The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-14

moderate. but respectable, literary rcputa-
ton introduced 10 an audience ~ "the
author Of nine hundred stories published in
Ilarper's Magazine The lady thcreupon
rose gracefully and began her lecture, with
out cOntfadicting or correcting the eXtra0r-
binary statement rs 20 the fertility OF her
pen; and the audience appeared 10 think 10
was all right. though slight calculation
would have exposed its monstrOus impOssi-
bility. lIarpcr's Magazine was founded
only forty years ago. and 10 publish nine
hundred of this lady's stories it would have
Ia insert one i'm every number for seventy
five wears. / once received letter from 3D.
dabhler IN literature. i'm which he s0lamnly
declared that he had been paid for his
MAGAZINE articles at rates ranging from $40
10 $50 per thousand words, Whcreupou adj
dressed an inquiry 20 half dozen maya
zine editors and learned a. bad expected.
that bee would Dee fortunate if nc found 20
market for his productions at $40 per tl0ua-
and
The latest instance OF This mathematical
romancing that ! have seen is "a paragraph
in recent number OF The Writer. bright
ard generally well-cditcd periodical which
ought not 10 make any serious mistake on
those subjects 90 which 10 is specially do
voted, SET which publishes this: "hr
has iurt sold the right io publish las nov
novel. -. % the - Publishing Company,
tor $1,000, the largest sum paid for amy ro-
cent work of Gcticu.' lhe editor of il.
Writer ought tO know that One may i'aul
contradict and dispro'c such % statement
without consulting either iur auilni of ti.
publisher of the book. 4 royalty of ton
per cent. of the retail price = the basis oI
an contracts between publisher aut
author. and she terms seldom vary much
! from that figure. III 20 publisher bay
outright the. manuscript az book,
hc fixes the price at something Jess
than the amount hc thinks n would pr0h3'
hly earn tor the author If published on "a
ROYALTY. The author mentioned IN the para
graph just quoted Is a bright and racy News
paper contributor hut Is NOT known - 20
novelist. Let MS suppose that lne puulsiN4,
for some powerful reason, Is wiling N pN
/ him double royalty. His novel ma the pre-
sent state OF the book trade must Doe ISSUED
| in paper covers. at "a price mot greater than
| hfty cents. This paragraph. then ailirm-
| that "a publishing house has been disco' erred
I which Will pay I'm advance .loun.e royalty
| ON an assumed sale of 10000 copies Cor ine
| usual royalty ON 20l01p for novel Nr 20
writer who has n0 reputation as novels.
! The works of light literature written Dbl t1n
| nitcd -t0tos lhat have attained "a sale 20
| 100000 copies do not exceed seven, ana f.t
! novel 10 question VIII Op fN!ual htni NHN
! lift has One-touth OF that circulation.
There is widespread belief amonr u.0-
| pie Of average Intelligence and Information.
/ that to write single successful book i- lt
make au independent fortune: aHd the pui-
! LEGATION Of these silly paragraphs leads d.
/ the production Of iuuumcraDic wort Jess
! stories, which enormously increase tll- .H.
/ bors of editors who read manuscripts. and
! return only bitter disappointment t0 inD
writers. Furthermore, just at tins t!m0
| there is danger that Congress reading
| what handsome sums are paid t1 authors.
and believing the statements fD ue true.
/ will think IL Justification ION voting
against the international c0pyWr.h t iIN.
/ The author Of "a good book ought Orb Doe haua-
somely rewarded. aud wc all heartily Wish
| that such prices as have been mentioned
could Dee obtained; but those who are iu OBJ.
business know perfectly well That such
prices are NOT paid, and could not De-; and
/ il American journals Will simply cease On
copy these boa,tiul paragraphs. they viii
confer benefit upon every honest literary
worker. R0sster johnson In Nortn Amer
! can for september.