763. The Soldier’s Book.—There are 750,000 survivors of our Civil War. It would be too much to publish in one book even the briefest account of each. The work should be published in several parts, a volume to a State. In a State like New York, three lines only could be given to the record of a private, but even for the briefest mention of himself and his comrades nearly all the old soldiers would buy the book. In smaller States more space could be given to each man’s record. Considerable capital would be required in the collecting of facts and records, but the publication of such a work would certainly pay, if accurately written and thoroughly canvassed. We have estimated the cost of collecting the information at twenty-five cents for each soldier. It would be much less in great cities where a large number of men could be seen in one day. Cost for 100,000 soldiers, $25,000. Such is the vanity caused by seeing one’s name in print that the book would sell at least to every second soldier. Fifty thousand copies at $2.50, $125,000. Deduct one-fourth for cost and getting out the book, $31,250. Discount for canvassers at one-third the price of the book, $41,666. Total cost, $72,916. Profits, $51,084 for 50,000 copies.
764. Book of Style.—A man well versed in books could write a small volume on literary style which could be sold to advantage for $1 per copy. The number of literary men is constantly increasing. More than 10,000 young men and women are graduated every year from our colleges. At a very low estimate, 25,000 would want a work of this kind.
765. Science of Common Things.—A book of great interest to everybody could be compiled from the vast body of matter contained in the last quarter of a century in such periodicals as the Popular Science Monthly, the Scientific American, etc. It should contain a number of chapters about the heating and ventilating of dwellings, about clothing and food, about road making and house building, and many other things, and be written in such a fascinating style as to make the work attractive, even to persons who ordinarily take no interest in such discussions. The success of such a book depends entirely upon its style. It is possible to write one containing a fortune for the author.
766. Popular Songs.—If you are a musical composer there is another rich field which invites you. Many a man in the making of bars and clefs has braided strands of gold. Daniel Emmett wrote “Dixie,” and it ran like wild fire all over the country. Stephen Foster made a fortune with “Old Folks at Home,” Charles K. Harris wrote “After the Ball.” Its sales were over a million copies, and it made him an independently rich man. H. W. Petrie wrote “I Don’t Want to Play in Your Yard.” Its success was phenomenal, and is likely to prove a bonanza to the author; 50,000 copies were sold before they were fairly dry from the press. Edward B. Marks, a young writer of New York, wrote “The Little Lost Child,” which netted him $15,000. Sir Arthur Sullivan received $50,000 for his famous song, “The Lost Chord.” Mr. Balfe got $40,000 for “I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls.”
767. Foreign Translations.—Another very wide field is that of the translation of foreign works. There are vast numbers of foreign works upon which there are no copyrights in this country, and others upon which the copyrights have expired. This is a profitable field and comparatively unworked. Even of such transcendant works as those of George Sand and Balzac only a few have been translated. Publishers pay for translations about the same as royalties on original works. Dryden received $6,000 for his translation of Virgil, and Pope received $40,000 for his rendering of the “Iliad.”
768. Children’s Stories.—There are bags of money in children’s stories. Every child at a certain age wants to read or be read to, and there are seven million of this age in the United States. The stories should be short, bright, simple and original, and the book should contain a number of illustrations. Whoever pleases the children pleases the world. “Alice in Wonderland” brought a fortune to its author, and every year Christmas stories for the children bring much money into the pockets of the writers.
769. Condensed Stories.—All the popular and standard fiction of the world could be condensed into a dozen volumes by a master hand. It has never yet been attempted. Some omnivorous reader and ambitious writer may yet try it. He must get the heart of the story—the plot—without regard to side issues, by-plays, or ornamentation. See in how few words you can tell one of the Waverley novels without omitting any of the main features. Then publish the entire series in one volume. It is a new idea, and ought to take.
770. The Manner Book.—How to Act, How to Behave, How to Eat, How to Talk, How to Write Letters, How to Propose—in short, the correct way to get on in life. A book consisting of pert, witty chapters upon good manners ought to make a fast-selling work. Many have been written, but none as yet quite meet the demand.
771. The George Republic.—Something entirely new. Do you know that in the village of Freeville, Tompkins County, New York, there is a republic composed of many hundred persons ruled entirely by boys, and these the worst of boys, taken mostly from the slums of our cities, a class which could not be governed in the ordinary way? It is hardly too much to say that it is the most suggestive experiment in self-government in all history, and it awaits the pen of a practiced writer. The movement is doubtless to be permanent and popular, and the first one to pen it in graphic style will doubtless gather a good harvest.
772. One Thousand Times Across the Atlantic.—Here is a capital idea! Many sea captains have crossed the ocean as many times as that. Get an Atlantic veteran to tell you some of the most thrilling stories of his forty years’ sailing. He may not be much of a writer, but you can put the matter into attractive form. For a small compensation, or perhaps for the love of the thing, he would tell you many exciting tales of the sea. The title is taking.