John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 21 December 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 21 December 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 21 December 1866
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1866-12-21
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 21 December 1866
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | December 21/66.
My Dear Madam
After many consultations and much dubiety the opinion we have formed here is that the best plan will be to try the cheap illustrated edition of your Novels in sixpenny numbers of which Adam, The Mill, Scenes, Silas, and Felix would make 30, ultimately to form four volumes selling at 3/6 each.
That Lewes and you may understand the matter as well as I do, I inclose our calculations of cost sales and results and some sheets stitched together to show the size of the proposed sixpenny part. We would use the stereotype plates of the present 6/- edition of Adam, The Mill, Clerical Scenes, and Silas.
Whether we are right in our estimate of probable sales is a thing that no one can tell. Thirty thousand is a large number to put down for Adam Bede, and it is a very great chance whether we do sell so many, but I think we should. The sale of Felix is put low in the estimate as you have no interest in that for so many years. The gain attending the result of the adventure if successful is much less than I hoped for, but the Printing, paper etc. are put at cost price, the Printing I think at less than we should have to pay if we were not Printers. The discount to the Trade is very heavy, and the "less ten per cent" marked in the estimate is not a commission to the publisher but is a discount that we know we should have to give to all who deal in Number publications in any quantity. With reference to your suggestion that we should buy up your interest in the works for ten years, the puzzle to me is what to offer you in fairness to both parties. 551
I am willing to give you One Thousand Pounds (£1000) for your interest in these works for the time above mentioned, or if you prefer it two thirds of the profit upon Adam Bede, The Mill, Silas Marner, and The Scenes, we to be allowed to work the publication in what form and at what price we choose. Further if you accept the first proposition we would pay you Five Hundred Pounds (£500) more should the edition now proposed prove a success, i.e. sell at any time during the next five years within an average in Numbers and volumes of two thousand sets of the Numbers and at the prices set down in the accompanying estimate. Should you prefer the two thirds of profits we would charge a commission of 5 per cent on the sales.
I thought that I could offer you a larger sum and I much wished to do so, but looking the matter fairly in the face as a speculation, I do not see how I can make much change in what I have said above, although I shall be glad to meet your wishes in any way I can. The 6/- editions of the works have been a disappointment. They produce so little that they are hardly worth considering.
Mr. Simpson has had various consultations with what are called the "Number Men," i.e. men who sell the weekly and monthly publicacations in large numbers, and they are strong for the sixpenny Numbers of our series. He (Mr. Simpson) and I had both heard much but vaguely of large sums given for copyrights to sell in cheap editions, so he inquired what was the most successful series and his informant, the chief Number Man here, replied Chapman and Hall's 2/- series worked much by Smith and Sons. He accordingly brought home a volume of the series and the inclosed calculation 552 gives the result of the adventure. I do not see how the system can pay.
I return "Brother Jacob" 553 and send with him "The Lifted Veil." They are both as clever as can be, but there is a painful want of light about them and my advice is against including them in the recognised series of your works. I remember the Lifted Veil was published when Adam Bede was in the full blaze of fame, and I thought it better not to accept Lewes' kind offer to put your name to it in the Magazine, which I believe no other editor of a periodical would have done. My opinion has not changed yet.
By the time the sixpenny series was finished the copyright of Romola would have reverted to you and the state of the sales of the series would show pretty plainly what it would be worth to you or to us. We would most probably bring out each book complete in the volume before the issue in Numbers was completed.
My nephew joins me in hoping that Lewes is better and with every good wish of the season Believe me,
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
GEORGE ELIOT'S WORKS. DECEMBER 14.
Adam Bede 15 Sheets
Paper and Press-work 30 thousand 1158.15.0
Do. 30 th. of 7 Engravings 175. 0.0
Cover and Sewing 20 thousand 7 Parts 273. 0.0
Boarding 10 thousand in 5'bc Vols. 218.15.0 1825.10.0
Mill on the Floss 15'bd Sheets
Paper and Press-work 15 Thousand 598.13.9
Do. 15 th. of 8 Engravings 100. 0.0
Covers and Sewing 10,000 of 8 Parts 156. 0.0
Boarding 5 Thousand Vols. 109. 7.6 964. 1.3
Silas Marner and Clerical Scenes 15'bd sheets
Paper and Press-work 15 Thousand 598.13.9
Do. 15 th. of 8 Engravings 100. 0.0
Cover and Sewing 10,000 of 8 Parts 156. 0.0
Boarding 5 thousand Vols. 109. 7.6 964. 1.3
Felix Holt 14 sheets
Paper and Press-work 7500 270. 7.6
Do. 7500 of 7 Engravings 43.15.0
Cover and Sewing 5 thousand of 7 Pts. 68. 5.0
Boarding 2500 Vols. 54. 3.9 436.11.3
Case and Stereo. Felix Holt 70
Engraving 30 Illustrations by Cooper 330
Advertising at outset 160
Do. over 10 years 340 900. 0.0 900.
3.9
Mem. "Felix" to be expanded to 14 sheets (448) and Illustrations extended to 30
Adam Bede 7 Parts
Produce of 20 Thousand in Parts 2058. 0.0 do. in Vols. 1039. 0.0 3097.
Mill on the Floss 8 Parts
Produce of 10 Thousand in Parts 1176. 0.0 do. in Vols. 519. 0.0 1695.
Silas Marner and Cler. Scenes 8 Parts
Produce of 10 thousand in Parts 1176. 0.0 do. in Vols. 519. 0.0 1695.
Felix Holt 7 Parts
Produce of 5 thousand in Parts 514.10.0 thousand 5 hundd. in Vols. 259. 0.0 773.10.
Foregoing Calculations are based on following estimate:
Press-work per sheet of 32 pages 20/ per thousand
Paper 32 lbs. per Rm. @ 5'bd-14/8 per Rm.
Paper Printing and making Readt. Engravings 16/8 per 1000
Coverpaper Binding and Sewing the Parts @ 39/ per 1000
Boarding in Cloth at 5'bc per Vol.
Selling Price of Parts Sixpence
Wholesale price 4/3 per 13 Parts less 10 per Cent
Selling Price of volume 3/6 Cloth
Wholesale price of Volumes 2/6 13 as 12 less 10 percent.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | December 21/66.
My Dear Madam
After many consultations and much dubiety the opinion we have formed here is that the best plan will be to try the cheap illustrated edition of your Novels in sixpenny numbers of which Adam, The Mill, Scenes, Silas, and Felix would make 30, ultimately to form four volumes selling at 3/6 each.
That Lewes and you may understand the matter as well as I do, I inclose our calculations of cost sales and results and some sheets stitched together to show the size of the proposed sixpenny part. We would use the stereotype plates of the present 6/- edition of Adam, The Mill, Clerical Scenes, and Silas.
Whether we are right in our estimate of probable sales is a thing that no one can tell. Thirty thousand is a large number to put down for Adam Bede, and it is a very great chance whether we do sell so many, but I think we should. The sale of Felix is put low in the estimate as you have no interest in that for so many years. The gain attending the result of the adventure if successful is much less than I hoped for, but the Printing, paper etc. are put at cost price, the Printing I think at less than we should have to pay if we were not Printers. The discount to the Trade is very heavy, and the "less ten per cent" marked in the estimate is not a commission to the publisher but is a discount that we know we should have to give to all who deal in Number publications in any quantity. With reference to your suggestion that we should buy up your interest in the works for ten years, the puzzle to me is what to offer you in fairness to both parties. 551
I am willing to give you One Thousand Pounds (£1000) for your interest in these works for the time above mentioned, or if you prefer it two thirds of the profit upon Adam Bede, The Mill, Silas Marner, and The Scenes, we to be allowed to work the publication in what form and at what price we choose. Further if you accept the first proposition we would pay you Five Hundred Pounds (£500) more should the edition now proposed prove a success, i.e. sell at any time during the next five years within an average in Numbers and volumes of two thousand sets of the Numbers and at the prices set down in the accompanying estimate. Should you prefer the two thirds of profits we would charge a commission of 5 per cent on the sales.
I thought that I could offer you a larger sum and I much wished to do so, but looking the matter fairly in the face as a speculation, I do not see how I can make much change in what I have said above, although I shall be glad to meet your wishes in any way I can. The 6/- editions of the works have been a disappointment. They produce so little that they are hardly worth considering.
Mr. Simpson has had various consultations with what are called the "Number Men," i.e. men who sell the weekly and monthly publicacations in large numbers, and they are strong for the sixpenny Numbers of our series. He (Mr. Simpson) and I had both heard much but vaguely of large sums given for copyrights to sell in cheap editions, so he inquired what was the most successful series and his informant, the chief Number Man here, replied Chapman and Hall's 2/- series worked much by Smith and Sons. He accordingly brought home a volume of the series and the inclosed calculation 552 gives the result of the adventure. I do not see how the system can pay.
I return "Brother Jacob" 553 and send with him "The Lifted Veil." They are both as clever as can be, but there is a painful want of light about them and my advice is against including them in the recognised series of your works. I remember the Lifted Veil was published when Adam Bede was in the full blaze of fame, and I thought it better not to accept Lewes' kind offer to put your name to it in the Magazine, which I believe no other editor of a periodical would have done. My opinion has not changed yet.
By the time the sixpenny series was finished the copyright of Romola would have reverted to you and the state of the sales of the series would show pretty plainly what it would be worth to you or to us. We would most probably bring out each book complete in the volume before the issue in Numbers was completed.
My nephew joins me in hoping that Lewes is better and with every good wish of the season Believe me,
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
GEORGE ELIOT'S WORKS. DECEMBER 14.
Adam Bede 15 Sheets
Paper and Press-work 30 thousand 1158.15.0
Do. 30 th. of 7 Engravings 175. 0.0
Cover and Sewing 20 thousand 7 Parts 273. 0.0
Boarding 10 thousand in 5'bc Vols. 218.15.0 1825.10.0
Mill on the Floss 15'bd Sheets
Paper and Press-work 15 Thousand 598.13.9
Do. 15 th. of 8 Engravings 100. 0.0
Covers and Sewing 10,000 of 8 Parts 156. 0.0
Boarding 5 Thousand Vols. 109. 7.6 964. 1.3
Silas Marner and Clerical Scenes 15'bd sheets
Paper and Press-work 15 Thousand 598.13.9
Do. 15 th. of 8 Engravings 100. 0.0
Cover and Sewing 10,000 of 8 Parts 156. 0.0
Boarding 5 thousand Vols. 109. 7.6 964. 1.3
Felix Holt 14 sheets
Paper and Press-work 7500 270. 7.6
Do. 7500 of 7 Engravings 43.15.0
Cover and Sewing 5 thousand of 7 Pts. 68. 5.0
Boarding 2500 Vols. 54. 3.9 436.11.3
Case and Stereo. Felix Holt 70
Engraving 30 Illustrations by Cooper 330
Advertising at outset 160
Do. over 10 years 340 900. 0.0 900.
3.9
Mem. "Felix" to be expanded to 14 sheets (448) and Illustrations extended to 30
Adam Bede 7 Parts
Produce of 20 Thousand in Parts 2058. 0.0 do. in Vols. 1039. 0.0 3097.
Mill on the Floss 8 Parts
Produce of 10 Thousand in Parts 1176. 0.0 do. in Vols. 519. 0.0 1695.
Silas Marner and Cler. Scenes 8 Parts
Produce of 10 thousand in Parts 1176. 0.0 do. in Vols. 519. 0.0 1695.
Felix Holt 7 Parts
Produce of 5 thousand in Parts 514.10.0 thousand 5 hundd. in Vols. 259. 0.0 773.10.
Foregoing Calculations are based on following estimate:
Press-work per sheet of 32 pages 20/ per thousand
Paper 32 lbs. per Rm. @ 5'bd-14/8 per Rm.
Paper Printing and making Readt. Engravings 16/8 per 1000
Coverpaper Binding and Sewing the Parts @ 39/ per 1000
Boarding in Cloth at 5'bc per Vol.
Selling Price of Parts Sixpence
Wholesale price 4/3 per 13 Parts less 10 per Cent
Selling Price of volume 3/6 Cloth
Wholesale price of Volumes 2/6 13 as 12 less 10 percent.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 21 December 1866, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/95221