IN FULL CAREER. 185 



of authors, their grumblings, and their griev- 

 ances, and I know that this confusion of 

 thought this unwarranted conclusion is 

 very widespread. An author, that is to say, 

 reads a highly-complimentary review of his 

 work, and looks for an immense and immedi- 

 ate demand in consequence for that work. 

 Well, every good review helps a book, un- 

 doubtedly, but to a much smaller extent, from 

 the pecuniary point of view, than is generally 

 believed. The demand for a book is created 

 in quite other ways; partly by the author's 

 previous works, which, little by little, or, if 

 he is lucky, at a single bound, create a clientele 

 of those who like his style; partly by the talk 

 of people who tell each other what they have 

 read, and recommend this or that book. Then, 

 since most books are read from the circulating 

 library, and that kind of personal recommen- 

 dation, especially with a new writer, takes time, 

 the libraries are able to get along with a com- 

 paratively- small number of copies ; in fact, 

 an author may have a very considerable name, 

 and yet make, even with the honourable houses, 

 quite a small sum of money by any work 



