The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-24
UNKNOWN GENtCsEs.
\ Professional writrr 1Dctides Them ana
La,ifis tlc listed Editors.

To THE EDiroP ov THE SvS--St! Does
Robert Emmett Ward. your North Caro-
liza friend Know that everybody who
sends q manuscripts ~ "a magazine editor
thinks he Is an unknown genius ana
itches 10 be ''discoversd"? Docs he know
that there are tens OF thousands OF those
'Teniuses' IN this country and that truck
loads OF their wares are dumped daily
into editorial sarctums' Does he know
that writing IL the sole art Of which
every man. woman and child. with seven
teen exceptiors, thinks he is master?
Every adult nj some time IN his tpar-
ticularly herr life has sent a story to
magazine devoutlv believing II would he
published Occasionally n rejection slip or
two dls.llus!ons unknown seniuses.' but
most of them keep their stun making the
rounds of magazine offices. And once the
unknown geniuses" get the fever they
can't he curbed. II is for that reason that
real genluses like Mr. Ward and me have
no chance to land. The other fellows
tthey blame Il on us) swamp the readers
in editorial offices and ut the same time
sap every drop of the milk Of hu'pan
kindness from their systems. How lucky
for job that one OF his trials was not
reading manuscripts for editors
/ was sure when | was Is land who. at
that age. isn't sure Of the same thing?)
that I was a great poet and short story
writer. started in then to try to con-
was right in entertaining that estimate
OF myself That was seventeen years ago
and since then have sent out and had
returned excepting a few poems. n car
load of manuscripts And haven't regis
tered a kick with an editor. He doesn't
ask me to send him my stuff and when I
send 1t feel the obligation Is on my part.
not his. If he doesn't like a story ! send
him. why should I argue with him? He
knows his business better than / do. /
would be just ms much justified In arguing
with him as a pedler would he in arguing
with YOU for refusing to buy trinket
from him
A few days ago 'pondered" over the
masterpieces in my collection of quaint
and curious volumes OF forgotten lore"
wept over stories | had intended to be
humorous and chuckiod over supposedly
of thanks to those long suffering editors
who had returned the stories.
During my efforts 10 become known"
! have been encouraged frequently by
editors. Perhaps I have received fifty
personal notes from them, Offering sug-
gestlons or telling why my stories did not
suit them. Yet they were under no obli
cation 10 help me. and surely they would
not have done so had they been as incon-
sideratc as Mr.. Ward would have us be-
lieve they are. ! fear some unknown
geniuses' are obsessed with the idea that
magazine editors conduct correspondence
school in short story writing. They are
simply busy men. working In a field where
competition If keener than in any other
profession or business.
I once asked well known short story
author how long IL requires to master tho
art OF writing.
i've been In the game thirty years and
| haven't mastered IL yet" he answered.
How fortunate all unknown gcniuse."
would be II they realized that writing IL
the most difficult art to master!
SAMrEt. EDWARD HARRIS.
FAR RocKAwAy. April 23.