And, after
all, how can I say I am not paid? In addition to all that I inherit
from past generations I receive from my own everything that makes
life worth living--London, with its infinite sources of pleasure and
amusement, good theatres, concerts, picture galleries, the British
Museum Reading-Room, newspapers, a comfortable dwelling, railways
and, above all, the society of the friends I value.
Charles Darwin on what Sells a Book
I remember when I was at Down we were talking of what it is that
sells a book. Mr. Darwin said he did not believe it was reviews or
advertisements, but simply "being talked about" that sold a book.
I believe he is quite right here, but surely a good flaming review
helps to get a book talked about. I have often inquired at my
publishers' after a review and I never found one that made any
perceptible increase or decrease of sale, and the same with
advertisements. I think, however, that the review of Erewhon in the
Spectator did sell a few copies of Erewhon, but then it was such a
very strong one and the anonymousness of the book stimulated
curiosity. A perception of the value of a review, whether friendly
or hostile, is as old as St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians. {162}
Hoodwinking the Public
Sincerity or honesty is a low and very rudimentary form of virtue
that is only to be found to any considerable extent among the
protozoa.
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