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    TO " 1 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ' • , . . ' ' ¦ 1 ' .-•...

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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:...

    subjetjt . iBi > tlM ^ i & eanwb [ il © 7 fcfi ^ oX * nee of rtfact : is worth I have a pdunS bten of dreams A ^ iRjjr atld ^^ dfefe fitftion ^» ftf . ; ^ publisher for more than a quarter r Q & aTcentttfy , ^ ttd so far from being shiUing able boo to ^ i fis obtaih M ^ l " ^ fotir Besant shillings ^ tat ^ s , I net cannot for safel a ; six y * I j ! rely pay - ing In npoh thidi neceissa ' Waifsin ISgfttJ iy / ' if cii ^ & * W ljefide ^ -tak « ^ S ' : ^ < brie ! shilling ^ .-:. ¦ .. and aftei sixv * pence for the ^ dst ^ ofproduction , and twenty per cent ., or one-snil & rigqtf & d'twopence , for the author , only servant foufjSJence ' jt - * - ¦ ¦¦ ' wd ; , iild vs * remai a IiO n for , your Publisher obedient ; , ! Tb the Editor of the Stant > abd . ' - Sir , —It was a little surprising to find Mr . Walter upon Besant publishers delivering , s so ince apparentl an author y crus of hi his ng an standi attac ng k and whieh doubt any g merit ive , stagger upon n work is a undoubtedly the comparison wit maj h . tjhe ority profit able of of . the those to realised . . tj command . me who spent , wou read term ld upon his no s lecture in the newspapers . this But morn , Sir i , as , ' A Mr Publisher . , Besant ' , shows even in in your taking columns the was if extreme , as argu Mr i case . Besant fro of m inaccurate holds publication , only premisses a very without small . Moreover any pro ri por sk - , , ' t ti he on trade of books of were publisher produced woul at d . be the practicall publisher ' s a ris cer k - , y tainty The - real . . .... fact is , that a publisher having anything like an extensive business publishes a large majority of books at nis own sole risk , many of them every whit as worthy of a large circulation as the few to reach by leading second writers and third which editions may . be But relied the book upon sellers will not buy them , newspapers seldom saddled or never with notice heavy them losses , and which thus : the never publisher touch the is direction author , and or which the shutters must be must made up in some and , oth the er medium , through which , the author go finds up , it convenient to place his wares upon the market disal a me p l pears ans If means he of . can combination let find him an do , efficient co so -operat , an $ substitute ion the , or problematical what , either not , b by y obe * fourpence dient servant ' will , be calmly surrendered Another Publisher by , Sir , your , To the Editor of the Standard , . say Sir a , — sing It le would word ill in become disparagement me as a publisher of tjie very to praiseworth as columns reported of y yester and objects d so ay . abl of y * The commented S 6 ciety of on Authors in your , ' —I As have a publisher been quite —and unable it may to b see e because the wisdom I am one of drawing a distinct broad line betwixt authors and publishers Geniusinnocent , and say and ing i in orant effect of , * the On this wicked side sits s of thd world , ; on that , gn side sits greed y Commerce way , fattening on poor Genius ' s brains I' Therefore I would that * in rather no sense agree are with the Lord two interests I ^ ytton , when antagonistic he says , ' than tions - wUsht between Mr . Besan authors t , when aftd he publishers says that * are the rela very - unsatisfactory , and have always been Strained . ' ticularly Publishers clannish , as ; they a rul know e , are littl not e , of I each fancy other , par ' s - operations * strained , relations and are '" * far amongst more themselves easily brought than with into authors but , for , < . myself I cannot , 1 may pretend say ; to ! that speak " ^ have for been -them a ; [»?> r . ¦ — - — --- — : * - ¦ , ... . ..,, .. .. ..

    __ _— , ^ . r ! and publisher ^ during for \ the just whole one-third of that -of . this lengthened - present 1 period cent ury i * j * : dispute h & w no with yebolieetioni any ofr tfce oft tfver hundreds having of had authors * a i ' serious whose ; ! ! i ; co title ntrary -page , I s fancy bear I the have -impri dwelt nt - in bf peace myi firm and j harmony 'rp & i th . e j j with perspicacity ; theiri . on I my attribute part , or this . to any not wan tof 't aisfyi & f > business ' s ^ eieifel . j j met aeute with ness oh an their author part worth ( I may y of say the - that nanie - il . ne whd ^ er was yet ; not for himself perfectly ) , but capable simp of ly making to the exercise an excellent of comYjaoii bargaid « j p sense lainl - y on and both clearl sides y stating , and > by what written both a mean ^ eefm ^ and nt ^ accept at the time . : , of publishing I am perfectl described y familiar by with Mr . Besant the f 6 ur , and methods I am | ' prepared to join issqe with him on every one of . them . » paid 1 . for Purchase , no dispute of copyri can arise ght . ; I about woul ^ d ¦ whjeh only , remark being that induce the m price e to whi ive ch for my it business would not ijudgtnent be in the would least . affected by the g author taking my offer to be ap- . praised clearl 2 . y -Hal defined by f The profits in Society my with agreement of me Authors means ; and . * half I kno profits w of no as , , abundant syste sprung m ( up nor experience of do a I believe secret of books profit in one . published ) that But has I on have graduall the alas lan y t : of - sharing profits , which , have not only not yield p . ed pecuniar any : profit y loss at . all I , but consider have the landed sharing me of in profits a heavy as cons a reasonabl ider an e method agreement of which publishing shared ; but profits I should and : losses as a more just one . the 3 amount . The royalty of royal syste ty m always is also being a satisfactory governed one by , circumstances . When Mr . Besant is prepared to guarantee me beforehand a sale of ten thousand : ( cop I am hree ies prepared of sh . illi a six If ngs - he to shilling a g declines ive copy him novel is the reall to at do very y four that about best shillings I the terms mus usual t still a he copy asks net be , guided produce ) by my comnion sense and ordinary , experience as to the amount of risk I ought to incur , fcny of in sp publishers ite of Mr , . my Besant belief ' s is ros that y op there inions is of no the business profits t un ion der , an the d sun more more uncertain entirely in speculative result , than in antici a pub pa - - lisher ' s . confi I dislike 4 dence . Publishing and in a discourage book on to commission . take If some I have is risk a system not in it sufficient myself which , . cours I . alway ea s ll advise authors the are author wiser to than take all none publishers ; but , of , and opinion if , my of particular his book by author pay-ing is for prepare it , so d be to it back . ' l - ino nls ' longer utterl obj fooli ect sh , provided or stid , of or co indecent urse , the book In this is case not >' it is the y author , 's bus iness , to bring his ; book . to tide " rea comm dy ission made , ; and but I if sell , instead as man of y as taking I can ! the for him Iab 6 on ur < < himself and troub , he le asks of getting me to do his it book for him manufactured , hd r would c me certa to inl take y be this an unreasonable labour and . trouble mortal if on he . myself expected for ' / J nothing that to , be or deri without ved from any com other mission fee , or on reward the doubtful than s . I sales must of be his paid book for , i my beg labour to assure in man Mr u . facturi Besant ng that the - bookor in Bine of such cases out pf ten' I shall ¦ * cexjtainly 5 , . As get to the more French plagu system © than q profit uoted , b ' y . Mr . Besant . -t » I all hereby !— --df tha present authors my present compliments at tjhie to meeting several , — and not I ) ¦ ' - ¦ ' . I li i . .. ¦ ' ' \ . ! 'i d

    To " 1 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ' • , . . ' ' ¦ 1 ' .-•...

    TO ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ' , . . ' ' ¦ 1 ' .- •¦*• . ¦ ¦ ; ¦ • ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦¦¦ ., ¦ ¦ : ¦¦<¦ ¦ ¦ 'f . -3 ., Maibh ^ 5 ; i . « ... # ... _ _ . ___ _ .. _ . _ _ . __ . V . Tfae .. _ PuBMsli . . . er ^ © i iJCTilar T ^' g ^

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), March 15, 1887, page 283, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15031887/page/9/