Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-12-21
HOW NOVELS ARE JUDGED.
Manuscripts Are Read by Three Ex-
perts Before Being Passed
Upon.

With the advance of education the
number of men and women aspiring 20
authorship increases. Chicago seems to
be particularly prolific in this line. Not
day passes but the book publishers in
this city reject manuscripts by the
dozen. But stifl they come, the num-
Der seeming to increase in proportion
TO the number of reflections Since the
first of the year have averaged about
Is novels a day." said quiet-looking
gentleman 10 a reporter. The quiet
looking gentleman holds the position of
reader in one of the largest book-pub-
fishing houses in Chicago, and he was
referring to the works of fiction upon
which he passed sentence daily.
/ "0f course, | don't pretend TO read
mat many novels" he continued, "for
the availability of nearly three-fourths
of all the manuscripts we receive can be
determined in the first few pages. II
the start is hopelessly bad it would be
folly to waste time on the balance.
When | strike anything that is the least
promising run through it rapidly, and
if my first impression is confirmed lay
il aside for careful rereading. Should
my opinion still remain favorable /
prepare brief written report and turn
it over TO another reader, who subse-
quently passes il TO third. The matter
of acceptance or rejection is then de-
termined by the two heads of the firm,
having before them all three of the re-
ports.
1T sometimes happens that en-
counter a story totally unsuited to our
purposes, yet well adapted to the needs
of some other house. For instance, we
do not handle any light. sensational |
novels of the Duchess brand. but now
and then something rather clever in /
that line is submitted, and in such cases I
l usually take pains to suggest the /
name of another house to the author.
Other readers do the same thing for us, /
and in that way we are frequently of /
mutual service.
just at present there seems to be /
quite a drift among writer's toward the
religious problem novel, and we re-
ceiye great many manuscripts of that
character. | noticed the same thing
after the success of Robert Elsmere
and The Story of an African Farm, but
{ died down, and it is only lately that
{ has experienced a revival. That re-
minds me, by the way, that readers al
ways look for what they call first and
second crops after the appearance of
successful book. | can explain the
hing best by an illustration. When
Rider Haggard's She made such a hit
'ome years ago all the big publishing
houses were Immediately deluged with
ales of adventure introducing the SUI
Dernatural element. Then there was a
u1l, followed, five OF six months later,
~ another downpour of the same kind
Il stories. The explanation is exceed
ngly simple. The first lot of manu-
,cript was old stuff that the writer's had
llready on hand orhad possibly marked
'ver' little to suit the reigning fad
The second output represented the
tories that were conceived and writ
en- after the furore created by Hag-
ards books, and were obviously the re-
ult of suggestions. 1t happens so
very time, and when any new work
cores with the public we prepare our
minds for the dual aftermath. Chi
ago Chronicle.