The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
INIT" COATED WITH SUGAR
PLEASURE TO BE DERIVED From
REJECTED MANUSCRIPTS.
Sport of Angling for the Various Forms of
Rejection Used by Editors-OccasionnI
Disappolntmsnts In the Form OF Checks
The Rstime CapabIc of Being Extended

, ing n plan whereby one may get pleasure out
of his reverses.'
The Young man who once had literary nsri-
%rations. but now had come down to plain
newspaper ambition, .played afrectionately with
the leaves Of a big scrapbook.
Nothing finds it's way between the covers
OF this book unless it he n regret he went
on. "and IL must furthermore be n regret that
something Of mine is Of no monetary value to
the writer OF the sender OF the regret. ] can't
say Just when the idea OF starting the book
came to mott was Of gradual growth-but
since | have begun 10 act upon IL ] have found
1t invaluable.
The collecting mania il n queer and unac-
countahle one at best. IL takes hold Of n man
and he becomes as interested in it as II il were
something useful. no matter whether it con-
Germs cancelled stamps or peanut shells. II
he hanpens TO be collecting coins or old horse
shoes or books or bells or tenpenny nails he is
as delighted when he gets a new specimen rs
he would be II some one presented him with a
thousand dollar bill. and so It is with me in the
matter Of my regrets. II an editor or a pub
Usher or a theatrical manager uses some new
formula in declining something OF mine / am
as tickled as q small boy with n new red sled.
l FORGET all about the fact that I have failed to
sell something that 1 rather hoped would
bring me in a little cash. Again. II the editor
or publisher or manager uses an old form that
L ollCuuf hahO IL III uOOh' L leel lIldl L nave
wasted the stamps that we're necessary to for
ward and bring back the manuscript, 1 find.
also. that attention given to such q collection
finally brings one to the point of looking at
everything from the collectors point OF view.
and. in its way. that is an advantage. Let me
illustrate:
After I had my collection pretty we'll I'M
der way 1 became curious as to the form of
regret in use by the North american Rerie,r.
co 7 mann raj m nrtfnla md can't ~ 70 fhnt
magazine. 1 waited and waited and waited.
while my collection steadily grew in size. and
the longer l waited the more satisfied Ibe-
came that l needed a North american Rerie,c
regret to make it all complete. Well, after
waiting eight months ] was disappointed by
the receipt Of l check for $40. Think OF Gull
~tivatinE a mania that will permit you to be dis
appointed because you receive a check! But.
of course. l didn't give up. No enthusiastic
collector ever gives I'D. 1 Immediately went
to work on another article. (which was duly
forwarded. and in the course of another six or
eight months a check for $50 came to disap-
point me.
is it possible l raid to myself. that l am
to be thwarted like this? Can it be- that I am
to be Juggled out OF this important addition
to MI collection
But 1 was not dismayed. tried again.
and the third time l was successful. l
5reathed a sigh OF relief when I opened the
envelope l had addressed to myself and found
my manuscript accom- panied by a note saying
that it was returned with regret because there
was no possible chance OF using It for many
months to come. This was indeed a prize. 1t
was totally unlike anything in my collection.
but there was one Disappointing feature about
it. The wording indicated that it could not
be the form of regret in regular use in the Of
fee. There is another which l must have. and
as 1 took in $50 and spent a year and a half
getting this one ! fear l may have q hard time
rounding up the other.
However. this is an exceptional case. l do
not recall another instance in which | have
had to work SO hard to accomplish my pur-
pose. In the case OF the Century. by way OF
illustration. 1 don't think ] spent more than
sixty days in getting two entirely separate and
distinct forms Of regret. and the monetary
return to me while acquiring these speci-
mems was. as | recall it. but 81. for two sets OF
verses that were afterward used in the Light
er Vein department. SO far as the specimens
themselves are concerned, one OF them | think
is to he commended. IL merely informs me
that my manuscript does not seem TO us ex-
actly adapted to our present needs 1t doesn't
give me a list Of eighteen reasons. any one. OF
Is not accepted. and it doesn't explain that it
may be very good even though it isn't wanted.
1t simply gives me the information that / want
and let's i go at that. | have half a mind TO
write 70 the editor Of the C1ntnry and te,l him
the waste paper basket. Before ! became a vic
tim OF this collecting mania, | always felt like
printed explanation Of the various things that
entered into the consideration of a manu-
EFFORT was probably the best that ever was.
only, il did not quite suit.
personal feelings, there is much that is Of in
terest in the collection. Merely as an exem-
nit it will hold the attention Of the thoughtful
s apn; G IT IRE i so! the mstho6 ms aa2Ritsd t by the he
stance. He is extremely grateful Tor ha7ng
been permitted to examine some manuscript
ing ms two pages of printed matter. explain
ing what he does want and. what he doesn't
Essfinv aP PSat '9 9Re fat aS I he a6s,n p w Sa6t
what have written is no reflection upon
hal; a mind to send back his communicatio
with a note 10 the effect that the writer re,
grets that this contribution; WHICH he is glad
does not meet his present needs,
The Harper form looks much more nromts.
you are, through. with il, you discover several
give a distinctive feature to its no il also
makes you regret that they regret. unless You
men. However, | shall not undertake to
enpmerate all the editorial pecqliarities my
extreme courtesy Of the two. page letter Of the
Ladies Home %JomTni. the imitation type:
the editors Of the Tontii's C4,npanion nat they
esteem il a favor to be allowed to examine
manuscripts NnellltT lHeN. UrDNe. dtctVthDlP |
or not You may borrow the hook and study
these matters out for yourselves. II you wish.
You may investigate the MpJSeg assertion that
one rejection does not argue that YOU may not
be successful another time the regret Of the
editor OF Short Stories that he is not advised
to undertake the publication II your manu-
scrint at this time. the assurance from Ne
Cures that the return 'musr not BE- under
stood TO m ply a lack Of merit and the infOr-
nation from I'm uirOtfS that ii is impossible
t. accept more than a small PROPORTION Of the
contributions offered My purpose is rot to
discuss the eighty eight samples that ! have:
but TO give you an insight into the pleasures Of
making the collection. / may say in passing.
however. that eighty eight. without a single
form duplicated. means n good deal. II has
kept me, pretty busy getting them together. :
In fact, | NAV say to you cOundentiHlly that IN
some instances l have %resortei 10 trickery.
nave, sent 20 some publications c%ontribu-
uiunS that | knew were totally un suited to
them. but | think the natural euthu-iasm OF "A
collector will Justify Internationally. I
And now | come 10 another feature Of my
fad. Possibly you are Of the opinion that in