Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-11-01

Literary human nature seldom pre-
sents new phases for observation and the
experience of Japanese Jeryf is proba-
bly, much the same as that of their
brethren of the press elsewhere. As
containing many truths which we would
commend to the consideration of our
readers and as saying many things as
much better than we could have hoped
to do, we publish the following taken
from a late number of the Hearth and
Home:
There exists an impression tolerably
well defined in the minds of people who
wish to write for the press, that the ac-
ceptance or rejection of their manuscripts
depends upon editorial partiality. fhey
fancy that their writings being accompan-
led by name that IS not known to fame,
are at once consigned to the waste-basket.
or returned to the author without having
been read.
The fact is, that nobody in the wide
world is quite so glad to get good article
as the editor is. IT it be bright, fresh,
breezy paper, precisely the thing he hap
pens to want, and if it comes from a new
contributor, he is doubly glad. Every
editor enjoys standing sponsor to some-
body who may make his mark in literature.
ments he has had to bear through his most
promising new contributors. Disappoint-
ments? Heartaches, rather There comes
along poem. Il story, a sketce, or an es-
say, SO sparkling, SO graceful, and SO alto
gether captivating in thought and style,
that the editorial soul, which, in spite OF
past experience, is hopeful and sanguine
still, rejoices in anticipation of all the
good things thatare yet to come from that
quarter. Alas, by strange fatality, i'm
.ff iNy1 fhn rsSo fail
of fuiillment. 1t is not that articles do
not come; they do; not singly, but in
squads and battaliOns. Hardly has the
first been printed before half dozen fol-
low it in rapid succession, and of the hall
dozen it very frequently chances that not
one in any way equals the frst.a fI''5}# Z.
In all kindness we would remind our
friends who favor us with their eontribu.
tiUns, that no market Is SO overcrOWded
with wares as the market to which they
have come. There are great many pa
pers. daily, weekly and monthly, and II
takes the productions of great many
hands and heads tc ill their columns; but
this, the supply far exceeds the demand.
There are great many people who
write nearly equally we'll, and so one mus
| be sure OF rather more than average excel
| fence, if. never having tried 1t before, he
enters the lists as writer for the press
| He must be very familiar with his theme
and be able to say old things about it in 9
way that shall make them seem new, ant
new things in a way that shall be forciblt
and striking, and he must know how tt
condense. This is very busy world o
ours, and what thou sayest, reader, mus
| be said quickly. Except ON rare and in
frequent occasions, nobody cares to lister
| to the man who cannot be brief. ~f
| A very common mistake among literary
aspirants is to suppose that they mus
have .sbeautiftil subject.'' Now beauti
full subjects per Sc are very delightful, bu
editorial eyes are apt to look upon then
with disfay0r, The more practical ant
everyday the topic, the more realistic th'
treatment, and She 'mofes will il recon
mend itself IN most sanctums. Mrs. Stow,
once said that the woman who shOult
| write really good article on the best wa,
to soothe fretfui baby, should be abso
lutely certain to find a place for it's publ
cation. But the dear little duck of VIC
man who knows how to do that never get
time to write for the paperst or. if she doe
is very likely to write profoundly on eth
sublime in Nature" or 'sThe SORROWS G
the Hopeless" .,..
With regard to making money by litei
ature, too, there exists a hallucinatiol
which we fear it is impossible to dispel
except by the hard logic of facts, Th
man or women who depends for dali
bread and tor needful clothing aud shelte
OH hap-haZard contributions to weekly Q
monthly literature, is leaning upon bur
die of reeds. Except in the case of tn
minority, who work at literature steadily
much as a carpenter does at his benci
for stated wages, the earnings of the liter
arv workmen are extremely preeariou!
and cannot oe counted upon as more tba
help, by way Of parenthesis, toward th
main end. .... .+y