But already the reader begins to sigh. "Now, at last," he cries, "I have exhausted2 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 hearty3 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 banking4 the goodly checks which accompany his reports of sales?
The most substantial fruits of our labor5 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 imprint6 of a firm of good standing7, 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 machinery8 of manipulation would be too costly9 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 publicity10.
[Pg 66]
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 paraphernalia11 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 "clan12" or "Grafton" genealogy13, there are many who will be anxious to own it, on [Pg 67]account of distant tribal14 connections, and who can be reached only by the proper methods.
A little judicious15 advertising16 may prove a paying investment. For this the author is altogether dependent upon his publisher. He who ignorantly plunges17 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 these directions.
The only genealogist18 who may hope for any measure of financial success by his own efforts, is the author of a "clan" genealogy who has systematically[Pg 68] gathered the names and addresses of the living representatives of the "tribe" his book exploits. These may be circularized, and appealed to on the ground of family pride and of fair play. The least they can do for a historian who has toiled19 for their glory is to take a copy of his book.
The plan commonly adopted is to make such works "subscription21 books" from the beginning. The author fixes a price for his forthcoming volume and as he sends letters for information to living representatives of the tribe, he invites a subscription to his book. But whether these subscriptions23 have or have not covered the cost of production by the time the book is ready for the printer, why should the author not seek to realize all the additional profits which can be secured through the regular channels, aided by a publisher?
The services of The Grafton Press can be secured as the publishers of any good genealogy, as well as in all the other capacities hitherto mentioned. Probably such a connection would approach as near to the ideal set forth22 in this chapter as any which it would be possible to make. Added to all the rest, it certainly would secure the hearty co-operation of an experienced firm which pushes the works of genealogists with special zeal24 and enthusiasm.
The publishing of a "clan" genealogy will be cheerfully assumed at any stage in the production. If desired, the "subscription" feature will be taken in hand, and that as soon as the author begins his work.[Pg 69] Or if he has handled this feature during the progress of authorship, every effort will be made to realize the further profits from a proper introduction of the book to the public.
The service rendered may be in the capacity of publishing agents merely, or that of a kind of partnership26 arrangement in connection with the author's book; and the work in question may be a chart, a pamphlet, a volume, or a work of still larger proportions. The desire is to co-operate so as to give the worker all the fruits of his toil20, and secure to him all the profits which the best business methods can realize.[7]
Many readers will be glad to know what the general prospect27 is for the sale of genealogical works. In the matter of immediate28 sales, such books are not unlike others: some have a good run and others sell more slowly. Nor can the author or publisher be certain in advance of the fate of a book. The favor of the public is a peculiar29 thing, and the quality which makes a book popular is frequently beyond the power of analysis or the ken25 of the prophet.
In the case of "clan" genealogies30, much depends upon the size of the "tribe," its financial circumstances, degree of family pride, and proper education in a genealogical direction. The rest depends upon the author and the publisher—upon the employment[Pg 70] of the right methods in presenting the claims of the book.
But in general, and in the long run, it is undoubtedly31 true that there is scarcely another kind of book which enjoys the permanent popularity and marketable character of the genealogical work. Immediately after publication, in the case of many "subscription" genealogies, or in the course of a few years, in most cases, the book is at a premium32. It does not get out of date, like books on other subjects, but becomes more desirable as a historical authority and treasure as time passes. There will be a demand for it fifty, seventy-five, or a hundred years hence.
This is what experience has shown. Genealogical works compiled on the principles set forth in this little book, with a permanent historical value which can never be shaken, because they set forth the proofs of their statements, will never lose their marketable value. Property rights in such works by copyright and copyright renewals33 should be secured by their authors. The demand will last so long as Americans take an interest in the question of their ancestry34, and the price will increase as the copies become scarce.
In conclusion we will suppose that the reader has at length tasted all the delights of research, all the excitement of the discovery of ancestors. He has experienced the pleasure of compiling a Grafton genealogy, and the joy of seeing it pass from the manuscript state into that of the printed volume. The triumphs of successful publishing, the delight of[Pg 71] reading the reviews and the satisfaction of realizing a fair profit on the sales, have all been his. And now perhaps he sighs as he thinks that nothing remains35 but the reminiscence of past enjoyment36.
But here we offer the reader another suggestion. Would he have all those pleasures and delights once more a reality, and not merely a memory? Then let him begin again at the beginning, and start another genealogy! And when that is finished let him start a third one! What a glorious prospect! Added to all the joy and excitement of each achievement there is also the prospect of a little stream of checks from the sales of each work—two, three, four or five streams instead of one!
FOOTNOTE:
[7] Correspondence is invited with all who have a genealogy, small or pretentious37, either in hand, in preparation, or in prospect. Address, The Grafton Press, Genealogical and Biographical Department, 70 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
The End
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1
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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4
banking
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| n.银行业，银行学，金融业 | |
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5
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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imprint
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| n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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12
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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genealogy
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| n.家系，宗谱 | |
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tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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15
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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17
plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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18
genealogist
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| 系谱学者 | |
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19
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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22
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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subscriptions
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| n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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genealogies
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| n.系谱，家系，宗谱( genealogy的名词复数 ) | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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renewals
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| 重建( renewal的名词复数 )； 更新； 重生； 合同的续订 | |
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34
ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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35
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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36
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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pretentious
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| adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的 | |
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