Book Sales and Illustrations
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using illustrations that men, women, and children will make sport
of.—
Manuscript 23, 1896
.
Author to See Illustrations Before Publication—Would it not
be best to submit anything so important as illustrations to the writer
before publishing?—
Letter 102a, 1896
.
Costly Illustrations and Long Delays—Our books are being
filled with expensive pictures, and this makes them too costly to give
away, and too costly for those persons to buy who need them most. The
matter of illustrating is being carried to extremes. The extra money put
into the cover of a book, or into pictures, will not convert the soul to
the truths that are contained in the book. That so much space should be
occupied with pictures is not in the order of God. There have been long
delays in the publication of our works waiting for illustrations—delays
that could be ill afforded and which have kept from the people the
truths which they should have had.—
Manuscript 131, 1899
.
Too Many Illustrations in The Desire of Ages [
The first subscrip-
tion edition of The Desire of Ages, published in 1898, the year before
the above testimony was written, was lavishly illustrated and its pur-
chase beyond the pocketbook of the average man. It was Ellen White’s
intention that The Desire of Ages should be placed in every home.
And this could not be when the price of the book was so high.
]—It is
too late, altogether too late, to depend upon the expensive covers of a
book, or its abundant illustrations, for its sale. It is enough, without any
explanation, to say that God has not inspired this enthusiasm regarding
illustrations. Had I the Desire of Ages to publish now, the showing
would be entirely different. The books that the people need should be
issued free from all display. The saving of the thousands of dollars
expended in illustrations would make it possible for the books to be
sold at a price that would enable many to obtain them. The Lord has
not inspired this enthusiasm.—
Letter 133, 1899
.
[219]
Good Illustrations No Detriment—Do not read in public the
letters I have written in regard to the illustrations of The Desire of
Ages. There are minds that cannot comprehend the matter, and they
think the book is condemned because [it is] profusely illustrated. Satan
takes any word of which he can make a handle and so presents it before
minds that they come to strange conclusions.