New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-26

In an item being largely copied In the press con-
corning the number of different articles received
by the editors Of the various magazines, 1t appears
that for each magazine the number runs well up
In the thousands. Further than this. IL Is stated
that given magazine which gets several thousand
articles in year cannot use over few hundred
at the outside In another item, also locating
about in the sea of the public prints, the editor oil
monument monthly bewais the fact that EDITORS
should be obliged 10 spend so much OF their time
in going through the inferior and utterly worth
less matter which is crowded in upon them
Clearly something ought to be DONE and done
promptly. Let us therefore venture, very timidly
70 present plan for the Amelioration of the Con-
dition of Overworked Editors.
What we propose is briefly this: To go from the
baunts of pure literature to the race-track ana
borrow an idea-that of the entrance fee Let
the aspiring author send in an entrance Zee VIVID
his contribution. Say, for instance, 10 per cent
NOT 10 per cent of what he considers 1t WORTH
because in that case if accepted, he probably
would not get so much as he had paid ln-put
10 DER cent of what is. usually paid for sucn
things. Thus, II he were sending story long
enough 10 command $780, let him enclose money
order for $50 We suspect that this plan would
reduce the number of contributions and prinE
relief 10 the editor. II It did not reduce the
number. there would at least be the check TO
comfort him. There is much consolation even
70 an overworled editor, in a $50 check. Moth
inc exceeds IL except one for s30or still larger
amount The story might look as prosaic and
uninyiting as usual to the editor, but as he
noted the faultless style, the ingenious plot ana
tbe beautiful denouement of the draft he would
smile and 90 through the story with light heart.
At present the magazine editor leads dreary
life He sits on the top floor OF hgn ounuihS'
surrounded by the unexcitng story, the uninter-
astinr traveln and the unmuscal poem, and the
only sound that comes to his ear is the heavy
tread of the biggest postmdn on the force as he
tolls ND the stairs with another bagful lie
Incomes covered up-buried-lost-in dull and dis
NAL manuscripts He dare not rise IN in his
might. tearing the sleep-producing dialect tale
and casting away the doubtful war "reminiscences,
od oo away 70 the seaside for week, because he
l,,o,s that when he returned he would find liter
oture ranging from the novel as long as DaViu
Connerfeldr To the three-and-a-haif-lne " rag
me,tr fairly bubbng out OF the tfansom OF MS
room. The Tribune's plan of an entrance Zee WOMB
do away with all this and give the magazine edtor
n chance for his life. We axe sure that inc
editors will agree that there is nothing unfair
about il. If a contributor hash & confidence
enough in bis effort to back it with small per
centare of what he stands chance TO WIN, leu
him keep it and use it to start the morning IRE.
1t is time that the poor magazine editor tufneu
on the pushing. voraciouS, all.tooprolfc author
who writes n novelette, in the forenoon ana m
ishes off twelve sonnets in time for dinner. r