The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27

@7ITH the boom in all written wares
l~E that has characterized the last
few years. opportunity has
EEIfENt glowed golden over new fields for
49, those hangers-on of life who fat
ten at the expense of whatever success
may offer. and the literary parasite has
spread like a plague Of locusts, says Public
Opinion Some feed upon the publisher;
some upon the author. The species may be
roughly catalogued as follows: Authors
Tor would-be authors) Parasites-The cor
respondence school; the literary adviser;
the placing bureau; the revision bureau;
the literary agent; the dishonest publisher
Publishers Parasites-The receptive library
or school official; the club lecturer; the
appealing reviewer; the acquisitive author;
the book dealer with a scheme; the trade
journal advertiser; the fake literary journal
Quite early in the game the Seniuses al
the head of the great correspondence
schools which, in their various branches
teach steeple-climbing, cure stammerinS
and eradicate corns, by mail, saw their
chance in literature. They advertised TO
teach novel-writing in twenty lessons, and
short fiction in ten. Another form of the
same scheme is the literary revision bureau
AT the head OF this is some man whose
name has "a familiar sound. He proffers
the helping hand for consideration that
is indeed small when one considers his
long experience" wide reputation" and
recognized standing in the world of let
ters." You send your manuscript to his
bureau, accompanied by 80 cents, and in re-
turn you get opinion on it. For S15O
| you get detailed criticism and for 81
| a full criticism and revision.
BY far the most picturesque of the au-
| thors parasites is the literary adviser, or
| professor of authorship. To describe one
| will be TO give a fair idea of the whole
rather small and select class. This man
| lives il far Western city which has
| turned out a number of writers of note.
| lie is not one of them. But he is man
| of impressive personality and resonant
| periods. His manner is exaggeratediy pro-
| fessional, and his culture fairly dazzles the
eye-a good stock in trade and one of which
| ne makes remunerative use. He has gath
cred together a class in fiction, made up
| largely of rich young women with
| sprinkling of men, and a few Deguiled
| newspaper folk striving for higher things)
| who passionately yearn 10 appear in the
| leading periodicals, and to them he lee
| lures, ringing the infinite changes on the
4
Editor :" His charge for the series of lee
| lures is no small matter.
Ii the ingenuity expended in bilkng pub
fishers out of books or cash were devoted
| to the legitimate furtherance of the book
| trade. there would be notable increase in
business. The most frequent abuse is the
| complimentary copy" graft. OF the aver
! age book, perhaps 200 editorial copies are
| sent out to newspapers and magazines in
| regular course. Copies are begged on Varl-
| Gus other preteXts, Would be pleased to
/ receive a copy with a view to dramatiz
| ton ''Will embody extract If feasible in
| my forthcoming school reader "Will read
| extracts at our coming Decoration day eX-
| erciseS If you will forward the book.
| Library and board of education people are
| notorious for this form of grating. Final
| bane of the publishing houses is the fake
! literary magazine, of which there has been
| a mushroom growth in the last two years
| They enter a field already filled by the
| three or four standard publications, and
| exc out Scanty existence by dubious
| methods The best of them are thorn in
| the publishers side because they adopt
| the methods of mendicancy. Here's a
| proof of a fine review we are giving Stew
| art Seton Vandykes novel in our coming
| number. Can't you give US an ad of itT
| Such is their plea. The worst of the class
| a publisher can buy outright. They will
| give him booming review for a paid adj
| Vertisement In time, if he declines per-
| sistently 10 advertise, they begin to
| knock his publications. 1t is doubtful
| whether this class of journal has any eff
| feet upon book sales, but it serves to keep
the publisher uneasy.