The Washington herald., 1912-09-01
THE WRITER'S ROAD is
STREWN WITH HARDSHIPS
New York Author Gives Figures to Prove HON.
Poor Is Woman's Financial Reward in
the Literary Field

land. and s3se.55 from the sale Of her
second novel, which was given to the
public as the work of a fayortte writer
and received only eulogy from the crit
les.
This womans confession Of her small
financial reward for years Of success
fur work is enough to disillusion the
most sanguine OF literary aspirants. for
she further declares that during the
year 1907. which was the year her first
story was accepted. she wrote six maya
zine stories. Of which she sold four For
the first OF these she received $50. for the
second. SIS; for the third. sT5: and So
for the fourth. a total OF sslo. for the
work of an entire year-less than s. a
week. which the average department
store clerk can easily earn
willing to Make Sacrifices.
The second year the sale OF her FIRST
novel sweIled her income 10 S0s.4l Her
receipts for the third year were only
sl75. the struggling young author having
been hampered with illness. which did
not discourage her sufficiently. however,
to prevent her devoting the whole OF
last wear to her second book. and now
she is busy on another romance. just
because she loves the work so well that
she is willing to forego the comforts OF
life for its sake.
As sat deeply absorbed in the writ
ing OF a feature story for the SUNDAY
edition Of a Chicago newspaper a few
years ago, a woman whose stories ave
familiar to all magazine readers cane
into the office and asked for the S'.Rd4v
editor had met her els=wher~. and
was glad Of the chance the SUNDAY .tl-
tors absence gave me- TO talk u h..
After a few generalities she turned tas
conversation TO the work upon which I
was engaged and after little confded
to me that she was there TO ask for a
salaried position.
For the moment IL seemed Incredible
to me
WIZ in the world should you prefer
:" go IN work in a newspaper Office on
= salary. and subject yourself 10 the
tremendous nervous strain OF working
always in hurry. always surrounded
by noise and confusion when YOU are
so successful in the magazine field" I
asked
She smiled induIgentIy, and gave ma
a friendly little pat as she answered
MY dear, it is less of a nervoa=
strain To know that you will receive a
envelope AT the End Of every Week in
Hfich there is enough money for cor
forrthl" support than II - 10 hear
YOUR name sung 10 the skies because
of on story while You wait through
months perhaps for the sale of anothrr
sent from editor - editor for three so,.I
wears hef"r" il was accepted. The VIZ
ing Of Il story is one thing Its dispos.-
ton Is quite another" she told me-
Henrt-breaking Buxinesx
When her story Of her experiences was
finished il was much like the account
given by the little New York author
who unburGcned her hear To the inter-
Viewer, with perhaps a little larger To-
tai figure.
When the time comes that I do not
have to actually earn my own living I
s. al! not mind III, long waits. the dis
appointments in sales of stories, the
anxiety Of watching for their puhlica-
ton bv editors who do not pay for a
manuscript until il is printed, but now
/ must know where my money is coming
from. ami have II Regularly. When A
girl or woman feels that she has the
RIft OF expression and something worth
while giving expression 10. l cannot
Lame her for making the effort to write.
Tut It is heart-hreaking business for
the woman who must depend upon il for
her daily bread" she ended as she left
ne To greet my Sunday editor who mad
lust come in
This woman is hack in the maSazins
S"me' row. but she spent five iateryen-
ing years writing for a Chicago news
"A
10 longer necessity for her 10 depend
upon her own work for her meat and
bread.
There are many professions yelled in
glamour Tor the woman WHO sees them
only through the drear1-mist created by
her own imaginative brain. and of them
all the road n writer seems some
low to look the fdireSt. Perhaps il is
be cause one reads so much Of the few
who attain fame and wealth in the world
CT letters and so little of the thousands
" no labor through the years. climbing
only to the middle round OF the Ladder
OF literary sGcress. or swept down into
complete oblivion by the CALLING disap-
ro!ntment they meet all along the way.
\ thin ruat Of potash left on the sink
overnight once a week will remove ths
ugly yellow stains that will not yield to
kerosene. 1t should be applied with
care, as it is poisonous