SELLING BOOKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22742, 30 November 1935, Page 7

SELLING BOOKS

PUBLISHERS AND PUBLICITY BOOK EXHIBITION IN LONDON (Feom Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, November 9. Not many years ago publishers did not advertise their books. They depended upon the reviews to make their wares known. To-day the newspapers, and especially the more solid Sunday papers, make a large revenue from book advertisements. But they have gone further. The motor firms, the grocers, the bootmakers, and the dairy industry have their annual exhibitions. The publishers have fallen into line, and for three years they have had an exhibition of their own. Just as the Daily Mail organised the trades for the Ideal Home Exhibition, so the Sunday Times, in conjunction with the National Book Council, inspired the publishers and booksellers to co-operate in an annual exhibition. . The National Book Council was founded in 1925, and has for its purpose the promotion of book reading and the wider distribution of books. The council s schemes include book articles in rural papers, editorial publicity in the general press, lectures by authors, school prizes for essays, printed book lists, seasonal catalogues of new books, a book information service, a library of books about books, book exhibitions, book weeks, book competitions and book tokens. ihe N.B.C. is an organisation of members ot the trade working co-operatively to sell more books through the bookshops. The present exhibition was opened by Princess Marie Louise. One of t e speakers at the opening ceremony made the interesting calculation that a man deciding to read every volume m the exnipition might start out that day and, reading one book every day, excepting Sundays and bank holidays, he would, band the task over to his son in 25 years timeIn another 25 years’ time his son would hand over to his offspring, ihe task might be completed in 75 years. 1 In that time, he pointed out, Ihe Sunday Times would have held another to exhibitions, and there would be no end to the task. OLD COAT—NEW BOOK. “ Never, I suppose, in the history of the world,” said Lord Camrose, were so many books offered to the public as tbeie are to-day. and never did there exist so many people to whom book-buying become a habit. A wise old man ivho lived many years ago said: Wear the old coat and bt\v the new book. ibat is a piece of advice I think many people are following to-day. . “ Never were books produced in such an attractive and pleasing way as they are to-day. Not all of them are good books or books which will pass the supreme test, that of being read, a second time. Some of our critics at times seem to think that because this is the case too many books are being produced. lue same criticism might be applied to every sphere of creative work. “ The more books produced the better, whether they be good, bad or indifferent. The good ones the critics accept; the bad ones give them a chance to show their prowess; and the indifferent ones are often the most popular. And, after mi, if there were no had books there would be no need for critics.” “LIVING BOOKS.” At the exhibition the visitor will find arranged for inspection the current output of nearly one hundred publishers. An interesting section is that known as “ Living Books." Specialists on certain subjects have chosen groups of books dealing with those subjects. All the hooka are in circulation and may be obtained from booksellers. Many of them are the latest books on a particular subject, some have appeared years since, but, new or old, each is alive and up-to-date. There are 25 of these collections. Children s books, for instance, are chosen by the Hon. Mrs St. Aubyn; books on gardening and gardens, by Mr T. Hay; books for home and family by a committee under Lady Cynthia Colville; books on architecture by Sir Edwin Lutyens; books on food by Mr T. Marcel Bouleston; books on wine by Mr Andre Simon; books on sport by Lord Desborough- and books on motoring chosen by Lord Howe. AUTHORS’ MANUSCRIPTS. Among specimens of authors’ manuscripts are those of Mr John Masefield, the poet laureate, who writes an undistinguished but extremely legible hand, and Mr G. K. Chesterton adopts a monkish script. Another beautiful example is that of Mr Humbert Wolfe. George Bernard Shaw’s contribution consists of neatly written shorthand on green paper. The green paper, he explains, is to save eye strain; he advises all pro. fessional writers to avoid white. He also gives an example of his long hand and says: “My long hand script . . varies according to the pen I am using (no two pens are alike) and also according to my condition at the moment. At this particular moment (just after lunch) I am writing very badly. At my age I ought to be stealing a nap.” A 250-years-old link with Samuel Pepys is on show to the public for the first time at the stand of Cambridge Univer sity Press. It is the actual patent granted by Charles II to Samuel Pepys in 1684 creating him “ Secretary to and for the Affairs and business of our Admiralty of England.”