The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-03
EXPERIENCE OF A
BUDDING AUTHOR
This One Really Finds a
Publisher
COUNTS EGGS EAGERLY
ROYALTIES On Work, However, Have
Not Yet Paid Artists and the
Man Who Wrote the
Preface.


He didn't look like an author. Few
of them do. But there was burden on
his soul and a literary publication in his
pocket, which ought to prove something
Besides, he claimed title more In sadness
than in pride.
He opened the subject himself and saw
it through to the finish without any
prompting, and he made suitable ges-
lures when occasion demanded.
"As | was saying" he began, "consid-
er the case of the poor authorize man
who writes a book
II hate to talk about myself, but take
me for example. I am an author "A
publisher once made some OIL my VIII
ings into a book.
| at was a lovely little BOOK, all gold
and white outside and all black and
white in l was much pleased with 1t.
| ain the first place | wrote it. Then L
rewrote it, Then | submitted it to a pub
| Usher
He liked it. He said so plainly. 1t
! was one of the best things he had reao.
He said that, too. But it did not MT in
| exactly with his seasons plans, and he
was obliged to refuse it.
! you may imagine ] was pleased to
! have him consider it so faVoraply,
asked him If he had any fault to find
with the plot. He had none at all.
| "In fact he did not seem to remember
much about the plot He asked he II the
| book had one | assured him tat 1t dld.
! He had no fault to find even then.
"And hoping to see the very next thing
7 did and being honored by my visit,
he gently but firmly showed me out into
an alleyway, which / presently discovered
ended in the street.
another publisher, who was in MS
| office the fifth time I called, submitted
INV book to his readers and they re-
| ported favorably upon it. They, now
| ever, suggested some changes.
| zone considered it too long. Another
| thought 1t ought to lie padded out bit
| A third thought II might have hit the
| Christmas trade If the had seen 1t
early enough. A fourth said it might
| do, but it would be dead around the
! holidays
| 81 showed the ublisher that the sum
| of these remarks proved that the book
| was just the right length and would sell
| all the year around He did not deny
| it. Neither did he take the book.
II tried others and they all showed
| great anxiety over the next book /
might write. But they tagged that one.
Must Have Been a Gambler.
| AT last one of them must have been
| gambler by nature. He accepted the
| manuscript He said the heroine's
| mother bore a striking resemblance to
a certain person whose fourth husband
had Just eoped with her adopted
granddaugh ter Something like that.
I did not see any resemblance, but |
did not tell him so.
II had meantime made no secret OF
the fact that l had written book. NO,
| I had discussed it with my friends. I
even got some of them to read it. l
| heard once that man sold a book and
the publisher swore afterward that he
did not write it. I took no chances.
But my open methods were nothing
to those of the man who was to put
| my books on the market shortly [
! read notices among the literary news
about myself.
| IL was "a talented young auth or l
| learned that the publishers had Sc
cured an option on my future work. |
! was interviewed once or twice. At
| least | read that l had been.
"They decided to make it $1.5o
book and have it illustrated. / con-
| sdered my fortune made. / longed to
| see in painted efigy the form of my
| heroine. l saw 1t.
I'm the frontispiece she was about
nine heads tall with aristocratic fea-
lures and wore a riding habit. In 9TH
er pictures she ranged from short,
plump blonde, to a lanSOurOus Olieii,di
! ycrsop who smoked cigarettes Inc
| look said she was a Quaker maiden.
! II called the firms attention to TINS
and they said they knew it, but what
the public wanted was pretty pictures.
besides, her being a Quaker was the
| weakest point In the book. Quakers, 1
| learned had been done to death.
II resolved my next story should be
| ba sed on twins. Three artists got 300
apiece for illustrating the book. The
| cost of illustration was charged to my
| profits .,,.
"Eyerything went along pleasantly
| until got my contract Somehow l be-
Gan 70 have forebodings the minute l
| read that paper.
"Did YOU ever read literary con-
+racto II usually covers four pages
! Of foo,scap and is a work or art ana
Science. l read along about the parties
~ the first part and paties of the sec
| "a nart and hears and assigns IN a
,,,od mental revel of delight. / had
,avar been anything of these things
| l,afore I did not understand no"
watch one l was, but l was in the swim
| anyhow.
A Pessimistic Contract.
.vrhen got down to the talk about the
| .ovsities That was the cream. Pretty
-,ord ROYALTIES. Only this pessmistic
so,,ract had such grewsome way OF
snnt,,ne everything 1t would go along
| like this: ..u 10
| =. "a 10 the party Of the second part, one