To Bok's grateful ears came the injunction from the steel
magnate: "Use plenty of white space." In conjunction with Mr.
Doubleday, Bok prepared and issued this extra advertising, and for
once, at least, the wisdom of using white space was demonstrated. But
it was only a flash in the pan. Publishers were unwilling to pay for
"unused space," as they termed it. Each book was a separate unit,
others argued: it was not like advertising one article continuously in
which money could be invested; and only a limited amount could be spent
on a book which ran its course, even at its best, in a very short time.
And, rightly or wrongly, book advertising has continued much along the
same lines until the present day. In fact, in no department of
manufacturing or selling activity has there been so little progress
during the past fifty years as in bringing books to the notice of the
public. In all other lines, the producer has brought his wares to the
public, making it easier and still easier for it to obtain his goods,
while the public, if it wants a book, must still seek the book instead
of being sought by it.
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