The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

Is 10 Suggest p1etH ny MHl0H eH4o AoSh Anf1y
be met.
This supposes the author to be the pro-
ducer of a commodity for which there is
reasonable demand. 1t is not necessary
to inquire whether the fabric of his loom is
a necessity or luxury, for in either event
the question of means of marketing would
be the same.
The essential principle affecting produc
tons of whatever character is a division of
labor. The producer is not expected to be
a merchant. If he is good producer he
is not likely good merchant, and if he is
good merchant he is not likely good
producer. The trouble with the author is
that no merchant stands ready to buy his
goods and present them to the consumer;
that is, there is no merchant who stands
constantly between the producer and the
consumer of literature in the full sense of
merchants standing between the producers
and consumers in other established lines Of
production and consumption.
The nearest a proach to this is seen in
the case of newspaper publisher, who
buys the product of writer's and sells it to
the public for whatever profit he can
secure. In the broader sense the news
paper writer is an author, and, being an
author, in order to be successful in that
occupation it cannot be expected of him
that he could be successful as a publisher.
There may be cases where he is, but they
are too rare to affect the rule.
Authorship in its more restricted sense
means the production of written matter
not required in the ordinary course of
human affairs, but still demanded and in
possession of very extensive market. In
this respect it is removed from journalism,
a staple product and classed with those
ornamental services and products coming
under the vague definition of "art." The
poet, the writer of fiction, high-class essays
and the like finds no regular demand, no
established method of marketing his wares.
Therefore, he is forced to be both pro-
ducer and merchant, and this leads to the
most lamentable results.
There may be some litterateurs who will
be offended to see the matter placed on so
cold blooded business basis as this; but
so long as it is noticeable that few if any
of them are working for art sake and they
are glad to get all the money they can for
their efforts they have no right to COM
plain. They themselves are following
cold blooded business principle in their
own crippled, foolish, foundering way,
and they ought to be grateful for hint
which might Bile their cupidity to be
more effective.
AS the author is both producer and mer-
chant, he is heavily handicapped. The
tales of really able and even brilliant
young authors who are unable to market
excellent wares of their own production
are told in infinite number and variety.
Probably the best that IS written is never
published, under the operation of the
simple rule that the best producer is the
poorest merchant. Such an author must
take what chances are offered in sending
his work to this or that publisher of books
or magazines. The chances are ten to one
that, lacking the instinct of the merchant
and knowing nothing of the general or
specific market, his production is declined.
Bravely he tries again; a similar expert
ence greets his effort. Then likely he
abandoDs the hopeless task, arrives at the
conclusion either that the world is migrate
full and unappreciative or that he has mis-
taken his mission, and so becomes quiet
and respectable clerk, or else falls into
drink and then into the bay. A book of
these undiscovered tragedies would make
strong reading.
Approximations to the establishment of
a market have been made, but they all
lack the vital principle of business in
volved. Thus, so-called "syndicates' have
come into existence. They buy the work
of authors for small price and peddle it
out among newspaper publishers at what
ever profit they can secure. These "syn-
dictate" companies, by exercising great
care, have established reputation for good
judgment in the selection of matter, and
SO they are trusted to a considerable extent
by publishers to furnish suitable matter.
Meanwhile, the author gropes blindly. Not
having the facilities enjoyed by the "syn-
dicate," he has no idea of the state of the
market. He must be something OF
recluse, at least to the extent of cultivating
innate tastes and graces, and this must
keep him away from business sufficiently
far to force upon him a measurable ig-
norance both of the condition OF the
market and of the ordinary business rules
for the conduct of his simple affairs.
Why, then, should there not be mer-
camille literary establishment analogous to
the newspaper? In that case we find
shrewd, able man who has mastered the
business of marketing at profit the
productions of persons capable of producing
marketable written matter. The factor of
advertisements here interveDes, but it does
not destroy the mercantile relation between
the producer and the merchandise writer
and the publisher.
Let US imagine the business of the
author to be handled on the following
plan: A man makes study of the literary
market. He observes what is popular and
profitable in the way of books and inf orms
himself concerning the lean inss, policies,
tastes and all that of many periodicals.
More than that, he becomes the broker
between the writer and the periodical
publisher and the maker of books. He
might come to enjoy the same confidence
between these and writers as exists be-
tween "syndicates" and some newspaper
publishers. But in order to have a regular
and established market he must know his
writers, must have them under control
and must be able to utilize their services
to the best advantage. He cannot do this
under the system of the syndicate,
which selects from whatever is submitted