March, 1 !) 1 3 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



145 



The Useful Book Library 



C A method of issuing expensive standard works in single volumes at 

 the price of current novels. 



The Cost of Books and Why 



When a customer buys a new book, his money goes to pay these distinct charges: 



1. Royalty to the author. 



2. Payment to the typesetter and electrotyper. 



3. Cost of paper, printing, and binding. 



4. Cost of making the book known by adver- 



tising, salesmen, circulars, and posters, etc. 



5. Profit to the bookseller. 



6. Profit (if there be one) to the publisher. 



So far as we know, there is no getting away from any of these six deadly charges on a new book, but there is one 

 large cost; namely, that of setting the type and making electrotype plates which does not have to be duplicated 

 with each printing, and this plate or initial cost is one of the largest and it goes far to establish the price at which 

 the book shall be sold. 



This is particularly true of important books of reference, travel, biography, etc., which require many pages of 

 typesetting, editing and correction, and often elaborate illustrations. A tremendous number of good books have 

 their first sale at a fairly large price, and just when they reach the stage of having paid expenses, die an ignoble 

 and neglected death because the market at the high price at which they had to be published has been filled; and 

 yet the number of people who would care for these books and could afford to purchase them at a lower price has 

 not been touched — a bad state of things for all concerned. 



Doubleday, Page & Company have recently made some experiments with books the sales of which have paid 

 for the cost of preparation at the higher price, and have started what they call 



THE USEFUL BOOK LIBRARY 



a collection of books made originally at great expense, but now reprinted in substantial editions with good paper and 

 printing at half or quarter or less than quarter the original price, retaining all the original matter, and at times con- 

 taming new and supplementary matter. Here are some results from which our readers can judge for themselves. 



The International Cook Book 



By Alexander Filippini. $1.00 net. 



Published in 1906 at $4.80 net, a reasonable price considering that the 

 book covers the whole subject and contains 1,075 pages. In four years 

 we sold 4,000 copies. 



About a year ago we put it into the Useful Book Library at $1,00 net, 

 10,634 copies have been sold, and it is going at this rate now. 



The Poultry Book 



By Harrison Weir, F. R. H. S. $1.50 net. 



The most exhaustive work on this subject. Published in three large 

 volumes, 1,299 pages, over 600 illustrations, at $13.60. Sold of the ex- 

 pensive editions about 3,000 copies in six years. 



Added to the Useful Book Library in 1912, complete in a single volume 

 with all original material, selling now at the rate of 4,720 a year and 

 just started. 



The Dog Book 



By James Watson. $1.50 net. 



Published in two volumes, 904 pages, 810 illustrations, at $10.00. 

 Issued later in one volume at $5.00. 



Added to the Useful Book Library in 1912 at $1.50, sells about seven 

 times as fast as before. 



Encyclopaedia of Etiquette 



By Emily Holt. $1.00 net. 



Published at $2.00 net, 500 pages, illustrated. Over 26,000 copies sold. 

 Republished in April, 1912, in the Useful Book Library at $1.00 net 

 and selling four times as fast as ever. 



The Complete Housekeeper 



By Emily Holt. $1.00 net. 



Suggestions for the care of the family; the house; the gardens; the pets. 

 Republished April, 1912, in the Useful Book Library at $1.00. 



Music Lovers* Cyclopaedia 



By Rupert Hughes. $1.50 net. 



Published in 1903 at $6.00 net. 



Revised to date and added to the Useful Book Library in December, 1912, 

 at $1.50 — a better and more complete book at one quarter of the original price. 



TO BE ADDED THIS SPRING: 



The Furniture Book 



By Esther Singleton. Formerly $5.00 now $1.50, 



The Country House 



By Charles Edward Hooper. Formerly $4.00 now $1.50. 



The American Flower Garden 



By Neltje Blanchan. Formerly $5.00 now $1.50. 



We want to get in touch with book lovers who desire to build up a library of worthy, authoritative books 

 and who will cooperate to make this library a success. The reason why our plan is capable of being worked 

 out to large dimensions is, obviously, that the great expense of item number two in the above list is entirely, or 

 almost entirely, eliminated, item number one often reduced, since the author has been paid for his original 

 work, and the remaining items all diminished to make these new prices. 



Published by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY Garden City, N : Y. 



At all Book Shops and at our own in the New Pennsylvania Station, New York 



The Readers' Service will give you suggestions for the care of live-stock 



