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prepare snappy copy for you； and place it in large circulation mediums。
Now the war's over； you ought to prepare some constructive campaign for
bigger business。〃
The bookseller's face beamed。 He put down his cookbook； blew an
expanding gust of smoke； and looked up brightly。
〃My dear chap；〃 he said； 〃I don't do any advertising。〃
〃Impossible！〃 cried the other； aghast as at some gratuitous indecency。
〃Not in the sense you mean。 Such advertising as benefits me most is
done for me by the snappiest copywriters in the business。〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
〃I suppose you refer to Whitewash and Gilt？〃 said Mr。 Gilbert
wistfully。
〃Not at all。 The people who are doing my advertising are Stevenson；
Browning； Conrad and Company。〃
〃Dear me；〃 said the Grey…Matter solicitor。 〃I don't know that agency
at all。 Still； I doubt if their copy has more pep than ours。〃
〃I don't think you get me。 I mean that my advertising is done by the
books I sell。 If I sell a man a book by Stevenson or Conrad； a book that
delights or terrifies him； that man and that book become my living
advertisements。〃
〃But that word…of…mouth advertising is exploded；〃 said Gilbert。 〃You
can't get Distribution that way。
You've got to keep your trademark before the public。〃
〃By the bones of Tauchnitz！〃 cried Mifflin。 〃Look here； you wouldn't
go to a doctor； a medical specialist； and tell him he ought to advertise in
papers and magazines？ A doctor is advertised by the bodies he cures。 My
business is advertised by the minds I stimulate。 And let me tell you that
the book business is different from other trades。 People don't know they
want books。 I can see just by looking at you that your mind is ill for lack
of books but you are blissfully unaware of it！ People don't go to a
bookseller until some serious mental accident or disease makes them
aware of their danger。 Then they come here。 For me to advertise would
be about as useful as telling people who feel perfectly well that they ought
to go to the doctor。 Do you know why people are reading more books now
than ever before？ Because the terrific catastrophe of the war has made
them realize that their minds are ill。 The world was suffering from all
sorts of mental fevers and aches and disorders； and never knew it。 Now
our mental pangs are only too manifest。 We are all reading； hungrily；
hastily； trying to find outafter the trouble is overwhat was the matter
with our minds。〃
The little bookseller was standing up now； and his visitor watched him
with mingled amusement and alarm。
〃You know；〃 said Mifflin； 〃I am interested that you should have
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
thought it worth while to come in here。 It reinforces my conviction of
the amazing future ahead of the book business。 But I tell you that future
lies not merely in systematizing it as a trade。 It lies in dignifying it as a
profession。 It is small use to jeer at the public for craving shoddy books；
quack books； untrue books。 Physician； cure thyself！ Let the bookseller
learn to know and revere good books； he will teach the customer。 The
hunger for good books is more general and more insistent than you would
dream。 But it is still in a way subconscious。 People need books； but they
don't know they need them。 Generally they are not aware that the books
they need are in existence。〃
〃Why wouldn't advertising be the way to let them know？〃 asked the
young man； rather acutely。
〃My dear chap； I understand the value of advertising。 But in my own
case it would be futile。 I am not a dealer in merchandise but a specialist
in adjusting the book to the human need。 Between ourselves； there is no
such thing； abstractly； as a ‘good' book。 A book is ‘good' only when it
meets some human hunger or refutes some human error。 A book that is
good for me would very likely be punk for you。 My pleasure is to
prescribe books for such patients as drop in here and are willing to tell me
their symptoms。 Some people have let their reading faculties decay so
that all I can do is hold a post mortem on them。 But most are still open to
treatment。 There is no one so grateful as the man to whom you have given
just the book his soul needed and he never knew it。 No advertisement on
earth is as potent as a grateful customer。
〃I will tell you another reason why I don't advertise；〃 he continued。
〃In these days when everyone keeps his trademark before the public； as
you call it； not to advertise is the most original and startling thing one can
do to attract attention。 It was the fact that I do NOT advertise that drew
you here。 And everyone who comes here thinks he has discovered the
place himself。 He goes and tells his friends about the book asylum run by
a crank and a lunatic； and they come here in turn to see what it is like。〃
〃I should like to come here again myself and browse about；〃 said the
advertising agent。 〃I should like to have you prescribe for me。〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
〃The first thing needed is to acquire a sense of pity。 The world has
been printing books for 450 years； and yet gunpowder still has a wider
circulation。 Never mind！ Printer's ink is the greater explosive： it will
win。 Yes； I have a few of the good books here。 There are only about
30；000 really important books in the world。 I suppose about 5；000 of them
were written in the English language； and 5；000 more have been
translated。〃
〃You are open in the evenings？〃
〃Until ten o'clock。 A great many of my best customers are those who
are at work all day and can only visit bookshops at night。 The real book…
lovers； you know； are generally among the humbler classes。 A man who is
impassioned with books has little time or patience to grow rich by
concocting schemes for cozening his fellows。〃
The little bookseller's bald