The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18

better, all go 20 the filing Of an authors
cup OF happiness. 1t is no doubt true that
the public Of to-day has an exaggerated
idea Of the money returns from fiction
writing There seems 10 be an impression
among the laymen that an accepted manu-
script means a winter home in Florida and
summer one in the Adirondacks. This
Misrepresentation is probably due as much
to the wide publicity given fiction writers
as 10 any other cause. a novel is much adj
vertised, widely talked OF. and the unthink-
ing jump TO the conclusion that the author
must be fairly coming money
I'm this connection it is rather interest
ing 10 note a slip that Mr.. Norris makes
in estimating royalties. He supposes a
case Of an author whose book has had a
sale Of $500 copies. which he claims is very
much above the sale of the average novel.
At the regular royalty, which he says is
10 per cent, he estimates that author
would receive as a total reward for his
labors $3.50. This, OF course, would be the
correct amount if the selling price of the
novel were a dollar. But the truth is
ninety-nine novels out Of a hundred are
listed to retail at $50 So that the royalty
at 10 per cent would be 10 cents a copy,
and on $500 copies would be 1915, or $125
more than Mr.. Norris figures. This added
amount will not make the author rich; it is
only spoken of here TO show how inaccu-
racies may creep into the most carefully
prepared statements.
1.-The day Of the supremacy Of the we'll
known author. it would seem, Is almost
past The young man with his first book,
IL that book be a good one, containing
some genuine popular appeal, is very likely
TO outstrip his well-known and established
rival. 1t is often said that the novice no
longer searches out the publisher, but that
the publisher harrows the literary field
with a fine-tooth comb. Just how true this
is am not prepared to say. Mr.. Norris
seems to think that this condition undoubt
eddy exists.
ALL HAVE ATTENTION.
'It also seems that the time-honored mis-
apprehension that publishers return unex-
amined the manuscript of an unknown au-
thor still has some life left. Every manu-
script that comes into any one of the mod
ern publishing houses is registered, its re-
ceipt acknowledged and a careful exam
ination given to ii. Often it is read and re-
ported on by as many as four or five pro-
fessional readers. After this has been done
er the manuscript is suited to its wants or
not.
"Of course, in spite of all this care, many
mistakes are made. Editors and expert
readers are fallible and as likely to have
indigestion as are the workers in any other
walk of life. There are many well-known
stories of successful novels that went the
rounds in manuscript form, knocking at
"a IN foI1 Of Y1,1h-
fishing houses. only to be returned with
the usual not available note. These gol-
den opportunities are missed not because
the supercilious publisher is still spurning
the unknown, but simply because he is
fallible and fails now and then to know a
good thing when he sees IT.
Letters from influential friends and rec
concentrations of gentlemen who have ap-
peared in print avail naught. Each manu-
script stands on its own bottom, whether it
comes from Brown county or Boston, it is
put through the same course of sprouts
Each is examined, each is read, each is re-
ported on, but few are accepted"
Isn't it true that the historical novel
has about had its day?" Mr.. Rowland was
asked, and replied:
''Well, it looks now very much as if the
joicing for many years to come. There is
some indication that the story of the short
sword and the lace ruffle has seen it's best
day, but it would be bold man who would
state even this positively There are a
great many readers Of fiction who are glad
to combine a little information with their
recreation, and so the historical novel
makes it's appeal to them. In addition
@Iof~, -
aroused in the history Of our country has
naturally stimulated a demand for the
American historical povel.
"A number Of writer's in the past few
years have turned to politics for their in
spiration And certainly nothing is more
vital in our American life than is politics
as politicians play the game. But it is fu-
tile to attempt to say what is permanent
and what is ephemeral in present-day liter
ature The truth is that it does not make
much matter after all what the subject is
or where the scene is set; how it is done is
the thing"
Mr.. Rowland was asked what his opinion
was in regard to the recent controversy as
to whether the public was taking more
interest in the short story than in the
novel, and replied:
Il am AFRAID cannot tell you much
about the short story. 1 am told that the
book-buying public no longer cares for
bound volumes of short stories. Possibly,
the all-pervasiveness of the low-priced
magazine has something to do with this
For So cents at the most the short story
lover can get all of this size package he
can possibly care for at one time. The
man who buys book seems to want it full
grown, and he demands that the hero and
the heroine shall continue to the end bear
ing the same names they had when he met
them in the first chapter. 1t seems safe
to say, however, that the short story has
not reached it's flower of perfection, and
it may be when this day comes the public
will pay full price for bound volume and
file it away in the library along with the
novel Of the hour.
Zone hears on every hand SURPRISED ex-