Sir

I have been long interested in pushing into notice in this country the books on Biological literature which appear in England, and prompted the Appletons to reprint the last edition of the “Origin of Species”¹ I believe they have an arrangement with you to republish your forthcoming book² and I now write in their behalf to call your attention to one or two practical business points respecting it.

As the stereotype plates are to be cast in London I desire to say first that it is very important for success here that the page should not be large. Macmillan’s American edition of Wallace’s late book on Natural Selection is an excellent model.³ Galton’s Hereditary Genius is too large.⁴ Huxley’s Lay Sermons is too large and so for the edition we are now printing Mr Macmillan extracted the leads and made the page smaller.⁵ Should the page of your new book be large I would urge a similar course with it. Again, it is very important for us that the book should come out simultaneously in the two countries.⁶ I will not trouble you with details but it works very badly when the book is just back here. I could show you how Macmillans neglect in this matter cost Mr Galton the success of his book on this side. Mr Longman treated us in the same way in regard to Mr Mills book on Women and although we were bound to pay Mr Mill a “copyright” on the sales the plates came so late that a Philadelphia House got the book out in advance of us, and undersold us hence they had nothing to pay to the author.⁷ Of course the English Publisher doesnt care for this and is interested to delay the American reprint that he may send a few copies to the American market but it is the authors interest to prevent this. We should also be greatly helped in handling a new book if we could have the sheets sent us as just as they go through the English press. There is an art in handling a new book so as to give it the fullest and fairest chance with the public, but the publisher has no chance if kept in ignorance of the character and contents of the work.⁸

Very respectfully | E. L. Youmans