The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-04-16
MAGAZINE MANUSCRIPTS.
Precious Pew Of Those Hopefully Sent "a,
Ever Get Examined.

Ever Got Examined.
IT have had something to do with tho
business of story writing in my time,
both as q producer and as a judge OIL
other peoples work." said man of let
ters to writer for the Washington
Star. ''The latter occupation / finally
abandoned, because the labor of inspect
ing manuscript contributions in bulk
was too wearing. I don't think It is
found particularly so, as rule, hy-
readers for magazines, because they
neglect it. Often it is impossible that it
could be otherwise. Cne great month
ly in New York city receives 1900 man
uscripts every week in the year. II ita
reading stats were multiplied by six
proper examination could not be givcrr
them all. AS it is it is the exceptions
that is SO fortunate as to be looked at
Persons send contributions 70 the
big magazines with the notion that they
will be read. They are victims OF . de-
lusion, usually. I, who have seen the.
inside works of such concerns, say it.
The task Of getting through the ~Pst
number of manuscripts subrlitted il SO.
hopeless that little more is attempted
with the great majority than to ret i-tI
them, ordinarily after many days IL
you are at all known by reputation, ytur
offering is likely to be inspected, bu&
not otherwise.
'Games have often been tried upon
the great monthlies for the purpose of
seeing whether this was SO or not
George ". Gable. the famous author,
published the results of few such eN-
periments of his own awhile ago. He,
sent two or three Of his stories, under
an assumed name, the rounds OF tho
New York magazines. They were re
fused by every one-found not ayati
able'-whereupon he dispatched them
over his own signature and they were
promptly accepted. Before he achieved
his reputation he was unable to secure
the printing of many OF the tales which
have since come to be regarded as clas-
steal. 'Pogsoln Jone' was hawlfed about
the metropolis in vain; not an editor
would buy it. 1t was this early expert
/ ence which led Mr.. Gable 10 his suhse-
! quent experiments, the result of which
! pointed to the conclusion that contri-
button offered to one Of these month
lies had scarcely the slightest show
upon it's merits unless a known name.
was attached it.
Several years ago, when was alto
gether unknown, I myself used TO try
some little tricks upon the magazine
readers, such as putting the smallest
possible daub Of glue between two OF
the pages Of my manuscript or turning
one Of the leaves upside down. invari-
ably upon the return of the contribu-
tion would find the two pages stilt
stuck and the turned leaf as BEFORE.
proving that it really had not been in
spected. 1t was discouragirg, though
not so much SO as to suppose that my
work had been fairly read by an expert
and pronounced not worth publishing.
You may try the trick yourself and You
will find that it will &C every time.
''On one occasion I sent a story TO n
certain important monthly entitled
The Crystal Ball The editor returned
it with the usual thanks saying; We
are sorry to find that your contribution
called '"The Cheerful Bull' is not avail
able for our purposes 1t reminded me
of the famous translation of 'Triste
Lupus by classmate Of Tom Brown
at Rugby, as The Sorrowful WOLF"