Item 39 - Draft appeal by R. B. McKerrow on behalf of the Review of English Studies

3 single sheets

The number of pages in each issue needs to be increased in order to accommodate more reviews, and this will require an increase in the number of subscribers. It is therefore proposed to introduce a special reduced rate for new subscribers in certain classes.

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Transcript

May I make an appeal to the friends of R.E.S.?

The Review at present just pays its way. That is to say, its sales, and advertisements, cover the cost of print, paper and postage, allowing nothing for contributors, or for editorial or office expenses. It has not, however, repaid the inevitable loss on the earlier volumes when the subscription-list was of course smaller than at present. That is perhaps all that can be expected from a ‘learned’ publication, and in a way may be considered as satisfactory, especially as the subscriptions are still gradually increasing in number.

A difficulty has, however, arisen. I have always done my best to obtain and print adequate reviews of all the more important books falling within our subject, but to do this requires much space, especially as the number of such books seems constantly to increase! The result is that we are getting more and more behindhand with the reviews in spite of the larger proportion of the journal which has of late been given up to them, which in its turn has meant refusing or delaying a number of articles which ought to have been printed and printed quickly. I can see no way of improving matters except by increasing the number of pages of each issue. If it were possible to add another 32 or even 16 pages we might, I think, get and perhaps even keep level with the reviews without trenching too much on the space which should be devoted to the articles. But to do this means an increase of at least another 100 subscribers. Will those who can persuade any of their friends to subscribe kindly do so?

In the mean time we propose to try an experiment.

When R.E.S. was started the subscription was fixed at the very low price of 10s. 6d. for the four issues, in the hope that this would enable many students of English to subscribe and that they would be sufficiently interested to do so. We found however that hardly any of the class whom we hoped to attract subscribed and in order to make it possible to continue at all we had to double the price.* [Footnote: ‘*I am glad to say that hardly anyone dropped their subscription on account of the increase.’] Practically every university and college which attached any importance to English studies took it at once, and there are now few general libraries of any importance in English speaking countries which are not on our list of subscribers, but the number of such libraries is limited. A guinea a year is, as things are, a fairly high subscription and though one can I think fairly expect Professors of English to be willing to spare so much for the only English periodical devoted entirely to their subject, the subscription is no doubt high for the average student or junior member of an English staff.

What we propose therefore is to make a special subscription price of 10s. 6d for new subscribers who are either at present students of English at any recognized institution (below the rank of Professor), or have taken a first degree in English not more than 5 years previously—provided that such persons subscribe direct on the form herewith

I apply for R.E.S. at the special subscription rate of 10s. 6d. on the ground that I am {1}

(a) I am [a] student of English at —— (name of College or other Institution)

(b) I am a member of the staff of the English Department at —— and below the rank of Professor

(c) I took a first degree in English (i.e. B.A. in England, M.A. in Scotland, or a corresponding degree elsewhere) in — (date, which must be not more than 5 years ago).

And I declare that I have not previously or at least during the last two years subscribed to R.E.S., either direct or through any bookseller or other agent.

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{1} These two words are superfluous.