THE OTHER SIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE OTHER SIDE.

A PUBLISHER SPEAKS OUT. "Publishers are much abused people. It is doubtful whether, in proportion to their numbers, any other class in the community comes in for quite so much criticism, or has so much publicity given to its every short-coming." Thus pathetically begins the introduction to "Truth About Publishing" (George Allen and Unwin), by Stanley Unwin, a member of the firm. Mi - . Unwin candidly admits that publishers themselves have been somewhat to blame for tfye "air of mystery which surrounds fi publishers' activities," and seeing the urgent need for a greater knowledge both by authors and the public of the problems that have to be faced he has, in this straightforward and most interesting book, set forth the whole process of book-publishing from start to finish.

Many an ancient myth is here exploded. For instance, "the idea that publishers return MSS. unread is a delusion that I suppose will never be eradicated from some minds; but that it is a delusion, a day spent in any competent book publisher's' office would effectually demonstrate. Some authors have most elaborate devices whereby they can prove that such and such a page has never been read. They overlook Dr. Johnson's wise remark that 'it is unnecessary to eat the whole ox to find out whether the beef is tough'." Much of the technical matter naturally concerns writers rather than readers, but the chapter upon publicity is o:f general interest. Everyone has noticed the short descriptive paragraph now usually printed on the jacket of a book. These are known to the trade as "blurbs," and simple as they look are uncommonly hard to write. "To be read the paragraphs must be brief, to attract the newspaper editor they must, if possible, have news value; to be of service to booksellers they must give an adequate description of the contents of the book." The widespread belief in the enormous fortunes made by publishing houses receives rather a shock when we read that John Lane died worth only £12,000 and J, M. Dent, £14,000, as against £71,000 left by the second-rate novelist, Charles Garvice, and £250,000 by the journalist, Sir Henry Lucy. The impression left upon the mind of the reader is that publishing is a fascinating profession, beset with pitfalls for the inexperienced, that the best class of publisher is neither a robber nor a Philistine, but that it will be a long time before authors and laymen generally discard the view expressed in these lines (by Ernest Radford):

Where aie you going. to, my pretty maid? "I'm going to publish, Bir," she said. Perhaps you've a fortune, my pretty maid. "My verse is my fortune, sir," she said. Then you'd better not try it, my pretty maid; There's an item for printing, and when it

is paid. There's "Commisson Sales,' oh, innocent

maidl In our rural retreat have you heard of THJii TRADE ? . Oh, where are you going to, my pretty maid I