The first copy of our book has come in, crisp and fresh from the binder's. What a delight, what a feast to the eye, as we turn its wholesome pages! None can imagine the joy of this hour—it must be experienced. It never fails us. True, we may be veterans, who have seen many a campaign; nevertheless, each new battle thrills us afresh. Is her fifth babe nothing to the mother, because she has had four children? Just ask her, dear reader! And so is it with the joy of hailing our latest-born, fresh from the press-room and bindery!
But already the reader begins to sigh. "Now, at last," he cries, "I have exhausted the sensations that my book can give!" Friend, speak not so hastily. Have you forgotten the great joy of publishing? the excitement of getting the book before the public? the sweetness of the hearty congratulations of friends and fellow-workers? the delight of reading the press notices and the book reviews? the pleasure of receiving your publisher's smile and handshake as he tells you how well the book is selling? the deep satisfaction of banking the goodly checks which accompany his reports of sales?
The most substantial fruits of our labor are still untasted when our book comes from the press, and in order that these may be enjoyed to the full by the[Pg 65] reader we offer him the practical suggestions of this closing chapter. We assume that the garments of his offspring, obtained from the printer, are all that they should be. Otherwise, the pleasures of publishing can never be realized. Neither our friends, nor the reviewer, nor the great public, will enthuse over a shabby book. Why should they?
But the reader of these pages, we trust, will have had his work nicely printed. He is now ready to market his book, and he desires the advice of experience as to ways and means.
First of all, choose a publisher. Have the imprint of a firm of good standing, furnishers of excellent books to the public, upon the title-page of your volume. This will be found to be a great advantage even if the author expects to push and sell his own work.
In the second place, arrange if possible with the publisher to list and handle the book for you, through the book and library trade. Have him put it upon his catalogues, which are regularly furnished to the booksellers. No individual can well attempt to handle this end of the business himself. He does not know how to go about it, and if he did, the necessary machinery of manipulation would be too costly if set up in connection with a single book. But the publisher has this machinery already working in the interest of his other books, and he only needs to take ours on his list in order to give it the benefit of extensive publicity.
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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. Nevertheless, it is worth while. The prestige which goes with the right place of publication is a satisfaction to the author and a substantial help to his book.
By all means, if possible, commit the printing and the publishing of your book to the same hands. While the book is still in process of making, the plans for bringing it before the public should be arranged. Preliminary announcements can be made, and it can be put into catalogues which it would miss if placed in the hands of a publisher only after the printing had been done. Literary notes, circulars, review slips, and all the paraphernalia of its announcement to the public can thus be prepared, and all be ready for the campaign as soon as the book comes from the press. This is a very important point.
Genealogical works should be committed to publishers who have already had experience along this special line. The sale of genealogical works depends very largely upon a special kind of circularizing which will bring them to the attention of those particularly interested—public librarians, historical and genealogical societies, and special collectors. And whether the book be a "clan" or "Grafton" genealogy, there are many who will be anxious to own it, on [Pg 67]account of distant tribal connections, and who can be reached only by the proper methods.
A little judicious advertising may prove a paying investment. For this the author is altogether dependent upon his publisher. He who ignorantly plunges into the luxury of advertising may readily sink a large fortune, without returns, in a very short time. Or the little that he has to invest will all be thrown away. But the experienced publisher is like an old fox that has learned the ways of hounds and hunters and is not easily caught. Such a publisher knows the best mediums, where a modest notice almost always brings good returns, and one cannot do better than to reap the fruits of his experience.
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.
The truth, however, is that the author cannot expect to do for himself, even in a modest way, much which the experienced publisher does for him. The avenues to the book trade, the book reviewer, and therefore to the general public, are not really open to any of us who are not publishers—as we can soon learn by making the attempt to travel, unpiloted, in the............