The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-04
Loyemon, Joseph 6 Loeb
Loveman, Joseph g Loeb
Loveman, Joseph g Loeb
THE ROMANCE
OF "CROWDS"

the story book that became "best-seer overnight
important book that upset all publishing traditions by selling
just like trivial all because believed the book and
said SO.
The publishers of Gerald Stanley Lees new book
"CroWds' Shave discovered that am advertising their
book for them. They have discovered it through
avalanche of orders for the book
They have wired me. asking me if | will not please
hold OFT and give them chance to catch p--addlng
that they no7O haze three presses going all the time
on Crowds and hope In few days to have the
third large edition ready for delivery"
All this happened the third day after my first ad-
vertsement of Crowds appeared. leave comment TO
the reader here, the general subject OF what happens
when the public approached with Sufficiently big
idea, in sufficiently dsinterested way
Now am going to tell you the story of Crowds"
from the beginning.
read parts Of the manuscript OF "CroWds in Eng
land two years ago, where the author had gone to sup
eryise the English edition of his last book INSPIRED
Mllonares.'
saw with my own ewes the inspiring spectacle of
the whole Of intellectual Englandits great journalists,
like Stead and Cheserton-ts great writer's, like Wells,
Galsworthy, Dickinson, Ellis and Shaw-ts great pub
clsts statesmen, bishops, editors educators prime MIN
ste and pariamentarans lastly, its great business
men-a whole host OF men whose names are known
around the word-l saw this England OF intellect and
achievement rise up as one man and acclaim Gerald
Stanley Lee prophet and man OF genius
saw great dailes and great critical journals day
after day presenting the philosophy of this simple Am
ercan as the best news they could give to England.
saw great merchants like Selfridge printing p the
London newspapers columns that into pages fex-
tracts from and comment upon this book by an Am
erican and saw other great business buying and
sending to business throughout the world, thous-
sands upon thousands of copies of this book-he book
which they said was the starting point Of new demo-
cracy-the first book which was bigger than the So
casm OF Karl Marx and the only book OF modern
times that was as big as the Socialism Of Jesus
inspiring and uplifting sight for fellow American to be
say? wasand the inspiration and the upft
heightened by knowledge that this book Inspired Mil
onaires been declined by American publishers
and finally had been published by the author.
Incredible? Yes but true.
The last left England of one who
aps the greatest Engshwoma of her time weeGo back
million dollars and to introduce Lee to his
count1ymen.
publishers Europe competed for Crowds American
publishers competed too but so They
England with INSPIRED MilEonaires'
When heard that Crowds" ready to be published in
warned the publishers that they handling high
voltage stuff and that they might expect surprising things They
did take seriously being old and hooed publishing
and accustomed to dscounng the enthusiasm of young
Publishers do not believe that serious books will SELL Their
mistake lies in not discriminating between fire.
quently confusing the serious win the merely dull
However having warned the publishers, followed
convictions and devceshe results of which have told
you above.