North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-12-23
To Literary Aspiraiats.

1t Is the most astonishing thing that Der.
sons VINO have not sufficient education to
spell correctly, to punctuate properly, to
place capital letters in the right places,
should, when other means Of s,pport fail
send MSS. for publication. Now iefore ms
lies Just such Ms, accompanying which
letter requesting me to read the Ms,
give the writer my opinion of it, and hand
the same to the Ledger Office.
NOW, here IS my opinion. In the 6rst
place, every editor is crowded with offered
MSS, from all sources. Secondly, MANY
OF the writers would not mind Receiving
pay Tor the same, could they only see that
Ms, In print in certain journal that tbey
have selected. In fact, many times they
would rather pay for haring it Inserted
than to have it declined. This much for
the glut in the market.
| Then, after this, an editor makes his
own selections. 1t may be he has alreadv
sufficient corps Of contributors, and does
not care for, and will not entertain. anv
fresh applications. But suppose this il
| not the case. Suppose he looks over. OF
employs person to louk over these var
lous MSS. What chance, ask YOU, among
the myriads, has Ms, every other word
ofwhichis mis.-spelt, and which is wrongiv
punctuated, and without paragraphs or
capitals, and illegibly written beside, and.
c7Orniny bother Of ait,written on both sides
OF the page, over those which are lust the
reverse which are ho trouble to read.
which require no revision, and which c,n.
tain ideas as well as words?
Very wcll-after all thut-an editor has
to decide, among even these properly pre.
WI t..h &c
individual paper, about which he has, and
very properly, his own notions and ideas.
Now an article may be well written, and
yet not be the thing he wishes for his pa
per, although it might be the very thing
desired for another. Well-he Of course
rejects 1t, as he has un undoubted right to
do. lie could not carry on his paper or
magazine successfully OH any other prin.
ciple. lou would not ask grocer to buy
piece Of calico because you wanted
money for that calico. lie would imms.
diately say is is not in my line Of business;
can make no use of it. | an sorry you
arc in want of money-but business is
business. l will make you present Of
three or four dollars, as the case may be,
but your calico is Of no use to the.
Now you could see the force Of that;
why can't you he made to understand that
it Is just so, only grea. deal more so,wi,h
an editor7
Perhaps you say to me, "Ah, yoa for.
get the time when you began.' l beg
your pardon, but do not. Many weary
tramp l had; much pride put in my
pocket, and few pennies, even with the
advantage Of a good education and u
properly prepared MS, and the Initiation
of reading proof'-for my father, who
was an editor, when was not more than
twelve years old-before l succeeded.
1t is because l know it is because
have been behind the scenes, that tell
you plainly the preliminary steps to be
taken, before you "send MSS, for publica-
tion,' to any one.
Then, don't you see, it is not agreeable
to write thus to q person who quite puts
these preliminary steps out Of sight,
either through i ignorance or conceit my
Dear Sir, or my Dear Madam. this won:
do! you have neither education nor ideas.
This appears to them unteeling; but it is
not. 1t is doing such persons q much
greater kindness than you could do them
by Turing them on with the idea Of reward,
thus wasting their time, which might be
used successfully in other directions, only
to end in modification and disappoint.
ment.
History and Biography show that
perhaps you saw to me-many great men
and great writer's are deficient in spelling
and chirography. Yes, that is true; but
have you not admitted that they were
great writer's ~ An editor may be con.
tent to keep on sitting, if he is sure Of
hnding wheat; but when the result is only
chat, life is too short fer it; and his ne.
cessity to live, equally with your own, too
pressing.
write thus, because have scores of
applications of this kind, from which, for
the above reasons, l turn sorrowfully
away which l cannot answer personally,
because l have soft spot in my heart
which binders me from giving pain Or
modification so have dumped" them,
like coward. all together, and answered
chem all at once, at this safe distance!
FANNY FERN.