The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-25

and after him the potential author must b
the object Of an editors most solicitou'
regard. To get them. TO help them. anc
40 far a. possible 10 shape their courss
10 the magazines policy and needs u thu
irst work Of an editor
1 know that many editors attach great
importance 10 discovering new men
that Is. 10 printing their first stories. On
course. this 10 a pleasant and desirable
thing 10 do. but in these days Of keen and
intellectual manuscript reading the dis
coysry Of a new man by particular editor
IL determined. 70 some extent. BY the
author happening TO send his first story
70 this particular editors once.
-Ths essence Of an editors work lies IN
estimating a new man. his capabilities
and possibilities. his strength and weak
ness lie must kn ow when and how 70
enoourag so anu TO suggest, according "a
the TEN permanent and Intelligence OF the
author: q great deal with some. a very
little with others.
Above ali he must guard against
confusing q new man with too much adj
vice. Of hampering his development
along original lines BY trying 20 shape his
stve and IDEAS in some pet and particular
mould Of his own. Much more important
20 an editor than printing a mans first
work u q careful study OF IL. whether II
IL printed in his magazine or another.
20 SEQ II il does not suggest the possibility
Of some new series that will b particularly
suited Ia his magazine. just a. a bright
newspaper man will often find the sag
gestion for a beat in an obscure item Of a
few lines. 20 will a good magazine editor
often find the possibility OF a striking
series in a casual story or article by a
new man.
-Of courae discoveries. like strikes
in the Klnndike vary In their value and
possibilities Some writers get careless
with a little success. stop studying. stop
! 0baerving. stop trying. and Wrapped
IN a sweet certainty that a public that
has liked anFne % their work h going
b. ike all ~ II. yass thrpugh and down
ard out b. q veil deserved clerkehip az q
ribbon counter II nav bc ST down ~
automatic that the bigger a mana head
gtts the smaller are the ideas that come
| Out 81 II
Some men Nhoss stock In trade is the
Z lOcalit, ard the people that they have
known All their lives take thelr first
SUCCESS IN the hrst train o. New York.
! live for a While on what they rememlSsr
ard gradually slip bank down tho ladder
20 chicken farming some men witt the
/ hest intentions IN the world az like hens
I the, have just ~ many stories IN them.
| and after they have written their quota
| neither rcd pepper nor the s'nnisst
7 possible conditions viii coal out another
| printable page.
III 10 tho man who has the wisdom to
stay In his proper environment whether
D Il
Etantly strives to broaden he view on
/ lie ard his skill in the use Of his tools.
who "a never satisfied with the story
| finished hut always sees the possibility
Of better work in the story just ahead.
/ that IN the backbone 81 every successful
magazine.
To find a few men Of this type every
/ year ia we'll worth any amount n trouble
/ These men do not complain 81 favOritism
and prejudice on the part Of editors nor
do they cay that thsTe - no chance for
any one who hasn't biG name. They are
! the big names Of tomorrow.
As a matter Of fact We have always
refused 20 buy stories on names or TO
value them by the yaFdstick The
greatest SUCCESSES that We have made
have bern with comparatively unknown
or with Anonymous authors. The story
Of 500 words IL often worth more thaR
the story Of 1000 by the same author.
The English MAGAZINES are a horrible
exampia % the evils Of buying on name.
u has become Increasingly common over
there N shop Tor stories A. u they were
herring. 10 % On an agent and say: I want
half q dozen KiphnEa or. I'll take a hun.
dred thousand words Of Gilbert Parker:
and the editor takes them, whether he
likes them or not whether they are suited
20 his magazine or not.
Under this system the English. with
some Of the best story writer's living. are
rapidly building up the poorest popular
naEa Sines IN the world. ANY magazine
eiited in this way IL necessarily a hap
hazard performance. without plan or
uolcv. every contributor 10 u being in
effect an editor without an EDITORS re-
sponsihilities.
IAN American editor realizes that a
MAGAZINE cannot he slung together in a
happy 90 lucky fashion Around him
and in sympathy with his plans scattered
from the Atlantic To the Pacific he must
have a body Of men who will suggest 10
him and 70 whom he can suggest on whose
work he can depend and build
Then he must watch his mails and the
other magazines and newspapers all the
time for new possibilities Vet In spite u
the fact that the very life Of the magazines
h hound up in discovering new men many
writer's still declare that they cannot get
fair hearing Let them address and drop
their manuscripts in the nearest letter
box. and they will get under present con.
ditiOns an honest hearing aud. unfor-
tunatsly for both sides concerncd. In the
cnse Of ninetv-nine out OF every hundred
. rejection slip for their pains
For a writgr % gluo pages together
and Ell that sort 0f thing. 20 prove that
. manuscript hasn't been read from be-
ginning 70 end. IL q waste u time and
trouble. u may b. freely admitted that
whils 81 manuscripts have honest con
alteration not all are read through.
To draw again on our useful friend the
hen. which Brother hapgood delights
10 honor on he editorial page. Il really
isn't necessary 20 eat certain eggs 10
Determine their quality.
Magazines arc not correapOndenoe
schoolE for incOmpeoenta. Almost every
one has a notion that he can farm or write
without call OF training ! know ~
nothing harder than 10 win and 10 keep
= worth uhiie succeas At writing After
40 apprenticeship which. in moat cases. /
must s. quits az laboTiOtis as that for any
profession. a writer must win has hattie |
an over again with everything that he
publishes.
-On every piece Of hia work there -
4 plsbiEcits ~ dslormins whether he ahall
10 snsouraRed % continue writing hooks |
o. 20 70 hack % keeping them.
A. the editor concludes 10 rAxes seri- |
Oualy out Of the window and down on the |
immediate proapsct % the burial ground /
across tha street: but this has no place |
In hia vision. which iaoKtendinR out over
ths vide country % g1t eager eight %
ths mass q living psopls and what they l
want u