The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-28
pnb1isI,er ON Nore1. and Noyelists.

Publisher on Novels and Novelists.
ct assure you, Mr.. Preen, 1t Is quite x
traordinary what plots of love and murder
one has brought to him. / know not a more
dangerous avocation than that OF reading
the copy of novels for q publisher. 1t quite
,1nsets the balance of mems minds. when
T commenced publishing ] employed lady
misunderstanding a profound respect Tor inc
sapacitv of the fair sex in these matLers. l
was obliged to discontinue them; Inc sen.
sational element in their finely-wrought
natures knew no bounds. Goodness. what
cony they did approve! 1t was all love,
suicide. divorce. murder, bigamy-In one
oosc o,linouiyamy. ! believe, Mr.. Preen,
vo,1r classical knowled- e and correct taste
,nnrove that word as indicating the case OF
n hero who had married not to say Two, Due
five ladies' ~
Bowinc assent. I replied, quoting Horace,
"Pictori bus, Prcenis, PnbIlsherihTs
Ouidllbct audendi semper fuit aqna potestas'
at would have seemed to me-" observed
+. "that the reading of novel manu-
scripts , ;u.ou
"Eycuse me, Mr.. Preen," said he, inter-
posing, "the professional term IS copy. !
know You like to be we'll posted"
"Thank you, thank you. p
Again nv publisher interrupted me-
LAYING his hand upon my shoulder. -.
mMr. Preen,' said he, "oncc more let
me correct you. The present lotlh pt a1-
| sent in polite English society IS ho' 'n''N
YOU but thanks"
"a was about to say that the reading OF
cony for novels shouldb be work well adapted
for ladies'" ILL w =
They stand it better than men. certainty
Pm free to admit that. Nothing seems 10
affect them ; nothing l. too strong lot then.;
| Not so the male brain; it gets dlsoroeIeu
in time. Madness. Precn. Screw gets
,noco horc hcrr-d'vc sce?" Che touched
his forrhpad.l GIVE sent three fellows to
Uanwell-mad. stark mad-always reading
ahout suicides. murders, divorces, blgamy,
forged wills. and such horrors"
"Dcar. dear !" exclaimed. "God hlcSs
me- Who'd have thought it What won
drrtul business organization this publishing
trade must be! So all the manuscript (Dcs
pardon. copy,) you receive mas TO De re!u.
sat in Judgment on professionally, mas III
No wonder the reader is prone TO maoncss;
But" said l, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. You qua
not get my copy read, Mr.. So-ana-oo' no"
was that: at
"Prccn." said he, in solemn voice, -
took Won on the character Of your looks.
pride myself on judgmcnt-knowlcdge OF
men and women-that sort of thing. spare
tho cony-readcr all I can. He's over
werked, poor gentleman. lodged of you
by your looks. Many ways OF forming
Judgment. First, personal looks; then
smell, Preen-SmeN ofcopy, that Is 10 say,
if copy smells of ~patchoull, Jockey cruz
bouquet, frangipani, any such nonsense,
toss it into that corner at once: NO more
reading. Second plan, color. Never knew
ANYTHING ND TO much written on pink
naner, ma,lvc paper, any fancy color
hnnnd together with pink. blue, mauVe. or
other fal-ae-ral bit of ribbon. Crested copy,
a"ain. all goes into that heap. Look there "
Inoiutingl-"se that c~opy-parer ike
n~astcboard, crested and. noticed. Haw,
how, copy we call that: all alike, rs
one pin to another. Club and public de-
partment paper again-post-ofhce paper
for eyample-toss aside; principle, my
friend. principle. Look. there's copy writ
fen ON paper Of your OWL c.tlb-thc Ira
,oI,ors; What business had ny fellow to
do that. | should like to low! 80 YOU
see. Prcen, weed the work for my reader.
make il light for him. Gentleman OF great
mental powers. my reader: profound cru
dition. tender conscicncc-dOmt mlld tell
inc YOU in acknowledgements iria!r
hiSh1p. He'll pasS nothing too SENSATIONAL
dnnnnd uDon it: let alone Immoral. NJ
voi,ur ladies committing murder II never
found out /: oh, dear, no. They'll be hang
ed. and no mistake"
found this conversational ven OF cSpc
cial interest. Ever anNloua 10 PICK W, Ut
formation. / listened with hated hFea'h u
The remarks Of this cXtraofdllarL man. aIl'
oven took the liberty Of asking hlut ScM'
do YOU not generally receive a priVat
note With coHy 1AH:""'CIld YOU asked me
T%aluablc. those notcs-judgc by Them"
"Haying few spare moments on hand
lust knocked oil 4 few ideas friends al
viscd to publish no objection 8: money nc
object !; 4 gentleman writing for gentlemen
sc. That's style number one. Into The
heap it goes. STYLE number two Core
spondent ~tlatters him>clt-tlatter. yourself
my boy. do you? 9, why the - do you
nattcr Yourself: Bad habit never read
farther than that-t0>S note into basket.
copy into heap
And the lady authors" l said-'' be-
pardon, authorcs>cS-is there any pecu'
fiarity in their method ct approach: How
do you deal by them"
He laughed.
"Don't call them authorcsscs, Prccn ;
they resent it-wou't have Il. Deal by
them. Prccn. did you say: That's an art
in itself. As long rs its matter Of CORE
spondcuce-notes-a woman'> no harder tc
tackle than a man but when it comes &c
calling. personal visits, ttte-a-tf!e, that sort
of thing, its the very. They've Il notion,
one and al. if they can drop down on
fellow suddenly, make eyes at him, talk
him over, smooth him along the grain. he,
Il gone coon. Suffered Il good deal that way
once, till l learned to dodge them. Mar
rowed my doorway; crinolincS couldn't
pass. Crinoline gone out. Narrowing il
still more, look there, dye see: Paint the
door-poSts once Il week Stick up notice,
wet paint '-ha ha. Ia ."-IInsicy's .NG'