Evening journal., 1910-12-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Slip That Cost a Pub
Usher a Best Seller"
BY "HOIland.-
By "HOIlsnd.-

We We're talking about the com
plants of many authors unknown to
fame that their manuscripts do not re-
ceive careful consideration in the Of
ices Of the magazines.
That, l happen to know, is not the
case, said S. $. Mcclure, editor OF Nc
Clure's Magazine. "ln the offices oi
every reputable magazine manuscripts
from whatever source are carefully
read, and every editor is delighted
when he is able 20 discover a writer
OF promise among the unknown con-
tributors Of manuscripts. In this con-
nection, ! do not recall that | ever re-
jected manuscript from the pen OF
an unknown author which afterwards
was published elsewhere with success.
But have accepted a number of man.
uscripts by unknOwns in the mistaken
belief that they contained stories or
material that would make their au-
thors famous. An editors judgment is
not always accurate.
But whenever this subject comes
to miud | am always reminded of how
! missed one very great success by a
queer accident
"One day | received through the
mail the manuscript Of a short story;
published in a magazine of the stand
ard size it would have filled ten or
twelve pages. / read It carefully and
was at once certain in my own mind
that the writer had struck q new note.
There Is no competent editor who does
not rejoice when he receives manu-
script which contains what | call
new note, especially if there be humor
or pathos, or both combined, in the
story.
After had read the story l was
persuaded that the author had made
a mistake in her handling Of It. In
stead Of producing a short story, /
felt that she should have developed
her theme into a serial of six or eight
magazine numbers. perhaps more
therefore returned the msnusdNpt to
tho writer with the explanation that /
would gladly accept the story, but i
felt that 1t was capable Of being ex-
panded into a serial story of say about
thirty thousand words. ] requested
that she do this, and ended by stating
that / would be glad to receive the
manuscript Of the serial aud had no
doubt that II would be found very ac-
ceptable. The writer lived in Ken
tucky; | had never heard her name be-
| ARAAf INC hNOAN Man IfA0AHAN nNA MA 81
venture in the field of magazine iic-
ton.
Some time passed and I had re-
ceiyed no reply to my letter. AT last
! I determined to write again; possibly,
my letter had discouraged the author.
/ AT all events, / felt that an eXplana-
/ ton was due me. So / wrote, saying
! that ! was anxious to know whether
my suggestion had been adopted. and
! that / should be glad to receive the
manuscript of the serial at the earliest
1 possible moment after its completol
! I'm any event, / added. / should be glad
| to hear from the author as to the pro-
/ gress Of the serials. it she were writ
ing it.
"ln fcw days there followed one
I of the most curious of my strange eN-
! periences. got letter from the au-
| thor IN question 10 the effect that she
had gladly adopted my suggestion; the
story had been expsnded into one of
some thirty thousand words and COM
| pleted. But by some accident which
! the writer could not eXplain--through
some misdirection, some mischance--
| the story had been sent not TO Nc
! Clure's Magazine, but to the Century
/ Magazine, and the editor, Mr.. Glider
had recently accepted 1t and the story
was about to be published IN the Cen
tury
when got that answer" added Mr.
| Mcclure / said in my disappoint-
ment. That story will make a hit And
! it did, although by accident / lost my
opportunity to be identified with It.
| The story was Alice OHegan Rice's
Mrs. Wigs of the CABBAGE Patch
. ~.
rights reserved.)