The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-16
THE STRUGGLING YOUNG AUTHOR



There may be nothing In this idea"
said the struRrlinr Young author II
just throw II out for what it's worth.
The idea is of an insurance company
that would insure the publication OF the
work of unknown authors. We have
companies that insure US against being
struck by lightning. and don't see why
we shouldn't have companies that would
insure our being struck occasionally at
least. My idea would be something like
this: The Literary Insurance Company
which a valuation had been placed by
the author. and say whether they would
take risk on II or not. and at what
rate. Say. for example. that a manu-
script that the company considered In
surable was valued by the author at 500.
and that the company would insure 1t
for. say. 97i1 per cent. Then the author
would pay into the company $3.50 and
take out a policy on that manuscript.
by which policy the company would
guarantee its publication, with remuner-
alton to the writer In an amount not
less than that for which 1t was insured:
or. failing publication, the company
would bind itself to pay under certain
conditions and within a. specified time q
like amount.
'.It is stipulated in the conditions that
the author shall make every effort to dis
pose OF the manuscript, and II he shall
fall he shall turn it over to the COM
pany with q list OF the places he has sent
II to. and they shall try 1t for . while.
II neither party to the contract Is able
to dispose OF II within the specified time.
then the company aforesaid pays over
to the party of the first part, being the
said author hereinbefore mentioned. the
sum of 500. and takes the manuscript.
On the face OF this It looks as though
the company had simply paid out $50
for a bunch of manuscript by an un-
known writer: but hare's where the gam
BILE comes In.
1.-THE company catalogues that manu-
script and then puts II away and waits.
II may finally be worth nothing more
than its value as waste paper, or X may
be worth a great deal more. The writer
makes over to the company all right.
title and interest without power OF with
drawal. and the manuscript Is the COM
panys irrevocably. and II the time ever
comes when II can be put on the market
profitably. nobody can stop the sale of
1t. Perhaps not more than one writer
in a hundred will. except in occasional
odd instances. be anything but a regular
insurer Mt the highest rates, with his
manuscript going finally TO the COM
pany: and the manuscripts after the
will go to the paper mills. But pretty
soon some writer begins to find his stun
marketable, and in proportion as 1t be-
comes marketable so. OF course. does the
rate OF insurance on II decrease. When
II is an even chance, or a little better
than even. that his stuff will sell. he
could get II insured say for 50 per cent:
and as his work improved and his name
grew, the time would come. oh happy
Nap how ho I've aalf ND
as hts fame increased. so would the re-
turn for his iabors, until. instead OF his
paying something to have publication
insured, the publishers would be offering
him great premiums on whatever he
might write.
Now Is the time. when the highly sue
cessfui authors work Is bringing all
sorts of prices, when the Literary In
surancc Company begins to look at Its
indexed catalogues To see II he ever In
sured with them. As likely as not he
did and. II he did. the chances are that
they'd got lot OF hts early stun. and.
sure enough. they find In the appropriate
vault about cracker box full which
brings now good prices. big prices--re-
turns that make good many losses. They
get perhaps. more for that cracker box
full Of stun than they paid out for
whole van load. taking 1t as II came
ITO say nothing OF the profits likely to
accrue-great profits, very iikeiy-I
should think there would be fascina-
ton in the uncertainty Of all this: nobody
could tell IN advance when or where I'm
this mountain Of manuscript n bonanza
might develop: II might be where Il was
least expected or totally unlocked for;
but BY means Of the indexed catalogues.
when any part Of this mountain, near or
remote. had been transmitted By the
writer's fame from simple vaiueiess
sheets OF written paper into silver and
gold. IL could be reached with easy GER
tatnty wherever IL might be- I should
think that all this would he great fun
for somebody. some man OF ample means.
who could afford 10 wait. and who liked
~ take chances. and / am looking 20 see
that man come some day and Sc. IN the
Literary Insurance compauy"-New York