186
The Publishing Ministry
of the cause and the capital required to keep the business moving.
They do not understand the liability to losses and the expense every
day occurring to such institutions. They seem to think that everything
moves off without much care or outlay of means, and therefore they
will urge the necessity of the lowest figures on our publications, thus
leaving scarcely any margin. And after the prices have been reduced to
almost ruinous figures, they manifest but a feeble interest in increasing
the sales of the very books on which they have asked such low prices.
The object gained, their burden ceases, when they ought to have an
earnest interest and a real care to press the sale of the publications,
thereby sowing the seeds of truth and bringing means into the offices
to invest in other publications.
There has been a very great neglect of duty on the part of ministers
[215]
in not interesting the churches in the localities where they labor, in
regard to this matter. When once the prices of books are reduced, it
is a very difficult matter to get them again upon a paying basis, as
men of narrow minds will cry, Speculation, not discerning that no
one man is benefited, and that God’s instrumentalities must not be
crippled for want of capital. Books that ought to be widely circulated
are lying useless in our offices of publication because there is not
interest enough manifested to get them circulated.—
Testimonies for
the Church 4:388, 389
.
Book Making Must Be Simplified—Our book-making business
must be simplified. Trust in God rather than go down to Egypt to
consult idolaters.... Expensive books are not to be brought out so
freely as they have been. There are books which are not worthy of the
consideration given them.—
Manuscript 131, 1899
.
Illustrations Choice Rather Than Numerous—I would not alto-
gether condemn the use of pictures, but let fewer be used, and only such
as are good illustrations of the subject. Bear in mind that illustrations
should be choice rather than numerous.—
Letter 18, 1897
.
Avoid Passion for Illustrations—I have been instructed that there
would be a tendency on the part of some to strive for the supremacy in
the matter of profusely illustrating books in which there was but little
reading. One would strive to excel the other, and a wrong condition of
things would be brought about. The passion for illustrations coming
in was causing jealousy and envy, threatening the success of the book
business as a whole. Everything of this order must be bound about. If