CHEAP NOVELS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 9

CHEAP NOVELS.

>.'.VTbd'^Mtioh' Qf --'the' issue .of cheap cloth iecefit. novels .'was 'discussedi.at a mating ;of.;membefs ; 6f..-the ;Publishers''Asso7 eiatioii heli; at' Stationers'' Hall'last month:

. ;It-is"uride'rstb'odi that a. resolution-was; car: ricd..condemning tlio issue of cheap'! cloth editions,';, and calling -upon the authors, to combine ;; with the publishing trado in an endeayijursto' put an • end 'to tho' liew practice. "At present, in-thq;-majority of cases;'.'. said a. .leading publisher,interviewed by : a ; "Sta'n'dard',' representative",, ''publishers, have' ■the; right -to.-iss'uo. a .cheap edition after the 'first and more expensive one has 'been.on the.iinarket two -years:, This'.limit we are to 'extend,,;to .';jears, which, would'.bo top -longi hope, -for - anyone' .tpV'wajt. before purehasing a book.'- A strong 'copimitteo of '.tho Publishers'. Association, including 'Mcssrs.JMacmillans, Heine-, maim,:' and r .Hutcliinson, - has placed the matter, before, tlie'.chief: authors, and, I ! . believe, obtained from them a satisfactory assurance that they will co-operate to this end." 1 And : v.'e. have st-ruug hopes that, by the help so 'obtained, - . should,; never:ihaye 1 i'-lleonHbegun'. ; Wo 4ytond";tb -cannot "raise the lowest •figure, at I 'which-a'cloth issue of-.a recent book shall be made frbm- Is., which is actually" • the-vrdvfe'sfr'imco. at which remunera- ," : j'-- On ; . the. other'nana, some or the - authors do riot agree , with the'publishers in , decrying iha,'quick . reprint, in a cheip form, of their works, v. - ' ■ ■ ' •

~ i '^!Q!hdMd.^yi") i wriker; ?; ' ■' tlvat) "ths'' publishers' attitude - -iswrong; .-Cheap _editions liave not killed'tho sale of the higher-priced article. . That died automatically. Cheap editions reach'. a- new public—that is all. The man wllo'. buys a seyenpenny book would, if.lie a' six-shilliug oney obtain it. fxpm,;his;'library."