The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-22
Reply to Many Letters.


duciiOn to literary employment" "What
shall / do in order TO get living by lit
eratme?" These inquiries, varied il
form, and accompanied by frank state
ments of personal circumstances, and
some times by earnest entreaties for sym
pathy and help, or special favor, form the
staple oil q certain proportion Of the let
tiers received by the editor OF magazine
4 They are all briefly answered, OF course
but the time which they demand Cannol
always be at the editors disposal. They
can al be answered In print, and here.
1t Is never hard Tor good writer TO gel
an introduction 10 a magazine. Such an
introduction rests entirely with himself
A personal presentation to the editor, or a
letter Of introduction counts for nothing,
To write an article so good that the edi.
tor must take It Is the best and quickest
introduction possible. II man cannot
write such an article as this, no other in
PRODUCTION v " be OF the value OF q straw.
II hc can, he will need no other. To an
editor, the discovery OF q tirstrate article
Is like the discovery OF diamond, and
the man who writes It finds himself rec.
ognised at once.
"But we do not know what will suit
you: tell US about the sort oil articles you
DESIRE" This statement goes unpleasant.
ly far to prove that you could not write
what would be suitable, even If the pos
sible task Of informing you were UNDER
taken. Good things are never written to
order. II you cannot suit magazine by
writing a thing in your own way, you
cannot suit 1t by trying TO conform to
some purpose or plan outside Of yourself.
One Of the most desirable things In
magazine is variety; and If there is any
thing characteristally piquant In writer's
style, or ingenius in his mode OF handling
subject, 1t wants just that. 1t cannot
tell what Il wants, any further than 10 say
that it wants the best it can get Of every
thing that is good.
On behalf OF the whole editorial fraler-
nifty, we protest against an idea very pre-
valent among young writers, that the &C.
ceptAnce Of articles for the press goes by
faVoritism, and that they arc refused
hearing simply because they are unknown
Some have resorted to tricks to ascertain
whether their manuscripts have ever been
opened and read. Let these writers be
assured that every Tymanuscript is taken up
with hope, and that If It Is not read
through by the editor, 1t is because It is
found TO be worthless in itself, and worth.
less TO him and for his purpose.
Getting living by literature Is a very
difficult business for anybody. Probably
there are not ten persons in America, out
Of salaried position, who get their living
by literature. These arc all, and neCes-
sarily, men and women OF culture, pecu-
liar gifts, experience, wide knowledge OF
men and things, and unwearied indus
try. Unless young man or woman go
into salaried position, involving con-
slant drudgery, there is no such thing for
them as getting living by literature. A
young man just out Of college, or
young woman just out OF school-nay,
those Of mAturer life, who find them
selves suddenly thrown upon their own
resources, and obliged TO cast about for
the means Of liviDg-can no more get
their living by literature than they can
fly. It takes long spprenticeship-a
process Of culture involving much time
and wide experience and patient prac-
tice to be able to get living by litera-
ture.
When the power TO write well Is &C.
quired, and the mind Is stored with mowl.
edge and fertile in original resources, what
then? The magazines Of America can
not possibly publish more than one in
twenty-five OF tho manuscripts written
for them. They could not do so il every
article were desirable. Few writer's can
find market for so many as dozen ar
ticles in year, and few would find II for
the permanent advantage OF their reputa'
ton 10 publish so many as dozen. To
get a living by outside writing for period
icals is so nearly impossible TO every man
whose capacity for work Is not great and
whose wants are not small, that Is is prac-
ticAlly useless 10 make any exceptions
whatever.
Every man with literary gifts and am.
bitions must work out his lie in his own
way, and he will do 80; but these persons
who turn to literature for living because
they find themselves shut of from other
resources, and those who seek an intro
duction to literary life because they fancy
writing, and do not think OF anything
else 10 do, would do well 10 learn that
there is no such thing as success for them.
Their hopes are vain, their labors will be
in vain, their disappointment Is sure. In
saying this, we would not be considered
as discouraging the cultivation Of litera-
ture among the young. No matter how
much they write, provided they do not
rely upon writing for livelihood. Even
II they should achieve moderate success,
they would find themselves so slowly
paid, and engaged in competition with
such host OF accustomed and accom-
plished writer, that their life and labor
would be unremunerative and unsatisfac.
torY.-Dr. d. @. HoIldndj Scri6ners for
August.
THAT GLOW ON MINTzER's NosE.-[By
Max Adeler. Before Mlntzer Joined the
Temperance society he would sometimes