mind also the distinction between "laid" and "wove" paper. The former contains linear marks down and across the sheet, the latter displays no lines. Notice if there are any small holes in the sheet. By these methods, irregularities of manufacture can be easily detected.

The foregoing remarks will enable anyone easily to judge of the quality of paper. It may be useful to add that paper makers are at all times ready to adapt their products to the requirements of the purchaser. We believe that the use of good paper is, in most cases, of the greatest advantage.

STEREOTYPING.

If all the copies of a book that will ever be required, are at once worked off the types when set up, then the book is finally printed and done with. The types are taken down and employed again in some similar work.

But it often happens that the copies struck off prove insufficient to meet the demand. Another edition is required. The whole book has now to be set up again, as at first; and the whole of the first expense for composition will be again incurred.

This expense may be strikingly obviated by stereotyping -a process whereby a cast or plate of metal with raised letters is made for each page or forme. The stereotype plate is an exact reproduction of the original type. It costs about one-third as much to stereotype a page as to compose it.

The advantages of stereotyping are obvious. There is no further charge for composition as long as the plates last; when, say 1,000 new copies are needed, the printer takes out the plates and prints them off without more ado. There is no further reading of proofs; the metal plate remains precisely the same. There is no necessity for printing off, at one time, a larger number than may be reasonably expected to meet a short demand; you can take as many or as few as you choose, and come back for another batch as soon as you choose.

There is no difficulty whatever in conveying the plates to any part of the world, and the weight of the plates is only about one-seventh of the weight of the corresponding movable types. If a fresh issue is required, it can be obtained at once; there is no need now to wait for the time consumed in composition.

On the other hand, the author will not stereotype if his work is likely to require any considerable alteration in a second issue. An annual volume of statistics would require too much alteration to justify stereotyping. But a book for which there is likely to be a reasonably wide and steady demand, and which is substantially settled in form and matter, ought to be stereotyped; at every new issue there is a large saving.

Electrotyping is similarly applied in cases where extremely large impressions are to be cast off, and where beauty of typography is specially aimed at. But ordinarily it is not employed for reproducing letter-press, being much more expensive than stereotyping.

BINDING.

The continental custom of publishing books in paper covers has not commended itself to the English mind. The author must, therefore, bethink himself of how he shall bind his book. The binding (with the quality of the paper and the style of printing) is the first thing to attract the attention of anyone looking at the book casually in a shop or at a stall. It is a very important matter, then, that such persons should be affected favourably by the quality and style of the binding.

The author can always guide his choice by taking some particular volume as an example to follow. He may either direct that his own book shall be set forth in precisely the same style, or he may require greater or less modification. But he ought in every case to invite the skilled co-operation of his publisher in settling this very important part of the business.

The whole edition-and how many copies the edition should contain is another point that ought to be arranged in consultation with the publisher-the whole edition ought not to be bound up at once. The publisher will indicate what he considers a reasonably probable estimate of the first batch for binding; and the rest will be "warehoused in quires" until the increasing demand warn the publisher to order up another batch to be bound.

It is likely enough that more than one form of binding may be considered desirable, to meet variety of

tastes.

If the book is likely to see hard service, as in the case of school books, the binding will be plain and strong. If it be intended to adorn a drawing-room table, the decision will be based on wholly different principles. In every case, the future use of the book will form the main guiding reason in the selection of a binding.

ADVERTISING.

The book being now firmly in its covers, the fact cannot be too soon notified to the enlightened British public.

But how? Obviously, by announcement in the newspapers and in your bookseller's list of new books. But in which newspapers? To decide this, you must have some means of making an approximate guess at the circulation of the more important newspapers and periodicals. Even this knowledge, however, if attained, would not be sufficient. It is equally, if not even more, necessary to know the special character of the journals or magazines. A book on a technical subject must be advertised in the papers more specially devoted to subjects of the same kind of technical character; a medical book in a medical paper, a law book in a law paper, and so on. So many publications nowadays claim one's patronage that it requires very special experience to make out a judicious list to advertise any particular book in.

There is no want of opportunities to squander money expeditiously in injudicious advertising. Don't be misled by puffing notices of your book, to advertise with the puffer, unless on solid grounds irrespective of the puffing. In one word, rely on the advice of your publisher, who is likely to know fifty times as much about the matter as you do yourself. For he has had experience, and remembers very well what advertisements proved successful and what did not.

COPIES FOR REVIEW.

Much the same thing may be said regarding the distribution of review copies. The journal with the largest circulation may not give the most useful notice of your book; a paper of a comparatively small circulation may have gained an intellectual reputation that the public will regard as more authoritative when it announces what it thinks of your volume. Of course, as before, a very careful selection of papers must be made. And for this purpose, again, the advice of your publisher is invaluable.

The more copies you can afford to send out for review, the better. Every notice is an advertisement, and every additional paper introduces the book to another circle of readers.

Remember on no account to attempt to influence the criticism of any journal. You most certainly cannot influence the opinion of any journal whose opinion is worth having. No charge is made for reviewing, and no payment should be offered.

In case an omitted journal asks for a copy for review, the author must give the application his best consideration. The publisher may, not unfrequently, send a copy at once, without troubling to consult with the author. Unless the application be obviously improper, or the price of the work be high, the author may stretch a point and gratify the applicant.

It is a grave mistake to reply to a severe review. You may think the criticism very unjust, and it may in

fact be very unjust, but to contest the judgment pronounced is almost invariably impolitic. An error of fact, if really important, may be rectified; but critical judgment ought to be accepted in absolute silence. If any useful hints are to be extracted from it, extract them. Then forget the matter instantly, as every one else will.

LITERARY COPYRIGHT.

Any citizen of the United States, or resident therein, who shall be the author, inventor, designer, or proprietor of any book, map or chart, dramatic or musical composi tion, engraving,* cut, print, photograph, or negative thereof, or of a painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, and of models or designs intended to be perfected as works of the fine arts, and the executors, administrators, or assigns of any such person, shall, upon complying with the provisions of the copyright law, have the sole liberty of printing, reprinting, publishing, completing, copying, executing, finishing, and vending the same; and in the case of a dramatic composition, of publicly performing or representing it, or causing it to be performed or represented by others. And authors may reserve the right to dramatize or translate their own works.

Copyrights are granted for the term of twenty-eight years, and the author, inventor, or designer, if he be still living, and a citizen of the United States, or a resident therein, or his widow or children, if he be dead, may have the exclusive right further continued for a term of fourteen years. The successive steps for securing a certificate of copyright are as follows:

1. Before publication a printed title of the book or other article, or (as the case may be) a description of the painting, drawing, chromo,

The words "engraving," cut," and "print" are applied only to pictorial illustrations, or work connected with the fine arts, and no prints or labels designed to be used for any other articles of manufacture can be entered under the copyright law, but may be registered in the Patent Office. The Commissioner of Patents has supervision and control of the entry or registry of such prints or labels, in conformity with the regulations provided by law as to copyright or prints, except that the fee for recording the title of any print or label not a trade-mark is six dollars, which covers the expense of furnishing a copy of the record, under the seal of the Commissioner of Patents, to the party entering the same.