The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-08
PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS.
Each Class Cherishes Pet Grievances
Against the other.

John ID. Barry, in Literary World.
L happened to call on a publisher the
other day just as he was wrestling with
a momentous problem. He glanced up at
me from the manuscript that lay on his
desk and remarked despairingly: This is
a novel from a popular writer. and we
have agreed TO publish it. But 1 find that
1t is full of bad English. Now 1 can't
make up my mind whether to print it just
as it stands or to send il to a reviser to be
put into shape" 1 suggested that the
second course would be desirable from the
point of view of all concerned, the author.
the public and the publisher. But he shook
his head. 1T isn't so easy as that" he
said. We've tried that course. and some
times it works successfully" When il
does, however, we don't always receive
hanks from the authors. But we are
grateful if they merely acquiesce i'm the
changes When the corrections vex an
author, however, We are sometimes in
yolved in very serious complications. One
author threatened to sue US for 'distorting
his story. This particular author" he add
ed with a sigh and a glance at the type
written sheets, lis known for his pug
nacity, and i think il would perhaps be
safer for us to send the tale out into the
world with all its blunders." Since that
conversation / have questioned several
publishers and editors, and learned that
they constantly have similar experiences
to the publisher L have quoted. Some
magazines, however, make a point OF care
fully editing every manuscript before il is
sent to the printers; others allow the au-
thors to write and punctuate as they
please. Certain ~well-known authors are
known for their amiability in submitting
TO editorial revision; but others, among
them Rudyard Kipling, insist that their
work shall be printed exactly as il stands.
There is another side, of course. to the
subject OF the extent TO which an editor
may interfere with contributors. This was
presented TO me not long ago by a young
writer whose name has been in the leading
magazines many times during the past five
years. Il should enjoy my writing" ne
remarked, IF the editors would only let
me write what / want to write. If they'd
only let such ability as 1 have work itself
out in its wv way. They not only change
my style. but they interfere with my SUBJ
jects. To please them i have TO follow
certain conventional lines, which grow
more and more distasteful to me. Some
times L think that magazines, instead Of
encouraging literature. really discourage
Ii by suppressing originality. You'd be
amused, he went on, growing more ami
mated, If you could hear some of those
fellows talk to me, If you could hear them
lay down the law. OF course / want to
please them, for / ant live on the royal
ties on my books. and really look to the
magazines for my living. One editor has
actually told me that IL would be useless
for me to submit any work dealing with
low life. This was a great discourage
ment, for j have been studying the condi-
tons in the Italian quarter of New York.
which is full of interest and color and
queer characters, and I wanted TO write a
novel about il. But I Won't write that
novel just now, at any rate. I prefer TO
do work that j know i can SELL"