HE problem of effective posters for book displays is an ever-present one in the bookstore. The fine posters supplied by the National Association of Book Publishers have greatly assisted in this problem, but each week sees new demands, and, once a store manager gets used to the effectiveness of posters with good color, it is hard to come down to plain lettering.

One of the best ways to meet this need is by using on each store poster a colored picture taken from a magazine cover or other source, pasting this on a wide card in such a way that there is space left for careful lettering. This plan, which many bookstores have successfully used, has been described in great detail in a book primarily intended for community drives and church, school and library use entitled "The Amateur Poster Maker" by Jeanette E. Perkins, published at $1 by The Pilgrim Press. This book is completely illustrated and gives complete details for this effective plan of poster making. Two illustrations from the volume are printed herewith, with the permission of The Pilgrim Press, showing the general method of the work.

The bookseller has, let us say; a desire for a poster emphasizing that he has a fine assortment of books for the healthy, outdoor kind of boys and he would like to get some of those boys into his store on Saturdays. He sees on a cover of a current magazine a colored picture done by one of

the country's best artists depicting a healthy boy in action. He cuts this out and places it on a half sheet of cardboard, of which he has a good supply on hand. After trying it at various angles, he decides, as shown in Figure 1, that by putting it on the lefthand edge there is room for lettering on the balance of the card. With this settled, lettering is planned that will fill in attractively the balance of the space and carry the message across. Perhaps the bookseller decides to say, "Oh, Skinnay! Don't you know that Saturday is the

y to visit

Jones's bookstore and pick out a good, live, new story-book?" If there is someone in the organization who has been trained to do good lettering, this can then be drawn on carefully, or, if not, the text can be lightly penciled and sent out to the sign maker for lettering.

Such a poster could not be used if the color work were done especially, because the price would be many times that which the bookseller could afford, while with this plan the expense is little enough. A sign like this, once used in the window, can be used again on displays inside or can be kept for another week or another month. but carefully filed out of the way of dust. Each month's magazines will provide suggestions for such signs, as the covers are likely to be timely and as connected with . seasonal interest, as is the bookseller's own business. If the manager will put this sign develop

ment into the hands of one of the assistants who will take pride and interest in it, there will soon be a new era in the display methods of the store and a new interest on the part of the public in the books handled. Miss Perkins's book gives, besides the general directions, very specific help to the sign maker with regard to paper, lettering, and general methods. A discussion of how the finishing touches are put on is very interesting, how to correct, a misspelled word, change the size of letters, add interest or variety by shading some of the lettering with color, etc.

Not A Good Example

She: "I do everything possible to protect my daughters from the poison of this vicious modern literature."

He: "But how do you manage it, madam?" She: "Why, I never leave my books around where they could find and read them."-Canadian Bookseller.

HE Harvard Bureau of Research, in its report on 650 department stores and specialty shops, has given indication in its report on 1923 business that there was a slight tendency toward lower cost of doing business. Its figures indicate that the expense figure in such stores was 26.3 per cent and the rate of stock turn 2.4 per cent per year. These figures are for stores having a business of less than $1,000,000 a year. In stores examined whose sales were over $1,000,000 a year, the average expense was 28.4 per cent, with a stock turn of 3.7 times per year. The larger stores, however, had a wider gross margin of profit of 3.8 per

The report states that stores are more and more realizing that mere volume of business does not in itself lower expense ratio, and there is a tendency to shift the emphasis in management from the buying to the selling side.

HE bookseller who has faced year after year the interesting problem of selecting from a year's output of new fiction, such stories as will be wanted by his community, may feel that he has been underestimating the difficulties of his problems if he happens to read an article written by "A library trustee" in the New Hampshire Public Library Bulletin:

"The problem of selection of fiction for the public library," says this trustee, "grows no easier. In the small library, the buying of fiction is a hit or miss transaction carried on by guesswork and is more than likely in its results to prove disappointing to the jury of patrons. Some standard of selection would be a boon, if it were possible to make one, but the subject does not lend itself to standardization."

"Tho no rules," he says, "can be laid down," he puts up certain warning signs in brief as follows:

Avoid publicity blurb or paid advertisements, as they have no value whatever as evidence of the character of the book. Official library lists are good only after their fashion, and no list, however respectable its source, can be followed blindly, since no

D

URING the next month there will be many state and regional conventions of the Federation of Women's Clubs, and Mrs. L. A. Miller, chairman of the Literature Division, has written that it will mean a great deal to her work and to the clubs if the booksellers in the communities where such conventions are held will take special pains to feature books such as the Clubs are promoting and to cooperate with the leaders of the Clubs in emphasizing book interest. Such invitation to cooperation should be promptly accepted by every bookseller who finds a convention in his neighborhood.

The full two-year program of the Federation of Women's Clubs in which is outlined plans for reading and buying books was printed in the September 20 issue of the Publishers' Weekly. The Federation Home Library List Reprints are still being supplied to all who write for them.

Careless Disturbance of Net Price System book prices

from

should selection be made of a single favorable review as professional reviewers are also producers of literary wares and would not refuse to give a friend's book a good send-off. Moreover, beware of the other type of reviewer who gives vague and glittering phrases. Be also on guard against the opinion that, if an author has written one good book, he may write others.

After these warnings, it appears that the only safe course is to read all novels be

W

public appreciated the fact that thereafter the advertised price of the book was the price at which it was to be sold and that they would not have to spend time wondering what the real cost of a desired volume would be. We have felt that there were few publishers who have not realized the importance of this gain by which their advertised prices are taken as they read by people who buy books.

A circular that comes to hand this week seems to indicate that this point has not been entirely understood by every one. A publisher of atlases, the George F. Cram Company of Chicago, has announced that the firm has ready a new "Home Library Atlas,' the retail price of which is $5.95. It would appear to the average person that, if it was worth $5.95, it was worth $6 and that the odd price was only used by those who were endeavoring to indicate that they were in a cut-price business.

Furthermore, the same circular offers booksellers a 60 per cent discount, the offer to hold good for 30 days, with the suggestion that "You will be at liberty to make your customers a 20 per cent discount, if you so desire, and reap a nice profit for yourself."

It is our opinion that this direct invitation to introduce old discount price methods is decidedly a backward step, even if it were likely that many booksellers would accept such an offer and enter into this plan of selling. If an atlas can be sold at wholesale to a bookseller at $2.38, it is worth at retail about $4 and should be priced and advertised on that basis as in competition with other $4 atlases and not as if it were in competition with $6 atlases.

T

Price Standardization Bills

HE movement for price standardization is one of the Congressional issues that is in no way a campaign issue, and there is indication that there will be support from both sides of the house when Congress opens. There are two or three different theories of how the reform can best be accomplished, but these have been embodied in legislation that ought to lead to the bringing forward of some bill that can have the support of all. Taking active part in this movement are Representative Winslow of Massachusetts, chairman of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, Senator David E. Reed of Pennsylvania, Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas as well as other leaders in both houses.

Framed Portraits for Bookstore Decoration

IN

N an editorial on community book fairs, the Publishers' Weekly suggested that the public was always interested in framed portraits, and autographs, especially of local authors, and several letters have been received, asking how such things can be obtained.

There are a number of people dealing in autographs in this country whose catalogs would give many suggestions to the bookseller who is searching for a few interesting items such dealers as Thomas F. Madigan, 8 West 47th Street, New York City; Goodspeed's Book Shop, 5A Park Street, Boston; John Heise, 410 Onondaga Bank Building, Syracuse.

With the autographs obtained, portraits of the authors can be obtained from the same or similar sources, and the two can be framed together to make a notable addition to the appearance of a bookshop or general book exhibit. Offered for sale, they appeal very strongly to people for their own libraries or for gifts, and even if not promptly sold, they do their bit for the bookstore by creating the kind of atmosphere in which book interest thrives.

T

"The Deluge of Annuals"

THE English Bookseller carries an editorial headed: "The Deluge of Annuals," which indicates that in England the bookseller will have the problem of picking from over 120 varieties in planning his Christmas campaign. It would seem to American booksellers that this was a pretty clear indication that this type of publication had been greatly overdone in that market. The annuals have a way of dropping off in importance immediately after Christmas, while most books as now prepared have much less seasonal fluctuation. At the recent booksellers' convention in Oxford, almost the only complaint of price-cutting was against dry goods stores, which bought these annuals in quantity and cut the price the day after Christmas.

NOTICE

Extra copies of the Fall Announcement Number of the Publishers' Weekly can be obtained in paper at 15 cents, or in cloth at 75 cents. One ought to be in the hands of every bookshop salesperson. It is the best key to the new books of the fall and winter.

THE PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY 62 West 45th Street, New York City

T

Autumn Prospects

HEY are good. As I write, word reaches me that there is a likelihood of another political disturbance. A well known English politician tells me that the fight will be in November. This is bad enough.

In looking over the lists I see a great number of fine books in the general class and hundreds of novels. The harvest is a good one-especially in fiction. I do not recall when the lists were so full of books and the promise in the standard so high.

Summer Trade

The sale of cheap reprints probably touched the highest point in sale this "summer." I put the word "summer" in quotation marks, for there has been little sun this year. Beyond a few brief weeks (the editor of the Publishers' Weekly was greatly honored!) in the early days, the weather has been the worst for many years past. Yet, perhaps, this atrocious time has been good for the half-crown volumes. The sales this year must total hundreds of thousands, and the bookshops, particularly in the seashore resorts, have been stocked with them. This is all to the good towards popularizing the book and will help much in the great forward movement in cooperative publicity which will soon be put in hand. However. do not think that during these middle months of the year nothing has sold besides the cheap reprint. General books and new seven and sixpenny novels have been in great demand.

Bookstall Men's Gift

Ten thousand people of W. H. Smith & Son contributed sums ranging from a few coppers to a shilling to make a presentation to the Hon. W. H. Smith, son of Viscount Hambleden, the head of the firm, in celebration of his coming of age recently. It takes the form of a portrait in oils by Harold Speed, R.A.

Bookreading in South Africa

There is not the slightest doubt that the interest in books in South Africa is growing apace. So that I note the following in a Cape Town paper with surprise:

"On a liberal estimate, the members of all the public libraries in Cape Town do not exceed 7 per cent of its white population. The majority of the people read few. it any books."

This amazes me, and altho the man who wrote this is on the spot, I venture to differ from him, as British publishers (and I believe American, too) are always sending good consignments to various parts of South Africa, each mail. I must admit, however, that in another part of the article the writer says, "An overwhelming mass of fiction is read," and this is true. There is a big future for books in South Africa.

The Editor of the "Bookman” St. John Adcock, editor of the Bookman, was the guest of honor at a luncheon given by the English-Speaking Union the other day. Hamlin Garland presided. Mr. Adcock, in an address on "Some English Writers of Today," pointed out that they had a vaster number of writers living and writing than ever in our history, and he remarked on the difficulty of selecting the best half-dozen. Half a century or so ago, if any man wanted to speak of our greatest, most representative authors, he could do so without hesitation, but we have few writers now who leapt so readily to the fore. In the bulk, however, contemporary literature, had reached a higher general level in excellence than was reached by the average literature of any preceding age.

A Bookseller's Fortune

The late Edward Charles Cornish, who was at one time proprietor of the bookshop which had existed for so many years in Holborn, and had branches in Liverpool and Dublin, left £61,438.

Good Sellers in England

"The Three Hostages" by John Buchan
"The House of the Arrow" by A. E. W.
Mason

"The Green Hat" by Michael Arlen
"Night Fears" by L. P. Hartley
"Unity" by J. D. Beresford

"Ordeal" by Dale Collins

"The London Adventure" by Arthur Machen

"The Passing Years" by Lord Willoughby

de Broke

"The Week End Book"

"Memories of Ninety Years" by Mrs. W. M. Ward

"America Revisited" by Lord Birkenhead "Is It Good English?" by John O'London