Pamphlets intended to educate book agents in the manner and process of selling books through canvassing speak, for instance, of the virtues of subscription books. "Almost invariably . . . works of solid information," they circulate "principally among that class who seldom or never enter a bookstore, who live remote from cities, and who . . . would be destitute entirely of the wisdom which their pages impart." They describe techniques for obtaining subscriptions, telling the agent to "first make . . . the acquaintance of a few of the leading men and induce . . . them to subscribe, which he can easily do, if his book is worthy, and he has the right social and persuasive qualities." The agent must "paint vividly upon the imagination an impression that the book is of a deeply interesting character, and filled with useful information." Standard salesmanship, this pamphlet advises "a pleasant manner of approaching men," never losing one's temper, and perseverance and system, "going at it as . . . [at] a day's work, losing no time." Agents learn that "[h]undreds of persons will subscribe when books are presented to them at home, who never would think of purchasing at a regular bookstore." The virtues of subscription over direct sales, "because most persons are more ready to engage to pay the money at a future time for an article than to purchase it now," lead to advice to "rely principally on men of moderate means and small libraries . . . and especially upon mechanics and the farming population." Women--"the ladies"--"will often buy when the men will not, and indeed, it is often the case, that a . . . lady takes more interest in books than her husband."

This little pamphlet provides the harried book agent with specific speeches to use in answering a variety of objections.

These brochures were included as part of the canvassing outfits for each of the books to which they refer. Written specifically for the works being canvassed, they provide both text and stage directions for selling that title. They are similar to the sales speech slips often bound into the actual canvassing book for the agent to memorize and then discard. The presentation, or "Description," is for the canvassing book, or "Prospectus," only. Agents are warned not to use it with the complete work. Interestingly, these brochures contain no reference to the publisher or anything else that would identify them if lost or misplaced. However, both of them look very similar and may have originated with the firm of Fairbanks, Palmer, and Company, of New York and Chicago.

Printed testimonials, a popular means of convincing prospective purchasers of the worthiness of the work they were perusing, were generally obtained by giving the work to a variety of well-known and influential individuals and requesting their opinions about the work. Whether or not the testimonial writers felt an obligation to speak kindly of the work so generously bestowed upon them, one can assume that much of the glowing praise comes from the distinction of being asked for one's opinion. Publishers still put such blurbs on books today, and for exactly the same reason.

The owner of this canvassing book on how to be successful was a savvy agent. Even though the publisher had included numerous printed testimonials in the canvassing book, the agent took it upon himself to obtain many additional handwritten testimonials, as well. These include three separate letters of recommendation and five recommendations written on five different subscription leaves. They are meant to impress subscribers, whose names were thus mingled with those of the leaders of their community.

Frightening people can sometimes work as a successful sales ploy. Both the binding and the "How to sell" brochure employ scare tactics to sell this sensationalizing work on prostitution. The "How to sell" brochure enjoins agents to note "that any man or woman, youth or maiden, if they knew what this book tells them, may be saved from years of sorrow and disgrace." Ignoring its message means that prospective buyers may endanger themselves and their families. The work also attempts to sell itself through the choice of serious authors whose names and affiliations are on the title page to impress prospective buyers. Finally, of course, the thrill of reading about prostitution and international white slave traders, though left inexplicit, is perhaps the greatest sales ploy that undergirds this exploitative publication.