The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-01-31
ADVICE TO LITERARY WORKERS.
Several Good Reasons Why They Should
Not Read Their Own Matter in Print.

Our vivacious friend, Joe Howard, Jr.,
has this to say in the New York Press
The Chicago Daily Ne,cs gives excel
lent advice to writers. 1t says "A
writer must either read or circulate
'twere better if he were to do both. Pay
dilgent heed to the replenishments OF
YOUR minds lay in stock constantly.
Read ten pages of what everybody else
has written to every one you yourself
write And yet it is dollars to dough-
nuts that the first thing the author of
that admirable piece of advice read in
the Daily NerS of that date was his own
particular daily contribution. Own up
now, wasn't it 1t is remarkable fact
that ne wspaper writers invariably turn
to their own columns first"
Our friend Howard would have lost
his wager had he, in this instance, made
one as he indicates above. The writer
of the "advice" quoted has abandoned
the practice of reading his stuff in print
he abandoned it long ago. The grave
wards are full Of the mortal remains oil
men that died of broken hearts-hearts
broken by the practice of worrying over
the liberties which editors take and the
havoc which printers make with ar
authors manuscript.
Since advice to young newspaper
writer's seems to be in order, here is {
bit which Howard's pleasantly suggests
Do not read your matter IN print.
Why not?
. 1. The chances are that he who edit
your copy knows better than you wha
the paper wants and therefore will edi
(which means condense or amplify) you
matter 10 suit himself.
2. The chances are that the printer
who put your matter in type will mangl
it to the full extent of their diabolica
ingenuity.
8 The chances are that the proc
J reader will change your orthography
punctuation and paragraphing.
4. The chances are that the fOrema
; will get your matter mixed in the forr
or placed 10 unhappy juxtaposition.
5 The chances are that the stereoty
pers will make a wretched job of ths
e page or of that column in which you
e contribution is placed,
@. The chances arc the presswork wi
be bad
So don't array yourself, young frienC
against these chances. II you do they
down YOU sooner or later. They'll max
I YOU peevish, fretful, cynical, skept
1 and saturnine. Wrinkles will come I
your face and snow into your hai
You'll hate the copy reader, the printe
the proof reader, the foreman. the steT,
otyper, the pressman-you'll hate ever,
body-yes, you'll even hate yourself fC
e being such peaceful chump as to sui
' nit to all these abuses. Yet you hsy
u to submit There is one alternativ,
4 The alternative lie in blissful ignoranC
Of these abuses.
! Don't read your contributions TO Ii
a press after they are printed. II 70,
friend calls your attention TO such an
r such liberties that have been taken wit
or blunders that have been made in you
copy bid him prate to the marines-don
let these things worry you for momen
Do your work promptly and confc'eI
e tiously and make practice Of bein
# done forever with 1t when you hand
J, in. IL il isn't printed bear in mind tbs
: there are thousands of writers who agr,
Il that "the best editorials" they tvt
y wrote were consigned to the waste ba
: ket Bear this, too, in mind That it
y through the whiskers Of the fellows VII
Il complain that their editorials aren
:. printed that the wind perennially dot
blow.-EugeRe Field IN Chicago Ne,cs.