New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-09
REFLECTED MANUSCRIPTS.
AN EDITOR TELLS WHY SO MANY VOLUNTARY
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MAGAZINES AXE
RErrRNED AS UNAVAILABLE


RETURNED AS UNAVAILABLE.
There is not much encouragement for men and
women who desire 70 win fame ana fortune ny 'o''
trbutng to the monthly magazines In the conversation
which the writer of this article has had with the cd
tor Of one Of the widely circulated montiheS pup
lshcd in this city, 1t will be seen that the voun-
torv contributor has a wonderfully smell chance OF
getting hearing unless he offers something OF re-
narlable merit originality. The editor OF hhas'-
zine or newspaper Is supposed 10 keep his niger COLI
tnualy on the pulse of what he calls his audience
and 10 know what they will like and be eager TO read
better than anybody else 1t is doubtless true that
he sometimes makes mistakes, but on the whole inc
chances are strongly IN favor of his being right.
70 come however TO what the editor in question
said You ask what opportunity an unknown
writer has OF securing the acceptance OF any article
that may offer to u.s. Is the way he began "Well,
I suppose the best answer would be that II depends
upon the article itself Most OF the articles submitted
TO Ms do not repay the trouble of reading but out Of
D great mass OF chaff do occasionally get q grain
or two of wheat 1t is tresome and prontIass CLEAN
ing. though. as a whole Just look at the situation
we are in IL writer's would only stop to consider It,
they would see clearly than they often do why
what they offer is frequently unavailable know
il Is the fashion TO laugh at this word but the fact is
that IL expresses the exact truth In very many cases
A thing may be good in ITSELF but yet not suitable
a manuscript which have rejected is accepted
somewhere else and IL Is easily possible that the fact
of our rejection Of it might not have influenced the
other editor In tie least If the author had been frank
enough to let it be known. But it Is hardly neces-
sary to say that authors do not have that habit Not
available fits the better than any other expires
sion that l know Of, and, though the rejected may
demur at It, am confident, that editors viii continue
to use IL.
o,lx n
I'm which we editors find ourselves; and from
magazine Office IL is easy to know all. We print
twelve numbers in each year. In each number
print on an average say twelve or hneen articles.
suppose we say that in the of year print
100 articles or Now how many manuscripts do
yOu suppose are offered to In the of year
Something over 1000. If we chose TO make up the
entire magazine from years beginning TO years end
ont of the voluntary contributions, should still,
perforce have to reject about $500 5000 articles
There is no escape from this arithmetic, every would
be contributor can see for himself
But ever, body knows, ought TO know il he
undertakes to write for the magazines, that most Of he
contributions are written IN pursuance of contracts
made with the editor, that they arranged for long
In advance, and that the majority are furnished by
men who skilled writers or recognized authorities
in some field Of activity. suppose that find our
selves able to voluntary contribution In each
number; that would be large proportion. but how
stands IL then WIN the voluntary contributors ON
that basis, as figure IT, about one-third OF | per
cent Of the manuscripts offered would be used but
. matter Of fact the magazine does not contain
the average unsolicited article In every issue
fourth Of per cent would perhaps pretty accurately
represent the number OF voluntary contributions that
arc accepted. Any one familiar with the law OF
chances figure out the probabilities In his own
case when he sends in an article Always reincm-
bcr, however, what l said at tho beginning Of our
conversation. Much depends on the article itself II
10 possesses special merit of any SORT the writer may
ne pretty certain that IL will be found ont. Nothing
delights the heart OF an editor much as TO make
a valuable 6nd-such one for instance. as The
Atlantic Monthly made when the woman who chose
10 call herself Charles Egbcrt Craddock began TO write
for IT,
DO you wonder. then. that said II hardly pays US