It is difficult to say whether this was or was not for Bok the turning-point which comes in the life of every young man.Where the venture into theatrical life would have led him no one can, of course, say.One thing is certain: Bok's instinct and reason both failed him in this instance.He believes now that had his venture into the theatrical field been temporary or permanent, the experiment, either way, would have been disastrous.
Looking back and viewing the theatrical profession even as it was in that day (of a much higher order than now), he is convinced he would never have been happy in it.He might have found this out in a year or more, after the novelty of travelling had worn off, and asked release from his contract; in that case he would have broken his line of progress in the publishing business.From whatever viewpoint he has looked back upon this, which he now believes to have been the crisis in his life, he is convinced that his mother's instinct saved him from a grievous mistake.
The Scribner house, in its foreign-book department, had imported some copies of Bourrienne's Life of Napoleon, and a set had found its way to Bok's desk for advertising purposes.He took the books home to glance them over, found himself interested, and sat up half the night to read them.Then he took the set to the editor of the New York Star, and suggested that such a book warranted a special review, and offered to leave the work for the literary editor.
"You have read the books?" asked the editor.
"Every word," returned Bok.
"Then, why don't you write the review?" suggested the editor.
This was a new thought to Bok."Never wrote a review," he said.
"Try it," answered the editor."Write a column.""A column wouldn't scratch the surface of this book," suggested the embryo reviewer.
"Well, give it what it is worth," returned the editor.
Bok did.He wrote a page of the paper.
"Too much, too much," said the editor."Heavens, man, we've got to get some news into this paper.""Very well," returned the reviewer."Read it, and cut it where you like.
That's the way I see the book."
And next Sunday the review appeared, word for word, as Bok had written it.His first review had successfully passed!
But Bok was really happiest in that part of his work which concerned itself with the writing of advertisements.The science of advertisement writing, which meant to him the capacity to say much in little space, appealed strongly.He found himself more honestly attracted to this than to the writing of his literary letter, his editorials, or his book reviewing, of which he was now doing a good deal.He determined to follow where his bent led; he studied the mechanics of unusual advertisements wherever he saw them; he eagerly sought a knowledge of typography and its best handling in an advertisement, and of the value and relation of illustrations to text.He perceived that his work along these lines seemed to give satisfaction to his employers, since they placed more of it in his hands to do; and he sought in every way to become proficient in the art.
To publishers whose advertisements he secured for the periodicals in his charge, he made suggestions for the improvement of their announcements, and found his suggestions accepted.He early saw the value of white space as one of the most effective factors in advertising; but this was a difficult argument, he soon found, to convey successfully to others.Awhite space in an advertisement was to the average publisher something to fill up; Bok saw in it something to cherish for its effectiveness.
But he never got very far with his idea: he could not convince (perhaps because he failed to express his ideas convincingly) his advertisers of what he felt and believed so strongly.
An occasion came in which he was permitted to prove his contention.The Scribners had published Andrew Carnegie's volume, Triumphant Democracy, and the author desired that some special advertising should be done in addition to that allowed by the appropriation made by the house.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.
