The Washington herald., 1920-10-17
PUBLISHERS IN CARRIAGES
FOLLOWED BY AUTHORS ON FOOT.

Years seem to have brought their revenges
Today df the bitter walls of the publishers are to
be given credence, nothing less than Rolls Royce
sufces for the triumphal progress of the author
while the publisher is unable to keep up with the
procession at all.
To be sure Arnold Bennett remarks that only
publishers have fur coats and automobiles but then
he is merely British author whose work is noto-
riously unsuited for the movies
Here, for example, comes Mr.. Brett, of a great
international publishing house, and demonstrates
in the current number of the Atlantic Monthly that
today a publisher makes 2H cents copy on
S25o book, while the author if he be at all we'll
known, will make 37JA cents. And, what is even
more harassing to the publisher, if, in order to
secure higher profit he raises the price per
volume the authors profits go up at the same time,
since he is paid by royalty of so much per cent
on the retail price of each volume.
Perhaps the is that the author, whose
work is wholly individual and not to be divided
except in a few historic like Dumas-can
seldom write more than book in a year. and
often accomplishes but one in lifetime while the
publishers business is that of a manufacturer
issuing perhaps thirty forty distinct works and
publishing them by the tens of thousands. farmer
makes more on each individual bushel of wheaton
should-than the broker on change who sells the
product by the million bushels
And there comes in the second compliant of the
publisher. Not only have the materials and the
labor employed in his trade increased in cost so as
to cut down the net profit each individual book
to tr1Hing sum, but sales not what they ought
to be- Probably, in the estimate of the seller in
whatever line OF business, sales are never what they
ought to be. But the publishers are particularly
vociferous in the relation of their woes and plans
for stimulating the book trade are under constant
discussion.
That amiable book lover and writer, Edward
a Newton, OF Philadelphia, thinks it is a matter
of advertising psychology. He thinks that what the
book trade needs is slogan-something that will
obsess the mind of the "highbrow" as at floats"
or Push the button" has pervaded lesser ntellects
1t is not so long ago that the politicians of both
parties were offering rewards for slogan which
would help sell their particular variety of President
to the people. So it will be seen that Mr. Newton
is quite in accord with the accepted school of pub
licity that counts.
We do not recall that the politicians found their
slogan Long speeches instead of snappy savings
seem to characterize the campaign. But Mr.. New
ton offers this for the contemplation of the public:
BUY A BOOK A WEEK!
Brief, succinct and to the point! 1t ought to
please all publishers, for the course of conduct
thus recommended seems to be equally satisfied by
the purchase of a volume of Nick Carter or an
erudte discussion of the league of nations If to
large section of the American people the purchase
OF book can be made as regular weekly func-
ton as the Saturday night bath, the business of
publishing will look up, and the chances for ovee-
coming the paper shortage will recede into the dim
and distant future.
One difficulty encountered by the average book
buyer-that is to say, by one who buys. not for the