The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-08-04

IA PAONC " uiiusrik lfkdl pOS-
try and poverty were not necessarily In
separable: that poetic genius might b
converted into cash. He knew that many
American poets had earned their bread
and butter by following other profess
sions Sir Walter Scott's Last Minstrel
brought him in $500. while The Lady
of the Lake paid him $4,000. Thomas
Moore received $4,000 for Lalla Rookie
and Dryden was given $40, 600 for his trans
lation Of Homer am not comparing
Mr.. Riley with any of these men. and
mention them merely to show that in
England, at least, poetry had a value
among publishers and was financially
appreciated by the public. In this coun-
try however, poetry for a long time was
a literary luxury. Mr.. Riley made the
writing of verse his sole profession. and
he told his friends he hoped some day to
show that the art of all arts could more
than sustain itself in the United States.
He is the only American poet. so Peter
Dunno said. when he was here last win
ter. who rides In his own seven-pass enger
Limousine. Mr.. Riley's books have brought
him a modest fortune and his annual roy
alties are larger to-day than they were
even in his more productive period"
"who is the best paid writer In the
worId?'
"Oh. that's a large order and couldn't
once said to have been paid the highest
price per word. and our own Mr.. Rob-
ert Chambers has been credited with an
annual surplus equal to the national debt.
I have been told that he gets S12.0oo for
a magazine serial and that he often
writes two or three a year. 1 shouldn't
like to bring his poor relations down on
him. but the gossips have placed his
annual income as high as $780,
The Earnings of Mr.. Howells.
But William Dean Howells," ! said.
lis thought to be the most successful
author in American
That depends on what you mean by
successful. Artistically, yes: commercial
ly, no. / doubt IL Mr.. Howells has made
any heavy investment In stocks and
bonds out Of his royalties on his books
He has long been on Harper's editorial
staff. and, I fancy. his salary supports
him while his royalties represent his saw
ings. Yet he is our greatest man OF let
tiers: an artist of rare skill, an author
of real charm, q brilliant critic, and q
kindly, courteous and courtly gentle
man"
AN English author" said. recently
asserted that publishers exaggerate the
earnings OF authors so as to induce re-
cruits to enter the business?"
THAT may be SO in Europe. but It il
not true In this country. Authors abroad.
/ believe, earn less than their brothers.
as a rule, earn here. OF course there
is Alphonse Daudet. who received $780,
600 for 'Sappho:' Victor Hugo. who re-
cefved $4,000 for Les Miserables,' and
the Earl of Beaconsfeld, who received
$4,000 for Endymion.' On the other
hand. We must remember that Robert
Louis Stevenson sold his Treasure Island
as q serial to a magazine called Old and
Young for $50 column Mark Twain
paid the best. have heard that Dwight
L. Moody's hymns. sold everywhere as
you know, piled up more than $1.00o. 900
In royalties during the course Of twenty
years II these figures are accurate Mr..
Moody probably leads the world as a
literary money-maker. provided his
hymns can be called literature
But, recurring to your question. pub
fishers in the United States have no
need to drum up volunteers. The ranks
of the writing men are recruited by
companies and regiments, and all are well
come. for who knows but a genius may
be among them. dare say 1000. maybe
10000. complete novels are written every
year in the United States. About 800 of
them are printed. The average sale of
a novel is probably less than i 500 copies,
the best sellers included. II the book Ii
sold at $50, and II the author is given
royalty Of 10 per cent, a little arith-
metc will show that the average pay of
the writer is only s225 a novel. And yet
the offerings keep up and the authors
seem in no wise deferred.
Books in Department Stores.
I'm England the reading public is
rather limited. and many books are
printed in shilling and 6-penny editions
At the customary royalty a shilling
book would net the author III cents.
Our authors would starve to death
on such wages. Americans are great
fiction readers. The public schools turn
out hundreds Of thousands of potential
novel buyers every spring. Our stories
in standard form are sold at Sis to s1.5o
When the publisher believes that a novel
has been practically sold to its limit at
the $50 price he rents his plates, or
sells the printing rights, to a publisher
of cheap or so-called popular editions,
which are often printed in large quanti-
ties and sold at 50 cents in department
stores and In the regular bookstores as
well
Some writers object to being thus
'cheapened,' as they describe 1t. This
reminds me that I once heard Mr. Riley
say that the only man who objects to
giving his autograph is the man whose
autograph is not asked for. Shakes
peare, Dickens. and Thackeray. and even
the Bible, can be bought for g cents.
There is no reason why any modern
author should hesitate to Join this i'm
mortal company"
What kind of stories are best liked?''
There are fashions in fiction as there
are fashions In everything else. A writer
sounds a new note discovers a new
theme, finds a new type of character.
He does his work well. and his book
becomes popular. He sets a fashion.
imitation is worse than the one that
and the once fashionable becomes passe
and a new style is inaugurated. Thus
the seasons sweep in and out again, and
no man can tell what is coming next"
How q Book Ii 'Campaisned.'
How does book become POPULAR"
TT becomes known through the ef-
forts Of the publisher; 1t becomes popu-
lar II its author has been fortunate
enough to put into 1t any one of the
many popular-making elements. The
publisher adyertises the book until John
Smith goes to his dealer and asks for 1t.
Then, IL Smith likes the story, he will
tell Jones, and unless Jones borrows II
of Smith he. too. will go to the dealer
and buy a copy. TINS is popularity
manufactured. Yes; the autumn is gen.
orally considered the most fortunate sea-
son in which to publish novel. though
many great successes have been launched
In the spring. The publishers spring be-
gins shortly after January /; his au-