The Washington herald., 1907-02-03
EDITOR BOX SEEKS TALENT
Doesn't Believe Unknown Writers
Have No Chance of Recognition.
How He LabOrs for the Development
OF New Authors-Traininsa Poet
in SecIusiOn.

Edward ". Box, who has been editor
Of the Ladies' Home Journal since ISIS
does not in the least agree with the
many correspondents who have been writ
ing 10 the New York Sun 10 say thai the
magazine editors give too little attention
TO manuscripts sent them by writer's per-
sonally unknown 10 them
Mr. Box told a New York sun reporter
recently that IN his belief magazine
editors. as a rule. examined manuscripts
sent TO them with a mental microscope.
and their only regret was that micro
scopes Of a higher power were not OBJ
iainable.
May I give YOU a few concrete ex-
amples from my own experience Of the
diligence with which this search FOR the
new writer is prosecuted? Some time agu
noticed in an indianapolis newspaper
a signed column OF comment OF varied
sort. II struck me as well done J
watched it for some time. Then ] took
pains TO find out who wrote f. 1t APP
peared that the writer was a woman IN "a
tiny out-of-the-way town 81 Indiana. Size
called herself The Country Contributor.
I sent man to see her and ma out
what she was like. He was so well I'm
pressed that I made her an offer 70 DO
some work for Us. Il was so good that /
engaged her regularly. and she IS now q
member Of the staff OF the magazine.
"A man once sent to US 10.0J0 word
story about toy bear. II was done in a
charTaingly graceful and faciie style /
el IL d Q 0l1 vr-.rT ca r.S.f. l., e -4 z 49,. d. 81.
him so. He couldn't see il that way, but
finally he came around and rewrote il as 1
suggested, and he Is now engaged on a
series Of articles on the same line. The
thing was hopeless in its original shape.
so far as we were concerned, but little
patience and trouble has, we feel, repaid
u.s.
II had a similar experience with Chi
cagO woman VINO sent rs q 5000 word
novel IL would have been easy TO re-
turn 1t with a note saying that il was
too diftuse and thin for our use, as in
deed II was. 1t would have been easier
sui 10 send it back with the usual The
editor regrets &c But l saw a 10gQ
word novelette, in it, to be published in
TWO parts Of the magazine. and was final
~ able 10 persuade the author that | was
right about H.
m from a faraway little place. place so
small as hardly to be on the map at all,
sent me a poem. As a poem it was not
much. but something about it impressed
me that its author was worth while. |
made inquiries. I found that the woman
lived the most secluded sort of life. She
Wss poor She was lonely. About all she
had was imagination and literary long
ings She had just TWO books in her
house the family Bible and a geography.
Il subscribed for four or five maya
zines and sent her a box Of books that /
thought suited TO her needs. That was
four years ago. / am still keeping up
the treatment I told her not 10 write a
thing. Occasionally she sends me a manu-
script and I send il back with the same
advice She is now twenty-six years old.
When she is thirty 1 shall advise her 10
write and ] shall have hopes Of her.
"A telegraph operator in Norfolk. Va.
once sent me "a manuscript. l wrote to
him. saying that his manuscript was
hopeless. as it was. but adding that II
contained an idea Tor which 1 would pay
him $50 if he would allow me 20 use 1t.
He wrote back telling me to take IL by
all means, and adding that he hadn't ex-
pacted 10 get more than so for bis article
in case IT, was accepted. That idea was
the suggestion for tho series of articles
called How We Saved for Our Home 1t
proved one of the most popular series of
articles we ever published. Four out OF
every five letters we received renewing
subscriptions since its publication men
Toned il -