The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
PRICES PAID TO AUTHORS.
The Market for Literary Wares Said
to Be Rising.

New York Sun.
The most satisfactory indication of the
state of the market, however, is found in
the quotations for the work of the unknown
writer. Here nothing is considered but the
work itself. 1t has often been said. but it
ought to be repeated on every proper occa-
sion, that the publisher Is eager for good
unknown. 1t Is worth while adding as a
hint to ambitious unknowns an old news
paper, mot: "A good Introduction will car
ry dinged poor story" We have ample
price now paid as compared with what was
paid only three years ago when Mr.. How
ellis wrote that they pay from s. to Sc a
known writer" But every publisher of
magazines to whom the reporter talked said
that no matter was rated at less than $40 a
thousand, and very little is rated below $l5.
Instances in which wholly unknown writ
ers have received from $125 to $l7o for
short story 4,000 or 5000 words) are COM
any reader of the Sun has classic of that
length, a tale that can lift the reader out
of his chair, he can get even 800 1or IL.
classic to think that Kiplng would get
$3.50 maybe ST. 900, for the same story, be-
cause Mr.. Kiphng's name is worth me
difference as an advertisement semen 20 h bas
the writing of classics in him has also the
spirit OF those writers OF Greek classics Oh
whom George Haven Putnam says N;da Ia
Ages" .sThey were content to do their
work without any thought OF matenal
compensation The only reward Tor wnlcn
they could look was fame with their own
generation.
Passing from literature to what Mr.: Bran
der Matthews calls the journalistic features
of magazines ii is found that the price
runs from $40 to $50 thousand words. The
Century rarely, if ever, pays less tnan W;
for trave, sketch of no great merit; FRO
fessor Shaler who writes about coral reefs
and submarine volcanoes in a way 10 en-
chain a reasonable mind more enectuai4y
very likely receives from two TO three times
that sum- And when tsay thousand years
from noW) the general run or magazine
readers shall learn that IL is better TO turn
for rest or recreation TO the WoHus G VI
Dovle's detectives, or even the adventures
~ Ss,ir George Tressady," Mr.. Shaler'S great
great-great-grandson will receive COM
Sensa ton commensurate with the merit or
his work. un.ess. indeed, the woria sna .i
,hrnwn away both yardsticks and dollars
as measures for the outcome OF the BRAN
when inquiry was made for the reasons
governing the editors who nix prices on the
products Of the men na Women o hays
been expected, but II Vas IN several cases
ernnhasized In a way that must amuse the
average newspaper publisher intensely. The
magazine essayist has Tor many years oeen
telling the newspaper publishers that 1t was
very very sinful 10 print news OF certain
events. even though the public demanded the
news IL was not only utterly selfish 10
Consider the public demand for the news OF.
say Prize sn, u "as e puSlsher y the
magazine TO say that II Is the public de-
mand for this or that writer which regu..
Iates the price paid. Mr. Howells referred
almost pathetically TO the Vorry that comes