Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-09-21
CHANCES FOR WRITER'S.
NEVER BEFORE HAS THERE BEEN
so MUCH TALENT IN MARKET.

Business Ability Will Much Increase tho
Literary Aspirant's Chances for Sue
cess-An Inside to Journalism-DeveI-
opment of the Writing Talent.
Is there chance to make literary repu-
tation In New York and make money be-
sidesa Hundreds certainly, and possibly
thousands, are asking this question. One
view is far from encouraging. Shoals of
writers apply daily to the various shops that
/ buy literature and are met by various stereo-
| typed forms of refusal and editors become
weary of manuscript bearers.
| There never was SO much writing talent in
| the market as at present. There is now an
| army OF writers of notability. There is an
other and still larger army of the unknown
seeking notability, and of equal ability with
those whose heads are little above water
Were Horace Greeley, James Gordon Ben
nett, ST., N. P. Willis, or other writer's and
editors OF former note, to come back today
and commence unknown in their former field
of letters, they might not rise so readily amid
the present enormous increase of literary
competitors, unless they brought an Access
sion of business talent and force to back up
their literary ability, which the two first
named gentlemen did possess to an eminent
degree.
BRING BUSINESS TALENT
II you will bring business talent with your
literary ability your chances for success will
be greatly increased. If you care only for
the money handed you by the cashier for
your work and never care to know or inter-
est yourself in the vast work and intricate
machinery which makes the paper and pushes
it and brings in the money to keep it going,
you will stay on the cold side of the best
chances.
There are poets and story writers, and
good ones, too, who come to New York or
other cities and apply for "place" on a
newspaper Now the ability to write poem
or a story by no means implies the ability to
fill place on a newspaper. There is an in
side to journalism which is sort of trade by
itself. 1t is something akin to the position
OF an liable seaman" on shipboard. The
liable seaman" is not by profession a rigger
or a calker, painter or carpenter, but he can
and must ION pinch" be able to turn his
hand and skill In any of these directions
So. If on paper, writer will be very much
benefited by knowing as much as possible Of
the mechanical part of the business You
need to be bit of a printer. You need to
know how to put head" or sundry heads
on an article, to make up" your page or
column IN the composing room, and talk
There are today more opportunities than
ever for special literary work. There are
more papers and periodicals than ever de-
voted to special trades, occupations, arts and
pursuits. The store, the farm, the garden,
the mine, the worker in wood or metal or
cloth, the electrician, the sailor, the railroad
and hundred other interests are now repre-
sented by publications. All of these make
places for editors
KNOWLEDGE ON PAPER.
There are people who have great talent for
stringing words and sentences together, vet
who know relatively little. There are others
who know great deal, but can neither put
Snelr knowledge on paper nor talk it out to
others. Can there not be an exchange of tai
emit managed somehow between these two
cLassesf II any man or woman has really
anything to tell they can learn to tell it prop
erly on paper. If they keep on learning as
they become fuller and fuller of knowledge
they must tell it. There is great deal of
nonsense lying around loose to the effect that
the writing talent is an especial gift of the
rev, and that it is impossible for those who
cannot write with ease ever to do so. don't
believe 1t. No man or woman knows what
power is latent in them until they set to
work to dig it out
"A pAoeAsin1Gu Ut any OLner worker IN iron
or other metal, who loves his calling. will
always be finding something new in it. Now.
that man can make cast or wrought iron
literary reputation if he will set himself to
work and acquire facility of expression with
the pen. He can do this if he tries and per-
sists in trying, for there is nothing but what
mind can overcome if it sets itself to the
task of overcoming. He never will accom-
plish such results, however, if he says he
can't and that it's ''no use for him to tryn at
the start.
1 knew whaling captain, afterwards in
the revenue service, who made a study of
whales, and wrote, and illustrated as well.
book on whales which is probably the most
valuable work of the kind extant. Looking
over his manuscript one day in his cabin, /
was surprised at the ability he displayed in
his drawings not only of the whales but ap-
propriate marine views accompanying them.
asked him where he learned drawing 81
learned myself" said he. 81 put my mind
on it, and what I wanted of the art came by
degrees. Prentice Milford in New York
Star.