The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-02-24

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 s125 a 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
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 If he wishes, as ev-
cry man and family are prospective
customers, and there are some 20,000,-
900 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 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 field
an average of twenty canvassers, sell
ing book that retails at 81, and that
these agents average four sales a day
each, on which they clear so per cent.
Your boys commission of 10 per cent,
or 20 cents volume, brings him an
income Of SIG day, or 500 a week.
Out Of this he has to pay his hotel
and travelling expenses; but even so
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 a large specified terri
tory-such as two or three north
western states, for examp!e-for one
or more books, on the basis of receiv-
ing IS to 70 per cent. of retail price,
Out Of this he has to pay his agents
their 40 to so per cent. and all ex-
penses incident to the agency. His
earnings, depending entirely upon his
ability to find 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 year.
OF 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 is
thirty or thirty-fve will be sufficient
to keep him at it-instead of taking
charge Of the sales department of a
large publishing house at a salary.
If your boy should choose to remain
IN direct canvassing himself, he will
soon grow beyond any mere 50 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 connec-
lions with number of leading pub
fishers, to get commission on every
thing he sells. The writer Is &C.
quainted with one such who thought
nothing Of calling on stranger and
coming away in half an hour with an
order on which his commission
amounted to anywhere from S25 to
500. Indeed, this particular agent
had built up 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 SIC, 900 up-
ward.
Still other canvassers make a spe-
cialty OF handling only rare and de
luxe editions, which retail from 800
upward, building up following among
rich book collectors.
Whichever specially your bow NAV
choose. he could not find a more re-
spectacle business, nor one in which
ne Will deserve and receive greater
welcome more times than otherwise
Many millionaires have given orders
to their employees to admit their "a
vorite book agent without announce
ment, as in this way they know thew
will not miss the opportunity to &C.
qu1re the best works in the b ook
market. And at the same time the
book agent IS absolutely his own boss
and can Increase or decrease his in.
come at will.
Copyright, 1910. by the Associated LIT.
erary Press.)
Packs Of Hounds in Great Britain.
Leonard Willoughby tells US that al.