ledged that some publishers have made great fortunes by their copyrights, but their number is comparatively small. I have been told of booksellers who frequently offer as low as half-a-guinea per volume for novels in manuscript; it is a shocking price to be sure, but it should be remembered that as there are some of the trade who are mean enough to wish to obtain valuable copyrights for nothing; so, on the other hand, many novels have been offered to booksellers-indeed many have actually been published that were not worth the expense of paper and printing, so that the copyright was dear at any price; and it should be remarked, that authors in general are apt to form too great expectations from their productions, many instances of which I could give you, but I will only produce one. A gentleman, a few years since, shewed a manuscript to a publisher, which he refused to purchase, but offered to be the publisher if the gentleman would print it, &c. at his own expense, which he readily agreed to do; the publisher then desired to know how many copies should be printed, on which the gentleman began to compute how many families there were in Great Britain, and assured the publisher that every family would at least purchase one copy; but the publisher not being of the same opinion, our author then said that he would print sixty thousand copies only, but added, he was afraid that another edition could not be got ready as soon as it would be wanted. However, after a long debate, the publisher prevailed on him to print only twelve hundred and fifty instead of sixty thousand, but promised in case another edition should be wanted in haste, to make the printers work night and day, in order not to disappoint the public. This work was soon afterwards published and advertised at a great rate, and for a long time, but to the infinite mortification of our author not one hundred copies were sold, not even enough indeed to pay for the advertisements. In the preceding instance I am persuaded the publisher did his best to promote the sale of the work; but in general where authors keep their own copyright they do not succeed, and many books have been consigned to oblivion through the inattention and mismanagement of publishers, as most of them are envious of the success of such works as do not turn to their own account; very many just complaints are made on this head, so that I am fully of opinion that for authors to succeed well they should sell their copyrights, or be previously well acquainted with the characters of their publishers. Many works may be mentioned that never sold well whilst the author retained the copyright, which sold rapidly after the copyright was sold to the trade; and no wonder, for if the publisher wishes to purchase the copyright, he sometimes will take care to prevent the sale of it, in order to make the author out of conceit with the book, and be willing to part with the copyright for a mere trifle; but this is only true of some publishers: I am sorry that any such should be found, but I am sure as to the fact. As I have before observed, there are some authors who become their own publishers, but that mode will seldom or never answer, as fifty to one might be sold by being exposed to view, and recommended in booksellers' shops, where ladies and gentlemen are continually calling to purchase some books, and to turn over others, and often by dipping into publications are led to purchase such as they had no intention to buy. But authors should be reminded that there are many who would not go to private houses to look over books when they are not certain to purchase, and where, if they do purchase, they are to take them home in their pockets, or be at the trouble of sending for them, which is not the case when they purchase at a bookseller's shop. And all authors should be sure to give the full allowance to the trade, or their works can never have a great sale, as no bookseller can reasonably be expected to promote the sale of a work in which he is abridged of his usual profits; and the more liberality authors exercise towards the trade the greater will be their profits in the end. For it is inconceivable what mischief booksellers can and often will do to authors, as thousands of books are yearly written for to London that are never sent; and in these cases many plausible reasons are assigned by them for such omissions-As, "The book is too dear, or it is out of print; the author is scarcely ever at home; he gives too much trouble; he does not keep his work bound, or sewed; he is gone from his former lodging, and no one knows where to find him; the work is not worth your purchasing; such a one has wrote much better on the subject," &c. &c. And in such cases what redress can an author have for so essential an injury? I am, dear friend, yours LETTER XXXVII. "Books, of all earthly things my chief delight; DEAR FRIEND, ALTHOUGH the result of the plan which I adopted for reducing the price of books, as mentioned in my last, was a vast increase of purchasers, yet at the same time I found a prodigious accumulation of my expenses, which will not appear strange, when I inform you, that I made proportionably large purchases, such as two hundred copies of one book, three hundred of another, five hundred of a third, a thousand of a fourth, two thousand of a fifth, nay, sometimes I have purchased six thousand copies of one book, and at one time I actually had no less than ten thousand copies of Watts's Psalms, and the same number of his Hymns, in my possession. In addition to these I purchased very large numbers of many thousand different articles at trade sales of all sorts, as bankrupt sales, sales of such as had retired from business, others caused by the death of booksellers, sales to reduce large stocks, annual sales, &c. That you may form some idea, I must inform you that at one of the above sales I have purchased books to the amount of five thousand pounds in one afternoon. Not to mention those purchased of authors, and town U and country booksellers, by private contract, &c., to a very considerable amount. My expenses were also exceedingly increased by the necessity I was under of keeping each article in a variety of different kinds of bindings, to suit the various tastes of my customers: besides paying my bills for the above, I was always obliged to find ready money to pay for libraries and parcels of second-hand books, which after a while poured in upon me from town and country; so that I often look back with astonishment at my courage (or temerity, if you please) in purchasing, and my wonderful success in taking money sufficient to pay the extensive demands that were perpetually made upon me, as there is not another instance of success so rapid and constant under such circumstances. Some indeed there have been, who for two or three years purchased away very fast, but could not persevere, as they were unable to sell with equal rapidity: for no one that has not a quick sale can possibly succeed with large numbers. For, supposing that a bookseller expends a thousand pounds in the purchase of four articles (I have often done that in only one article) and these are bought at a quarter the usual price, the interest of the money is fifty pounds a-year; besides which some allowance must be made for warehouse room, insurance from fire, &c., so that granting he might sell a few of each article every year at four times the price he first paid for them, yet if he does not sell enough to pay the interest and other expenses of those that remain, he is, after all, on the losing side; which has been the case with the major part of such as have purchased a large number of one book; and I have known many instances of booksellers purchasing articles at a quarter the price, and selling them at the full price, and yet have not had two per cent. for their money. For several years together I thought I should be obliged to desist from purchasing a large number of any one article; for although by not giving any |