The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-02-23


the attention OF other students who
were tired OF taking care OF horses
and furnaces and saving wood to
pay their board bills while attending
college. ] gave a number OF these the
same training had received and sent
them out during the summer vacation
as canvassers, keeping rs cents on
every volume they sold. The result
was that the next year, as several OF
the students remained out to accu-
mulate enough money to pay their way
without work on the side while study.
ing. | had an independent income OF
several dollars day without doing
more than to cash these subagents'
money orders and send them the
books And then the publishing house
offered me q salary Of 1925 month
and expenses TO go out as establisher
and trainer Of other agents.
This opportunity, In the present day.
twenty years later. is still open TO an
ambitious boy. and he can figure on
an income Of 40 TO so per cent on
money whatever is needed at tho
start. except enough to pay his board.
and he can take up his work while
still living nj home until he accumu.
lates sufficient to take him elsewhere
a publisher will give him limited
territory exclusively, or he can go all
over the country II he wishes, as ev.
cry man and family are prospective
customers, and there are some 20000,-
600 such in the United States
After succeeding as canvasser,
which your boy can demonstrate
within comparatively short time,
say year or so. he will probably wish
to be sort OF general or special
agent, the man that gets other agents
and puts them 20 work, In which case
he will receive ten per cent. commits
sion on all the books these agents OF
his dispose Of Suppose he has the
ability TO find and keep in the field
IN average OF twenty canvassers. sell.
ing book that retails at 81. and that
these agents average four sales day
each. on which they clear 90 per cent.
Your boys commission Of 10 per cent,
or 20 cents n volume. brings him an
income OF SIG day, or 500 week.
Out OF this he has to pay his hotel
and travelling expenses but even 30
he is getting what many would think
a very fine income.
In all probability the next step tax.
en- by your boy will be to arrange with
a publishing house to take care OF the
canvassing in n large specified terri.
tory-such as two or three north.
western states. for example--for one
or more books, on the basis OF receiv.
Ing G5 to 70 per cent OF retail price
Out OF this he has 10 pay his agents
their 30 TO % per cent. and all OK.
penses Incident TO the agency. HIs
earnings, depending entirely upon his
ability to ind good statesmen and the
popularity OF the book. which rests
largely upon the ability Of these sales
men, may amount to thousands OF dol.
lars a year
or course this has established him
in his own business, and he will in all
likelihood remain In it--as the achieve.
ment OF such success before he IL
thirty or thlrty.fve will be sufficient
TO keep him at it-instead of taking
charge Of the sales department OF o
large publishing house at salary.
II your boy should choose to remain
In direct canvassing himself, he will
soon grow beyond any mere 81 or 81
book. and will take TO selling entire
sets, or anything or everything that
the publishing house he is connected
with turns out. Or he will make him.
self rowing canvasser with connec4
tons with n number OF leading pub
fishers. to get a commission on every.
thing he sells. The writer is nc.
quainted with one such who thought
nothing OF calling on a stranger and
coming away in half an hour with an
order on which his commission
amounted to anywhere from SIS to
500. Indeed, this particular agent
had built up n following among rich
clients who took practically anything
he recommended that they could add
to their libraries, and in many in.
stances he actually selected and
shipped TO persons suddenly become
rich the entire contents OF their libra.
ries, which cost them from $4,000 up.
ward,
Still other canvassers make a spe-
cialty OF handling only rare and de
luxe editions. which retail from $10c
upward. building up following among
rich book collectors.
Whichever specially your boy may
choose. he could not find a moro re-
spectacle business. nor one In which
be will deserve and receive greater
welcome more times than otherwise.
Many millionaires have given orders
to their employees TO admit their 70,
vorite book agent without announce
ment as in this way they know they
will not miss the opportunity to &C
quire the best works In the b ooh
market. And at the same time the
book agent ia absolutely his own boss
and can increase or decrease his in
come at will.
Copyright. 1910. by the Associated Lit