tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post3794587032442789090..comments2024-03-28T04:26:30.557-05:00Comments on Boston 1775: Was Three Shillings Too Much to Ask?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-45046733771329022872011-10-27T22:23:49.873-05:002011-10-27T22:23:49.873-05:00I’m not sure what John Andrews’s £100 value for th...I’m not sure what John Andrews’s £100 value for the manuscript means. For one thing, when Andrews passes on rumors with numbers in them, they’re often about double what the reality turned out to be. And for another, I don’t know how the London publishing world worked then. But clearly Andrews felt that there would be demand for Phillis Wheatley’s work in London, either from printers, from their patrons (i.e., Lady Huntingdon), or from their customers.J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-16413328766915716912011-10-27T11:30:19.901-05:002011-10-27T11:30:19.901-05:00Looking at this entire series -- and at John Andre...Looking at this entire series -- and at John Andrews' letter in its entirety -- it doesn't appear that racism is preventing the publication of Phillis Wheatley's poems. In fact, according to Andrews, it was impossible to sell the poems to a London publisher when it was supposed that the author was white; it was only after it was certified that the author was a Negro that a publisher became interested.<br /><br />As John has demonstrated, the proposed 3 shilling price was high for the American market. But it was probably not too high for the London market. But customers in London would have been reluctant to buy an expensive book published in the colonies. Publishing it in London would guarantee it the largest possible audience, and greatest revenue, in the English-speaking world.<br /><br />Later in Andrews' letter he states "it is supposed the Coppy will sell for [L] 100 sterlg...." By that I assume that the gross revenue for the entire print run would be 100 pounds; divide that by 300 copies and you get 6 shillings, 8 pence per book. Or divide L 100 by 500 copies and you get 4 shillings each.<br /><br />(On the other hand, look at the long-term investment value: In today's market, a first edition of Phillis Wheatley's poems would be worth far more than any of those other books that John mentions!)Charles Bahnenoreply@blogger.com