Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-07

somcthing amazing. l venture the asser-
tIon that there Is not an editor OF any
Newspaper or magazine oil national repu.
tation In the country who has not enough
contributions on hand 70 last bis publica-
ton year at least Robert Bonner,fear.
/ ing that bis son and successor may no,
be able to readily grasp the successful
l business methods Of his father, Is pro.
ydlng, against bis demise, at least three
years advance supply OF litorafy mate
rial.
II there is any one thing that the aver
age American imagines he can do better
than another IL Is 10 write a
readable newspaper article He may
not have had any previous Instruction In
the method OF how 10 20 about II. Bat
that small consideration he does not
deem essential. lie realizes that he must
learn how 10 build house or 10 draw up
deed before nc undertakes either Of
those tasks, but 20 strike twelve ut the
FIRST attempt Ia the business OF newspaper
or magazine writing hc.regards as a not.
at-all difficult thing 70 do. What, pray,
does be think we literary bucks have been
doing for the past dozen Yearsl How can
he, novice, attain mediocrity at single
bound, while the thousands of newspaper
toilcrs, after years Of experience, are still
unhcard Off Either he must argue him.
self a Socrates, or trained writer's fools.
Every leading editor in the country is
deluged with the product Of this Amer
lean literary activity. Much Of 1t is slush.
More Of II contains grain of wheat and
whole haystack of chat. A little OF II
is worth the edltor's time and attention.
Among the accepted contributions that
glut the ,pigeou-holes OF hundreds Of
editorial desks are many that will never,
and ought never, to see the copy-hook.
Why have they been accepted? Well,
fancy 1t would trouble the editor himself
TO answer that question. He probably
passed atilrmatlvely upon them with sew
eral mental misglylngs and an inward
hope that sope day he might lind space
for them. He reasons that they may
prove convenient stop gap on some lit
erary rainy day,
The great preponderance OF this literary
ammunition IL fred at editorial desks by
women. Whether this is because women
have more ambition than men cannot
say. Perhaps 1t Is because they have
more leisure time. But certain II is that
IN fewer cases than one would imagine
do men take the trouble to write, and
trust TO luck to find sale for their work
In the literary markets
Now, have no intention of stating the
foregoing facts without drawing lesson
from them. 1T IL u perfectly legitimate
thing for persons, whether men or wom-
en-, ito attempt 10 enter the
literary lists and compete for
its prizes. 1t Is more than Legitimate 1t
Is prnlseworthy. But the fact that the
prizes are with great difficulty obtained, |
should be FIRST considered. In truth, |
about nineteen, on an average, are usu- |
ally making grab for each prize.
The reasons so many are unsuccessful, |
are two; First lack OF preparation on
the part OF the writer; aud second, lack |
OF Judgment in selecting q market for
their literary wares. With the readers
permission viii reverse their order and
discuss this last-named reason first
Nine out OF ten publications OF nation.
u scope map out their policy, their spe-
,ial features, and the like, several months
N advance. They do this because they
Ind 1t the only successful rule OF action.
Then each publication has It's particular
Vim, or field. 1t caters to the literary
astes OF a certain class. This Is true
lot only OF trade and class publications,
ldt II Is In some degree true OF every
publication. Failure TO offer matter OF
he right sort to the right publication N
n great majority Of cases the cause OF
good manuscripts bolng returned. Before
sending contribution TO the editor OF
my journal, the journal itself should be
scanned TO see II 10 contains any
rticles Of tho same general features
y that IL Is proposed 10 offer.
When one has ducks TO sell, the market
Q drive thom tots the one ut which duck
uyers congregate, Thore Is no use send
ne an original short story 10 an editor
whose employer will not let him buy
figlnal stories, but compels him to steal
erals from the foreign magazines; or .
'pr stories to an editor who never pub.
shes war storiesi or an article on the
'on Industry TO the editor Of a millinery
/ fashion journal. Yet Just these ab.
urd things are done. Not once, but nj. |
lost daily When they are returned, as /
hey must be, the writer's feel hard (
oward the editor, no matter how grace
ally he may have declined the preferred 4
contribution, and the more conscientious {
ersons wonder whether, after all. {
hey have really any literary talent any
'ay, {
But alas, all contributors are not SO |
onsefyative. And that is why editors '
re deluged with so much useless rubbish I
ersons who have had no experience rush /
oldly into Il field where wise men and S
omen, after years Of labor therein, fear c
tread They do not first examine that |
'hich they have to offer TO see whether I
really contains anything out OF the or. +
mary or not. There Is always plenty Of |