FORTUNES IN WRITING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18822, 10 March 1931, Page 10

FORTUNES IN WRITING.

FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. NOVELIST’S HARD TASK. Somewhere, behind a pipe, is surely a consented man. Mr J. B. Priestley's “Angel Pavement,” just published is already threatening the best seller records of his “Good Companions, ’ writes a special correspondent in the "Daily Mail.” I should not be surprised to see : t sell 150,000 copies here in a year. This makes the public marvel and talk of easy fortunes in novel writing. Such fortunes are few and far between. Taken as a whole, the novelist’s is a poorly paid job. There is more inadequately rewarded talent among novelists than in any other profession. Real best-sellers, books that bring a fortune average less than one a year. Think back past Priestley: “Journey’s End.” “All Quiet on the Western Front.” “Roper’s Row,” “Jew Suss. ' and farther still —"If Winter Comes," ' The Constant Nymph”—titles recalled at random. The average sales of these must be 100.000. Remarkable! Yet there are 1500 to 2000 novels published each year in this country alone. And the average sales of these? Not more than 1000 copies There are many competent novels published which do not sell 500 copies. There are authors of international reputation who do not sell 20,000 copies. I should be astonished if Mr H. G. Wells, since he has allowed his story-telling to be submerged in politics and philosophy, sells more than 40.000 copies here. Publishers (and authors, unless they are very ignorant> rub their hands if a first novel sells 5000 copies. That means less than £2OO for the author. The average novel’s sale hardly pays for the typing and preparation of the manuscript and the business involved. Certainly the royalties, distributed over the number of hours of work would give a rate of payment that no other worker would look at. Yet any novel writ’ng demands a considerable education, if not at school, in a wide world afterwards. When an author has a certain reputation he can demand a premium. Mr Wells might get £3OOO, a rising young author only £SO. This is only in advance of royalties—a safeguard against failure, but publishers seldom make advances unless they are sure. And the chances of writing a bestseller? To the rank and file of novelists. 1 in 10,000. Who could have forecast the phenomenal success of "The Good Companions,” very long, expensive, some said old-fashioned? for “All Quiet,” a translation from the "enemy”?* for "Sorrell and Son,” or "Roper’s Row,” when half a dozen of Mr Deep'ng’s books had gone unnoticed? for “Jew Suss,” heavy historical, and translated at that? The only author I can recall who was sure of his bdok's success is Mr A. S. M. Hutchinson. He knew, against some good critics even, that “If Winter Comes” was a winner. Yet how few read that book now, or * The Constant Nymph,” or “The She'k!” Even phenomenal success is short-lived. These listed best-sellers have nothing like the steady sales of Mr Kipling or of Mr Gaisworthy. “Precious Bane” has now reached remarkable sales, and continues to sell; but Mary Webb had died unknown and unrewarded before Mr i Baldwin "made” the book by public praise. Mr W. J. Locke, one of the most consistently popular of modern tale-tellers, was probably making £20,000 a year in h’s heyday, but for years he struggled to get any recognition for his pen. He left only £24,484. Best-sellers and their fortunes are a gamble. Many good literary judges have described as great several books written by a woman who is comparatively unknown to the British reading public. The United States has now discovered her, but I doubt if she sells 6000 cop es here. She started at perhaps 1000. Two years’ work may bring her in £SOO.