The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18
The Craft Is More Profitable Than
Ever Before, Says III. II. How
land, n Literary Adviser.
TRUE, THERE'S NO END OF BOOKS
But, HE SAYS, MEN HAD BETTER
READ ANYTHING THAN NOTHING.
Every Manuscript N Publishing House
Gets Is Carefully Examined
A Fair show to All.


author, whose opportunities he thinks were
never better than al present. Probably no
profession in the world is more widely
sought than that of story-writing. for the
large publishing houses commonly have
from 1900 TO 1900 manuscripts submitted TO
them each year. and yet with all of the
large number Of ambitious authors there is
certainly a very small per cent. of them
that ever attains distinction. But because
the majority fails that is no particular rea-
son why one seeking for laurels in this field
should give Up; for publishers. like theatre
cal managers. all claim that there is room
at the top. and that they are continually
looking for new material and new writer's.
Whoever starts TO write fiction, publishers
and critics agree should bear in mind that
he is undertaking no easy task, for writing.
like all other professions, must be well
learned and understood before entering
upon it seriously. 1t is further asserted
that to write a successful book one must
have natural ability and large amount of
it. Where the average person makes
mistake as to authorship is he thinks, that
anyone who takes it into his head to write
a book can do with little trouble. The
truth is that 10 write a successful book one
must have il in him TO be an author and
must become a journeyman in his craft.
There have been few men in the history
or fiction like the man who wrote David
Harum." Such cases are rare.
There is always considerable interest on
the part of people who read books as to
who manuscript readers for publishing
houses are, for they are a class of men
whose labOrs are not rewarded by any
great public notice. The manuscript read
ers are not necessarily connected with the
publishing house in any other capacity.
There IS a number of them employed by
each concern. practice of secrecy is
adopted so that no undue influence can be
brought TO bear upon these readers and
that the authors may be fairly death with
and all stand an equal show. These manu-
script readers are generally capable men
and women, who understand how book of
fiction should be constructed and what the
story should contain to be of interest TO
the public. They are also persons who can
read manuscript with the eye of a critic,
and understand it from a purely literary
standpoint. When the manuscript of a
book is received by a publishing concern it
IS registered and sent out to a reader, who,
after going carefully over it makes a writ
ten report. If this report should be favor
able, which is very seldom the case, then
the manuscript is sent TO another reader
and reported on. and so on until it has gone
through the hands of a number of them
b. this time. OF course, a comparatively
accurate opinion can be had of it. This is
all done to lessen the chances of a house
putting out a bad book, and sometimes
after this precaution is taken a publishing
house will accept a book that viii not suit
the public taste.
1t is often wondered what points in a
story the manuscript reader has to con-
slider so TO be able to judge the merit
of it. Publishers claim that the first thing
he must see to is that there is public in
terest in the subject. The next important
thing is the plot-whether it is neatly con-
structed. The plot OF a story is necessarily
the most essential thing in it, and if it is
not handled so that it will seem probable
and SO that the incidents that occur in the
lives of the characters will seem natural
70 the reader the story is nearly certain TO
be a failure. 1t is also the duty of the
manuscript reader to see that the story is
clearly and decently written and that the
characters are alive and full of action and
do not drag in their speeches. II takes all
of these features combined to make an in
teresting story, and one writing fiction must
have them foremost in his mind all the
time.
When a publishing house puts out a
book that sells for $50 and is compelled
TO do a dollars worth Of advertising to
keep Up the sale it is not making money
That is the reason books that are taken
for publication are given such serious con-
siderauon by the publishers, who weigh
them to the public. The kind of stories that
are always being looked for, and that con-
Germs at the present time demand, are
those that set people talking. The mouth
to-mouth advertising is the kind that
counts. and il the books that publishing
house issues lack merit they cannot get
this kind OF notOriety.
YOUNG AUTHORS CHANCES
Frank Norris, novelist and literary ad-
wiser, recently wrote an article in which
he pictures the life of the literary man as
exceedingly gloomy and void Of just re-
wards IN fact, he advises young men to
seek some other means OF earning living
because. he says. they will be more apt to
ind larger amount of disbursement in
literary work than in any other. Mr.. How
land. in commenting upon Mr.. Norriss re-
marks the other day, said:
1.-The possibilities Of the young author, |
the literary STRIPPING. were never brighter. |
1t seems 10 me. than at the present time.
say this in spite OF the fact that so emf |
nent an authority as Mr.. Norris has de- |
clared 10 the contrary. He seems 10 feel !
that the future is uncertain and the re- |
wards TOO meager. The tone OF his recent |
remarks Is pessimistic and discouraging. |
OF course, IT is true in the field Of htera |
ture. as IN any other field of endeavOr, |
that many are called and few are chosen, |
but that the failures are dispropOrtionately |
large 1 am very much inclined 10 doubt.
He speaks pityingly of the literary hack
who grinds out his daily allotment of /
stun and who at odd moments tries to
write an immortal novel. 1t is true. 10 be |
sure, that every man who writes cannot
earn his bread by the sweat Of his magma
ton, and in order 20 get the necessary
three meals a day he must write space
for the newspapers or read manuscripts for
q publishing house. but I cannot believe
that the situation Is as gloomy as Mr.. Nor
ris pictures IL. There is something in au-
thorship besides the mere financial returns.
The knowledge that one has done a good