New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-05
FACTS ABOUT FICTION.


zines to print interviews with authors concern
ing their literary habits, experiences, and so
forth, no apology need be offered for few
remarks aimed at the dispersion of certain
venerable illusions about what is, somewhat
affectedly, called the literary life. 1t has long
been n cardinal tenet with the majority OF
those who dispense gratuitous advice to literary
aspirants that the highest forms Of art should
be striven for. Abstractly speaking, that is
sound advice but it is none the less calculated
to mslead and grievously disappoint the tyro
who acts upon il with ingenious confidence.
In fact, the pursuit of the highest ideals Of
literature is and perhaps always Will be,
coupled with the deprivation of material sue
cess The best literary work in any depart
ment is rarely appreciated by many people
In fiction, even when an author has achieved a
reputation it is rarely that his work brings
in enough to support him comfortably. If he
is conscientious and fastidious, every upward
step is purchased by shrnkage in his income
He cannot as a rule, do the best work and OBJ
tain the best pecuniary results at the same time.
Not that money is not made by fiction. Both
publishers and authors sometimes find novels
extremely profitable. But not the higher class
of novels. Money is made out Of fiction OF
low order Immense fortunes have been
amassed by the publication Of story papers
containing steady supply Of literary rubbish.
Sometimes it has paid publishers to make long
contracts with the fabricators Of such stuff.
Again, single novels, strongly sensational,
destitute of art, coarsely stimulating, have,
when judiciously advertised and put on the
III ~ lou N
profits. In the majority of these instances,
however--and the fact is impOrtant-it is the
publisher who benefits largely by the sale Of
the book not the author. But the young man
who thinks he has talent, who is impelled to
write stories, yet who wishes to make money,
must understand clearly that If he desires true
fame and true literary rank, the pursuit is in
compatible with that of fortune; and if he
prefers money to fame he may possibly attain
his end if he is willing to prostitute his talent.
But the two lines Of action are far apart and
cannot be brought together. An audience fit
but few is the reward of devotion to art. lie
who caters to the prevalent tastes may hope
for material success, and may make literature
remunerative.
The people always have their own authors,
VIII drc DtNcr INC dCCtpOtu vi 'iiliO9, buV
who enjoy bourgeois prosperity and vogue
which to the myopic vision is scarcely dis
tinguishable from reputation. There was a
time when scores of thousands took their
poetry and philosophy from Martin Farquhar
Upper One reflects upon the fact with a
species of awe No novelist of the period,
however approved and welcomed in higher
literary circles, could hold candle to the
Southworths. the Woods, the Roes, az regards
real popularity. And what is considered a
good edition for iirst-class novel? How sell
dom does it rise above ten or fifteen thousand ;
how often 1t falls beneath the first figure. Of
course, novels published serially in the maya
zines obtain very much wider circulation, but
in that case it is not the authors fame or the
popularity of his work which is the main cause
of the sale. The plain truth is as we have here
stated it. Money can be made by fiction but
he who expects to grow rich by high-class
fiction is doomed to disappointment In Eng
land the public will pay eagerly for something
less innocent than sensationalism pure and
simple. London publisher not long ago
made statement showing that he had print