OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENCE. NOV. 2, 1863. LONDON, Oct. 3, 1863. Discovery on the eve of publication. Professor Henry Youle Hinde has just ready "Explorations SIR: If the last two months have been compara- in Labrador;" Captain Knight's "Pedestrian Tour tively blanks in our publishing world, the October in Cashmere and Thibet," which was to have apannouncements of the leading houses promise a peared in July, is coming out in a few days; "Courich crop in all classes of literature during the stantinople during the Crimean War," by Lady autumn months, and let us hope, whatever he may Hornby, is copiously illustrated with colored lithothink of our wall-fruit and our English girls, these graphs of the strange scenes and strange sights English productions, though raised in "Our Old which made the streets of Stamboul scarcely to be Home" and foggy climate, may in part find favor recognized by the Turks themselves; and several even in the eyes of so acerb a critic as Nathaniel other books of real Voyages and Travels, are on the Hawthorne, whose picture of English life and man- eve of publication, besides a book similar in point ners is just running the round of the papers, and of execution to Pennant's "Outlines of the Globe;" has been cleverly and elaborately analyzed by "The Gallery of Geography," a pictorial and desProfessor Masson in the "Reader" of the 26th ult., criptive tour of the world, by the Rev. Thomas and in the number of to-day. Amongst the prom- Milner, author of the "Gallery of Nature," of course ises of the future, there is J. E. Doyle's "Illustrated a paste and scissors book, but prepared for press Chronicle of England," the designs drawn on the with all the care that marks the productions of blocks by the artist himself, and printed in colors Messrs. Chambers' book-making establishment. Of by Bradbury & Evans' patented process, a book, if | Poetry and Fiction the next few weeks show great half as beautiful in print as it was in MS., will be promise. In the first place—seniores priores—Walone of the handsomest volumes that has ever is- ter Savage Landor, now in his 90th year, promises sued from the press. It will be what Dr. Dibdin "Heroic Idylls and other Poems," and Miss Jean would have called "a perfect blaze of light," and Ingelow, the youngest of our real poets, who only so Guy Fawkes' day is very fitly fixed upon for its cast her callow coating a mouth or two ago, "A appearance. His brother, Richard Doyle-Dick Sister's Bye-hours." Mrs. Frances Anne Kemble's Kit-cat of old, and the best of the "Punch" illus- volume of Plays is just ready, containing an origitrators-has just ready "A Bird's-eye View of So-nal tragedy, "Mary Stuart," from Schiller, and ciety," consisting of his clever sketches, with the "Mademoiselle de Belleisle," from Alexander Duletter-press description, that appeared in the "Corn- mas. Mr. Trafford has a companion to his "City hill Magazine." An illustrated edition of the "In- and Suburb"-"Moors and Fens;" Mrs. Henry goldsby Legends," with sixty cuts after George Wood, "The Shadow of Ashlydyat ;" Lady Georgina Cruikshank, Leach, and Tenniel, is in the press, so Chatterton, "The Heiress and Her Lover;" and that there will be no lack of fun to keep out the Miss Warboise, "Lotty Lonsdale." Besides these blue-devils during the coming November fogs. there is a whole lot of novels and tales announced, whose fate can only be determined when they appear before the tribunal of criticism. "Sir John Eliot," a biography by John Forster, is a book looked forward to with much interest, as is also J. F. Maguire's "Father Mathew, a Biography.' I have said little or nothing of books published There is to be a "Life of Robert Stephenson," by during the last three weeks, because there is little Mr. Jeaffreson, of the "Athenæum," assisted by Mr. or nothing to be said for or against them. Mr. Salas' W. Pole, but as joint-stock biographies seldom turn "Breakfast in Bed," is the name given to essays out worth reading, expectations are not of the high- which appeared originally in the "Temple Bar est as to the result. A piece of American literary Magazine;" Pedley's "History of Newfoundland" biography, "Life and Correspondence of Theodore is valuable in many respects; "Good Society," by Parker," by John Weiss, will come out apropos in Mrs. Grey; "Sackville Chase," by C. J. Collins;" November, when there are to be two new volumes." After Long Years," by Mrs. Mackenzie-"Daniel," of Miss Cobbe's edition of the works of that cele- the latter the best of the lot, are all three good cirbrated Unitarian divine. Dr. Andrew Read's sons culating library novels. are writing "Memoirs of the Life and Labors of Dr. Andrew Reed ;" and a kind of autobiography of the late Bishop of Calcutta is announced under the title of "Bishop Wilson's Journal," being letters addressed to his family during the first nine years of his Indian episcopate, edited by his son. This is rather a strong dose of biography, but it is cosey reading for long evenings in an arm-chair by the fireside. We are to have "Battlefields of the South from Bull's Run to Fredericksburg," by an English combatant, a Lieutenant of Artillery on the Field-Staff; "My Imprisonment; and the First Year of Abolition Rule in Washington," by Rose Greenhow; The Rebellion in America," by Baptist Noel; and an authentic "Life of General Stonewall Jackson," Professor Dabney, of Richmond. Everybody is eagerly expecting Captain Speke's account of his and Captain Grant's travels and discoveries in the Nile regions. The work will be copiously illustrated by Wolff and Zwecker, who will also execute the plates to W. Winwood Reade's Savage Africa, a Narrative of a Tour in Equatorial, Southwestern, and Northwestern Africa," embracing the regions between Senegal on the north, and Angola on the south. Captain Burton's "Narrative of the Ascent of the Cameroons, and Visit to Abbeokoota," is the third important book of African Before this reaches you, you will probably have received copies of Kinglake's fourth edition of his "History of the Invasion of the Crimea," wonderful and most wonderful of books in point of extreme accuracy of facts, dates, and all that the future historian of the War with Russia can desire, furnishing ready to his hand a perfect reply to the attacks upon the work by the "Times," the "Quarterly," and the "Edinburgh Review." Last year Mr. Bentley published "The Pudding Book," and now is issuing its companion: "What to do with the Cold Mutton." It is Saturday, post-time and dinner-time, so I must conclude my letter, post it, and go home and try to solve that most momentous question, unless, out of compassion, cook has already turned it into hashed venison, which is one of the receipts contained in this little book of "approved recipes for the kitchen of a gentleman of limited income." Your obedient servant, N. OUR CONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE. PARIS, Sept. 18, 1863. THERE was a time when America confessedly understood the advantages of advertising, and reaped a more valuable harvest from this mode of publicity than any other, or all other communities. This reputation ended when the financial crisis of 1857 Am 35 sen 3, V.2 AND PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR. NOV. 2, 1863. 3 surprised the country. It seems never to have cisco as they are to the shop's most habitual fremade any attempt to recover the use of the field quenter. He might pack up all of his books in a where those golden harvests had been reaped. It transparent case, and exhibit them in every literary appeared discouraged. The old spirit of adventure and energy seemed to have decayed. While America has thus been going behindhand, the rest of the world has been pressing forward with a daily increasing energy. England is now pre-eminently the advertising country, and it consequently is the most prosperous country of the earth. I confine my attention to the book trade alone. There is scarcely a publisher in the United Kingdom who is not at the same time the proprietor of some periodical. Messrs. Longmans own the "Edinburgh Review." Mr. John Murray is master of the " Quarterly Review." Messrs. Blackwood possess "Blackwood's Magazine." Messrs. Parkers have the "Old Gentleman's Magazine." Messrs. Bradbury & Evans own "Once a Week." Messrs. Chapman & Hall have " All the Year Round"-and so I might go on to instance publisher after publisher who commands a periodical. Their object is to command the publicity given by this periodical. They use every exertion to make the periodical valuable and interesting, because the wider the circulation it attains, the greater is the publicity given to their issues. Thus they have a double motive to make their periodicals popular. They are, however, very far from resting contented with this channel of publicity. They are constantly on the lookout for every means of bringing their publications to the notice of the world. They fill the advertising pages of their rivals' periodicals; they fill the daily London and periodical newspapers; they fill Guide-Books, and Almanacs, and Diaries -in fine, wherever they can introduce an advertisement, there an advertisement of their issues is sure to be found. I have a Quarterly Review" lying upon my table which has eighty pages of advertisements; a recent number of the "Bookseller" contained two hundred pages of advertisements. 66 house from the Atlantic to the Pacific sea, confiding them to a commercial "traveller" who cannot be repulsed by rudeness, who cannot be kept out by a denial, who, if dismissed in a moment of preoccupation, thrusts himself forward at the first leisure hour: who tells title after title, form after form, bulk after bulk, and price after price with a deliberation and pertinacity no commercial "traveller" in mere flesh and blood could pretend to assume. He might make it matter of complete indifference whether his shop were in Chestnut Street, in Broadway, in Washington Street, or in Cornhill, since every bookbuyer in the country would know where he lived, what he had, and what price he asked. He might acquaint literary people with the existence of books which would throw a flood of light upon their favorite pursuits, books whose titles are to be found on the pages of no bibliographical manual. All these things he might do through advertisements. His European brethren manage these things well. Some of them divide their stock into fifty-two sections, and-fearing the public impatience is unable to bear a long catalogue-publish a short list regularly every week. Thus he brings his name frequently before the public, and, in the course of a twelvemonth, the public has closely inspected every shelf in his shop. Others make their catalogue into six divisions, and publish the whole of it three or four times a year; in this way they bring their names and stock constantly before the public, they impress both on the public mind, they become actors, contemporary historical characters; for fame, after all, is nothing more than the constant repetition of the same name in men's ears. Large publishers imitate these booksellers' example; conscious how fleeting is the impression made on the public mind by advertisements and reviews, they keep constantly before the public eye the catalogue of all the unexhausted editions of their publications. They use some art in making this display. All their treasures are not exhibited at once; they divide their catalogue into small divisions, and into divisions according to subjects. One of the former appears weekly, the latter (which are larger) appear at the commencement of the appropriate season. Winter ushers in the severer works of history, or science, or speculation; spring calls up works on botany, or on horticulture, or on agriculture, or on travelling; summer introduces novels, poetry, tales, works on the rod, or the horse, or the boat, or swimming; while autumn brings forward the school-books, and works on the gun, the dog, and game. The great art is to let in as much light and to vary so much as may be its play upon their publications. And they all know that the light of trade is advertisement. Then there is a class of advertisers in the English book trade who, in America, never appear in print. I mean the booksellers, the dealers in second-hand books, and the book importers. The address, and the books on sale of this class of the trade are Secrets which, to all, except a handful of initiated old gentlemen, are a great deal better kept than half the state secrets of the world. No Blue Book ever blurts out indiscreetly what treasures their shelves contain, and at what rates their gems are to be sold. I never think of this class in America without being reminded of the white eunuch who guards from all profane touch the thousand and odd ladies of the Padishah's harem. The reviews, and the magazines, and the critical column of newspapers, might, upon a pinch, enable publishers to dispense with advertisements. But the bookseller cannot get along without these helps to publicity. Nobody knows the works he has on his shelves. Their titles have faded away from men's minds. Seven out of ten of them were never heard of. Besides, how is the student who lives in St. Louis to discover the existence of a bookshop in Chestnut Street, unless he be as docile as Mahomet and go to the mountain of books which rises to the ceiling of the Chestnut Street shop; and let him be ever so docile he must become aware of the existence of the shop before he can turn his face towards it. Few people lag so far behind the rest of the world as the Ameri-channel of communication, master though he may be can bookseller. I am led into these foregoing remarks by the appearance of the "French Publishers' Annual Catalogue of School Books," which has just come out. It is a large octavo of one hundred and seven pages, double columns. It contains the catalogue of school books issued by forty-eight publishers; no less than eighteen hundred and seventy-one titles of books are given. It is distributed throughout France to every person connected with education. No publisher feels himself above resorting to this of others. They advertise in it from a sort of esprit As far as he is concerned, the carriage of books de corps; there is not a publisher here who would by the mails, and the establishment of lines of ex- not disdain even appearing to regard himself as presses, are conveniences which have no existence. raised by affluence of fortune above his brethren. He might make the volumes on his shelves as They advertise in it because it is profitable; for familiar to the citizen of St. Paul and San Fran-publishers are like the sower, whose grain fell some |