, 1888-02-10
FOR GIRLS WHO scRIBeLe.
Counsel to Those Who Delugc Editor
with Many MANUSCRIPTS.

with Many Manuscripts.
at is partly because of the new activity
Of southern women" she said, land
partly, l suppose, because l am n
Eoutherner myself, but a large proportion
of my letters come from the south. These
letters are, for the most part, earnest and
strong appeals for guidance, and in ever
instance, without exception, the desire is
expressed of coming to New York and
seeking employment on the best known
magazines, weeklics or dailies. lnvaTi-
ably l answer discournging this plan, and
advising aspirants to write for their home
publications. Many send me manu-
scripts, and such dainty ones, scented
with Florida water or lavender leaves,
come to me sometimes that / return them
Mt once, fearing the effect upon their
owners nerves, in case the story or poem
should be refused by some hare hearted
publisher. One woman sent me three
novels; another n novel and a play, and n
third mailed me thirty POEMS, mostly on
birds and flowers. The labor of return
ing such manuscripts is great, besides the
tiresome necessity of replying to many
of the letters"
And what counsel do you give the
would be literateurs2"
My advice is always to perscvere un-
til the writer is absolutely convinced that
she has no talent for her work, and the
proof will be found in her ability or fail
urc to sell what she writes. If l dis
cover a specially good contributor l coun-
sci the right publication to try, and some
times / do what lies in my power to start
a bright girl on her way. There are
other difficulties, though, than those of
~t.rnHnr1nU Unn1 nnuftnI bnVp In mind
n young woman of North Carolina, who
sen me n story and a play, which latter
l passed on to Mr.. DAILY for considcra-
lion. She wrote me that she saw no
possible use in persovcring in her efforts,
ince she could not afford to write u single
thort story, even if she had the certain
Prospect of its being accepted and paid
fr, for the price for which people could
boy n whole set of Dickens or Thack-
eiay. The lack of an international copy
right and the cheap reproduction of Eng
lial novels are tremendous Obstacles to
thc success of native writers.
But suppose your young aspirant re-
fuses to be daunted, p" l questioned, "what
is it possible TO say to her thenf'
There are more women writing today
than ever before in the worlds history,
and for those who mean TO be workers
and give their best years to the business
there is n field. In this, rs in all careers,
rucccss depends upon the character and
motives of the worker, and | am sorry
TO say that the majority of young women
who ask me TO lend them n hand ere
wholly unprepared to meet the require
ments of the calling. But dissemination
TO begin in the right is their fault, and it
ia one not wholly confined to women.
Young men-the weak ones of any ago
are given to the idea that however much
other people may nave delved, they are
to reach at N bound the reputation and
pecuniary success they desire. To all to
whom 1 write at all l repeat the old
truism hat there is ample room at the
top, and there is much credit in striving
in that direction. Laura G. Holloway
in Brooklyn Union.