The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-02-23

RIFT T was not content with these re-
suits and my success soon attracteo q
the attention of other students VINO =
were tired of taking care OF horses
and furnaces and saving wood u !
pay their board bills while attending +
college. gave number OF these the
same training had received and sent !;
them out during the summer vacation
as canvassers, keeping 26 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 a salary Of $125 a month
and expenses to go out as establsnef
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
the gross amount Of his sales. No
money whatever is needed at the
start, except enough to pay his board,
and he can take up his work while
still living at home until he accumu
lates sufficient to take him elsewhere.
A publisher will give him a 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 10000.
900 such In the United States.
After succeeding as canvasser.
which your boy can demonstrate
within a comparatively short time,
say q year or so, he will probably wish
to be a sort of general or special
agent, the man that gets other agents
and puts them to 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 Held
an average Of twenty canvassers, sell
ing a book that retails at 81, and that
these agents average four sales day
each, on which they clear so per cent
| SNANS'i
or 20 cents a volume, brings him an
income of SIG day, or 500 week
Out of this he has to pay his hote
and travelling expenses; but even sc
he is getting what many would think
very fine income.
In all probability the next step TAX
, en- by your boy will be to arrange will
+ a publishing house to take care OF tn
= canvassing in a large specified terri
= tory-such as two or three north
western states, for example-for on
\ or more books, on the basis of receiv
! Ing 65 to 70 per cent. of retail price
! Out of this he has to pay his agent
1 their 40 to so per cent. and all ea
h penses incident to the agency. Hi
:. earnings, depending entirely upon hi
ability to find good statesmen and tn
4 popularity of the book, which rest
l. largely upon the ability of these sale
n men, may amount to thousands OF do
IS lars year.
,. OF course this has established hi
10 in his own business, and he will In a
Ia likelihood remain in it-as the achiev
n ment of such success before he
,s thirty or thirty-f1ve will be suf1cie1
u to keep him at it-instead Of tak1r
N charge of the sales department OF
- large publishing house at a salary.
If your boy should choose to rema
N in direct canvassing himself, he W
IL soon grow beyond any mere 81 or
se book, and will take to selling enti
If sets, or anything or everything tn
g the publishing house he Is connect
n. with turns out. Or he will make hi
tx self a rowing canvasser with come
to lions with number of leading pu
10 fishers, to get commission on evel
he thing he sells. The writer Is
of uuainted with one such who thong
&c nothing of calling on a stranger a
nd coming away in half an hour with
order on which his commissi
ia amounted to anywhere from $25
ca s100. Indeed, this particular age
he had built up following among ri
ne clients who took practically anyth1
To he recommended that they could q
nix to their libraries, and in many
stances he actually selected 8
ira shipped to persons suddenly beco
NV rich the entire contents of their lib
ant ries, which cost them from $4,000
The ward.
lar Still other canvassers make s
ar. cia]ty of handling only rare and
IN. luxe editions, which retail from s
7 upward, building up following amt
ev. rich book collectors.
ine Whichever speciality your boy n
,ne choose, he could not find more
NV. spectacle business, nor one in VIII
,er he will deserve and receive gree
WA welcome more times than otherw
Mn. Many millionaires have given ord
m to their employees to admit their
vorite book agent without amour
~, ment, as in this way they know t
ro. will not miss the opportunity to
.e,t quire the best works III the b
100 market. And at the same time