A very large and profitable branch of the publishing business is that known as Commission business, in which the author defrays the whole expense of production, and pays the publisher for his services as agent between him and the public.

Only those who have access to sources of information know how largely it is the custom to publish in this way. It is often the only method to be employed in dealing with philosophical, scientific, and technical works; it is nearly always the only method of publishing poetry; it is also responsible (as has before been said) for at least threequarters of modern fiction.

If the agreement is fairly drawn and honestly carried out this method is just, and applicable to any form of literary propert. Moreover, it has more than once been found, with slight modifications, to be the method by which the best pecuniary returns are secured to the author, at the price, however, of a great deal of trouble, which it would be impossible for any but a man of leisure to allow himself to incur. Reference especially is made to cases where the author has the work printed at his own expense, takes it to a publisher, and says, “Sell these books for so much each and account to me for so much on each copy; keep the rest for your services.” This entails upon the author a great deal of trouble, and presupposes in him considerable business knowledge, while none but a really good book would ever be issued by a publisher for him on such terms, unless the percentage surrendered were so high as practically to annul the benefits of the method.