret Harte
81, 500 for an Episode Of Fiddle
ton'an $40, 600 for Gabriel Con-
roy" Irving received $3.50, 600
in royalties. Sir Walter Scott
had a $4,000 issue Of eMarmion"
and realized S270, 900 and a total
of a half million in royalties.
Forty thousand volumes of the
Life of J. @. Adams were
sent out by Seward as author,
| Seward also received $50, 900
royalty for his Travels Around
the World" One hundred and
fifty thousand copies were sent
out Of Jean IngeloW's works.
Tennyson <ceiyed annually in
royalty $4,000 and sometimes
$40 a line for poem.
The Nineteenth Century gave
81, 500 for the Ballad of Re
venge. /" Robert Bonner gave
$4,000 for ''The May Queen. "
The publishers of the Cornhill
Magazine paid George Elliot
SIS, 900 for s'Remola.n One
hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars was given for Middle
march, - Harpers paying $780,
600 for the American right. Ma
caulay was given $50, 900 for his
History of England. Victor
Hugo was paid $50, for Lies
Miserables. ]" Eugene Sue left
an estate of 81, 100000. Forty
thousand of Goodrich histories
are published annually. More
! than 100000 Farely books
have been sold. More than 100,-
, 600 of Stephens Histories of
: the Late War; have been issued.
kipling's annual royalty re-
turns are $50, 900; $4,000 copies
of 'Lothair," by Disraeli, have
been sold; so, 600 copies of Gen
eral Sherman" by Seward, have
been sent out. More than 12O,-
600 of "Miscellanies, by Maca-
ulay, have been edited. A
volume of SiekieWics' "Quo
Vadis" has seen an issue of more
than 1000, 900. Mrs. Augusta
Evans Wilson has realized $780,
900 in royalty on her books
during the past eight years.
Vanity Fair was refused by
. all publishers and was finally put
forth by its author. Coleridge
refused an offer equal to $40, OOO
per annum to lecture, but decided
to remain at home. Agassiz re-