The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-09

nf1 Auu elx o. tnom. untu on Ino MIN
or pixth tho author makes good and 10
s~e among ths crown jewels. One pub
Usher put out four books IN six yearB
Q! woman writer In whom he had faith.
tie constantly lost money until she wrote
q novel which Sold 2S.1O copis-l.
Hers was his chance Ia reimburse hun
sail. pal lnstoad ho spent every dollar
Of u in advertising tho writer and her
Work. The next year she wrote novel
which Aold 15.nsO copls,S. This case, tho
pubitAhsra sigh. N an exception. but az
any rate the faithful publisher was spared
the heart burnings whlch came 90 a
p,ih hshor last wssk. when an author
whom hs had just tIrned over to another
ho'lso scOred a success And snccens from
tho publishers viewpoint n very dinSr-
ent from apparent success. All 10 not
gold that glitters IN fiction. nor does all
That soils enough To make money cOnsti-
tuts ultimate gain
A. tho same time. to ADJ - complex
ities. the cost u pr-sswOTk ~ gOlng up:
~ landing and cloth. ~ poT cent all
kinds Of lnbot. frOSn 10 To % per rent
And all the while tho struggle Of cOmpeti-
ton doss not ahats. aud tho tendency ot
publishers II TO try to make god On long
shots There are too many publishers.
sadly admits one &C them. Who says that
only Ono cat Ut every twelve novels SIC
ceeds ana that Il ~ getting increasingly
hard tO deal with the experimental novel
Those novels which silcceed must ray
for those that fail bsfore tho publisher
whils authors demand tina. their royalties
be kept On the o. 20 basis even whom tbs
book IL sold nc o. IS net
Thirty per cent 10 the figure ns pub
Usher giveS Tor the advance M the c,st
81 manufacturing hooks. including Jlap-r.
presswOrk. binding. expense- VI selling.
Increased cost IL all Labor AnO'hsl
publisher gives an the second factor of
Increased cost the smaller circul1 ton u
the Individual books. since cost % pub
lication gets merely nominal aftcr GER
tain point in bug editions. The nrst book
% itself costs virtually $3.50, since that
mnoh has to be- invested In plates l'efore
anything can he done.
The question Of net prices 10 one Of
the vexed onss of the day. all publishers
admit conservative representative
who advocates Il says II should cover all
bat the popular novel. Action II the second
class, tat when recently applied Ia two
OF three very large novels selling AT 81 Is
the experiment was not very successful
The theory IL To lase prices IN value .
C. charge more fer big b"ok and . good
book The smaller d1scOuut "a the dealer
% course force- HIM in sell at actual
retail prizes
selling pTice conditions have become
demoralized 4 book averaging u ~
the country over. a Winston Churchill
ROason for 81 ~. in Providence for 81 10,
in SprinHfield, Rochester and Buffalo
for 81 Os in depa rtment stores anywhere
for no tell ng what. West u Denver
the list price generally rerna'ns the selling
prics.
The publishers say they cannot afford
to get less for their fiction and 1--we. The
dealer who sells at u On buys az a discount
IL 70 per cent from the list price ~ 81 a.
and paws ~ cents. His "Vpen-.-~ are
2. 4. nNuan
book at 81 u. ~ he lu-s- cents on 'och
copy
Another version ~ the story hg'Ires
that he tIuvs IN lOts Of a hundred at N
OeutA in which case his loss ~ le--~ned.
but there ~ no profit And a. the pup
Usher does not want 10 receive lees me "uiy
way out seemed Ia 10 to increas" nef
prices raising from ~ ~ - 81 - Tbs
was done IN she case of MyTtl. Heel :
books, ~ the -Old Wives Tales, and ~
Putnam's Rosary. which Vas -"lh az
81 Is
gruntlsd az getting 10 per cent 81 the last
price unless 4 could "" proved ~ Inn
that he was going to receive more IA the
and irving Bachs.i.-r did not like ihs
tiea: Jean Stratton Porter was deiight''i
Authors aud publishers pr" and '"l
are waiting with much Interest Ia see hoN
the new sAperiment ~ going - WORK ont.
The - cent novel plays q larger par
than the average reader dream~. the cheat
edition IT old best sellers. which - act no
to look virtually the slne a. the original
edition hut IN which the publishers
&c such can make large profits. merely
renting the plAis-- aud falling heir, with
ont charge t. the puph"lty ~" books
have alreldv attained fh"usluc- Il
readers wait fuT thc-a'. J'ist a. thou- NIB
I ~ theatreg0.rs wat Tor br'sidNhV
production 90 appear "a t"Hrt''' an
street uT ia Harlem
n - a factor the publishers ~ the
original ..dittOn must rerkOn WITH, "ns
| book selling Us. 90 cOpie- NoE-l- ~
Dixon II Ghamlp~rz Of countless oths.IS.
are selling to-day by the thousands ~ thi-
w,liss hut the real best SELLERS say IA"
publishers. az those nam'ls--s Oi'~S.
iI:,snoyya - ths sTitiC.1' public. .snTr'''E
nized Nv the authoritative publishers.
the authors - which make enormous
/ fortunes without their na mes ever f'''~'Ii
ing knOwn-a condition they EARNESTLY
foster They are indeed far rensOvesi
from those whish having -'lh 9WO
APPEAR in the lists % best ssll"r~. 10 ~"
Nsw York list last month even one APP
o airing IN wing sold 5000 copies.
The Ideal dream 10 that the publ'shsF-
have their own bookstores "a"
tendency has been IN the mail order
dirs-c4ioo mail order house IN 'hcaEo
n aid 10 have pIt forth catalogue h~t-
Taken In al its parts the fiction 80
uatiOn IN complex and beviIdeung, \
Boston publishing house covers Il pretty
thoroughly in the following
The fiction situation - AZ present
in a state Of acute transition OF Az any
rate % COMPLEX growth 20 ina, pun
I.hsr unless he II endowed With the
capacities OF the philosopher. the ~,
nert accountant and the prophet. ~
tempted 20 take refuge IN ghtter,ns
gensrAlities
so far a. We can Judge the pAInS
A. ~ The aix hest sellers has PASSED
AZ least for the present Apparently