In the general get-up of your circular it is best to have such an arrangement as will readily go into an ordinary business envelope, without folding. If, however, it must be folded, it must be so arranged that the fold so creased will not come at a vital point. Plain, clear type of convenient size, on good white paper, and black ink, is better than rainbow colors. However, a different color for a few words now and then for emphasis, is permissible, and may help to bring out certain points which you wish the prospective buyer's attention called to.
The general get-up of the circular must be of such a nature and form, that the prospective buyer of average intelligence will be attracted by it, and will get a general idea of what it has to tell him at a glance.
It is even best to leave the price of the article off the circular, as that will induce people to inquire for it, and give one a chance to get in touch with those who are interested, while those who would not even inquire for the price, would not buy any way.
Another means for introducing a new invention on the market, is in "write-ups" of the same in the daily papers, magazines, and trade papers; as very unfortunately a good many people would not pay any attention to circulars, and would not find time to grant a personal interview to a solicitor, yet they do look up printed matter in the form of a newspaper, magazine, or trade-paper, and very often get their own views on any subject from the general tone of the article they read.
These articles require considerable intelligence, care, and literary ability to prepare, and more to get them printed, as they naturally have to vary in tone and style with the paper, or magazine they are printed in.
It is more or less easy to get a write-up in a trades-paper for an article that comes within its sphere, and very often the editor of that magazine will be willing to do the writing-up, from circulars furnished to him or from observations of the machines as a news item, for the dual purpose of furnishing its readers with useful information, and of obtaining advertising patronage from the beneficiary.
In other magazines, it will require more ingenuity and literary merit to get in at all, and except in very rare instances, it would be best for the inventor to turn that part of the business over to some one who has experience in that line of work, and knows "how."
[ CHAPTER 5
Determining the Selling Price of a Newly Invented Article]
Considerable business acumen is required in determining and fixing the selling price of a new machine.
The factors to be taken into consideration are, the value of its saving in every direction to its purchaser, the average amount of capital invested in the prospective purchaser's business, and the amount to be invested in the machine, as very often a machine may be beyond the reach of those for whose use it is desired, by reason of its price.