The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-19
IN A MAGAZINE OFFICE.
How a Monthly is Laid Out, put To-
gether and Issued.
Correspondence of. the Press

/ getner ana ISSUED.
Correspondence of the Press.l
NEW YORK, April 17.-Many people
| suppose that monthly is all written and
prepared within the thirty days that
elapse between numbers TO others a
magazine, coming periodically, produces
| wonder that would never be aroused by
| the making of book, which is of the
same order SO far as production is con-
| cerned
| A magazine is not merely the thoughts
of its editors put into type any more than
a newspaper is the presentation of the
editors ideas. The newspaper tells what
happens the world over; it makes a con-
temporaneous record of life day by day.
| The magazine presents the results of life
| on the thought of the world. These mod
| fled thoughts may be registered at the
moment of their birth and of the event
| that provoked them, or long afterward,
| but whenever they come out on paper
| they represent life. To sift the mass of
such material, gathered without order or
| collation., is the work of the editorial
| staff.
The Century received 10000 manu-
scripts in 1889 and 5000 in 1888. For
some years previous the average was
about 1000. All manuscripts submitted
by the writers are taken up by staff
reader and separated for closer attention
by special readers. The method of clas-
styling and numbering manuscripts so
that they may be identified at any stage
during their handling varies in different
offices. The Century plan is to enter
every manuscript in a book as soon as it
comes in the mail The entry begins
with number by which that manuscript
will be known SO long as it remains in
the Office or until returned to the author
or printed.
The number is consecutive one in
a series, as No. --, in series A, B, C,
and so on, each letter representing a
series of 10000. The authors name and
address, date OF receipt, acceptance, re-
turn, or whatever the disposition of it af-
ter reading, follows the number, and this
number is placed upon the first page of
the article for future use An index to
the manuscript book shows the name of
every author in a list arranged alphabet
ically, and the number or numbers of
his manuscripts as received Should
there be several manuscripts in the office
at one time from the same author each
will have separate number in the man.
uscript book, and the index book shows
the number given to each. A book of
accepted articles shows the length of
each manuscript accepted, the authors
name and the department to which it
belongs, essays, sketches, illustrated arti-
cles, poetry, etc.
The kind of matter offered to maya
zine indicates some peoples ideas of lit
erature, people who look upon maya
zine as a newspaper. Persons styling
themselves authors will ask to see the
editor-in-chief and open conversation by
speaking of "your paper"
OF late years illustrations have become
a strong feature of magazine making.
| They are demand of the times, although
The Atlantic, Lippincott's and one or
| two others flourish without Them Peo-
| pie OF today are constantly delighted
| with objects about them that are artistic
and instructive. Life is embellished, by
the way, In all circles except the lowest,
by some ideal presentment. So, when in
reading, and the better the article the
| greater the desire, they ask for an object
lesson to fasten upon the mind the pict-
ures called up by the text. The making
of illustrations places great burden upon
editor and publisher. The Century, for
instance, expends probably $4,000 an
nually upon illustrations, that is, for
original drawings and engraving.
The engraving is very expensive, and
costs sometimes 5000 to $500 on single
page. The cuts in one article, as illustra-
tions are used in The Century at present,
| cost as much as those in a whole number
of the magazine ten years ago. The wood
| engraving is done on block upon which
the drawing has been photographed. The
| photo engraving process is used in repro
auctions of prints and pen drawings on
paper. Right here it occurs to me to say
that there is, after all, one profession not
overdone in America. 1t is that of an
illustrator. By this I mean the art of
blending in picture the ideas suggested
by the text.
Good art is not the chief desideratum,
although it must be present. Good illus
traitors do not come from art schools as a
rule. E. A. Abbey, Remington and KEN
BILE, the best of the day, do not come
from art schools. An illustrator usually
begins as an amateur, sketching some
great fire, or railway accident, or some
group of faces and attitudes that strike
the eye. He trains his hand to the work
of giving ideas a tangible form, and not
simply to the reproduction of artistic
forms from copies that anybody can use
and that are familiar on all sides.
Every illustrated magazine has flood
of drawings offered, just as manuscripts
are. Few of those offered are of any
value for magazine use, because, while
they may show good art, they do not
shit off, any idea that it is desirable to
illustrate. Occasionally o piece of work
strays in that shows talent and the
novice may be encouraged by few
hints and suggestions. Many would be
illustrators place great store upon their
art education, and are grieved when
they learn that their class attachments
are not passport for preferment in
practical life and that class training is
not even an essential.
:, Inc Century staff of illustrators are
new York men. Very little of their
work outside of the city of New York is
oone by outside artists. Men of the regu-
lar stan are sent to distant points. The
pay for this work is good, and a fair
illustrator, on an equality in his profes.
sion with good general writer on the
press, makes $l5 to $50 day. The in
come of good artist is $1,000 year,
and stars may make $4,000.
In the engraving department, too, there
is a scarcity of artists. A good wood en-
graver earns $4,000 to So, 200 wear.
The Century company probably does
more wood engraving than any other
house in this country, and the good work