Publishing History Repeating Itself.

In the course of research, this caught my eye from the NYTimes of 1911. Just proves that people who should know better mouthing off about book related statistics have always been part of the business. That aside, this is an interesting snap shot of NY publishing in 1911.

AT a session of the International Circulation Managers' Association, held this month in Chicago, Third Assistant Postmaster General Britt made an address in which he upheld the Government's position as regards the new rate of postage on periodicals. In the course of his remarks he made the following sensational statement as to the publication of books and pamphlets in this country:

NYTimes.

And if you have the time and inclination here is another article from 1919. This article laments the rapid decline of bookstores, but blames not the automobile, movies, periodicals, pamphlets or even libraries; here, a Mr. William Arnold suggests the decline is due to the lack of cooperation between publisher and bookseller. He suggests that in the US the bookseller "may suffer ruinously through the speculative quality of many of the new books he is compelled to handle."

Was his solution consignment? It is not clear, however he does paint a very rosy picture of what the book retail and publishing business could become with greater cooperation.

NYTimes