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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    The Attitude Of The 'Society Of Authors:...

    mn ~ i——p-: — 1-1 in iir I- ¦ ¦ . t 1 1 1 _ . mi ¦ ' * 1 vinced or- an that , the or an public ic will or a not book buy of a travel novel , Msevius essay may , rail and ep Bsevius , may wail in the , councij . chamber of the Society of Authors with-I ' from out . Pa thejr ternoster resolve Row not or to Piccadilly risk any money being moved in the ' ' venture . Indeed , the chances are quite the other ful way authors . ' Anyone is well who aware has had that much they to are do with not always youththe most modest or fthe most practicable of men . They place an inordinate value on themselves and their works , and , as often as not , entirely overestimate the rate at which the world wij . 1 appraise them . Nor are experienced men of letters very lishe much rs better no doubt judges make of public mistakes appreciation as is . show Pub- n by divers , notorious , instances many of books , from , * Robinson Crusoe ' to ' Vanity Fair / which subsequently proved mines of wealth , going round the trade before anyone could be got to accept thenw -But jud the ges crit of ics literary , who are meri supposed t , seldom to agree be on pro the fessional value of any volume , and not unfrequently differ widely as to its worth . In reality , literature is a poor speculation . It is quite impossible for anyone to say . when a book is to be or is not to be a success , , and it is notorious that for one work which yields a profit half a dozen do not pay the printer . Mr . Besant has of course got his public , and can nowdisinterestedness adays , speak from . the But elevated stand his point audience of perfect half of whom had their own among personal wrongs to , right , is and permitted no doubt to regard live and a worl die d in in which his bed the as publisher out of : jo no int such , there felicity are . a Like considerable the doctor majority or lawyer who who enj has oy his reputation to make , the }* must take what they at can all get . , and be thankful that they get anything obtain The a circulation Standard asks of ten : 'How thousand many ? books This newspaper then proceeds to say : — Mr . Besant , as one of the most successful novelists over-sanguine of the views day , of is the probabl matter y inclined . But for to take one which work which never sells get beyond by the thousand a few hundreds , there at are the twenty outside a comm . If ission the publisher of 15 were cent to on content himself blicati with on the vast majority of books per would , never every be pu published , Society genera at all . l of This public Authors , perhaps ; but . They , that would certainl is be not no the great do view not loss want of to the the to that limit the book output that of has litera sort ry matter of merit . They in it should think be allowed any to come into any the market . The publisher manages that for them . He has a large capital , inf which ness which luence ; he in he , can nine connection undertakes p cases lace at , out long t all h of e a ten the experience uthor t preliminary he ' s disposal author in his would ; outlay he busi has be - , unable , or unwilling to do ; and , in the end , even if long the book time sells before fairl he y covers well , ho his may have and to wai makes t a any profit at all . In many cases expenses he is entering into a inust pure fall speculation himself , the . loss The of fact which isthat , if successful it fails , authors no upon longer need much protection , . They are wbl i eayon e to to take suppose care that of themselves they fail to ; do and so . there is no i In the Spectator we find the following : — I Wha $ does the successful author want with a I scheme , ? . Publishers are only too glad to get him ;

    ^^^^^ M ^ M fc ^ M ^^^«^^;^ yw ,. ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ;^^^ ^—^^^^ m ^^ m ^ m ^ m ^^^ m ^ m ^ m ^^—^—^ m ^ m ^—^ m ^—^ m ^^ m ^^ p ^ , ^^^^^^^ * " ™^^*^ little He has like onl any y to other be a dealer little in hard any , a other little goods exact and , a he terms may . , Whether within the he limits could of possibility exact two ; get thousand his , own pounds novel—as in a bank novelist -notes who for knows a promise the to trade write " recentl a good y i made magine his a heroine favouri do te — of we the cannot publics tell - ; say but , just we eo ho idd -w , Mr At . all Rider events Haggard , the successfu —making l author even can thos put e himself terms . mone up to y auction is a man among ' s object competing , we cannot capitalists conceive ; and if a half happ -successful ier position . author It is . the and unsuccessful the unknow author n author , the who want help , and we , do not see the help that , Mr . Besant gives him . He is to make the publisher full abstai all n fro his accounts ' secret . arrangements Wellwe doubt / and with explain all de which ference y , among to Mr other . Besant things , the , is j , to ustice deprive of that , the p pub lan - , lisher tion , and of muc experience h of the . advantage Suppose of he his " knows skill , connec how to - buy binding paper done to advantage cheaply , and , how how to to get advertise printing bette and r than his neighbours ; is he to get nothing for his which superi , ority it i ? s assume He oug d , ht under to get the it fairl system y , no of doubt half , and profits it . Even if , he he pu ho does b wever lishes not all do if the ; his but scheme contracts still , he is , fair oug he ht will how to not get is the get it , author to , compel the , publisher to accept , it ? If he is transfer successful his , custom he has but the if whi he p- is hand not , where for he is can his source of influence ; ? The publisher , , if too hard pressed , will simply refuse his book ; and unless end some of other the matter publisher . is tempted by it , there is an . PUBLISHERS' REPLIES . Messrs . Longmans & Co . and Messrs . Richard officials of Bentley the fc Society « fc Sons of directl Authors y informed 9 that they the were prepared to submit their accounts for inspection . In continuation of this assurance the following letters have appeared in the newspapers : To the Editor of the Times . the Sir Times , —In of consequence this day , that of Messrs the announcement . Longmans in in - ac has tend coun alway in ts future , nnd s been vouchers to allow the custom authors , I beg of access leave my to house to state their , and that books , it I , this believe practice , of the , and other non princi e of pal my publishers authors , have to follow ever been refused access to such documents in cases of doubt . —I am , £ > ir , your obedient servant , John Mubray . To the Editor of the Times . had Sir not , —If publicl Mr . y Murray intimated and their Messrs willingness . Longmans to submit their accounts to inspection we should not have such thought a well-known it necessary legal fco obli wri gation te and on acknowledge our part . ni We sed have that merel the law y to exacts say that itand we whenever have always asked recog we - have been most willing to , offer every explanation and to exhibit vouchers for the details of our accounts . —We are , Sir , your obedient servants , Macmillan & Co . To the Editor of the Standard ^ your Sir , report —I have of Mx Ijeen \ Walter very Besant much ' amused s paper ' reading on this » ¦ ' -i ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦ - =

    Bfcj ' . . . .... ¦ ¦ «¦ ¦ _... - . ¦ ¦ ...

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• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), March 15, 1887, page 282, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15031887/page/8/