The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-17
SIIORT-STORY WRITERS.
Some OF the Best Known Contributors of
Fiction and the Wages Which They
Receive.


"a few DAYS agoa local newspaper
man fired this query at me-" says q
writer for the Brooklyn Eagle:
'How shall go about it to have a
serial story accepted by one of the
popular weeklies?"
Have you submitted this literary in
FAINT to any of themp"
Have I?" A warm smile fingered
on his countenance n moment. For
year past have been sending it
from one to another. The usual
answer receive is: Your story is
very clear, both in plot and construc-
tion. but still il is not suitable to the
columns of our paper Knowing
the long experience you have had in
writing for popular periodicals, come
to you for advice. Now, / don't be-
lieve one of those accursed editors
ever read as much as FIVE lines of my
story"
My friend was wrong there. In all
the largest publishing houses from
which cheap publications are issued.
rs much attention is given to the read
ing of manuscript as city editor
gives TO looking over news copy re-
porter outside his regular staff might
bring him. The day city editor can,
as q rule, after perusing one page of
manuscript, determine whether it is
worth while TO read the article to the
end. So it is with the professional
readers on the story papers. In near
ly every case they can tell whether q
serial will suit after reading few
he nY,. ~ 10 L.
ferred that these gentlemen, to whom
even the most popular authors have to
bow down in reverence, are unerring in
judgment.
A rule prevalent in nearly all es-
tablishments is that copy from a
regular writer must pass through the
hands of at least two readers-the
second one being left in darkness as to
the report of his fellow omploye on the
story. 1t frequently happens the
opinions are diverse. Then trusted
writer, or, more generally, the pro-
prietor of the paper passes final judg-
ment on the matter, and very often
that means that the author has to re-
write, perhaps more than one-half of
his story, which is not very pleasant.
With very few exceptions q story is
paid for in installments. In the case
of known writer the story saccepted
or declined on the first two INSTALL
ments, and If accepted these INSTALL
ments are paid Immediately. As to
the amounts paid, they vary far more
than the fame or the ability of the
authors, many of the higher-priced
authors having gained secure foot
ing through accident.
Harlan z. Halsey, of this city, claims
to be the best paid story writer. Not
long since he told me George Munro
was paying him at the rate of $500
per annum for the .'Old Sleuth"
stories. Among the women writers
Mrs. Southworth leads. with Mary Z.
Bryan a close second. Mrs. South
worth has something like $1,000 per
annum from the New York Ledger.
The other lady, who came not so very
long ago from below Mason and
Dixon's line, attracted the attention of
her present employer by her work on
the Sunny South. Her pen yields her
over $1,000 year Speaking of the
South, there is another lady living
there who makes living writing for
ANoil liItl "echiits, autl ieE ptu ID
probably the most prolific in the busi-
ness. but vet she does not earn as much
as Mary L. Bryan. This is Mrs. L.
Burke Collins, of New Orleans. | be-
Ieve the first paper on which she
earned money was the New York
Clipper, to the columns of which she
furnished several serials and many
sketches. | have known serial from
Mrs. Collins pen TO be running in the
New York Weekly, another in the
Family Story Paper, and third in the
Saturday Night. Besides she furnished
sketch weekly 10 the Family Story
Paper, and also did other literary work.
1t is said of Mrs. Collins that She has
never been seen byany other Northern
publishers. Still another Southern
lady whose romances are highly popu-
lar with the masses is Mrs. Emma
Garrison-Jones, who is employed by
Norman l.. Munro. This lady is an
invalid, and has not left her home in
years. Her salary is about equal to
that of Mary L. Bryan, and to earn it
Mrs. Garrisou-Jo ones is not required to
write rs much rs the former. As n rule,
persons who write of the salaries of
actors or writer's are given to cxaggera-
rion.
At the time of tho death OF Colonel
4. z. e. Judson (Ned Buntline) it was
a xL. g.. n