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Darwin Correspondence Project

From R. F. Cooke   13 January 1871

50a, Albemarle Street, London, W.

Jany. 13 1871

My dear Sir

I may as well reply to your letter at once.1 Enclosed you have a List of the various periodicals to which we propose to send your new work to2—those that are ticked thus ✓ & if there are any more which you like to add we will include them.

We are only printing at first 2500 Copies.

Your own copies shall have cut edges & we will issue, the book both with cut & uncut edges & all white.

Mr. Murray3 thinks if he allows the author gratis at the rate of 10 Copies in each 1000, it will be fair & equitable.

The retail price of the work will be 24/-, at least we sold it, at that rate & we do trust that yr corrections have not been so vast, that we shall have to enhance it.

We disposed of the copies at our Annual Sale at 16/- 25 as 24 & all your copies shall be charged you at this rate.4

We will forthwith put the binder upon Vol 1. I will write to Mr Dallas, but fear he will delay us.5

I am | Faithfully Yours | Robt. Cooke

Chas. Darwin Esq

Return the List

Footnotes

Cooke refers to Descent. CD returned the enclosure (see letter to R. F. Cooke, 14 January [1871]); it has not been found.
John Murray.
Trade purchasers generally received one free copy in every twenty-five (‘25 as 24’; Plant 1965, p. 405).

Bibliography

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Plant, Marjorie. 1965. The English book trade. An economic history of the making and sale of books. 2d edition. London: George Allen & Unwin.

Summary

Sends list of journals to be sent review copies of Descent. If CD wants to add others, they will be included. Printing of 2500 copies ordered; retail price 24s.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-7440
From
Robert Francis Cooke; John Murray
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
London, Albemarle St, 50a
Source of text
DAR 171: 384
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7440,” accessed on 27 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7440.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19

letter