The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
SECRET OF MAGAZINE EDITING.

SECRET OF MAGAZINE EDITING.
The quality and peculiarities of the
literature of leading magazines have
been variously accounted for by the
people who have paused in their read
ing to wonder if the printed pages be-
fore them really represented the best
and most original thought of the writ
ing fraternity. The conclusion in most
cases probably is that the editors of
the periodicals do the best they can with
the material at their disposal, and that
if the verses finally published lack the
faintest glimmer Of poetic fire. If the
fiction is commonplace and the more
serious contributions didactic or Of an
encyclopedia flavor, the fault is with
the authors. Those who believe other
wise lay the blame upon the editorial
judgment, and ask themselves why it
happens that a man of commonplace
mind is SO frequently made literary pur-
veyor for people, like themselves, capa-
BILE of approaching much higher grade
of productions than the magazines
know. 1t has remained for Mr.. John
Ford to advance a theory on this prob
lem which puts the editor in some
. what different light, and to sustain his
position with so much ability that it
must be accepted as plausible. If not
absolutely correct. In volume called
the Literary Shop Mr.. Ford declares
that Mr.. Robert Bonner. in his New
York Ledger, set the pace for writer's of
fiction and verse in the United States.
Mr.. Bonner did not consider literature
as such. What he desired was to fur
nish the patrons of the Ledger with
the reading best suited to their taste.
He had a series of maxims governing
his choice of matter. which the regular
contributors came in time to under
stand, and, by guiding their pens ac-
cordingly, greatly increased the chances
of having their offerings accepted. For
instance, it was learned that Mr.. Bon
ner objected to stepmothers in his sto-
ries: he was also opposed to the mar
riage of cousins. and no horse could be
driven through his pages faster than
walk, and shrewd writer's who wished
to benefit by his shekels governed them
selves by these and other rules as they
discovered them. 1t was not that Mr..
Bonner had any personal prejudice
against steDmothers or against consan-
guinity in marriage, and as for fast
horses his predictions in their favor
were well known He simply believed
that the public to which he catered
through the Ledger would be better
pleased if stepmothers married cousins
and fast horses were not encouraged.
A new era in letters was opened by the
starting of Scribner's Magazine under
the management of DR.. Holland but it
is shown by Mr.. Ford that he was un-
der the shadow of the Bonner grade of
maxims. though he manifested COM
mendable purpose to raise the tone OF
| literature. Only mediocrity, however,
| was achieved. DR.. Hollands mantle has
| descended, Mr.. Ford declares, upon the
| shoulders of Mr.. r. M. johnson, of the
| Century. This gentleman he describes
| as the foremost of DR.. Hollands disci-
| pies, one who literally sat at the feet
| of the great master and learned from
| his lips the deathless principles of mod
| ern magazine editing. Johnson, too has
| maxims. For one. he does not like low
| life in print and he is opposed to any
! suggestion out of harmony with tenn
| perance sentiment. For example, a
! story by a well-known writer described
| railway accident, where a dozen pock-
| ct TASKS were eagerly thrust at an in
| jured man by sympathetic passengers.
| Can't you,' said the careful editor
| Johnson, cant you make it two or
three TASKS instead of a dozen?" So
| far from condemning these editors, Mr..
| Ford processes the greatest admiration
| for their business capacity. They cater
successfully to the majority, and there
| are, says Mr.. Ford a thousand mediocre
| people in this country to where there
| are five of superior intelligence. Still
he protests that the five have some
| rights which magazine barons ought to
respect. say, every year about Christ
mas time.
The book is witty and full of clever
satire, and, whether correct in it's dag
nosis of editorial foibles or not, cannot
fail to be wholesome reading for the.
magazine editors who form the subject
of discourse.