The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-11
Selecting Songs
How Publishers Try to
Find Popular Hits.

spring * the time when the publishers
| Of popular hits look sharply. even
somewhat anxfously. through the manu-
scripts submitted for possible great sue
| eessas; fer the songs selected for push
ing must De Our and well advertised
long before the opening CT the next
theatre season, when they are subjected
TO the final Judgment % the public. The
conservative publishers, however. 90
their even way with small regard for
| seasons, publishing what they think is
worthy and promising as they chance
| upon it or their contracts with compos-
ers OF established regulations are full
hIed, according to the New York Even
ing Post.
The manuscript q song takes almost
the same course with the publishers as
a book Manuscripts are submitted 70
US from all parts Of the counJry-NOrth.
East, South. and west-and from all
kinds OF people We have them from en-
inent musicians, boarding school girls,
| obscure music teachers, vaudeville per-
formers, and infant prodigies.
7 have no doubt that The wild tales
told OF the fortunes in popular songs in
spire most Of the trashy or plagiarized
ones that reach my desk, said the head
of large publishing house yesterday.
You may be surprised 70 know, how
ever. that there is a suggestion Of merit
L may b only a bar or tw0-in one-third
Of the manuscripts submitted. do not
think the magazines publishers could say
as much OF the stories submitted ID them.
written are published; but the percent
age may not be far below that, for the
first expense is not great, and success is,
sometimes, q matter Of chance.
The manuscripts are read with great
care; in some houses they go through
several readers hands before they reach
the final authority. The publishers are
always on the lookout for promising
maiden efforts. Very frequently revision
is suggested; it may be that the range IS
toe wide, or that q few bars are remin-
iscent Of some popular success, OF that
the monotony OF the whole is open 10
relief at various points or that conden-
sation is imperative. Many manuscripts
are accepted upon the condition that the
readers suggestions are followed. The
question Of payment then arises An IN
known composer seldom receives more
than s. or SO for his song, though I
have known SIS to be paid The composer
of reputation gets from SIS 10 $50; the
maximum price is not often paid. unless
the composer has a contract for the pro
ductiCn."
Publishers prefer TO buy outright; COM
publishers never yield unless they have
to- The royalty ranges from 10 per cent,
the usual to % per cent, the extraor-
binary. The composers returns have
been highly exaggerated; it must be said
however that fortunes have been made
out Of single songs The sale OF 10000
copies is unusual; but the small pub
fishers. whose aim IS 10 put out a hit"
will tell one with an unruhled face, of
songs that ''have sold a million" The
composer OF The Sweetest Story Ever
Told" a great success. got about $1,000
a year out OF It for two or three years;
and the song has had a rather steady
sale for five years now, SO that the
grand total Of his income from it must
be considerable. 1T may be that such
as After the Ball Of which so much
has been written, have Melted their COM
posers from $4,000 10 so 90 in ALL" said
the man above quoted; but when
larger amount than this altogether ex-
tra0rdinary sum is mentioned, ! grow
sceptical IN the long run. al any rate.
a steady seller is worth as much 10
the man who writes It as the success Of
a season.
These successes I find, have their
effect on the manuscripts we get for
some years following. They appear and
reappear. until the ear IS sick Of them
not in the work Of the good composers
OF course but in all that which comes
from the country districts and, I may
say, the boarding schools. The popular
melody lives long; it turns up IN snatches
twisted. hidden or brazenIy disclosed;
and for long Z Colors most OF the work
aimed 70 Guido IL The amateur writers
seem 70 think that what has pleased the
pubic once VIII please again and yet
again: whereas, practically the reverse
IS true: at any rate. 50 far as songs 81
a certain character are concerned. To
the manuscript reader the recurring mel
ody IS wearis0Tne. There comes time.
I think. when he suspects every song
he takes Up Of having hidden away il
it somewhere, a bar OF two OF the same
old talng.
The music Of sung f., of course, the
fr1Dortant part Of H. especially Il & pre-
tends 20 5e high class. i IS only rs
CURED If the words that they shall mean
something and not ne offensive The
music carries ,he words. the words can
never supply a lack in the mlsIc--s0 pub
fishers hold. There are many song
writers, as distinguished from composer;
and il Is strange b1t true thas a poor
poet is. more often than not, a better
song-grlter th8n good one, Tor Ihs
reas0n taat he knows his business bet
Ter. TIE arrangement between the writer
aGd the composer. t1o ls Interesting.
some writers demand haif the rog al;y-
Elausfastly an znfsir -hiHg. Ter tae wo-is
or the popular =oBzs * the day could
never. never stand Oh Laeir feet indeed
sbev woul8 never see tEs HEht OK day
withol- rha music. -Re7al the words -
Just r=L taem THAI ya1 ds5a srfar<rf
Just Tel Taem Thz- T5a Saw Ne aai
Take Bsck Y5ur Ci54d- sad Cae pub
Esh-r. "and sae justice q t15s asserrfon
VIII - o5viols. Tas composer. Z &c
has g grain = sense. uIl pay casn down
~ MS Earss. e Re cannot sTizg them
tagetS=r hiussf
TIE taeos ~ the popular sorE f.
stazy y great lr1ersst Love IS. y
c1-rse. RE greatest = AZ and e al
che variations. e. far Is the s3-ca1 -