Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-08-20
An
Author Publisher
By ANDREW c. EWING


onbizner His father said to him one
say when the boy was much eiated at
heinu made editor of the high school
BANNER: My boy. don't get the liter
sry fever. A great many catch IL, and
ii those recover In whom the liter
az PARASITES End nothing to feed on.
: fsar you have Just enough talent for
,,,ting TO make you uncomfortable all
your life
Alas. the young are not so CONSTITUTE
Al .s to take the advice OF the old.
perhaps this Is best as VI Is IL is not
suceess that brings happiness: II Is
s,nytng for success But In literary
work for all but one In million there
are constaU disappointments.
Young Robinson was so unfortunate.
according to bis fnthers idea. when he
went to college as TO be made editor
NJ the university magazine. His es-
saws received the highest marks. He
,rss unconscious Of the fact that the
rsason they took high rank was be-
cause those with which they competed
wore Of no value as literary produc-
lions.
Mr. Robinson. ST., died while his
son was in college. The publishing
business, by the late owners intunc-
Hon. was to be carried on. TIL Leslie
WAS graduated. by the junior partner.
after which the son was to manage the
interests he had Inherited. He proved
10 have business capacity and soon be-
came the brains OF the establishment
Perhaps II Leslie Robinson had APP
preciated his business talents he might
have lost his desire for literary emil
hence He considered himself rather
born to literature than to business.
Finding time to manage a publishing
house and scrihbie. at the same time
be did both. He sent articles to the
magazines, and they were always ac-
ceplcd They were good articles. so
that II was not necessary for Mr.. Rob
inson to ask how much their accept
ance was due TO their merit and how
much 10 their having been offered by
the head OF the publishing house OF
Robinson X Co
After awhile Mr.. Robinson brought
out novel IL was accepted by the
first publisher to whom II was offer
ed Robinson scorned TO publish II
himself. He said that the test OF n
good book Is that business man
Will risk his money on IL 1t cost sew
eral Thousand dollars to get out an
edition Of n book. and unless the article
WAS OF sufficient merit TO Insure re-
turn u would not fnd n publisher
He was still young In the business or
he would have known that the higher
the tyre the less the profit. The poet
Browning would have starved had he
been for,pd 10 live on the income he
derived from his poems.
Robinson published severni books,
one after another He did not succeed
10 he-oming well known as an author,
but had no difficulty In securing pub
ishers for what he wrote BY and
by the publishers began TO ask him
10 give them his hooks for publication.
This WIS long step to the front
Leslie was very proud OF himself
Those associated with him In business
asked him WHY n his books were val.
liable TO other publishers they were
not valuable TO him lie replied that
10 publish his own works would make
II ntf-'ar that he couid not get any
other house to take the risk OF do
ins ~
RnbinsOD| arried n girl with good
deal of horse sense. IL did not re-
quire a long time for her 10 see that
her husband was an excellent business
man She knew that persons are apt
not to value what they are born to and
are easily pulled up with little sue
Cess at what they do indiGerentiy
well. One day she had the temerity
to tell her husband that he was mar
urally fitted for business-indeed. IL
was his natural vocation.
A dispute arose between them
which ended In an agreement that the
next novel offered by him should he
under an assumed name. Robinson
WINGED at this suggestion made by his
wife, for he knew the value OF name.
Out he admitted that II his novel had
not sufficient merit TO find a publisher
without his name II could not be a
literary gem. AT any rate. he was
"hnng 10 abide by the test.
His work was sent first|t the pub
Usher who had thus far put out all
his books Within week II was
returned with a printed unavailable"
card. This was a great fall for his
literary pride For the next six
months he continued to send his work
70 his brother publishers. Most OF
Them kept II long while. He thought
TINS meant that they were making up
tneir minds 1t was not this. but that
ney were too busy to examine II. AT
me end OF the six months II had gone
the rounds.
The day II came back from the last
publisher Robinson saw novel ad-
Vertised by one Of his brother publish
ers, the author OF which, had stood