John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 December 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 December 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 December 1872
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Henry Lewes
Date(s)
- 1872-12-21
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 December 1872
MS: Tinker Collection, Yale. The text of the statements is from copies in the Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street, | Edinburgh.
December 21/72.
My Dear Lewes
I inclose tables of the sales and state of Middlemarch which make a very pretty show. Of the book in four volumes complete we have you will see sold some 240. As the library stocks must be free to a certain extent I did not expect that we could do much with the complete book at 42/.
The point therefore comes, when should we be at liberty to reduce the price, say to 21/. Our idea is that at that price, using the same plates with thinner paper and narrower margin, we might have a considerable sale. What do you think, especially as to the point when it would be fair to bring out a cheaper edition after the dear one? There is a sale going on just now and the 240 we have sold in cloth are mainly since the subscription, which amounted to almost nothing.
The public mind is about as full of the book as well could be and there is a sale on the separate parts especially the later ones which keeps Mr. Simpson on the qui vive not to run short and at same time not to over print. Today there is a Memorandum to send up to P. N. Row 200 part 8 which indicates the public pressing on the libraries impatient to read the close.
When you have looked over these states I shall send you bill for the balance or pay you gradually in cash as you may prefer. The balance you will see is £2243.2/- but you may remember my speaking to you about giving an extra discount to Smith and Sons which we agreed to grant. This discount I find amounts to £94.16.7 and should I think be deducted from the lordship to be paid to you.
I enclose also statement of The Spanish Gypsy and cheque for the balance £28.4/-.
With best wishes to Mrs. Lewes and you believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes Esq.
MIDDLEMARCH
Presentation Odd Books on hand
Copies to gratis to Trade at last Since
Book Reviewers 25 as 24 Sold Unsold State. Printed Total
I 30 19 464 257 770 770
II 18 25 601 243 487 400 887
III 10 28 674 182 469 425 894
IV 14 15 622 139 440 350 790
V 100 211 5077 262 5650 5650
VI 94 209 5039 308 5650 5650
VII 96 207 4972 375 5650 5650
VIII 99 207 4982 362 5650 5650
Royalty on Sales of 22431. at 2/- per Book £2243.2.-
Less 10 per cent allowed W. H. Smith and Sons on their purchases amounting to this date to £948.6.7 £94.16.7
MIDDLEMARCH
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Sold in Books 6061 5306 5152 5116 5048 5008 4939 4949
Sold in Cloth 4 V. 42/- 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240
On hand in Books 147 133 72 29 152 198 265 252
On hand in Cloth 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110
Delivered to Reviewers etc. 142 124 101 105 100 94 96 99
Total printed 6700 5913 5675 5600 5650 5650 5650 5650
Edinburgh | December 20th 1872.
THE SPANISH GYPSY
Edition
Copies on hand December 1869
Delivered Publishers Circular
Delivered Mr. Tulloch
On hand December 1872
376 Sold
Royalty on 376 Copies at 1/6 £28.4.0
December 20th 1872.
MS: Tinker Collection, Yale. The text of the statements is from copies in the Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street, | Edinburgh.
December 21/72.
My Dear Lewes
I inclose tables of the sales and state of Middlemarch which make a very pretty show. Of the book in four volumes complete we have you will see sold some 240. As the library stocks must be free to a certain extent I did not expect that we could do much with the complete book at 42/.
The point therefore comes, when should we be at liberty to reduce the price, say to 21/. Our idea is that at that price, using the same plates with thinner paper and narrower margin, we might have a considerable sale. What do you think, especially as to the point when it would be fair to bring out a cheaper edition after the dear one? There is a sale going on just now and the 240 we have sold in cloth are mainly since the subscription, which amounted to almost nothing.
The public mind is about as full of the book as well could be and there is a sale on the separate parts especially the later ones which keeps Mr. Simpson on the qui vive not to run short and at same time not to over print. Today there is a Memorandum to send up to P. N. Row 200 part 8 which indicates the public pressing on the libraries impatient to read the close.
When you have looked over these states I shall send you bill for the balance or pay you gradually in cash as you may prefer. The balance you will see is £2243.2/- but you may remember my speaking to you about giving an extra discount to Smith and Sons which we agreed to grant. This discount I find amounts to £94.16.7 and should I think be deducted from the lordship to be paid to you.
I enclose also statement of The Spanish Gypsy and cheque for the balance £28.4/-.
With best wishes to Mrs. Lewes and you believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes Esq.
MIDDLEMARCH
Presentation Odd Books on hand
Copies to gratis to Trade at last Since
Book Reviewers 25 as 24 Sold Unsold State. Printed Total
I 30 19 464 257 770 770
II 18 25 601 243 487 400 887
III 10 28 674 182 469 425 894
IV 14 15 622 139 440 350 790
V 100 211 5077 262 5650 5650
VI 94 209 5039 308 5650 5650
VII 96 207 4972 375 5650 5650
VIII 99 207 4982 362 5650 5650
Royalty on Sales of 22431. at 2/- per Book £2243.2.-
Less 10 per cent allowed W. H. Smith and Sons on their purchases amounting to this date to £948.6.7 £94.16.7
MIDDLEMARCH
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Sold in Books 6061 5306 5152 5116 5048 5008 4939 4949
Sold in Cloth 4 V. 42/- 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240
On hand in Books 147 133 72 29 152 198 265 252
On hand in Cloth 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110
Delivered to Reviewers etc. 142 124 101 105 100 94 96 99
Total printed 6700 5913 5675 5600 5650 5650 5650 5650
Edinburgh | December 20th 1872.
THE SPANISH GYPSY
Edition
Copies on hand December 1869
Delivered Publishers Circular
Delivered Mr. Tulloch
On hand December 1872
376 Sold
Royalty on 376 Copies at 1/6 £28.4.0
December 20th 1872.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 December 1872, 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/95386