Existing comment:
The Innocents Abroad prospectus carrying case used by salesman William Aldrich, ca 1870
Like many books of the day, Innocents was sold by subscription. Traveling salesmen would sign up subscribers, offering them the option of customizing their purchase. While some of the early reviews of Innocents found its irreverence and sarcasm offensive, most reviews were positive, and those positive reviews propelled the book's sales. During its first 18 months, it sold over 82,000 copies by subscription; by 1879, there were more than 150,000 copies in print. Twain's career as an author was launched |