Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-17
writing Advertisements Oners
Lucrative Field of Employmenf,
and Yet Few Women Are Anic 10
Take ADVANTAGE Of Opportunities.
Correspondence of the Dispatch)


up school teaching and adopt advertise
ment writing as a business.
DO you know what advertising is?'
asked /.
"why. yes. all that black looking print
ing In the back pages, isn't it?' was the
reply.
yves" said /. with an inward groan,
that's It,"
rye often wondered" remarked she
"why they wasted so much space In that
way. several stories could be put In those
pages"
/ presume that 1t is scarcely necessary
10 add that this gifted young person ul-
tinnately went back to her school-teach-
ing.
That many women OF literary bent are
much interested In this subject OF COM
mcrc.ll writing Is plainly shown by the
fact that letters are yet being received
from time 10 time by the present writer
In response to an article published In
wail-known woman's paper in June. OF
1S2.
The last one received up to date was
from small town in Michigan. the
writer stating that she had laid or
TO write To me ever since reading that
article OF two years back, and that
having a taste for poetry. she had writ
ten and sent several jingles on soap they
all begin on soaps-to large firm.
bur they sent them all back" and
would / please tell her what was the
matter with her rhymes?
They were much better than many
that are well paid for, the trouble was
that this woman with a. taste for
poetry" sent her first efforts to house
which was paying several thousand dol
lars q year for the services or pro-
fessional Observation-Disclosures; moreover,
they never used jinGles. only the soberest
prose. But 1t seems not to have oc-
Cured to her to ascertain these impor-
tant points before Offering her work.
FOOLISH PRIDE.
Another woman wrote me letter.
which was one wall for help. And l
spent about three quarters OF an hour
over a reply, my own work waiting.
only TO receive word In return that my
suggested method Of getting to work
would never do in her case, as. owing
to the prominent social position OF her
family II must not be known that she
was working for money: but If l cared
TO undertake TO dispose OF her work for
her she was perfectly willing to allow
me a good percentage of the profits.
Perhaps / needn't say that this letter
was promptly turned over TO the wastes
basket.
LACK OF COMMON SENSE.
The average woman lacks the business
idea, without which she cannot succeed
as a business writer and that she either
cannot. or will not, acquire 1t is Illus
trsted by the case OF a woman who is
| q natural-born "ad." writer. II ever there
was one. Yet she to-day occupies the
position OF housekeeper for two news
paper women, when. In reality. she has
more real literary genius than both OF
them put together.
4 mutual friend told me about her,
saying that shs would like TO know
what I thought OF her chances as an
"ad." writer, and that she would send
| her to see me. She came--not the next
day, but the next week-and | soon
found that she could write the style
| jngles for which there Is steady de,
mand, and happening 10 know of firns
wanting Il souvenir booklet prepared
secured the order for her and undertook to
pilot her through her first business I'M
dertaking. supposng that once on her
feet she could stand alone. But l was
mistaken She seemed TO have no idea
| OF how TO follow up her beginning.
then advised her to write a series
| OF six lads" for a prominent clothing
! house. and after spending some twenty
| minutes 1T the establishment. looking
at clothing. and making a trlnng pur-
| chase. she came away brimful OF ideas,
from which the day following she wrote
| UP half n dozen good prose advertise
! ments.
did not see her again for a week.
| and then my greeting was: "Wel. what
! luck had you with Blank Sc Coz
None at ALL" replied she with a look
Of disgust "All that time and work
wasted"
"Dld Mr.. b mention any objection?''
NO, he simply said that he did not need
| anything in that line"
Well" returned |. latter all It Is hard
| TO suit people at first
| ION. didn't ow him the proofs" in
| terrupted Mrs $. II asked II ne
| needed any advertisements and as Ne
| said no. Of course"
| But my patience was exhausted. How
| could the man know whether he wanted
| them or not. before he saw themf" sa!e
l. Have you those proofs with youT
| And as fortunately she had, took thru.
| and donnlng my nat. said sit right tn .
| till / get back"
| THE WAY TO DO IT
And in half an hour I returned. 'F {
| OF your 'ads' are accepted. with n e.
| changes" said |, "only one refused"
| My, how did you 10 it?" asked y. :.
| S IN surprise.
well" replied |. u will tell you Jus
| what / did; viii give you an object
| lesson. | handed my card to Mr.
| Blanks secretary. with a request for a
| few minutes interview. We had never
| met. so | had no advantage over you in
that respect. Being invited into the
| hot IN
| terested in trying to interest others in
| his interests. az the same time placing
| the proofs right before him on his
| desk. lie replied that he could not
| increase his advertising. all the time
| cycling the top advertisement before
| him. I returned that / had thought
! these ideas good enough to submit &c
| his consideration, and half arose, but
| by this time he had rae first one IN
/ his hand We djnt require anythin2
| of this sort-um-' Then he took w
| No 2--'that is TO say. / generally write
| the advertisements myself-er-this Is a
| bright idea Then, as he deliberately be-
| gan again at the beginning. | leaned bach
! with a silent chuckle of satisfaction.
| VERY clever. indeed said he, as he
| finished. whats the price,"
| II told him; he gave directions for
| the alterations he wanted made, and
| handed back the proofs. l promptly
arose, said corrected proofs would be
ready at o'clock the following day.
| added good morning. and it was all
| over"
| But you did only what would have
| done had / had the chance" said Mss.
| s. In a grieved tone. And one more
| was added to the list OF women whose
| plant is that the world won't give them
| a chance.
| There are several things to be remem-
| bercd by the woman who asp!res to be-
| come an lad" writer: You can't start
! in at the middle; you must get right
| down to hard work. and keep at 1t. And,
| like swimming 1t looks mighty easy.
| but you can't do II until you've learned
| how. VIRGINIA FRAZEE.
La GRIPPE'S AFTERMATH.