New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-17

farms OUT literary job to a "ghost" pub
fishing the result over his own name, and the
man who is willing to play the "ghost-" But
apparently one has only to acquire the right
point of view in order to see good in everything
in this world Some one signing himself
Proxy" has recently contributed to 1.-The
Author" curious defence Of "ghosting.' He
puts the whole question on practical basis
4 popular author. he argues, must either con-
tent himself with comparatively small amount
of work, turning profitable offers away or, hav-
ing agreed to do moro than he Is able properly
to do, he must scamp" things Therefore he
is justified In falling ba ok upon ghost" Pro
cceding from this beautiful assumption, Proxy"
relates some Of his OWN experiences For the
first long story 'ghosted.'" he says Il 70
ceved f2 lbs. thousand words all the way
through, one-third OF the total amount being
paid to me before had written a line; one
third when I had completed about one-haf of
the story; one-third on the day delivered the
MS. complete" Are we touched by these
figures? Perhaps not, but let Proxy" continue
his tale. "Now, supposing." he says, that
had written that story on the chance OF its be-
ing accepted by some newspaper, some syndi
cate or some publisher, what would have hap
pened? In the first place, should have worked
hard for four whole months without receiving
n single shilling" and 80 on and on, his
plant leading up TO burst Of enthusiasm over
''the well known writer who farms out his
work." that hero striking him "as a sort II
Heaven-sent being. and not some appear tor
consider him, a species Of impostor.
Reports Of the Christmas season Of book
selling in London show that conditions there
approximate very closely to conditions In this
country. The holiday book pure and simple
y,lro
precedence Of serious literature Mr.. Morley's
Gladstone has been the favorite book of tho
season, and 1.-The Creevey Papers," which we
review in another column today, have won I'M
usual popularity. The "best selling novel has
been the late Henry Seton Merrimans bar
lasch of the Guard" and in poetry Mr.. Kip
ing's give Nations has left all other volumes
far in the rear. Art books, especially those
which have been sumptuOusly produced, have
easily found purchasers IN England. they
have found them In the United States. Reprints
Of classics also seem to be equally successful on
both sides of the Atlantic. The edition de luxe,
which has been steadily losing its vogue
among us, is likewise losing its vogue abroad,
and both English and American publishers are
paying more attention to collected editions Of
living authors and dead masters. In short, AZ
one London paper has IT. @the links between
the book worlds Of the two countries get moro
and more intimate"
correspondent who - both scholar ma
novelist writes to the London Outlook -
let the world know that he is In a sad state q
bewiderment over the present state Of the
fiction market He points out that one PERIOD
cal has lately reduced all its notices Of novels
to small print; that another restricts its 10
views of fiction to supplement; that accord
ing to one leading publisher" the novel Il
played out and that In the opinion Of one
writer of fiction novelists should, for time at
least refrain from producing anything at all
yet" says this puzzled individual, "the out
put of novels Is no whit diminished" and, he
asks, "who can explain these things? These
things are not so mysterious as they seem. On
the contrary, they illustrate tendency which
has been slowly but steadily making itself
plain to every one capable of reading the signs
of the times Contemporary fiction is at once
SO abundant and SO lightly considered for the
simple reason that its relation to literature In
the strict sense Is being more and more widely
questioned, and, In many cases, fatty denied.
Time was when the superstitous reverence &C
corded to anything in the shape Of a book in
clined men to receive anything In the shape of
novel as literary product, but this attitude
is going out Of fashion People realize now that
many a novelist, like many a playwright Is
n NJ Iio aptor t,fD