The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-27
LIKE AN AVALANCHE.
pELUGE OF MANUSCRIPTS FOR
CHRISTMAS NUMBERS.


Writers and Juveniles All Contrib
ute to Swell the Flood OF Entertain
ing Literature The Selection and
rejection OF Menuscripts-N Lit
erary Stars Few and Far Between.
Copyright 1897
NEW YORK, Oct. 26.-WhiIs all the
world is preparing to be gay as Christmas
approaches, the magazine editor alone views
the coming holiday with something akin to
disu1ay. He knows that for months ahead
the mails will be loaded down with manu-
.cripts destined to DO placed upon his desk.
He can already feel in anticipation his eyes
aching and his brain swimming, at the CON-
temptation Of the piled up intellect which
he must scrutinizs in the hunt for Christ
mas literary novelties and, incidentally,
for the coming great American novelist. It
is hunt that goes on necessarily, and never
is it so lively as during the weeks that pre-
eede Decoration Day, Thanksgiving,
Washingtons Birthday and Christmas; for
the poets, essayists and novelists, the writer's
Of short stories and of the serials that thrill
ard vibrate through forty or fifty chapters
oil cODC6ulI dOC0 oEOhJ Oil oO1u ny COu-
mon impulse to select the holiday season as
their best time for making an attack on the
editorial citadel.
christmas has literature of its own. u
said Charles l.. Scribner, when the writer
called upon him the other day and asked
him how a great magazine made its prep
parations for the cd fashioned holiday. 1t
is the focal season toward which all others
seem to converge. If one were to Judge
H. Of HfnvsofYvrn fkaA
from every quarter to the magazines for
months before Christmas, he might con-
clude that the writers had been saving their
ideas for whole year.
sit is impossible to guess at the number
of manuscripts we receive from various
sources of which we cannot make use.
Doubtless one reason for the very general
desire among authors to have their produc-
lions appear at Christmas, in preference to
all other seasons, is the fact that it is the
buying season, the time of gifts, when
every body's wares has the chance of
market. We make our arrangements for
the lidays long way ahead You see,
the Christmas market is the best of the
year for all kinds of publications Still, we
don't make a special feature of exclusively
Christmas literature as some do. But, Of
course, we are deluged with manuscripts,
and we have to examine them and see
excellence to warrant their use. We are
usually deluged with Christmas poetry too,
most OF which, am sorry to say, for the
writer's sakes, is unavailable, as we have
almost always two or three poems suited to
the occasion on hand. Experience has
taught us that it is The best way to arrange
our attractions ourselves in good season
and IRRESPECTIVE of what may come in from
outsiders"
Tie tendency of all popular literature
nowadays is to signed contributions of a
special character, that convey to the
reader much more detailed and accurate
information on any particular subject than
would otherwise be the case
"Booksl" exclaimed Mr.. Scribner.
"Yes, there's no limit to the Christ
mas crop. Juveniles, of course,
are the most desirable for the sea-
son, although we try to make our market
with volumes that will have a permanent
value, besides being suitable tor holiday
We don't do much with mere presen-
tatlon books. Speaking of juveniles,
few people have any idea of the popu-
iaritY of good book of that
class. There is Mrs. Hodgson Burnett's
Little Lord Fauntleroy," f or instance. 1t
has sold 120, 900 copies, so far, on this side
of the ocean, and is selling Just as fast as
ever. 1t is the best selling book of the DAY.
Our Christmas authors are T. Nelson Page,
a southern writer; Frank Stockton, Henri
eta Christine Wright, a writer of historical
stories for the young, many of which have
been adopted by the schools. Besides there
are Edward Eggleston and Mary Mapes
Dodge, of "Hans Brinker" fame You see.
the list of recognized talent is SO large that
1t leaves little chance for new contri Outors.
unless they are of the very brightest and
best sort. But there's always room for
real talent you know" he said in conclu-
sion.
Richard Watson Glider of the Ce,,turv
was found surrounded by manuscripts in
his elegant sanctum on East Seventeenth
street. be is bit of philosopher as well
as poet and and magazine editor. Christ
mas. he said, made little difference to the
Century as far as its arrangements were
concerned. OF course, writers sent a good
many manuscripts probably more at that
time than any other; but these made no
difference. The over-supply did not
trouble him, as the arrangements for each
number were made long way ahead, and
unless something of unusual value came
from outside sources, 1T would hardly be
considered. 1t is quite clear that tie
century affords an exceedingly limited
neld for the "occaSionap contributor and
that the holiday writers, outside of those
regularly retained, have about one chance
In thousand of seeing their matter
In print. In the Century col
umns, as in those of Scribner'S,
the signed article dominates. OF the
articles on every conceivable topic sup
posed to be suited to Christmas reading,
received unsolicited through the mails, IL
Is lmpracticable, in view of the extensive
arrangements made with these distin-
guished writers, to publish any more than
mere fraction, if anything at all
1t is a somewhat different atmosphere
from that of Mr.. Glider in which Mrs
Mary Mapes Dodge. the editor of st.
Nicholas, presides. In her domain, Christ
mas Is indeed a scene of jubilee, for she
caters especially for the little folks. Sc.
Nicholas is a favorite target for the poets
and budding novelties who shower their
offerings at the feet of its talented editress
In perfectly bewildering way, about this
tune of year. Yet the bright little lady is
as cheerful as though she were not being
jealousy watched by half the versifiers
and souLharrowers in the country, who are
awaiting to see what is to become of the
literary progeny they have committed to
her care.
OF course, :" remarked the editor of the
~, Nicholas who has charge of the manu-
script, I'VE propose to issue special
christmas issue. A great many articles
are sent by outsiders. In former years, we
used to make both our December and jan
uary numbers Christmas issues; but now
the December edition is practically the only
Christmas one. What proportion of manu-
scripts are rejected? WE'LL would hardly