The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
REwARDs or LITERATURE.
A veteran writer and Editor Tells WhI
They. Must ne small.

TmoN, MugG NO 4Hh@AAs
To rHE EDIToB or THR suN-Sdr: Since
the publication OF my letter In n Sun Oh
Septamber q upon the subject Of my caption.
I have received several letters from managing
editors indorsing my views - set forth, ana
~corroboratlnR them from their own vide and
catholic experience: IL 10 not my desire 70
enter into controversy with any one, but one
c~orrespondent Of THR Sun says that many
writer's whose products are salable are MAKING
good money" -
AZ 90 that, facts do not seem TO warrant
the assertion. CoHier's Weekly In q recent
issue estimates the number Of available writer's
in this country at 600. Az regular rates Tor
accepted matter these writer's can eacn earn
az they place twelve articles annually. say
5000. In New York city the wages OF a BRICK
layer are 70 cents an hour. For eight hours
he receives IS. go; in 900 days tround num-
bers) 81, 500 annually. II the 900 writer's men
toned by Golfers make $1,000 in the same
time they are doing far Better than tnink
they are, Moreover. the bricklayer gets
his money cash In hand every week. while
the writer Is lucky n he Rets his every quar-
ter. i do not call this good money by any
means. The bricklayer has q dead sure
thing. while in the case OF the writer every
thing ls uncertain.
There is said to be a regular demand Tor
short stories, and some so-called stories are
published in most periodicals, but they are
! mere sketches. not stories by any suetch OF
fancy; just why any one should pay 5000
money for the ruck Of them 10 past UNDER
standing.
In an active working experience hard.
| mindinx work. Of thirty years upon such
| journals as the Scientific American and the
Engineer. which I founded. owned and edited.
and others, I obtained an insight into the
| publishing business. and among the man
ayers Of them I nav many personal riends'
Naturally, ther efore. l nothing ~extenuate. nor
set down aught In malice The gist OF the
matter Is that there are too many writer's
for the market open 10 them. II Is not out
Of the way TO say that at a low estimate there
are 1 900, 900 manuscripts turned out annually
in this country and mailed TO publishers In
| the expectation that they will be read upon
| their merits. which Ii q delusion and . snare.
| Not a 1.-THE Of them will be read even By title.
! for II Is a physical impossbility 10 do 30 with
the average force at hand. I do not wish
TO reveal the secrets OF my prison house
but I know that many OF my articles wer Q
accepted and paid for In spot cash without
being read. for the editor told me 10 L
knew It would be all right he said. and that
was all there was to 1t. II this occurred In
my favor, why not in other Gases where l
was not known; but summarlly passed up
a. -unavaiiable"I
One correspondent Of THE Sun recites at
some length the reasons for rejection OF aTti-
Giles, VIII en- he might have saved the time IL
took to write them. for the reasons are unim-
portant. The editor did not want to buy
the article. which Ia reason enough. without
comment. One reason which q be cited
Ia that very many articles are sent to the
wrong publications; II there was a general
clearing house for manuscripts to which they
could be sent by officers or ofncials or the
leading publications. who would call at stated
times TO see IL there we're any articles likely
to suit them. 1t would save a great deal OF
time and labor for all concerned.
EGBRRT p. WATSON.
ELIZABETH. N. j., September 20.