The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-26
MAGAZINE
Namss ~ wen AGvsstlSed writers. and No
ORIGINAL Matter, Wanted.

OrtBtnni Anttors Wahteu'
To THs EDIFoH or TEE sUN-sir; A story
may Of course be rejected. ~ Matter OF Fact
asserts, for . hundred different reasons.
Black and White" implied. and rightly implied.
that Klpling's story was rejected through A
lack of literary dlscernment on the part OF tho
editors TO whom II was offered. II q story
ten times a. inferior In interest and Origt-
nallty TO the transmogrt1ed manuscript
which Black and white" experimented with
reached ths sanctums Of such editors with
Kipllne's name attached TO 10 they would
probably spend q thousand dollars or 90 to
exploit tho treasure. II this does not show
q lack Of literary appreciation In It's widest
Interpretation, then there u no criterion by
which II may be judged.
Editors OF magazinea contend that it IL
-sufseisnt-for- them 10 glance over the open
Ing pages Of the manuscript OF Q story. Every
person who has had experience In handling
large quantities Of manuscript u well aware
that IL the opening Of q story does not give
some indication Of ability or originality any
time spent IN scrutinizing 1t further u raOov
IN vain. There may be and sometimes are
exceptions 10 this rule. but they are 80 few
and far between that the general principle
may be relied upon az abundantly justlfytng
the custom.
Editors Of popular magazines are not in
the market for original contributions: they
want the name, and the name only. They
denythls. tell the crowd that their one anxiety
10 70 discover budding genius and gradually
cultivate it into the light Of the worlds APP
probation. They cannot aford TO do any
thing Of the kind. The competition ls too
severe. The story that does not carry at
lie head q name recognizabie In American
periodical literature falls fat. The embryo
author must mako a name before he makes
or can hope to make money. u lsa matter
q little conseGusnce how re makes sSd o.: 81 name anne;
Sis salt. from the editors and publishers OF
our periodicals.
nI Il e. sr ! seo ssa n. .as i 1s:r. 's ssS in Ps az.
| Nineieenh Century he declared that there
were any number q young men and women
none who could earn q respectable living with
their pens NJ. tsyn was at d ina t'ms s
eoDdScs o. OF me Il V one Of she most inteTestins
publications In any LANGUAGE; The author OF
Lost Sir N~assingberd found n his editorial
iaT eontfibvtions came from writer's Of whom
be had never heard, Except the opening
serial story; the cont5 ht 1mss 20 N o9e n oSs {
Who made their bow to the public in the Cora
| kW may, I believe. be reckoned by the score.
Conan Doyle is one Of the most conspicuous
In no less than seven Of the, current, maya
zines published in New YORK that have
Such a hodge podse Of action. history, BIZ
oEraphy, interviewing and 30 on would tax
I the sanity Oh y prOOlIeHueI W Nauo NntOukns
| much more that of Intelligent readers to
digest. II the editors OF our magazines can
do no better, then we q v arrived in this
country at q condition OF mental atrophy.
The names Of the writer's WIG sell their wares
to the editors Of the magazines month after
month are so regular In their appearance that
they, as well as their editors, must have come
to the conclusion that they possess some
on Il. / may be TOLD that these hacks are
writing not for fame but for money; that
they bring their goOds 70 the market and
dispose ofthem a. best they may, regardless
Of the fate OF their competitors. am not IN
the least iuVidious. / never wrote a line or
fiction in my life. MOI. q magazine article or
any consequences or value to myself or any one
else, although ! have had Q good deal TO- do
with the editorial supervision OF. more than
one vehicle OF current literature, both In this
country and over the water.
IL seems to me that until we acquire the
practice OF anonymity In the magazines. as
we have II In the editorial columns of the
newspapers, at least In felton, our short
stories will be the 0raceless weeds they are,
written to order and OF the hand me down
character that we know them to be. In, other
words, we want q reverston 70 the style and
impartiality that characterized Honsehotd
Words and Ar the Year Round r1der Dickens.
Ckdmhers's Journal as 1t ST. DIS, the, Are
Maria with its catholiclty OF lste and OPP
| portunity no less than Of profession. and one
or two other periodicals.. p. NJ. GREER.
Scranton, Pa, September rs.