The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-14

siderable percentage ii every hundred
persons not only cherish literary crav-
ings at some period or other of c~ist-
encc, but make more or less strenuous
efforts to SATISFY the same. Probably,
indeed, any prominent publisher would
be inclined to the opinion that all the
world tries it's hand at writing. At
any rate, it is remarkable how mary
people of trained intelligence do. at
some time or other, fancy themselves
to be the poets, playwrights or novci-
lists of the near future, and their strug-
giles to reach the coveted height are
often as interesting as desperate.
Literary failures" keep much in the
same groove; their experience do not
vary greatly. The average aspirant
usually has an early tendency for reel
ing of lurid "plots" and morbid
"poems," each of which his friends re-
gard as the outcome of sheer inspira
tion. Soon these friends begin to tell
him that he is neglecting his genius,
and, thus encouraged, he glances crit
ically over the field of literature and de-
cides to commence with three-volume
novel which shall thrill the reading
world.
Alas! for our dreams-literary ones
in particular. 1t is fairly easy to reel
off the novel, but another thing alto-
gether to establish a name on the
strength of it. The aspirant regards it
naturally as masterpiece, and is con-
founded when, after he has been wait
ing for the publishers congratulations,
his manuscript is returned with the
cold formula: "We regret we are una
bic 10 undertake its publication" He
thinks there is some huge mistake, and
sends it forth af1esh, accompanied by
the same letter of glowing description.
Not, until, indeed, he has spent an
alarming amount in postage fees, and
the masterpiece of SO many rebuffs at
the hands of publishers readers, does
he begin to realize that one of the hard
est things in the world is to convince a
publisher that the public is waiting
eagerly to peruse the talented work.
Truly, if suspense and disappoint-
ment tend to shorten life, the average
aspirant suffers considerable through
that first bitter period of disillusion.
Then he begins to reflect that oil
authors have experienced such reverses
at first. He laysthe book aside, writes
another of a totally different charac-
ter, and sends it forth with renewed
hope. After it has been declined with
prompt regularity until he has ex-
hausted his list Of publishers, his
friends begin to assure him that he is
evidently one of the geniuses who are
never recognized till after he is dead,
and he begins to believe them.
Possibly, too, by this time he has
gained his almost inevitable experience
as to the pitfalls digged for unwary
authors by the gentry who make a
living by either inducing such aspirants
to part with sums of money as guaran-
tee in system Of publication from
which there is seldom or never any
monetary return, or by Offering, for
a consideration, facilities toward pro-
duction which they do not possess. The
aspirant may be tempted to risk the
required amount rather than to forego
the coveted opening in public notice.
In that case he has not paid for his ex-
perience in the way that many u.s.
pirants before him have done. His
book may be printed, but never gets
into the market. His 6 100 are gone.
Or, perhaps, as in the writer's case,
his hopes are falsely aroused in an
other way. He tries an obscure pub
Usher, and the latter thinks well CT
the book, and hopes to come to terms
This means that he will pay ludicrous-
~ small sum down for tie copyright
say e2o. Twenty pounds!-after all
the aspirant's dreams of wealth ard
greatness. - {
Thoroughly sick at heart. the would
be author carries away his manuscript.
His main grievance is that he can never
learn anything as to the defects OK his
work, publishers invariably declining
TO enter into details. Either he accepts
their ultimatum ard abandons Iirera-
ture rs a nonpaying profession. or he
is wise enough to commence afresh and
trv TO combine with the artistic that
attractive quality which Is likely to
fascinate a publishers eye. AS Walter
Besant has said: "Only one here and
there can hope TO succeed but he
may be the one-Household Words
in Fcrac Crown c>F-C iea-cs o:
.ario,Is trees were e:ver 10 tie actors
- ,ba circ,,s ,,d fhes-sr in yartous