Book publishing

“ One man, for instance, wrote a first book which sold more than 200,000 copies. His publishers announce only the sixtieth thousand of his latest novel, though it has now nearly run its course.
19 These are not pleasant facts. I wish that every novelist might have an increasing sale for every book he writes. They all earn more than they receive—even the bad ones whose books prosper; but the system that they brought with them deserves to die—must die, if publishing is to remain an honorable profession. ”

“ At this stage in the history of book-production, the “producers,” the men who brought into existence the current literature of the time, and who, having planned [16] and initiated the undertakings, taken the risks, met the outlay, and provided the labour (in many cases with their own heads and hands) , claimed the ownership of the works produced, were the publishers. The literature with which the publishing of printed books was entered upon was comprised, with a few rare exceptions, of editions of old-time classics, prepared to meet the requirements of the scholars of the day. ”

“ Every book is talked over with somebody. Now, when a publishing house has a head—an owner—who will read every important manuscript, and freely and frankly talk or write about it, and can give sympathetic suggestions, that is the sort of publishing house that will win and hold the confidence of the best writers. From one point of view the publisher is a manufacturer and salesman. From another point of view he is the personal friend and sympathetic adviser of authors—a man who has a knowledge of literature and whose judgment is worth having. ”

“ I won't deny that your book publishing system is a considerable improvement on ours, both as to its tendency to encourage a real literary vocation, and, quite as important, to discourage mere scribblers ”

“ Prompt Publication.—From the standpoint of both the author and the publisher it is desirable that a book should be put on the market as soon as possible after the manuscript is completed.
From the moment the publisher undertakes to manufacture a book he has an investment which grows rapidly and yields nothing until the sales of the book begin. ”

“ One of the most unfortunate features of the publishing business is that the exact cost of manufacturing a book can rarely be estimated in advance: typography, electrotyping, engraving, designing, presswork, paper, and binding can be figured closely, but the "extras," resulting from the author's carelessness, lack of knowledge of the book's mechanics, or change of heart as the manuscript goes into type, in many cases so increase the cost beyond the publisher's expectations that the publication can only show a loss instead of a profit. ”

“ The present stock contract of most publishing houses assigns the dramatic rights to the publisher, but provides that the author shall share in such profits as may accrue from the dramatization. [3] Just where the division shall occur is a subject for discussion. It seems a fair contention on the publisher's part that any interest in dramatization comes from the popularity which a novel attains, and that this attainment results from his energy and ability in placing the book before the public as much as from the merit of the story itself. ”

“ In the case of a novel, the statement has no exceptions. No first-class publishing-house will issue with its imprint, at the author's expense, a novel in which it cannot have sufficient confidence to warrant it in assuming the entire expense.
Frequently the unknown author, eager to secure the publication of his work, is willing to make any sacrifice, or any terms, with almost any house which is willing to assist him in accomplishing the desired result. In fact,12 there are publishing firms who confine their operations to the publication of manuscripts to be paid for entirely by the writer. ”

“ Actually, most of the material that is selected for publication today is chosen precisely because it is temporary in value and appeal. Publishing, of course, is a difficult business and every book, in a sense, is a long shot, more likely to fail than to succeed in turning a profit. Most publishing houses have been built on the proposition that the successes must help subsidize the failures, but that this is the only way that the new and unknown talent, which will create the future of literature, can be developed. ”

“ Nevertheless, somewhere about the opening of our own day an iron-bound tradition became erected in the publishing business, at least in the United States, that books of essays would not sell; could not be made to sell even sufficiently to avoid a considerable loss on the investment of manufacture; in fact, were quite impossible as a publishing venture. No matter how much a publisher himself, or his manuscript reader, might enjoy a collection [Pg 17] of essays that chanced to turn up in his shop, his conviction as to its unmarketability as a book was not altered—not even stirred. ”

“ Many a novel owes its success to the advice given by the editorial staff of the publishing-house. Many a strong story would never have reached its audience because of mechanical or structural defects, which the publisher helped to overcome. There have been instances of unwise editorial advice, and of undue pressure brought to bear upon the author to the detriment of his literary production, but these cases are rare compared with those of helpful assistance, which every successful writer will gratefully6 acknowledge he has received from his publisher. ”

“ Many a publisher has by legitimate and judicious business sagacity established the reputation of a previously-unknown author; many an author has placed a small publishing-house in a position of importance, or added to the fame of a house already established.
Another reason for these closely-identified interests is the fact that the average writer is not experienced in business matters, but relies largely upon the integrity of the publisher to whom he intrusts himself. ”

“ The reason why few authors or authors’ societies or other persons who have not96 been definitely trained to publishing fail, is that they are too likely to regard publishing as a mere routine business—a business of manufacturing a certain product and then of offering it for sale. They forget that every book—and even every edition of every book—presents a problem that was never presented before since the world was made. And when its sympathetic ingenuity and inventiveness fail, a publishing house begins to become a mere business and the drying-up period is not far off. ”

“ The problem is not that publishers will buy a sure thing. Of course they will and, within reason, why shouldn’t they? The problem is that less and less is being published today that stands a chance of belonging in the realm of permanent literature. It is easier to get a book like this published, about books and writers (although not too popular a subject and therefore a fairly adventurous publishing undertaking) , than it is to get the hard-wrought, significant works of some of the writers I have mentioned into print. ”

“ The cheapened process of book publication on a large scale, and the investment of large sums of money in the publishing business, with its mechanics of sale management as well as printing, has made possible an enormous output of literature on all subjects and has widened the range of general information in possession of the public. The whole system of modern life would be impossible without the press. ”

“ Something has got to be done about this practice of publishing authors' photographs. We have to submit to it, because editors and publishers insist. They have an extraordinary superstition that it helps an author's sales. The idea is that the public sees the photograph, pauses spell-bound for an instant, and then with a cry of ecstasy rushes off to the book-shop and buys copy after copy of the gargoyle's latest novel. ”

“ The contracts of various publishing-houses differ in their clauses covering "author's alterations," which include all changes made from the original manuscript as delivered to the printer. Some publishers allow a flat sum of $25 [5] ; others allow 10% of the printer's bill for composition and electrotyping. The average author cannot understand the expense of making changes after the manuscript has been put in type, and this point is one of the 16most disagreeable features which creep into the relations between author and publisher. ”

“ Marketing a Book.—We take pride in the thoroughness with which we seek the market for all books bearing our imprint. The spirit of the agreement which we make with the author is that each book is a separate business venture into which we have entered as a partner of the author. ”

“ The methods employed by the various publishing-houses in keeping and rendering their accounts with authors vary with each house, but all publishers are alike to the extent of realizing that this end of the business must be absolutely above suspicion. ”

“ The importance of the work of the publisher’s reader is dwelt upon in this article which sketches besides the growth of the Society of Authors in England and of the formation there of the Publishers’ Association and the Booksellers’ Association. The article also outlines the methods of publishing in the United States and gives particular prominence to the effect on the British market of the introduction of American books and of American book-selling methods. ”

“ Other things being equal, choose a publisher who is located in the great book and literary centre of the country. No doubt the cost of printing and publishing is a trifle more in a large city, where rents are high, than in country or semi-country places. ”

“ It is safer, therefore, to obtain permission from author or publisher before borrowing from another work.
Shipping the Manuscript.—Manuscript should invariably be shipped flat, not folded or rolled.
Manuscript and drawings should be sent together and not in instalments. Except in rare instances, we do not undertake piecemeal manufacture of a book. In our experience such publication methods save little or no time and more often result in confusion and expense. ”

“ It is not necessary to remind you that publishers may to-day furnish a duplicate set of plates to any concern on earth desiring to reproduce one of their books, and that the book may be reprinted by the purchaser without the bother and expense of resetting the type; but the printer of the early days was not so fortunate, for if a concern in New York wished to reprint and sell a book originally printed in Boston, he was obliged to reset it, taking as copy the Boston production. ”

“ There are also extant a great many valuable periodical, magazine and newspaper articles which set forth in some detail accounts of the founders of other nineteenth century publishing houses, which accounts, together with what has appeared in book form, make a rather inchoate but highly valuable mass of data that could and should be compiled and published as soon as a scholarly man of historical habit can be found to edit and prepare it for the press. ”

“ The history of the educational publishing business in America is likewise a systematic record of past events in which man has taken part. The events of this history include the beginning, the development, and the wonderful improvement in books and book-making since 1691, and the men and women who have taken part in these events are authors and publishers.
Starr King, the eloquent preacher and orator whose powerful arguments in 1860 and ’61 aided mightily in saving California for the Union, was once riding on a very slow train from Boston to New York with a friend, who asked Mr. ”

“ A sufficient introduction to a publisher is to send him the manuscript, accompanied by a note requesting his opinion as soon as convenient. If he approves it, and believes it will be profitable, there is no doubt of his being willing to print the work. And if he thinks he shall make nothing by it, it is equally certain that he will decline the offer. It is too much to expect that he will be so regardless of his own interest as to publish a book, the sale of which will not remunerate him for the cost of paper and printing. ”

“ If the reader desires to try his own hand in the work of publishing, we wish him well, and advise him that the only way in which he may hope to realize sales is by carrying out, as well as he can, the regular methods of the publisher. ”

“ Every one must be judged by itself. Five successful books are no absolute guaranty that the sixth will not be worthless.
It seems to me, also, that there is no business in which so few checks exist as in that of publishing. An author, we will say, agrees to receive ten per cent. on the retail price of all copies of his works that are sold, but he has literally nothing but the publisher's word by which to know how many copies are sold. ”

“ To the printer the librarian would say: since wishing is easy, let us imagine that what ought always to happen is happening regularly instead of rarely, namely, that the author produces a book worth printing and that the publisher leaves you free to put it into a worthy form. This is the opportunity that you have always been looking for. How are you going to meet it? Do you know all the elements that you deal with and can you handle them with a sure touch practically and esthetically? If so, you will not need any hints from the librarian, and he will order your book "sight unseen." ”