The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-30
BOOK NEWS FROM ENGLAND
JOHN LANE SaIS PIBLISRERS
FARE BETTER HERE.
CireuIatlag LIisgarIes. - cent Faiiilsaa
ana Cen~agahip Make . DsdereOee
-"Naurh.. New G'las.ar American
writers vino Are Popular AllrOaai.

ing business IN England.
Publishing in this country seeyn~ 10 bc
much more promising than in incland.
{. said Mr.. Lane at the WolCoit yesterday.
The book business here ~ in"T"aS ms
nc . much greater rate than "vsr there.
One reason "a that you have not IN this
country the ETea; cirt ulatinG libraries.
lEks Nudes and S:nith's. The American
public buyn tia eoohs outright. The
Brifiah public has been trained IN hire
them. Tho attitude NJ tho Libraries "
Important "a the British publisher. and tho
first order by the libraries ~ important.
For instance. when I recently published
q nsw book. According to Maria. by my
wife. Who n an American nv birth. MudIes
ortisred 500 copies and smiths tho same
number Within a fortnight sarh had
Rised the order 10 IN npIe~.
six Of the chief circulating libraries
NEngland have termed = COMMITTEES
Nh practically attempts tn exerrise
ese nsorship over what n publisher may
ao1n out. There - a long list of books
n those libraries refuse tn circulate
y ground of morality. some Of them
971 excluded the works Of Anaiole
ice, which publish in English. Brit
inh authors tn a man are against this
csnsorship. but some of the old fashioned
publishers seem 70 welcome u.
1T seems to me that the American
public In hecorninr rnor~ open minded
shout such lDooks than the EnEiish There
was a time. and recently too. when the
Puritan spirit here was censorioIs
that the publishers and the hook trade
would not handle certain hooks which
We circulated with great freedom IN
England.
The libraries do not always win out
In their censorship over thew. Just a
week before eft I published a hook by
q new author. Muriel Hine. called Hair
In Earnest I had sent proof sheets To
the libraries before the hook was printed
Ny representative was notified by the
secretary II the libraries organization
that certain passages In the book must he
omitted or changed. I consulted the
author and several well known men Of
letters. including Clement ShcTier They
advised me not 90 change a word. 80
stuck to my guns. As a consequence the
kbraries afterward took the book IA
probably greater numbers than they
would have done II they had not called
attention TO the passages they wished 20
censor. Now all opposition has been
'~ithdrswn.
To me a most extraordinary thing.
in view % the attitude Of the English
libraries. IN the fact that the John Lane
Company over here took the book az once
without smiling any improperly
The novel trade IN England - IN a
hopeless condition. inASmuch a. one great
publishing firm. noted for cheap hooks
n ISSUING q large number OF novels by
well known authors such a. Anthony
Hope and n q Wells a. two shillings
go centsl understand that IN form
they are equal 60 the SIX shilling novel
-Of course the problem ~ how these
books will effect the market. whether
the public will purchase the book for
two shillings rather thru pay the library !
tuppence -four CentSI for its hire. I am
Inclined 90 think that IN" zeles will not /
be three times - many at two shilings I
a. they woud have hee1 at SIX I do /
not think the new venture IL going 30 |
change the national custom of borrow I
ing books seeinE too thst- people IN /,
England are coming To live end !
more in automobiles end fets. Where !
room Of coiIrsH ~ prescribed.
Prom a commercial point of view
10 aeems to mo that the publisher must /
..ll -.cr. ,h,n 49, ,.ro.. ,h. ,,........ I
i"O'e ,a'1" '-' w "ui""-r
OF Two smiing booAs '" get the same
amount 81 profit. beCaTS~ there must
he three bindings instead of one End -
.v.-vho,y Lno,~- ,bo hi,I...
-. - w"
peAtest eNl'eh$~ w the m@nuf'ct'ire
Of books. end no natter how mRnv copie~
are hound the cost cannot 10 made |
chaaner
81, 4. ..-..,,- a.. -, .,
Po-'' ma "" "n~"-ndihg
names may be popular enough 10 sell
Two snllhng ooohs ~ iarge numbers,
o1t wn4toI the new althor' Nha' chanc" I
mas me- books ~ Two -nllnes ny new
authors cannot be ADVERTISED end here |
you have the crus Of the whole situT.tIon. |
~ - dimcui " noS n new Euthor even ]
IN ah thiIhg DOCS. Whose wholesale :
price docs allow a h'tle margin Tor ed !
verusfng
OF course the circulating libr.r,es |
mintate against the large sale 81 books |
~ England Iahe Tor lnsisnce Mr. I'ocke's
DOCKS where We sell one IN England I
We sell three IN the United Stat "s
nave JUST punhshcd IN tnSiand two !
nooks tnav ntd TAR 10 become clssSics |
lney are me nVertlng Adventures ~ 1
Aaurln, ana siamrin the IliustTious, both /
~ Jean hicard Inc translation " ny Al |
Iha.IA