However，themostimportantquestionofallwiththemanoflettersasamanofbusiness，iswhatkindofbookwillsellthebestofitself，because，attheendoftheends，abooksellsitselfordoesnotsellatall；kissing，afterlongagesofreasoningandagreatdealofculture，stillgoesbyfavor，andthoughinnumerablegenerationsofhorseshavebeenledtowater，notonehorsehasyetbeenmadetodrink。Withthebest，ortheworst，willintheworld，nopublishercanforceabookintoacceptance。Advertisingwillnotavail，andreviewingisnotoriouslyfutile。Ifthebookdoesnotstrikethepopularfancy，ordealwithsomeuniversalinterest，whichneedbynomeansbeaprofoundorimportantone，thedrumsandthecymbalsshallbebeateninvain。Thebookmaybeoneofthebestandwisestbooksintheworld，butifithasnotthissortofappealinit，thereadersofit，andworseyet，thepurchasers，willremainfew，thoughfit。Thesecretofthis，likemostothersecretsofaratherridiculousworld，isintheawfulkeepingoffate，andwecanonlyhopetosurpriseitbysomeluckychance。
Toplanasurpriseofit，toaimabookatthepublicfavor，isthemosthopelessofallendeavors，asitisoneoftheunworthiest；andIcan，neitherasamanoflettersnorasamanofbusiness，counseltheyoungauthortodoit。Thebestthatyoucandoistowritethebookthatitgivesyouthemostpleasuretowrite，toputasmuchheartandsoulasyouhaveaboutyouintoit，andthenhopeashardasyoucantoreachtheheartandsoulofthegreatmultitudeofyourfellow—men。That，andthatalone，isgoodbusinessforamanofletters。
Thefailuresinliteraturearenolessmystifyingthanthesuccesses，thoughtheyareuponthewholenotsomortifying。I
haveseenagoodmanyofthesefailures，andIknowofonecasesosignalthatImustspeakofit，eventothediscreditofthepublic。Itisthecaseofanovelistwhoseworkseemstomeofthebestthatwehavedoneinthatsort，whosebooksrepresentourlifewithsingularforceandsingularinsight，andwhoseequipmentforhisart，throughstudy，travel，andtheworld，isoftherarest。Hehasastrong，robust，manlystyle；hisstoriesarewellknit，andhischaractersareofthefleshandbloodcomplexionwhichweknowinourdailyexperience；andyethehasfailedtoachieveoneofthefirstplacesinourliterature；ifI
namedhisnamehere，Iamafraidthatitwouldbequiteunknowntothegreatestpartofmyreaders。Ihaveneverbeenabletoaccountforhiswantofsuccess，exceptthroughthefactthathisstoriesdidnotpleasewomen，thoughwhytheydidnot，Icannotguess。TheydidnotlikethemforthesamereasonthattheydidnotlikeDr。Fell；andthatreasonwasquiteenoughforthem。Itmustbeenoughforhim，Iamafraid；butIbelievethatifthisauthorhadbeenwritinginacountrywheremendecidedthefateofbooks，thefateofhisbookswouldhavebeendifferent。