A white space in an advertisement was to the average publisher something to fill up; Bok saw in it something to cherish for its effectiveness.

But he never got very far with his idea: he could not convince (perhaps because he failed to express his ideas convincingly) his advertisers of what he felt and believed so strongly.
An occasion came in which he was permitted to prove his contention.
The Scribners had published Andrew Carnegie's volume, _Triumphant Democracy_, and the author desired that some special advertising should be done in addition to that allowed by the appropriation made by the house.

To Bok's grateful ears came the injunction from the steel magnate: "Use plenty of white space." In conjunction with Mr.
Doubleday, Bok prepared and issued this extra advertising, and for once, at least, the wisdom of using white space was demonstrated.

But it was only a flash in the pan.

Publishers were unwilling to pay for "unused space," as they termed it.