The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-12-18

script are OF opinion that in recent years
he has received not less than SIS, 900 rs a
yearly income and that upon several &C.
casions he has been paid large lump sums.
When the manuscript of Stevenson's
latest novel was received by publishers in
this country, "a draft for S. 600 was sent
to the novelist. and this paid only for the
serial rights. Publishers who know some
thing OF StevcnsOn's earning capacity as
sert that since ne has been in the Samoan
islands his income from his pen must have
been not less than $50, 900 year.
Six years ago Jerome n. jerome was
unknown. Recently one of the publishers
who have dealt with .JerOme's manu-
scripts said that the author has been r.
ceiviug for some time a steady income of
rs much Is $40, 900 a year, and this did
not make any estimate OF the royalties
paid To- him for his plays
These, however, arc illustrations taken
from the experience of those who have
gained very wide popularity as writer's
OF fiction. It would scarcely be fair 20
judge of the value of the great market
that exists nowadays for popular writing
by the successes OF those who have gained
fame in the field Of romance and fiction.
The writer upon general topics whose
name is not known to the general public
finds a vastly increasing market for his
work. \ few years ago 500 n week WIS
regarded a. princely salary for any
writer associated with n newspaper Px-
cepting those who had proprietary inter
ests. Horace Greeley himself until within
n few years of his death received less than
that.
IL used to he spoken of a. a wonderful
thing that the senior Bennett paid two OF
his editorial writer's 500 "A week, and
-
who had gained the highest prizes of jour
nalism excepting those which go with pro-
prictary interests. Yet the number of writ
ers connected with the greater newspapers
who receive a. much aS that is now so
large that it is no longer spoken of as on
extraordinary salary. Some of the most
brilliant reporters. at least in New York
city, find it possible 10 earn as much ~
So, 600 year, and the earning capacity OF
one special correspondent was so great
that he WAS paid a salary OF 500 a week
and required To- give only six months of
his time n year TO the newspaper which
thus employed him. The rest of the time
he was at liberty To accept commissions
from the magazines, work which paid him
quite rs much rs his newspaper salary.
One writer still in the harness had for
q number of years received payment ut
the rate of $i5 column and furnished
some IL columns week under those
terms, but his work was in demand out
side. and ut last tho editor OF the newspa
per said To him that IL he would furnish
TO The newspaper all Of the matter which
he wrote he would Dc paid much ~ he
could earn elsewhere. 4 quick computa-
ton OF his total earnings for two or three
years was made, and IL was found TO aver
age some $500 n week. For that sum he
agreed To turn in To the newspaper every
thing nc wrote. This salary has been paid
him for four years, and it Is probably the
largest that Is now earned By any Journal
ist who Is not also an owner.
Many of the general writer's, men and
women, who study the taste OF the read
ers find themselves earning on the aver
age a. much as 500 a week, and the mum
Der Of those who can do this Is increasing.
The truth IL the market-so Unsuitable i
the demand of the American people for
reading matter that entertains or in
structs-kcepS constantly ahead of the
ability 90 supply IL, and this new tenden-
cy Il spoken OF by some Of the ablest edt-
tors who have watched its growth as one
of the encouraging indications OF the
great growth OF the American people In
literary taste and tho overwhelming de-
sire To- be instructed or informed of all
that goes on in tho great world
L. J. EDWARDS
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