Distribute our books (Letters, 1968)

1968 Correspondence

April

We are selling our books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3 in a set for $12.00, but a single book is $5.00

Letter to Nandarani, Dayananda -- New York 29 April, 1968: We are selling our books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3 in a set for $12.00, but a single book is $5.00.

May

Now you have to find out some person who can distribute our literature and other things. If we have no outlet for selling the books it will be a problem to get the new stock of books

Letter to Mukunda -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1968: Yes, I am keeping well by the Grace of my Guru Maharaja, and I am working also on Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as for a nice edition of Caitanya Caritamrta. The Teachings of Lord Caitanya is being printed, 5000 copies in Japan; and the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is being published by MacMillan Co. very shortly. The arrangement is complete and things are going on. Now you have to find out some person who can distribute our literature and other things. Sometimes you told me you can find out some man who can take charge of our distribution of literature, now please do it very seriously. Because if we have no outlet for selling the books it will be a problem to get the new stock of books. If there is nice distribution arrangement, then at least 2 to 4 books we can publish every year.

I am so glad that you are selling my books nicely. Yes, always try to sell our books and Back To Godhead, as far as possible. That is our main business

Letter to Gargamuni -- Allston, Mass 31 May, 1968: I am in receipt of your letter post-dated May 27, 1968, and I thank you very much for the check for $80.00 for my book account. I am so glad that you are selling my books nicely. Yes, always try to sell our books and Back To Godhead, as far as possible. That is our main business.

June

There will be no scarcity of money if we can sell our publications quickly after being printed. Then we can repeat the publication one right after another. The best process for selling books is to get them reviewed by various important papers

Letter to Gargamuni -- Montreal 7 June, 1968: Our Teachings of Lord Caitanya is going nicely and it will be out for sale by September, and as soon as I find this book is nicely printed, then I shall immediately begin printing our Srimad-Bhagavatam from these printing companies. I find their printing work very satisfactory. I have therefore stopped printing in India, but I shall require at least $5000.00 for printing each part of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Five parts of Srimad-Bhagavatam can be printed immediately. That means I require $25000.00. Anyway, Krishna will provide for this, but I shall request you to make your point either by selling or by contributing, you try to finance as far as possible for these great publications. I am advising the Japan printing company to send you directly 2500 copies of Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you can sell 2500 at $5.00 each, that will be $12500.00, so there will be no scarcity of money if we can sell our publications quickly after being printed. Then we can repeat the publication one right after another. The best process for selling books is to get them reviewed by various important papers. There are hundreds and thousands of influential papers in your country, and if they are reviewed, the books will be very quickly sold. Very soon you will get also six mrdangas, and other musical instruments from India. I think you are keeping a separate account of my books and as soon as you receive books, you just credit in the book account and whatever you pay, you may debit in the same way. That will keep clear the book account.

We want to distribute our literature and books within as well as our prasadam, and injecting our Hare Krishna medicine within the ear

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 27 June, 1968: I am very much pleased to hear of your good success in the park on Sunday. This is very much encouraging to me, to hear so many people are hearing the chanting, and philosophy, and also taking nice prasadam as well. Yes, it is very good, and you please continue with this sort of program! This system should be followed and you will be successful. Because in New York also Hamsaduta is following this system, holding Kirtana at Central Park every day, and he is collecting in the same way. All together he is collecting 50 to 70 dollars by contribution and by selling Back To Godhead. This is actually our successful propaganda. We want to distribute our literature and books within as well as our prasadam, and injecting our Hare Krishna medicine within the ear. So, reading of the literature and hearing of the chanting is the medicine, and prasadam is the diet. So, if diet and medicine are properly administered the disease of maya will be cured. But the physician must be always healthy. People may not say, physician is ill thyself. That means the preachers must be of highly elevated character, following strictly the rules and regulations and chanting regularly in the temple. There may be so many odds in the progressive march of Krishna Consciousness, but if we pin our faith in Krishna, everything will come out successful in due course.

July

Brahmacarinis cannot go, of course, for begging, but if some of them agree to go out and sell our books and literature, that will also be helpful

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 12 July, 1968: How you will maintain such a Brahmacarini asrama separately unless there is some source of income. I expected that the pictures painted by the Brahmacarinis would be a source of income to the society. If some arrangement for such sales organization can be made, then it will be a very excellent idea. The Brahmacarinis cannot go, of course, for begging, but if some of them agree to go out and sell our books and literature, that will also be helpful. Some source of income by honest endeavor must be there, otherwise, how a nice Brahmacarini asrama can be maintained?

Henceforward our plan should be to push Sankirtana and sell our publications. For books, Brahmananda, for magazine, Rayarama, for Sankirtana, Hamsaduta and Mukunda, and for suggestion, my humble self

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 17 July, 1968: We want Mrdangas very urgently because very soon we shall be going to London. Six devotees from the West coast and six devotees from the East coast, 12 for Kirtana besides my humble self, and one or two Brahmacaris. Henceforward our plan should be to push Sankirtana and sell our publications. For books, Brahmananda, for magazine, Rayarama, for Sankirtana, Hamsaduta and Mukunda, and for suggestion, my humble self. Please let us concentrate this integration and I am sure our movement will be successful.

Our only plan should be henceforward to spread the Sankirtana activities and sell our publications

Letter to Mukunda -- Montreal 17 July, 1968: Our only plan should be henceforward to spread the Sankirtana activities and sell our publications. Publication of Back To Godhead is entrusted to Rayarama, and for publication of books, Brahmananda is entrusted. For business Gargamuni is entrusted. So let us combinedly execute the Krishna Consciousness movement in full swing.

August

If we can sell our books and literature and have some collection from the public, then our economic problem is solved

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 19 August, 1968: Regarding collection from the park: Please try to get the permit. This will help us getting such permit in all other centers. This responsive contribution of our kirtana is very nice program for our propaganda. If you are successful in this matter, then there will be no difficulty about our financial position. If we can sell our books and literature and have some collection from the public, then our economic problem is solved. So try to get this permit with your great endeavor.

If Sankarsana can help us in selling our books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, it will be a great service to the society

Letter to Aniruddha -- Montreal 24 August, 1968: I received letters from Dayananda, and Nandarani, and I am going to reply them separately. Our Bhagavad-gita as it is, which is being published by MacMillan company will be ready by the end of October 1968, and I think Teachings of Lord Caitanya also will be ready by that time. So if Sankarsana can help us in selling our books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, it will be a great service to the society.

September

The distribution arrangement should be like this: That as soon as you get the first two thousand copies, you distribute to all the centers, according to the capacity

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968: The distribution arrangement should be like this: That as soon as you get the first two thousand copies, you distribute to all the centers, according to the capacity, and I think the first distribution can be made like this: 500 copies to San Francisco, 500 copies to New York, and balance 1000 copies to different centers. We have got now about 14 centers: New York, San Francisco, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Hawaii, and Florida, Seattle, and New Vrindaban. So if you distribute our books in that way, they can sell retail. I am sending Gaurasundara to Hawaii, and probably I shall send Cidananda to Florida. And I have received letter from Sivananda that in Germany, there is good prospect, and he is already trying to rent one very nice storefront, 300 marks rent per month. And two boys, Krishna das, and Uttama Sloka (a German boy) are going there very soon. So of course we do not expect to sell English books in Germany very much, but maybe somebody will be interested. But in England we can sell some books. So in this way, try to distribute and let us risk. But they must give us 60 days sight, and we shall take delivery 5000 copies in three installments. And they must allow us 50%, discount, not 47%. On these conditions you accept. And bank reference I shall give.

We shall not sell a single copy to the store. Our principle should be to sell books retail in the Kirtana, in our temple, or selling by going door to door, or, individual persons. Not a single book should be sold to the stores. The store selling they may organize: we don't mind

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968: We shall not sell a single copy to the store. Our principle should be to sell books retail in the Kirtana, in our temple, or selling by going door to door, or, individual persons. Not a single book should be sold to the stores. The store selling they may organize: we don't mind.

In Bombay, they can work on behalf of our society by selling magazines, securing advertisements for Back To Godhead, and selling our books. That will be their main business

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 17 September, 1968: The letter which I have sent yesterday to Jaya Govinda, a copy of which is enclosed herewith. Now you should clearly write to him that if both of them jointly work in Bombay, on behalf of ISKLET, and under clear direction from me, then they can remain in India, and you will give him the required indemnity letter. Otherwise they must return to Germany to assist Sivananda there. In Bombay, they can work on behalf of our society by selling magazines, securing advertisements for Back To Godhead, and selling our books. That will be their main business. So far learning a new language, Bengali or Hindi, etc., this is simply a waste of time; they aren't scholarly boys. Had they been scholarly then they would have prosecuted their mother tongue education very nicely. So anyone who is not scholarly cannot pick up any foreign language so quickly. And even if he picks up some broken words, that cannot be used for any purpose. So clearly advise them not to indulge in childish frivolities.

October

So Kirtana plus distribution of our books and literature is the basic principle of our success. Even if we do not have our own temple it does not matter, but if we can hold Kirtana 24 hours, and distribute our publications, that is our great success

Letter to Mukunda -- Seattle 1 October, 1968: So try to get immediately copies of Back To Godhead from New York and try to sell them in large quantities. That is our backbone. In meantime, our Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya are also coming out by the end of this month. So Kirtana plus distribution of our books and literature is the basic principle of our success. Even if we do not have our own temple it does not matter, but if we can hold Kirtana 24 hours, and distribute our publications, that is our great success.

November

By selling books and magazines, we shall have to maintain the family of our devotees, or the brahmacaris. That should be the ideal work

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 16 November, 1968: Regarding opening of the press, my idea is that unless we are fully independent, in all departmental works of the press, we should not attempt it. Your suggestion that the papers may be sent to Holland for binding is completely utopian. If we print we must bind ourselves also. This is not practical proposal that we shall print in our press, and send for binding in other countries. Therefore it is essential that some of our boys may learn about binding also. When we start our own press, we must simply print our own publications and magazines and books. We shall not accept any outside work, and by selling books and magazines, we shall have to maintain the family of our devotees, or the brahmacaris. That should be the ideal work. We shouldn't depend for maintaining the workers by accepting outside job works. So for the time being, the Dai Nippon business must be finished immediately. Then after getting Teachings of Lord Caitanya, along with Bhagavad-gita, we will try to start our own press by the sales proceeds.

Next month we are getting Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Dayala Nitai knows how to sell books, so both Dayala Nitai, yourself and the others, if you attempt to sell our books that will be the most glorious job

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 30 November, 1968: Why not organize the prasada program. That will be both spiritual propaganda and monetary gain also. Besides that I'll suggest instead of accepting job outside, why not try to sell our books? Bhagavad-gita is already published. If you want to sell, immediately ask Brahmananda to send you as many copies as you can sell and there also is a source of income. Next month we are getting Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Dayala Nitai knows how to sell books, so both Dayala Nitai, yourself and the others, if you attempt to sell our books that will be the most glorious job.

December

Please try to popularize this book throughout England as much as possible. Because if these books are read, there is no doubt that many sincere souls shall be attracted and will join you in your work for Krishna. So please try for selling these books, it shall be considered as the greatest service

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 1 December, 1968: Your idea of arranging meeting with all of the influential people who are interested in your activities is excellent suggestion and may prove very good results. So certainly Krishna is guiding you in your thoughts and activities. This is very nice, and all very encouraging to me. As you may have heard, our Bhagavad-gita As It Is is now published and can be ordered from the New York temple by writing to Brahmananda. Please try to popularize this book throughout England as much as possible. Because if these books are read, there is no doubt that many sincere souls shall be attracted and will join you in your work for Krishna. So please try for selling these books, it shall be considered as the greatest service.

My only suggestion for this selling is to get the books widely reviewed in different papers and that is the only standard method of promoting this publication

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 19 December, 1968: The bank balance's blank or vacancy already created by drawing out about $7,000 must be filled up by selling books as far as possible. My only suggestion for this selling is to get the books widely reviewed in different papers and that is the only standard method of promoting this publication. By such reviews as soon as there is some demand all the book sellers will purchase from the publisher at least three copies each. That is the way of propagating sales organization.

Page Title:	Distribute our books (Letters, 1968)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:	15 of jan, 2008
No. of Quotes:	18
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=18