Vanguard Press in 1935

Does anyone have any suggestions for finding out the size of a run for
an unsuccessful book? I have a book that they printed in 1935 (Hedwig
by Vance Randolph) and am curious about how many copies are in
existence.

I contacted Vanguard Press (via letter) and have been ignored (yeah,
big surprise). I understand that the industry likes to keep those
numbers secret, but hope that someone has a general idea of the number
of copies "normally" printed for a first run. The author was
successful with the "Little Blue Books" and some anthologies of folk
tales, but this was his first and only incursion into fiction.

Thanks for any help.

Sam wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions for finding out the size of a run for
an unsuccessful book? I have a book that they printed in 1935 (Hedwig
by Vance Randolph) and am curious about how many copies are in
existence.

I contacted Vanguard Press (via letter) and have been ignored (yeah,
big surprise). I understand that the industry likes to keep those
numbers secret, but hope that someone has a general idea of the number
of copies "normally" printed for a first run. The author was
successful with the "Little Blue Books" and some anthologies of folk
tales, but this was his first and only incursion into fiction.

Thanks for any help.


Unfortunately, I cannot give you any help on the exact question you ask. I can
only add complications. There is no normal number for a first printing. The
number depends on several factors. A new author will get fewer books printed
than a published author who will get fewer books printed than a best selling
author, EXCEPT THAT if the new author is writing about some especially
titallating subject - the Kennedys, Diana, Jack the Ripper, some conspiracy or
other - the number of books printed goes up dramatically.

Of course, books printed do not translate into books sold, and all too often,
books unsold translates into remainders followed by pulping of the remainder of
the remainders. So, without knowing the pulping number, even if you know the
printed number, you have only one point on the chart.

But then I look at the Vanguard Press web site, and see the words "A unique
collaboration between publisher and author." That can mean anything, including
vanity printing. When I read the section "About Vanguard Press", I did not get
the feeling that it was a vanity publisher; on the other hand, I wasn't sure
what it is.

So I went to AddALL.com, and looked for your book. Nothing. Absolutely
nothing, even though the system canvasses about 15 major on line sellers. At
least you can say it is rare. Of course, without demand, rarity is nothing.


Francis A. Miniter

"Francis A. Miniter" wrote in message
news:47730fc0@kcnews01...
Sam wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions for finding out the size of a run for
an unsuccessful book? I have a book that they printed in 1935 (Hedwig
by Vance Randolph) and am curious about how many copies are in
existence.

I contacted Vanguard Press (via letter) and have been ignored (yeah,
big surprise). I understand that the industry likes to keep those
numbers secret, but hope that someone has a general idea of the number
of copies "normally" printed for a first run. The author was
successful with the "Little Blue Books" and some anthologies of folk
tales, but this was his first and only incursion into fiction.

Thanks for any help.


Unfortunately, I cannot give you any help on the exact question you ask.
I can only add complications. There is no normal number for a first
printing. The number depends on several factors. A new author will get
fewer books printed than a published author who will get fewer books
printed than a best selling author, EXCEPT THAT if the new author is
writing about some especially titallating subject - the Kennedys, Diana,
Jack the Ripper, some conspiracy or other - the number of books printed
goes up dramatically.

Of course, books printed do not translate into books sold, and all too
often, books unsold translates into remainders followed by pulping of the
remainder of the remainders. So, without knowing the pulping number, even
if you know the printed number, you have only one point on the chart.

But then I look at the Vanguard Press web site, and see the words "A
unique collaboration between publisher and author." That can mean
anything, including vanity printing. When I read the section "About
Vanguard Press", I did not get the feeling that it was a vanity publisher;
on the other hand, I wasn't sure what it is.


http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries...ard/index.html



So I went to AddALL.com, and looked for your book. Nothing. Absolutely
nothing, even though the system canvasses about 15 major on line sellers.
At least you can say it is rare. Of course, without demand, rarity is
nothing.


Francis A. Miniter

I'm not sure either about Vanguard. My wife collects Joyce Carol
Oates and many of her novels were printed by them (including "Them"
which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1970).

Most of Randolph's works regard Ozark folklore (I have lived in the
Ozarks since 1950) which includes his national best seller "****ing in
the Snow". Yes, the title might have added to its popularity but it
is an amusing book of short tales and stories.

I did pay a premium to collect this book, but it was the only copy I
had seen in five years and "I wanted it" to put in my collection (yes,
I'm a completist by nature).

I also collect Harold Bell Wright (I'm almost embarrassed to admit).
Wright put my hometown of Branson, Missouri on the map with his novel
"Shepherd of the Hills" and his influence is still felt in this
"family tourist destination". His novels were extremely popular from
about 1910-1925 and are great reading (for 5th graders, maybe).

"Harold Bell Wright (May 4, 1872 - May 24, 1944) was a best-selling
American writer of fiction, essays, and non-fiction during the first
half of the 20th century. Although mostly forgotten or ignored after
the middle of the 20th century, he is said to have been the first
American writer to sell a million copies of a novel and the first to
make $1 million from writing fiction." (from Wikipedia)

Sam wrote:

I'm not sure either about Vanguard. My wife collects Joyce Carol
Oates and many of her novels were printed by them (including "Them"
which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1970).

Most of Randolph's works regard Ozark folklore (I have lived in the
Ozarks since 1950) which includes his national best seller "****ing in
the Snow". Yes, the title might have added to its popularity but it
is an amusing book of short tales and stories.

I did pay a premium to collect this book, but it was the only copy I
had seen in five years and "I wanted it" to put in my collection (yes,
I'm a completist by nature).

I also collect Harold Bell Wright (I'm almost embarrassed to admit).
Wright put my hometown of Branson, Missouri on the map with his novel
"Shepherd of the Hills" and his influence is still felt in this
"family tourist destination". His novels were extremely popular from
about 1910-1925 and are great reading (for 5th graders, maybe).

"Harold Bell Wright (May 4, 1872 - May 24, 1944) was a best-selling
American writer of fiction, essays, and non-fiction during the first
half of the 20th century. Although mostly forgotten or ignored after
the middle of the 20th century, he is said to have been the first
American writer to sell a million copies of a novel and the first to
make $1 million from writing fiction." (from Wikipedia)




I actually have five of Harold Bell Wright's books, partly, because my mother
collected his work and I just continued that. I must say that the first and
last chapters of "When a Man's A Man" contain some of the unintentionally
funniest lines in American literature. It is interesting to see how his
popularity plummeted, while that of his contemporary, Willa Cather, just
continued to slowly rise. He must at one time have resonated with the values of
Americans, but that is no longer the case.


Francis A. Miniter