circularized, and "follow up" letters used here also to
bring orders.

An important form of publicity is that which has grown up as a result
of the interest shown by readers, especially in America, in the
personality of authors and the desire to know what is happening in the
world of books. This very natural and legitimate curiosity affords the
publisher a chance to push his products forward in an unobtrusive way.
Because it is to all appearances unbiased, it wields quite a deal of
influence, especially in building up the reputation of an author.
Every paper that pretends to any literary standing prints regularly or
occasionally a column of Literary Chat, in which is given brief news
of authors and books. There will perhaps be a humorous anecdote of the
author of a prominent novel, a brief summary of a book shortly to be
issued, some comment by a well-known person on a well-known book, a
biographical sketch of a new author, a telling extract from a book of
serious value, a note that "The Return from Davy Jones" is in its
_n_th edition--all of it really news and of interest. Some newspapers
write their own chat, but the majority print, with small alteration,
such as is furnished by the publicity departments of publishing
houses, which send out weekly or monthly printed or typewritten sheets
of such brief items. In this way Donan Coyle as the author of "The
Return from Davy Jones" is kept before the public. The public also has
a legitimate desire to know something of the appearance of the author
of a popular novel or important books of essays, and the newspaper
reviewer frequently wishes to print a portrait with his review. Here
the publicity department steps in and helps him, by furnishing
suitable electrotype portraits upon request, and not infrequently, by
sending out proofs with interesting notes, suggests the use of the
portrait. The relation between a literary editor who wants to print
the book news and a manager of publicity is a mutually beneficial one.
If they cooeperate thus, they can be of great assistance to each other,
and in the exchange each one gets value received. By a thousand little
methods and devices the person in charge of publicity can furnish
desired information and get this undersurface publicity, and by
putting out _bona-fide_ news and really good stories about them, bring
even his lesser light authors into prominence. In this field, as in
all others, the well-known authors advertise themselves a