BOOK PRODUCTION IN 1899 IN THE UNITED STATES. It Fiction.. Law.. TABLE NO. 1. CLASSES. Education and Language.. Theology and Religion. Literary History and Miscellany.. Biography, Memoirs. History 1898. 1899. New Books. New Editions. New Books. New Editions. 724 181 749 183 417 39 454 35 356 17 434 14 3641 13 397 32 406 40 393 27 313 19 304 42 288 Political and Social Science.. THE year 1899, in the United States at least, 2606 titles. These two totals together make left the impression of being an abnormally the whole number of books of the year-5321. busy one with the publishers-an impression created chiefly, perhaps, through the concentration of the business into its last three months. THE PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY recorded in its weekly lists of new publications during 1899 a total of 5321, more, it is true, than in 1897 and 1898, but less than in 1895 and 1896, when the figures were 5469 for the first year and 5703 for the second. As compared with 1898, in which publication was seriously interrupted by our war with Spain, 1899 was an extremely good year, an increase being shown in books published in almost every class of literature. was, likewise, a good selling year, an enormous number of books being reported as having been disposed of, especially during the holiday season. The most inspiring and hopeful literature of the year belonged to the department of Biography and Memoirs. In these days of reconstructing past literary estimates, if one would keep pace with the times, it would not be safe to leave unread a single one of the biographies of the year. In history, description and travel many excellent works were sent out on Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawaii, the Klondyke, on Africa and the Boers, and other subjects of timely interest. Few notable religious works were published, and little in political science or popular science, or in poetry. The prominent losses by death in the ranks of literature include, from among our own writers, the historian, John Codman Ropes; Elliott Coues, the scientific writer; Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth, and Horatio Alger, Jr. Among English writers, Dr. Andrew Kennedy Boyd, better known as the " Country Parson"; Grant Allen, Florence Marryat, and also the Rev. William Garden Blaikie. Cherbuliez and Emile Erckmann, the literary partner of Alexander Chatrian, popular French writers, belong also to the missing of the year. Likewise Elise Polko, the graceful German author. 5321 Books by Ameri can authors, incl. new eds. manuf. Books by English 457 354 121 482 7 358 42 48 324 16 79 304 16 189 33 124 229 161 189 178 146 66 viii BOOK PRODUCTION IN 1899. Table No. I gives in classes the figures, approximately, of the book production of this country in 1899, with those of 1898, for comparison. All the departments show an increase, excepting Theology and Religion, Political and Social Science, and Medical Science, in each of which there was a slight decrease. Fiction, it will be seen, still keeps the lead, as it has for many years. Law follows, as in the previous year. But Theology and Religion, which occu. pied the third place, fell to the fifth, taking the position of Juvenile in the list, which rose to the third place. The changes in the other classes were not so notable. Education and Language, Biography and Memoirs, and Description and Travel, went up a little, but the other classes kept their old positions. Table No. 2 attempts to show the number of books that were manufactured in the United States in 1899-first, those of American origin; second, those of English or Continental origin; and third, the English works that were imported, bound or in sheets; these three classes comprising the book production of the United States in 1899. This table, like the former one, scarcely claims to be exactly correct, as it is impossible always to trace the history of a work. The table shows 3626 books by American authors, of course made in this country (against 2908 of 1898); 571 books by English or other foreign authors made here (against 834 of 1898); and 1124 books or sheets imported (against 1144 of 1898). The reprints were the largest in fiction, amounting to 354 books. WORK OF THE UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT OFFICE. THE Copyright business and the work of the copyright office of the Library of Congress, from January to December, 1899, is summarized by the Register of Copyrights, Thorvald Solberg, in Table 1. The actual number of completed copyrights, by the deposit of two copies in the case of books, and one copy in the case of fine art photographs, falls considerably short of the number of applications entered, as appears by the summary in Table II. January 1, 1899, to December 30, 1899, applied and paid into the Treasury, amounted to $60,803.50. The amount paid was for filing 8122 titles of foreign productions, at $1; 78,370 titles of United States productions, at 50 cents; for 29,194 certificates, at 50 cents each; for 1089 copies of record, at 50 cents each; $846 for recording assignments, and $9 for search fees, The financial statement of the Register of Copyrights shows that the fees received from etc. The applications acted upon and titles filed and numbered, of all classes, up to December 30, 1899, amounted to $86,492. TABLE 1.-CLASSIFICATION OF COPYRIGHT ENTRIES MADE IN 1899. |