Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-15
CHANCES FOR WRITERS.
NEVER BEFORE HAS THERE BEEN
so MUCH TALENT m MARKET.

Business Ability win Much Incre... the
Literary Aspirant's Chances for Sue
eese-An Inside to Journaiism-Devci-
opment Of the Writing Talent.
Is there chance to make a literary repu-
tation ia New York and nake money be-
Edess Hundreds certainly. and possibly
thousands, are asking this question One
view Is far from encouraging. Shoals of
writer's 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 writers and
editors OF former note, to come back toiav
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 accss-
sion Of business talent and force to back I'D
their literary ability. which the two first
named gentlemen did possess to an eminent
degree.
BRING BUSINESS TALENT
If you will bring business talent with ycur
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
1t and brings in the money to keep il 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
newspaper. Now the ability to write a poem
or story by no means implies the ability to
fill a place on a newspaper There is an in
side To journalism which is a 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 calker, painter or carpenter, but he can
and must ION a pinch be able to turn his
hand and skill in any of these directions.
SO, IL on paper, writer Will be very much
benefited by knowing 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 upn your page or
column in the composing room, and talk
typical jargon with the printers
There are today more opportunities than
ever for special literary work There are
more papers and periodicals than ever de-
voted 70 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 mako
places for editors.
KNOWLEDGE on PAPER
There are people who have great talent for
strlnglng words and sentences together, vet
who know relatively little There are others
who know great deal, but can neither put
their knowledge on paper nor talk it out to
others. Can there not be exchange Of tai
ent managed somehow between these two
classess Ii any man OF woman has really
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 Gell it. There is great deal OF
nonsense lying around loose TO the effect that
the writing talent is an especial gift OF the
few and that 1t is impossible for those Wig
cannot write with ease ever to do So | don't
believe it. No man or woman knows what
power is latent in them until they set to
work to dig it out.
A blacksmith or any other worker in iron
OF other metal, who loves his calling, will
always be finding something new IN It, Now,
that man can make cast on wrought iron
literary reputation II he will set himself to
work and acquire facility of expression With
the pen. He can dc this If ne tries and per
sists in trying for there is nothing but what
mind can overcome ii it sets itself to the
tax Of overcoming. He never will accom-
phsh such results, however, if be SAYS he
can't and that it's ''no use for lin TO try" At
the start
/ knew whaling captain, afterwards in
The revenue service, who made a study of
whales, and wrote, and illustrated as well, a
book on whales which is probably the most
work OF the kind extant Looking
over bis manuscript one day IN his cabin.
was surprised at the ability be displayed in
his drawings, not only Of the whales, but ap-
marine views accompanying them
asked him where he learned drawing. Il
earned myself" said be. II put my mind
IN it, and what l wanted Of the art came by
degrees. "-Prentice Milford in New York
Star.