Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08


recent publications have advanced the rate
paid for manuscript as they have prosper
ed. But, as rule, the new magazines do
not pay enough to make any difference in
the market for literature to the ordinary
producer The reason for this lies in the
fact that the number of Would-be contrib
utors seems limitless
Recently the editor Of Lippincott's Maya
zine has been publishing a series Of "expe-
renee articles, quoting from letters re-
celved with manuscripts and giving ad-
Woe to the writer's which is meant to reach
the whole army of volunteer contributors.
these articles are not only interesting, but
instructive. They ought to divert a great
many ambitious people from the attempt
10 write for the magazines. But trying to
abridge the number of volunteer contrib
utors to magazines is like trying to drain
the ocean.
For Money and for Fame.
Some of these contributors write for
money and some for fame. Tho humorist
OF a newspaper recently wrote a paragraph
quoting some fictitious person as saying
that he was going to start a magazine
which would accept every manuscript sub
mitted. Ito be paid for on publication"
and keep alive on the circulation 1t would
have among the writer's, who would buy it
to see II their stories were published. The
idea Is fanciful, but have no doubt the
circulation of some of these "pay-on-publi-
cation magazines Is increased largely by
the purchases of ambitious writers. The
old hand at writing usually waits for his
check to come. This man who wants to
see himself in print eagerly buys the
There is one magazine in New York which
obtains its contributions from this class
OF writer's. In accepting a manuscript, the
editor writes to the contributor. praising
copies. Of the number in which it appea re-
In full payment for 1t. another magazine,
Which has changed hands several times
used to offer to contributors such pay as
VIII name" The contributor was expected
to go out and solicit subscriptions for the
for hts article. Thts trading for manu-
LEGATION would degra6e literature by max
ing writer solicitor of business But
Few or the magazines pay living rates.
FOR contributions. Many Of them pay less
for carefully written literary work than
the average newspaper pays for hurriedly
prepared news or special matter In
fact. one reason why the best-kpQwn
writer's Of fiction are represented in the
columns OF the newspapers today Is that
the newspaper rate Is better than the rates
OF most of the magazines, and that where
several newspapers are banded together in
syndicate" the rate is higher than even
Active Amateur Writers.
Most of the writing for the cheap maya
zines Is done by men and women who
do not depend on literature for a living.
Women who make pocket money with
their pens are the mont urgent contributors
to the pages Of the cheap periodicals.
Sometimes these develop into finished
writer's. Some OF the best-known maya
zine contributors Of today were not trained
to literary work. Conan Doyle is one Of
those who pursued literature as a pas
time until his success a writer deter
mined him to adopt it as a profession.
To these casual writers and to many
who are trying to gain a foothold in the
profession of letters there appears ss a
preference shown to foreign writer's and to
writer's whose names ure well known
They account for the appearance of GER
tain names at frequent intervals On the
ground that the authors are favored by
publishers. Any magazine editor will tell
you that this is not true. I asked Mr..
Richard Watson Glider, tho editor Of the
Century, a few days ago to tell me what
proportion of story literature was bought
unseen or ordered from well-known writ
ers He very kindly had an examina-
ton of the twelve numbers of the maya
zine ending with the issue of April last
made for me. In those twelve numbers
there were 394 separate signed articles.
These were written by 1928 different au-
tnOrS ana u OF these, Mr.. Glider said
were new contributors.
Interesting Statistics.
How many manuscripts are submitted
to the Century in year and how many Of
these are purchased?" I asked.
when we last counted" said Mr.. Glider.
about 5000 were sent in and about 400
were purchased. OF course, many Of these
were asked for"
l asked Mr.. Glider If the Century dis
eliminated in favor Of American authors
with a view to encouraging the develop.
ment OF American genius.
Il should think the twenty-five and more
years of the magazine itself ought to
tainly we have occasionally published
serial by a foreign author, but that has
been the exception I'VE by no means
rule out the foreign author, but all things
being equal we think IL Is our duty, as it
certainly is our pleasure, to give the Amer
lean writer the fullest chance, and 40 II
has been in the Century that many Of
the writings have appeared of DR.. j. q.
Edward Eggleston, George W. Cable. John
Burroughs. Mrs. Mary Hallock Foote, Joel
Chandler Harris, James mes, Lane Allen, Edith
Ward, SAKE Holm: II G. Bunner, n John
Fox, 'Brander Matthews, Charles Eebert
Craddock. Kate Douglas Wiggin, Maurice
Thompson, HtaImar ,HJsrth Boyesop. Walt
ford. George Kennag; ;Dt; s. Weir Mitchell,
comb Riley Franz Dempster Sherman,
along with some OF Hewells' and James
best short and long stories, stories and
poems of Aldrich. poems and criticisms OF
Lowell Stoddard, Stedman and Woodber.
~. whole books Of criticism by Lowell ana
Stedman, and SO on. On the other hand
the Century published the first serial by
Stevenson ever printed in America. mia
Silyerado Squatters,' and is now printing
what is said to be Mrs. Humphry Wards
best novel.
The Illustrators.
"It Is the same with the Illustrative ar.
tists. Most Of them are American by either
birth or residence. The relation of the Can,
fury to the American school of wood en-
gravers, with Cole at its head, IL well
known"
asked Mr.. Glider If he did not think the
magazine Of today was moro '.newsy'.
than the magazines Of some years ago.
II suppose by news you mean something
new as to fact, whether Of current or his
tQyical events" he said. 'As to that cam
not say with deiniteness without careful