The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-08-24
HOW NOVELS ARE JUDGED
perts Before Beiag Passed
Upon.

With the advance of education the
number of men and women aspiring to
authorship increases. Chicago seems to
be particularly prolific in this line. Not
q day passes but the book publishers in
this city reject manuscripts by the
dozen. But still they come, the num-
ber seeming to increase in proportion
to the number of reflections. Since the
first of the year have averaged about
IS novels day. said quiet-looking
gentleman to 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.
"Of course, I don't pretend to read
that many novels" he continued, stfor
the availability of nearly three-fourths
of all the manuscripts we receive can be
determined in the first few pages. If
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
it aside for careful rereading. Should
my opinion still remain favorable I
prepare brief written report and turn
it over to another reader, who subse-
quently passes it 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 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
usually take pains to suggest the
name of another house to the author.
Other readers do the same thing for MS,
and in that way we are frequently of
considerable mutual service.
"Just at present there seems to be
quite drift among writer's toward the
religious problem novel, and we re-
ceive great many manuscripts OF that
character. noticed the same thing
after the success of Robert Elsmere'
and The Story of an African Farm but
it died down, and it is only lately that
it 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 q
successful book. can explain the
thing best by an illustration. When
Rider Haggard's She made such hit
some years ago all the big publishing
houses were Immediately deluged viii
tales of adventure introducing the
pernatural element. Then there was
lull, followed, five or six months later
by another downpour of the same kind
of stories. The explanation is exceed
| ingly simple. The first lot Of manu-
script was old stuff that the writer's hat
already on hand or had possibly market
over little to suit the reigning fnd
The second output represented til.
stories that were conceived and writ
ten after the furore created by Hsg
CARDS books, and were obviously the re
suit of suggestions. 1t happens .,
every time, and when any new worl
scores with the public we prepare ON
; minds for the dual aftermath. Chi
cago Chronicle.