Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1904-07-02
HOW JACK LONDON ARRIVED,
Popular Author Struggled Hard 70,
HIGH Position He Holds

i ago he was unheard of by the readin
world To-day he is read everywhers
: Is sought by publishers, and the pags
3 OF the magazines, from The Centur
Z down, are open to him.
The story of how he ARRIVED.
9 how he first set foot upon tn
+ stepping-stone to success. hi
S tells in The Editor, the New
] York magazine for literary workers
incidentally giving the latter class
some excellent advice. Here are 2
few OF his terse, pregnant sentences
= Work, Don't wait for some good
Samaritan to tell you, but dig it on:
yourself
Fiction pays best OF all
Don't write too much. Don't dash
on 6Oo0-word story before breakfast.
Avoid the unhappy ending, the
harsh. the brutal. the tragic, the horrt-
BILE IL you care to see in print the
things you write
Keep a notebook. Travel with IL
eat with it. sleep with It. Slap into
1t every stray thought that futtet y
/ up lutO your brain.
/, AS soon as fellow sells tyo or
three things to the magazines saws
Jack London. his friends all ask him
now he managed to do it." and then
he goes on. in his own racy way. to
tell how 1t happened to. him.
He had many liabilities and no as
sets. no income and several mouths
to feed. He lived in California. far
from the great publishing centers.
and did rot know what an edition,
looked like. But he sat down.
wrote. Day by day his pile of
scripts mounted up. He had
ideas. obtained from Sunday 81
ment. that minimum rate of
thousand words was paid, and IA
on earning $500 a month. wi
overstocking the market.
One morning the postman brt
him, instead OF the usual long.
manuscript envelope. a short.
one. He couldn't open it right
1t seemed a sacred thing. 1t
tanned the written words of an q
ever, he had figured in his mind
the offer for this 4OOO-word
would be at the minimum rate
OF course-he opened the letter.
dollars,
Not having died right then
there, Mr.. London is convinced
ne may yet qualify as an oldeI
habitant. Five dollarsl When?
editor did not state.
But. by and by. in the course of its
wanderings. one Of his stories reached \
IN editor who could see the genius of
Jack London. and had the patience to
beneath the husk Of wordy
and discover the golden
Here is the incident that proved
he turning point in Jack London's
literary career, as he so graphically
ellis it:
Nothing remained but to get out
nd shovel coal. l had done it be-
ore. and earned more money at it
resolved to do it again, and I GER
ainly should have donL it, had It not
cen for The Black Cat.
Yes. The Black Cat. The post
IAN brought me an offer from It for
4000-word story which was more
sngthy than strengthy. IL I would
rant permission to cut 1t down half.
rant permission? 1 told them they
ould cut it down two-halves Il they'd
My send the money along. which
ley did, by return mail. As for tbs
previously mentioned. I finally re-
lived 1t, after publication and a great
cal Of embarrassment and trouble"
And the rate he received for his first
lack Cat story was nearly 90 times
hat the five-dollar editor paid
Nor Is Jack London the only writer
no has been lifted from obscurity to
commence by the lucky Black Cat.
hich. as the New York Press has,
uly said, has done more for short
DRY writer's and short-story readers
an any other publication
Each Of its famous prize competf-
pms has brought new writer's to the
ont In its most recent, the S2,100
lie was won by young Texan who
ID never before written story. and
e second, $1,000, went to a lawyers
fe in an obscure Missouri town.
1t has Just inaugurated another con-
st in which s10.S00 will be paid to
-iters in sums Of from 500 10 $500.
lis will. no doubt, add many new
mes to the list Of those who have
rived through its recognition.
The conditions are announced In the
trent issue Of The Black Cat, and y
II also be mailed free to any one
the Shortstory Publishing Com
ny. Boston. Mass. Even those who
mot write a winning story them
YES may earn $40 by giving time
tip to some friend who can.
But all should bear in mind that It
i be entirely useless for any one
send a story to The Black Car
thout first reading and complying
h all the published conditions
re is chance for the reader to dig
lars out Of his brain. for what life
IS not at least contain one tale